To all Clergy Conference participants

Dear Brothers and Sisters

"Committed to God - Engaging with the World"
The Bishop's Conference for Clergy - 30th June - 3rd July 2008

This is the final letter about the Conference before we gather at the University of Hertfordshire on Monday 30th June.  There will be one further piece of communication by e-mail and the diocesan website which will be in the form of final ‘joining instructions’ – this will be issued during the week of Monday 16th June.  When you arrive at the University you will receive a booklet with all the further material you will need at that stage, including detailed programme, full liturgical texts and biographies of our various guests.

The Planning Group has now reached the stage where all of the final details are now in place.  I am, therefore, pleased to enclose a copy of the outline programme which will give you the shape and flavour of the Conference.  Our overall theme is ‘Committed to God – Engaging with the World’.  The intention is for us to look outwards from ourselves to see what is shaping the world in which we live and in which we seek to express the Gospel.  We will hope to do this in relation both to the local communities where we serve and also to the wider global scene.  A number of strands running through our Conference will help us to do this.

Worship is the main strand.  The Liturgical Committee has devised a pattern that will carry us through our days together, moving from ‘Arriving’, through ‘Reflecting’ to ‘Going Forward’.  The pattern will include a number of different forms and styles of service.  Andrew Maries of Keynote Trust will be our Director of Music and a good number of people have signed up to assist with leading the music – there is still room for others, so please be in touch (contact details below) if you would like to join the instrumentalists.

Biblical Reflection is built into the pattern of services.  We are privileged to have in our midst a wise and thought-provoking biblical teacher in the person of Bishop David.  He will give five addresses in the context of worship, concerning which he writes:

"What does it mean for the Church to 'engage' with the world?  Are we to come apart and be separate, as an alternative society?  Or are we to act transformatively within the world, and if so, to what goal?  I want in my biblically based reflections to explore the implications for our engagement with the world of the basic Christian affirmation that 'Jesus Christ is Lord'.  I want to discuss the difference between Mary and Martha, praying and doing, poetry and science.  I want to ask about the possibility of a shared public moral discourse that enables us to speak of the faith in the public realm. We will look at the doctrine of creation and some implications for our engagement with environmental concerns.  And throughout we will hold  on to the eschatological vision of God's coming kingdom, with the promise of a new heaven and a new earth in which justice dwells - a vision which calls us to act now in the light of what will be; and to pray that God's kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven."

Panel Discussions are the other main strand of our Conference with four plenary sessions to be hosted by Tony Mallion of BBC Radio Norfolk.  The format will include brief contributions from each of the panel guests followed by interaction between them and then between them and us.  Full biographies of our guests will be in the conference booklet, but you will see from the programme that the visiting participants are:

• Richard Ellis, Chair of the East of England Development Agency
• Richard Worsley, of the ‘Tomorrow Project’
• Elaine Storkey, Theologian & Broadcaster, President of Tearfund & General Synod member
• Andrew Motion, the Poet Laureate,
• Michael Wakelin, Head of Religion and Ethics at the BBC
• Malcolm Brown, Director of Mission and Public Affairs for the Archbishops’ Council

There are a few other items which merit comment at this stage:

Informal Conversations are on the programme at various points.  The intention here is that anybody may sign up in the Atrium for a room in which to initiate a conversation about whatever they wish with whoever may turn up.  No doubt some will think about this in advance and bring with them relevant materials or information.  But there is nothing to stop you doing so on the spur of the moment during the course of the Conference.

Free Time.  We hope that we have left sufficient space as an important aspect of the Conference is our informal meeting with each other.  This is especially so in a diocese where we are geographically quite well spread and where a good proportion of our clergy have moved into the diocese since our last Conference.

The Gala Dinner is an important part of our time together.  We are encouraged to view it as something a bit special and to dress appropriately – ‘smart casual’ is probably the best guidance.

Travel.  A good number of people have signed up to travel by coach and we know that others will be sharing cars.  Directions to the University can be found under the 'Latest updates' box at the top of this page.

If between now and the Conference you need further information, please be in touch as follows:

• General Administration (including booking space for Informal Conversations): Mary Brookes or Margaret Mallett
• Worship and music: Canon Richard Ames-Lewis -
• Any other matters: Bishop James

The members of the Conference Planning Group hope that what we have prepared will prove useful and encouraging for us all.  We look forward to welcoming you on Monday 30th June.

With my prayers and good wishes,

+James, Bishop of Lynn