Urban Hero of the Year

Stories of Changed Lives

24 hours with Shane Claiborne

Conspire Magazine

This fantastic little quarterly journal is produced by the guys at the Simple Way in Philadelphia with the help of their many friends. We first got our hands on a copy when we bumped into Shane Claiborne at an event last summer and we instantly loved it.

And it's not just a funky, subversive sounding name for a magazine either, Conspire is something of a statement of intent, the origins of the word coming from the Latin 'con' = together and 'spirare' = breathe. This creative publication is a way of stimulating dialogue between communities stretched over many cities.

Each issue takes a simple theme as a starting point which is then interpreted in all sorts of ways - art, poetry and of course the written word. It's hard to think of anything else out there that has such depth and quality.

And here's the best news of all - you can now get your hands on Conspire right here in the UK as we have begun shipping stock over from the States on a regular basis. So if you'd like to get your hands on a slice of history in the making (i.e. these are collectable limited editions) fill out an order form before they're all gone!

CLICK HERE for a Conspire order form

Email us on this address: eden@message.org.uk

To visit the Conspire website click here

Gentrification Redefined

Over 3 decades in urban Atlanta Bob Lupton has proved himself to be one of the most inventive and consistent pioneers of Christian community development. His book 'Renewing the City' is well worth a read. One of the most challenging sections of it deals with the issue of gentrification. Bob shows himself to be a lateral thinker and true pragmatist by critiquing a common mindset - the notion that gentrification is a negative thing. Here's an excerpt from his book. What do you think?

"The romantic notion that the culture of a poor community must be somehow protected from the imposition of outside values is as naive as it is destructive. Neighbourhoods that have hemorraged for decades from the out-migration of their best and brightest need far more than grants, technical assistance and well-meaning partners to restore their health. More than anything else, they need the return of homeowning, goal-driven neighbours who once gave their community vitaility. In a word, they need the gentry.

This leaves us in a quandry. The poor need the gentry in order to revive their deteriorated neighbourhoods, but the gentry will inevitably displace the poor from these neighbourhoods. The poor seem to get the short end of the stick either way.

But must gentrification always spell displacement for the poor? Probably so. Yet displacement is not always bad. There are drug dealers and other rogues who need to be dislodged from a community if it is going to be a healthy place to raise children. Overcrowded tenements and flophouses should be thinned out or cleaned up, and this inevitably means displacement of some of the vulnerable along with their predators. Bringing responsible property management back into a neglected community does spell disruption for those who have chosen or been forced by necessity to endure slum-lord economics. But what may be disruptive for the moment can become a blessing for those who yearn for a better way of life if - and this is a big "if" - the poor are included in the reclamation process by the returning gentry."

You can get your own copy of Renewing the City at our bookstore by clicking here   

the Chef did the Reading

Two weeks ago I travelled to Belfast for the Jesus in the City Congress on Urban Mission. Around 100 practitioners in urban contexts gathered to share information and insight and recieve refreshement and encouragement for their work.

It was a meeting with a purpose. This summer is the World Mission Conference to be held in Edinburgh in June, www.edinburgh2010.org/ and the UK contribution will be a presentation of the reflections and experiences of the delegates at the Jesus in the City congress.

During the weekend I was certainly challenged by the unique political and social situation facing Belfast but also hugely encouraged by the work of our hosts the 174 Trust www.174trust.org who are actively working for reconciliation and peace in a very divided part of north Belfast.

Coming out of every experience seemed to be the very real power struggle which is an integral part of city living and of mission. Who are those with power in your community and how is that power expressed? As we come to share the gospel with people we enter into a power engagement. Perhaps our questions should be how to emulate Christ in his powerlessness, how can we leave our power ungrasped and therefore reveal the kingdom of the weak to our urban communities.

On day two at Jesus in the City a guy stood up to share from the scriptures and, perhaps seeing the confused look on our faces opened with 'yes I am the chef, and I'm now going to do the reading'.

A Milestone Night in London

Hundreds gathered in Westminster last night to show their support at the official launch of the Eden Network in Greater London. There was a real sense of something significant taking place as we worshipped together and prayed into the vision for reaching communities that have experienced decades of decline.

The night peaked as Tim Hughes and his band worshipped on their instruments whilst Pete Greig led those gathered in a time of speaking God's promises over the barren places of the city and prophesying life to the dry bones. There was a fantastic response as people pledged to pray, give and to put themselves forward to join the first wave of pioneering teams.
 
So watch this space as we press on to make a difference in the great city on the years ahead.

Rob Bell on Stoke vs Manchester

Prince Charles hears about Eden

It's amazing the people you bump into in the course of a day here in London - the other day I nearly got run over in the street by Bruce Forsythe! This encounter was rather less accidental, Prince Charles, at the invitation of the Bishop of London, was at Holy Trinity Brompton meeting with a variety Christian activists.

I got chance to have 5 minutes with him sharing about Eden and telling him about the hundreds of amazing people who have been willing to relocate into challenging urban estates in order to bring transformation from the inside out. The Prince shares Eden's passion for young people and through his own charity The Prince's Trust helps thousands of young people to discover their potential.

Oscar Muriu at Urbana

Christmas - Silent Night?

So there I sat. Tapping my fingers on the steering wheel. In front of me an authoritative red and white striped barrier. To its left an illuminated sign bearing a singularly frustrating word: FULL. A glance in the rear-view mirror put paid to any idea of reversing out to find another place to park up. For as long as it would take, I would be sitting here. On Christmas Eve. Of all days!



It took a little while for the thought to form but when it did the lovely sense of divine irony caused a festive grin to crease my somber cheeks. “FULL… no room… find somewhere else… we can’t help you.” Suddenly amidst the triviality of waiting for a car park barrier to rise I found myself in some small way empathizing with a certain Joseph and his tired and pregnant wife Mary. My mind flutters back two weeks to this day, I remember my own wife sitting uncomfortably in the passenger seat next to me. Echoes of the puffing and panting as we made our way to the hospital where our second son would be born seem to linger still. Would I be sitting here so patiently if all that was happening right now? Not likely!
I really have no idea how what proportion of the population are taken in by the idea of Christmas being all about a ‘Silent Night’? My hunch is that it could be the large majority. If that is the case it’s tragic because that would mean that most people are looking for Jesus in the wrong place. Let’s get back to the words of the ancient historian Dr. Luke of Antioch who gives us some really important details.

The Emperor, Caesar Augustus, keen to ensure that Israel was paying its full weight of taxes, had ordered a census. This involved massive internal people movements as families were required by the militarily enforced edict to register in the place of their ancestral heritage. Imagine the chaos! Every inter-city route overburdened with snaking trails of bumper to bumper donkey traffic. At every water-stop the price per litre had been hiked up and then hiked again.
Bethlehem was the place of Joseph’s ancestral family home and so the couple reluctantly headed south. Reading between the lines we see that for some reason Joseph and his betrothed, Mary, weren’t offered the hospitality of any of their extended family in the town. The reason is obvious. None of the uppity southern relatives were willing to bear the shame of having an illegitimate birth taking place under their roof.  And so the couple resorted to cold-calling at the local hostels. Of course we know that their search ended in total frustration.

Maybe every room in Bethlehem really was spoken for. More likely there weren’t enough coins left in Joseph’s purse after the long trip to afford the kind of bung the innkeepers were asking for to ‘make a room available’. During the census hotels were doing great business – it was a sellers market. Read the gospels with a fine-toothed comb and you’ll find no mention of a compassionate inn-keeper offering a free night in the stable. In contrast to the traditional nativity story we are led to a more shocking conclusion. Luke 2:7 suggests that Mary couldn’t hold back the contractions any longer. It’s at this point that I imagine Joseph leading the way down the dark alley to the rickety animal shed. With a firm kick the door came open – this Holy Child wasn’t being born in the street! 

So here is the Incarnation. Into the traffic, the crowds, the snobbery, the profiteering, the frustration and the desperation, Christ is born.

In 2000 years nothing much has changed.

Wishing you a great Christmas,
Matt Wilson, National Director

Called to Make a Difference