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The latest from Woodbrooke
This is the April 2023 newsletter from Woodbrooke. Woodbrooke is an international Quaker learning and research organisation based in Britain.
Dear Friends,
Welcome to the April edition of the Woodbrooke Newsletter. As we move into spring we are happy to announce that our new batch of courses, sessions and residentials are now live on our website. We've featured a few of these courses in this email.
In this newsletter there are a number of important updates including information about 'Woodbrooke Places', where we bring Woodbrooke learning to various Quaker venues across the country and our Woodbrooke Centre Summer Residential.
We also look ahead to the upcoming Swarthmore Lecture and George Richardson Lecture which will be taking place over the next couple of months; showcase our regular online worship opportunities; provide the latest from our blog; and let you know how you can be part of the 'Anthology of Memories' that is being created for the Woodbrooke Centre.
Thank you for your support, please do share this newsletter with anyone you think may be interested in what Woodbrooke has to offer.
In friendship,
Aled
Aled Vernon-Rees
Communications Officer
In this newsletter:
New Courses
Swarthmore Lecture
George Richardson Lecture
Woodbrooke Places
Woodbrooke Centre Summer Residential
Woodbrooke: An Anthology of Memories
Online worship
Featured Courses:
Old Roots, New Routes
A Foundation in Nonviolent Communication
Centring Down with Compassion
Featured Woodbrooke Places Courses:
Reading the Bible with Early Friends
George Fox in his Own Words
The History of the Quaker Way
Blogs & Podcasts:
What is 'Woke' Bible Study?
If you've been forwarded this email you can sign up to receive future emails directly here.
A fresh batch of new courses, sessions and residentials have landed on our website covering topics from Margaret Fell to Ancient Greek Philosophy. View our new selection of courses
Featured courses:
Old Roots, New Routes 4 May - 8 June
A brave learning space where we will bring spiritual resources from the past into conversation with current emergent resources, using these to explore our present realities and create new routes for action.
Sign up for Old Roots, New Routes
A Foundation in Nonviolent Communication 4 May - 8 June
This course will introduce the basics of Nonviolent Communication. In NVC the emphasis is on deep listening, to ourselves as well as others, and through that we can discover the depth of our own compassion.
Sign up for A Foundation in NVC
Centring Down with Compassion 12 May - 16 June
Have you ever wondered what Quakers mean by ‘Centring Down’? Are you puzzled by how difficult it is to ‘be still and cool in thy own mind and spirit’? This course is an exploration of different ways into stillness.
Sign up for Centring Down with Compassion
Woodbrooke Places
Woodbrooke Places is a new initiative to bring the in-person Woodbrooke experience closer to Quakers around Britain.
This includes day events at meeting houses around the country, as well as some residential courses. The current venues for Woodbrooke Places includes:
Glasgow Meeting House
Edinburgh Meeting House
Glenthorne Quaker Centre
Central Leeds Meeting House
Wrexham Meeting House
Swansea Meeting House
Kingston Meeting House
Woodbrooke Places are listed on our website for anyone to sign up for, bringing people together from across different local areas.
A number of featured Woodbrooke Places events can be found below.
Featured Places events
Reading the Bible with Early Friends Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House - 17 June
During this day, we will look at how early Friends used the Bible, and consider what is distinctive about the Quaker approach. What does this tell us about the overall shape and orientation of Quaker spirituality?
Sign up for Reading the Bible with Early Friends
George Fox in his Own Words Quaker Meeting House, Central Leeds - 22 July
During this day we will explore four well-known passages written by George Fox and listen to them performed in plainsong by Paulette Meier. What did these messages mean in the 17th century? What do they mean for us today?
Sign up for George Fox in his Own Words
The History of the Quaker Way Kingston Quaker Centre - 12 August
The Quaker way has undergone many changes since the start of the movement in the 1650s. This day will offer a clear and accessible outline of the key changes in attitude and emphasis that have brought us to our current expression of the Quaker faith.
Sign up for The History of the Quaker Way
Woodbrooke Centre Summer Residential
16 to 23 August
We will be holding a Summer Residential at the Woodbrooke Centre from 16 to 23 August. This residential offers a chance to come together and spend time at the Woodbrooke Centre. During the residential, you will have the opportunity to stay at the centre, explore its grounds, experience a number of Woodbrooke taster sessions and be part of a community to celebrate the building and its history. This will be one of the last key opportunities to visit the Woodbrooke Centre before care for the building is handed over to Bournville Village Trust.
On each day of the residential there will be a choice of one-hour sessions three times a day with a good mix of topics across our areas of teaching; history and theology, worship and spirituality, climate justice, racial and social justice delivered by members of the Learning and Research Team and our Associate Tutor network.
There is a minimum requirement to stay at the residential for 2 nights however you can stay for any period of time longer than this. All bookings will begin with the evening meal and end with lunch.Accommodation will be full board with an en suite room. The cost of the residential will be ‘pay as led’ with a recommended fee of £120 per night as in line with the running costs.
Booking will open on our website at 10am (UK Time) on Friday 21 April via the link below. Woodbrooke Centre Summer Residential
From the Woodbrooke Blog
What is 'Woke' Bible Study
Woodbrooke has been running a short series of ‘woke’ Bible studies. What on earth does this mean? Ruth Wilde explains all in this blog...
Online Worship
We are offering monthly online 'Meeting for Worship through dance' sessions. They are a chance to embody your responses to what is going on for you at the moment. Live music online from Robin Bowles will support and respond to the movement. There will be a chance to connect with others and there will be time for worshipful dance. Join our next worshipWe are currently offering worship on most days of the week. This will continue over the festive period as normal. Check out the website for more details, anyone is welcome to join us as we come together for quiet reflection.