Encounters is a dynamic and cutting edge interfaith project aiming to deliver real change in communities through its community faith leaders; those responsible for their community attitudes, learning and perceptions of others of different faiths. A project designed for the opinion formers.
CCJ brings to bear its unparalleled networks, historic links and 70 years of experience to deliver a quality project addressing prejudice, social justice, antisemitism and xenophobia, whilst informing and enriching through new learning and skills.
Encounters empowers its participants to become agents of change operating at three strategic levels:
Encounters 1: - Looks to the future! Here we are engaging with those who will become the community faith leaders of the future as they train at theological schools and at rabbinic studies. Uniquely, it brings these men and women together to learn from senior rabbis, academics and practitioners, and then explore and lean from one another. Designed to be cost efficient mindful of limited time and financial constraints at colleges and centres of vocational learning, it takes the burden of the introduction to Jewish – Christian understanding and dialogue from the colleges, offering ample relevant resources and one to one encounter. Already operating at 5 colleges/programmes/courses, the list of participants is growing.
Encounters 2: - brings together, in a series of hard hitting exploratory conversations, groups new to Jewish – Christian understanding and dialogue. CCJ facilitates day-long Conversations on themes and topics the participants themselves identify. So far, the project has been running for three years and continues to grow: the focus currently is on conversations between rabbis and pastors from the UK’s vibrant Black Churches. Our lead partners here are the network for Minority Ethnic Christian Affairs of Churches Together in England and The Board of Deputies of British Jews. Presently London based, there is opportunity for this to expand nationally.
Encounters 3: - the latest in the Encounters basket of projects. This project supports congregational rabbis and clergy in their interfaith work, encouraging further contacts, contextual learning and at the same time spring-boarding community engagement and action. A ‘base’ internet community is created whereby regular learning and information is provided from the project manager. Opportunities for chat and sharing ideas on dedicated web pages expand and develop this learning and skills acquisition. This is run in parallel with real-time encounter for disseminating of new ideas, community exchange, joint social action and advocacy: twining and pairing of faith community leaders also takes place. This project is very much needs driven, our project manager responding to the requests and needs of the faith community leaders involved in the project.
E-newsletter for Encounters 3
For more information about Encounters, contact Fiona Hulbert
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