The 2011 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity marks the beginning of an encouraging year for the ecumenical movement in Britain, the Student Christian Movement (SCM) said today (11 January).
They revealed that they are expecting another record turn-out for their annual conference, which will involve an ecumenical exploration of prayer, and the links between prayer and action.
The Week of Prayer will run from 18-25 January and is closely followed by SCM’s Annual Conference, Still Small Voice, which runs over the weekend of 4-6 February at the Swanwick conference centre in Derbyshire.
“We are really encouraged by the revival of interest in inclusive, ecumenical Christianity,” said Jenny Morgans, chair of SCM's student council.
“Over the past year we have had requests for advice and support from students keen to establish ecumenical student groups,” explained Morgans, “Conference is a great opportunity for students from different backgrounds to meet and explore their faith together”.
The ecumenical conference will bring together students from all over Britain, as well as international students, to explore different approaches to prayer and how prayer relates to action.
The key note speakers will be the feminist theologian, writer and poet Dr Nicola Slee and the veteran social justice activist Rev Dr Kenneth Leech, founder of the youth homelessness charity Centrepoint.
The programme also includes workshops on topics including Orthodox prayer, community organising, mental health, drumming as prayer, discipleship and different ways of reading the Bible, as well as a Campaigns Corner, and a Prayer Walk around the grounds.
The Student Christian Movement, Britain's oldest national student organisation, describe themselves as an ecumenical student-led movement passionate about faith and justice.
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