One Big Day 2022
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10: 23-25
Saturday 30 April was a wonderful day of encouragement when 100 people gathered in Dereham for the One Big Day conference organised by the Children, Youth and Families team. There was an air of expectation and excitement fuelled by coffee and breakfast butties as delegates gathered to hear, The Bishop of Lynn, the Rt Revd Dr Jane Steen, open the day by reflecting on the Israelites traveling in the wilderness and the need to take time to listen, followed by worship led by contributors Engage Worship.
The programme allowed for delegates to attend three out of eight seminar options which covered a range of topics from Wild Church to Youth Ministry and presented people with the opportunity to consider new areas of ministry or dig deeper into their understanding and application of various topics and issues in their own context. Fantastic feedback highlighted how valuable this had been with one delegate commenting, “The children’s spirituality seminar will inform how I interact with children when engaging in faith conversations. The conference as a whole has sparked a lot of thoughts that will shape our strategy for reaching children and families.”
After such a long time away from face-to-face events, the networking times over coffee and food were invaluable both for existing teams as they reflected on what they were hearing, as well as for catching up with old friends and making new contacts. Fifteen stand holders representing local and national organisations filled the main hall offering a marketplace of resources and information for delegates to browse between sessions. Phil Coltman, Church Relationships Manager for Transforming Lives for Good said “the welcome and hospitality was superb. It was great meeting so many from across the region and I am looking forward to following up on all the conversations and connections made.”
It felt like there was a real presence about the day with one delegate telling us, “thank you for everything you did to make One Big Day happen – I nearly didn’t make it but am so glad I did. I had some brilliant chats with people which felt put in place by God, as well as listening to such encouraging talks with great ideas.” And another commented, “I appreciated the worship, reflection and prayer ministry particularly. There was an atmosphere of blessing, hopefulness and excitement.”
Inspired to find out more for yourself next time? Save the date – Saturday 27 April 2024.
If you were unable to attend the event but are keen to explore options for your parish further, please contact: Wbanguna.evpuneqfba@qvbprfrbsabejvpu.bet
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