Under the influence of civic religion, concerns such as peacemaking have usually been considered ‘optional extras’ for Christians - matters best sidelined into a special arena labelled ‘ethics’, where pacifists clash and those who think violence is necessary continue to disagree. Simon Barrow, an ecumenical Anglican who considers himself a ‘Mennonite fellow traveller’, invites us to explore a very different approach - looking at how our core Christian convictions about the nature of God, rooted in the difficult peace of Christ, might radically reshape these questions.

During the past decade, we have heard much about the ecological crisis facing our planet and how we, as Christians, need to take action. But what kinds of actions should we and our churches be taking? How do we get going on environmental issues?

The London Mennonite Centre has had a long, close relationship with Workshop, a programme which has changed the lives of many people associated with the Centre. It is our very special privilege this year to offer those of you who have not yet experienced Workshop a day of discovery you will not want to miss (and for those of you who have already experienced Workshop, this is an opportunity to rediscover what you loved the first time around).

Sixty years after the creation of the state of Israel, tensions in the Holy Land continue to capture the attention of the world, and continue to divide people of all faiths across the globe.

Come and spend a day with representatives from three organizations working to reduce violence in the region: Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine Israel (EAPPI), and the International Solidarity Movement (ISM).

What is the responsibility of the international community when a state is unable or unwilling to protect its own people?

In the revolutionary atmosphere just before the outbreak of the First Jewish-Roman War (a.d. 66-70), one group of Palestinian dissidents opposing oppressive Roman rule gave witness to a pacifist understanding of faith in God. They were pious Jews from the Galilean countryside. Although they opposed Roman domination and the urban Jewish authorities who collaborated with their harsh rulers, their theological and political teaching and lifestyle nevertheless sought an end to the escalation of violence. Their leader was Jesus of Nazarath.

This is a repeat of the well-received seminar run at the London Mennonite Centre in October 2007. It comes out of Colin’s own study of Matthew’s Gospel, looking for ways in which Jesus can be seen as a living demonstration of the way of life that he taught his disciples. Colin says:

Following up on his popular seminar in the autumn of 2006, in which he introduced us to Islam and Christian-Muslim relations, we are pleased to welcome back Dr. Chris Hewer to help us take a more in-depth look at Islam from a Christian perspective.

Why are fresh expressions of church emerging in Britain and several other western nations? Are these creative missional initiatives incarnating the church into post-modern and post-Christendom culture? Or are they self-indulgent distractions from the task of mission in contemporary culture?

Gareth Higgins writes: “Going to the cinema can be a spiritual experience akin to worship, which can inspire and convict as well as any sermon.” Discussing films, and the relation between films and theology, is all very good, but there is something magical, and potentially spiritual, about dimming the lights and watching films together before we move into discussion.