Saturday 4 July, 9.30-13.00, The King’s Centre, OX2 0ES

When the Bible Society’s ‘Quiet Revival’ report was published last year, it resonated with what many churches are seeing across the UK: a significant increase in openness to the gospel and greater responsiveness to invitations to church. To date, Renew Oxford has focused on our churches making a greater contribution by working together to meet our city’s needs, but our unity has been based in the gospel.

We believe that social and cultural renewal naturally goes together with spiritual renewal, like a needle and thread. This year, we will be exploring ways to ‘thread the needle,’ bringing together good works and true words, knowing that the virtues of goodness and truth are both needed to build a more beautiful city.

We will hear from Andy Street, a leading Christian entrepreneur and network leader, who has amazing stories to tell from Bristol’s development as a City of Hope, where the council comes to church leaders for input on their strategic planning, and where Christian unity has led to a growing influence across the wider region.

We will hear from Jo Frost, co-lead of the Being Human project and recently appointed as Director of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. Her ministry has gone deeply into both truth and goodness, and she will help us to think this all through.

We will also hear updates from the working groups commissioned last October to follow through on key actions emerging from the mapping project: mental health, children and families, housing and network building – and we will pray together for a more beautiful future for this city that we love.

The event is free to attend, and you can turn up on the door, but booking a ticket would help us greatly with event planning and also gives you opportunity to contribute to the event agenda.

Draft Programme

• 09.30 – Welcome and Worship
• 09.45 – Setting the scene
• 10.00 – Andy Street: Bristol stories
• 10.30 – Jo Frost: Goodness, Truth and Beauty
• 11.00 – Coffee
• 11.20 – City Council input
• 11.30 – Discussion groups
• 12.15 – Updates and prayer
• 13.00 – End