Creed Conference - Make it Happen

A major conference for any church member or leader who wants to find new ways of engaging with their community is taking place on Saturday 21^st November. Organised by CREED, it will take place in the Jethro Centre in Lurgan. The keynote speaker is Bishop Ken Good.

‘Make it Happen' is designed to inspire churches. Not only will it show those who attend that it is possible for churches to successfully engage with their community. It will also give very practical advice concerning the question on everyone's lips - ‘how do I do that?'

In 2007 a group of church leaders were taken to visit Pittsburgh and Washington. The purpose of the visit was to show the great variety of initiatives being taken by local churches in the USA - initiatives that were about serving needs in the local community. All sorts of projects were visited. Some took place in massive facilities and others in a few rooms. The budgets for each of the projects varied enormously. Some had millions of dollars available to them whilst others operated on a shoestring.

The visit to the USA showed one truth above all others about taking a successful initiative. What makes the difference is not ultimately the amounts of money or the building available. The key ingredient is always passionate people - people who gave a vision to do something will always find a way to ‘make it happen'.

The ‘Make it Happen' Conference will encourage us with what is possible, and will give practical tools to bring vision into reality.

Ken Good is the bishop of Derry and Raphoe. This diocese has just launched a major new strategy for the next three years. Transforming Community - Radiating Christ involves every parish in the diocese taking at least one new initiative to serve need in their local community. He will use his experience of this major new initiative, as well as that built form working in rural and urban situations, to communicate the keynote message - that it possible to do something to serve your local community now.

The parish of Willowfield in east Belfast has a saying - ‘just do something'. It has lived by that motto over recent years as it has taken a wide variety of initiatives to meet the needs of the local community. David McClay is the Rector of Willowfield. He is passionate about reaching out with the gospel to those people who are as yet uncommitted and unconvinced. David will chair ‘On the Box' feature - an opportunity to explore practical questions arising from the conference.

Making it happen is about looking at needs that are in front of us and using what is to hand in meeting them. Despite the credit crunch, or perhaps because of it, there is a great need for Christians to use the resources (which are still considerable) available to them to ‘preach good news to the poor, build up the broken-hearted, and comfort to all who mourn' (Is 61)

A seminar programme will address everything from how to engage the Facebook generation to growing volunteers and leaders. There will also be a range of specialist people available throughout the conference to discuss specific issues such as: prayer co-ordination, legal issues, community audits, strategic planning and the like.

The conference begins at 9am and finishes by 2pm, with lunch included in the cost. Individuals can register for £25 / €30. However there is the added incentive of a group fee of £100 / €120 for five participants or more. For further information or queries contact or phone 028 38324578.

CREED was formed in 2006 as a group of people with particular experience in taking church-based projects and programmes from concept to completion. CREED exists to serve and help churches to grow and to be more effective in living out and promoting faith in Christ, by enabling them to implement a vision for their ministry and outreach to the local community. For further information visit www.creedireland.com.