Ascension Day Eucharist

On Thursday 2 June, members from across the Cambridge Theological Federation met to celebrate Ascension Day with a Eucharist in the garden of Westcott House. The Bishop of Ely and Westcott alumnus, the Rt Revd Stephen Conway, preached and presided at a moving and uplifting service at which the Choir of Jesus College, Cambridge also sang. The final hymn ended in celebratory fashion with a display of fireworks.

20-year anniversary of Cambridge-Manchester Project

On Saturday 14 May, former ordinands, placement supervisors and congregation members from participating parishes met together to give God thanks for 20 years of a project linking Westcott House theological training college in Cambridge with the Diocese of Manchester.

Held at St Luke Longsight in East Manchester – the area of the city in which the project was originally housed – the celebration included a eucharist at which the Bishop of Middleton presided, and Bishop Rupert Hoare (former principal at Westcott House) preached.

In the 20 years that this partnership between Westcott House and the Diocese has existed, over two hundred ordinands have experienced and enjoyed an extended placement in parishes in Manchester – originally in the east of the city, but more recently, taking advantage of the breadth of experiences that are available throughout the whole. Housed in a diocesan property, groups of up to five students live together in community for between six and eight weeks, appreciating the different contexts of both where they are living, as well as experiencing the rhythm of parish life wherever they are placed.

Comments from those who have been part of the project clearly illustrate the value to both ordinand and parish of the undertaking, as one former ordinand reflected: ‘It is the importance of social aspects of parish ministry that remain my strongest memory; weekly luncheon clubs, bingo, drinking, eating, and every Sunday singing karaoke with the local funeral director in the pub. All these things were not distractions from church but integral strands of pastoral care.’

Rev Simon Gatenby, the current tutor for the project based in the Diocese, comments: "At a time when many training colleges are in retreat, both the Diocese's and Westcott House's commitment to this ongoing partnership is a great encouragement. To my knowledge the only training opportunity which links the Northern and Southern provinces, the project has enabled many current clergy wherever they have been called, to also gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the urban context. As a window into the Manchester Diocese in particular, encouraged by their placement experience, a good number of former students find their way back to serving here after ordination too. In football parlance (perhaps appropriate when the celebration was held on Cup final day), it really is win, win."

The Bray Lecture 2011

On Wednesday 18 May the Rev Canon Dr Gideon B Byamugisha delivered the 2011 Bray Lecture at Westcott House. Held every two years, the lectures honour the memory of the Revd Thomas Bray, founder of USPG and SPCK.

Gideon Byamugisha is the first practising religious leader in Africa to publicly declare himself HIV-positive. Taking the title ‘Communities confronting AIDS: is Missio Dei the missing paradigm to end HIV- and AIDS-related stigma?’, he explored the question of HIV and AIDS prevention from theological and pastoral perspectives. Canon Byamugisha said, ‘In a context where AIDS-related stigma has conspired with policies, strategic plans, practical programs, messages, sermons, research projects, national budgets and community prayers to produce and sustain shame, denial, discrimination, inaction and mis-action around a largely preventable and controllable epidemic, it is my conviction that ‘Mission of God-led’ stigma reduction efforts, questions, lectures, dialogue sessions, liturgies, sermons, Bible studies, research, theology and mission placements can help end HIV- and AIDS-related stigma and contribute to bringing about a world without AIDS.’

Easter missions and pilgrimages 2011

A number of Westcott ordinands were involved in a wide range of activities during their Easter vacation.

Catherine Tucker and Gillian Trinder joined the Jesus College Chaplaincy Easter pilgrimage trip to the Sinai desert. The trip included a visit to St Catherine's Monastery – the site of the burning bush – and a climb of Mount Sinai in the footsteps of Moses.

A group spent Holy Week in residence at Canterbury Cathedral gaining insight into the ministry of a cathedral in comparison with a parish church. A particular highlight was having tea in the garden of the Old Palace with Archbishop Rowan Williams on Holy Saturday, when he told them that a priest has to have the patience to hold diversity and to extend the welcome of God to all people.

A further five students and the Vice-Principal, Will Lamb, joined parishioners in Winchmore Hill for a series of events including worship, outreach and children’s activities. On Maundy Thursday, complete with their "Trainee vicar" t-shirts, the ordinands shined shoes for commuters arriving at Winchmore Hill station in an echo of the story of Jesus washing his disciples feet as an act of loving service at the Last Supper.

Another eleven Westcottians joined the Parish of Mirfield for Holy Week. Their programme included giving out hot cross buns on the high street, also wearing "Trainee vicar" t-shirts, and leading a holiday club for 35 children using a variety of activities including storytelling, games, crafts, action songs and godly play.

Amy-Jill Levine seminar

'I did not mean to sound like a bigot': avoiding anti-Jewish stereotypes in sermons
A seminar by Amy-Jill Levine
Internationally renowned Jewish New Testament scholar
Westcott House Lecture Room
3.30pm, Thursday 28 April

Amy-Jill Levine is an internationally renowned Jewish New Testament scholar and combines historical-critical rigour, literary-critical sensitivity and a frequent dash of humour with a commitment to eliminating anti-Jewish, sexist and homophobic theologies.

She is currently University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of New Testament Studies, and Professor of Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt University Divinity School and College of Arts and Sciences.

New Director of Pastoral Studies

We are delighted, after a long search, to announce that we have appointed the Revd Dr Tiffany Conlin as the new Director of Pastoral Studies at Westcott House from September 2011. Tiffany will be responsible for the pastoral programme at Westcott, and contribute to Federation teaching in Pastoral Studies. Tiffany brings to this post extensive experience in pastoral practice and teaching together with a passion for the arts in ministry. Tiffany is currently the Chaplain to Fitzwilliam College in Cambridge, and was previously Assistant Curate of Ss Peter and Paul and St Augustine, Wisbech.

Student Cross

"Take up your cross and follow me" - Pilgrims limber up for Student Cross, Britain’s oldest annual pilgrimage EAGER pilgrims anticipate a week of joy, tears, laughter, blisters, friendships forged for life and prayer as never experienced before.

From April 16-24, more than 250 people of all ages will set out on their journeys from various parts of England in 10 groups (known as 'legs'). Six of the legs will walk around 120 miles during the course of the week. There are also two family legs and another two groups meeting later on, for people unable to walk the whole week. Each leg will carry a life-sized wooden cross and will gather together in Walsingham, Norfolk, on Good Friday for a unique celebration of Easter over the weekend, concluding on Sunday afternoon.

Chantal Noppen, Westcott ordinand and national director of Student Cross 2011, says: "Pilgrimage is an intense and rewarding experience. Sometimes we need to be reminded to take a step back and remember who we are and why we are. We all need to find a way to do this and for some, this is on Student Cross, sharing the road and the journey for a while.

"As our pace of life seems to get faster and faster, the opportunity to breathe freely and release the pressure is invaluable. We are a diverse group of people of all ages and backgrounds from toddlers to students, priests and teachers, teenagers and retired folk.

"Every single person who takes part brings something different and every Student Cross is full of its own blessings, challenges, joys and surprises. Whether we regard our faith as the lynchpin to life or a peripheral thing to wonder about, Student Cross brings us together and helps us reconnect with what is important.

"The importance and relevance of pilgrimage today is often too easily overlooked. It’s time to think outside the box and walk this way for a while."

Value Based Discipleship - 5th March

Over 50 church leaders, including some of our own students, gathered at Westcott to consider what discipleship looks like in a post modern culture. The speaker for the day was Laurence Singlehurst, formerly the Director of Youth With a Mission and now heading up Cell UK. He looked at how our changing culture impacts discipleship and what are some of the key values required to create an authentic and attractive discipleship. The host for this event was the Centre for Pioneer Learning, whose stakeholders are Westcott, Ridley Hall and the Diocese of Ely. (www.centreforpioneerlearning.org.uk)

Good Neighbourhood Colloquium

On 9 February, Westcott House hosted a colloquium as part of its research and outreach initiative in public life entitled "What makes a good neighbourhood?". The aim of the day was to bring into conversation an invited group of people, representing varied social, policy, professional and faith perspectives, to explore a key dimension of the 'Big Society' agenda and how they would position themselves in relationship to it.

The sessions focused on four key issues. What does 'neighbourhood' mean these days and what makes a 'good' neighbourhood? What are the key public qualities and values that enable a neighbourhood to flourish? How do we design the good neighbourhood and what is the relationship between design, a sense of identity and human flourishing? Finally, what is the specific contribution of faith communities to the Big Society agenda and to creating good neighbourhoods?

Some key issues stand out from the discussions. First, faith groups must become more outward-looking and more confident about making their own distinctive contribution to public issues. They should not just fill the gaps created by public funding cuts. Second, the faiths must be robust about critiquing public structures and about issues of justice. Third, the definition of a 'neighbourhood' is not just a physical area but a network of relationships based on 'recognition' and being neighbourly. The faiths need to be clear about how to nurture this. Finally, a key value in flourishing neighbourhoods is mutual 'care'- based, in the case of the faiths, on a religiously-driven belief in the unique value of every human being.

Those involved included Indy Johar the architect and urban 'place' strategist who also brought a Sikh perspective, Andrew Davey the National Advisor for Community & Urban Affairs for the Church of England, Hank Dittmar the Chief Executive of The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment, Robin Millar the Programmes Director of the Centre for Social Justice, Dilwar Hussain the Head of Policy Research at the Islamic Foundation, Tim Ling the Church of England National Advisor for Continuing Ministerial Development, and Adam Dinham the Director of Faiths and Civil Society Unit at Goldsmiths University of London.