Be the Change: A day with activist and community worker Dave Andrews

Venue:              St George’s Centre, Great George Street, Leeds, LS1 3BR

Time:               10:45am-3:30pm (we will start promptly at 11am)

Booking:           Book and pay online

“Dave Andrews illustrates how we can live our lives prophetically in our time” -Jim Wallis, Sojourners

If you want to see transformation in your community, then come and learn from someone whose life speaks even more eloquently than his words. Livability, together with Tearfund, Church Urban Fund and St George’s Centre Leeds, are bringing you a unique and exciting opportunity to learn from and reflect with activist and community worker Dave Andrews.  If you have not heard Dave speak about Christian community work, please consider joining us. We guarantee that you will not be disappointed! You will leave with encouragement to keep going even when not much seems to be happening as well as practical ideas that you can try in your church or community.

The key issues that Dave will address…

·          How do we get the whole church on board with community action?

·          How do we deal with welcoming difficult/awkward people in our community?

·          How can we prepare the church for action and change?

·          How can we remain energised in our work transforming areas affected by poverty?

·          Are we ready for personal change?

·          What gets people together and involved in their communities?

This day is for you and is low cost…

This day is for Christians in the cities and towns of the North who want to see transformation in their communities. You may or may not be involved in your local church, and you do not have to hold an official leadership role. You may be a church leader or a volunteer, a youth worker or employed by a church or Christian community project. We have subsidized this day in order to allow more people to attend and hope that it is not prohibitive for you.

Dave is a Christian community worker, currently based in Australia, but with many years’ experience in India's slum communities. He has written several books on community development, notably 'Not Religion but Love', 'Compassionate Community Work' and ‘Plan Be’.  His current work is with a community initiative he started called The Waiters Union. If you want to be inspired, come and learn from someone whose life speaks even more eloquently than his words. For more information Dave, please visit Dave’s website.

“The fruit of Dave’s life is evident – ministries established, friendships forged, people helped, communities transformed, and workers trained to do likewise”

-Dr Ringma, Regent College

11am               Welcome and setting the scene

                        The heart of community work. Not us converting them, us being converted to serve them. Changing our ideas, images, models and paradigms of church/success.

12:00               Tea and coffee break, time to meet others

The place of professionals, the importance of volunteers, and how we can mobilize and organize people’s involvement with maximum impact and minimal structure

13:00               Lunch (included)

                        From bonding with people who are the same to bridging to people who are different and how we can talk about faith across the cultural and religious divides

14:45                Tea and coffee break, time to meet others

15:30               Close – we will finish promptly at 15:30(Please plan to stay until the end if possible)

Join us at our other events and get involved in 2011:

Check out Livability and Tearfund events on the Community Mission events calendar

Check out Church Urban Fund events on the Church Urban Fund website

Check out possibilities to get involved at St George’s, Leeds events on the St George’s website

Directions to St George’s Centre, Leeds: