Worship at S Giles-in-Reading

RENEWING MINDS | IGNITING HEARTS | INSPIRING LIVES

Plutarch once said that “the mind is not an empty vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled." Saint Paul, taking the words of the great historian to a new level, said that to be a Christian is fundamentally about "the renewing of our minds.” This is what we believe at Urban Abbey.

A Year with the Masters

Imagine a year of study as a vibrant garden to grow in knowledge and virtue. Imagine it not as a place to sit and listen to lectures, but rather, a way of life and pursuit of most noble ends. Imagine it as an ongoing conversation about the most profound ideas of history: truth, justice, liberty, beauty, poetry, drama, God, and the afterlife to name a few. Imagine being taught by the greatest masters of the mind that walked on this earth: Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Dionysius, Dante, Dostoyevsky, Nietzsche, and more, who though dead, live on in Great Books. If you can imagine such a place, you've imagined Urban Abbey.

30 Weeks of reading, Socratic-style lectures and tutorial discussion groups.

Urban Abbey’s programme of study is designed to address the spiritual and intellectual poverty in our current society, by recovering our sense of reverence and respect for the wisdom of the past. We have partnered with a number of big brains around the world to help guide us through the Great Books, Great Minds and Great Ideas of history. The programme is designed to be highly challenging and you can expect to be as stretched academically as you would be in a traditional university setting.

What is Urban Abbey?

UrbanAbbey is for those that want to take their Christian vocation to the next level! Perhaps you sense that God is calling you to something, but you are not sure exactly what. Urban Abbey is exactly the place for you. It is a 10 month programme that combines daily prayer, directed study, and practical pastoral training together with mission and outreach in the local community.

Where does it happen?

We are based at S Giles-in-Reading, a Church of England parish in the heart of a busy urban area, in the town centre of Reading, Berkshire. You can find it on Google Maps here.

So describe how it works.

Interns (members of UrbanAbbey) live together in a small community and are given a monthly allowance to cover living expenses. Training includes:

Spiritual Formation/Direction: The heart of life for the Interns is our daily prayer and our daily celebration of the Eucharist. All Interns have a Spiritual Director to assist in them in their spiritual development and discernment.

Study: Interns engage in guided study, under supervision and in groups. This includes a grounding in Christian theology, philosophy and spirituality.

Homiletics: Interns are trained in the art of preaching, and are supervised by an experienced preacher, with opportunities to put the art into practice.

Pastoral training: Interns are able to reflect on their pastoral relationships (particularly those that inevitably develop through the youth and community outreach) with two volunteer supervisors.

Mission & Outreach

Interns get practical experience in exercising mission and outreach in our local community. The part of Reading in which we minister in an area marked by economic downturn, low levels of social connectedness and high levels of church disengagement. The work of the Interns involves:

Forging a creative relationship between the Church and Katesgrove and Coley Schools.
Together with local clergy, assisting with designing and implementing RE services.
Exploring and implementing creative programmes inspired by Growing for Growth, such as Open the Book, and Pray, Bake, Read!
Developing and maintaining after-school programmes at Katesgrove and Coley Schools.
Coordinate and liaising with several public fee-paying schools in the wider Reading area to coordinate volunteer work in our local schools.
Liaising with youth groups in other Church of England parishes in the area as well as exploring the possibility of links with churches of other denominations and cross-denominational youth organisations, thus combining scare resources.

Faculty & Staff

1.Spiritual Formation/Direction Fr Martyn Griffiths. Fr Martyn meets with each intern fortnightly to offer them guidance in their spiritual formation, and offer them suggested reading and general guidance.
Fr Griffiths is currently looking after Holy Trinity, Reading.

2. Pastoral Ministry - Practical. Mr Scott Wheeler. Scott supervises the practical side of pastoral training. He meets fortnightly for instructing, preparing and equipping interns to engage in real pastoral engagements.
Mr Scott Wheeler is a lay-pastor in the United Reformed Church.

3. Pastoral Ministry - Theory. The Rev'd David Harris. Fr David supervises the the more theoretical side of pastoral training. He meets regularly with the interns to discuss the theological background of Pastoral Ministry.
The Rev'd David Harris is the Rector and Vicar of S Giles-in-Reading.

4. Theological/Philosophical study. Dr K Tomas Krejci. Fr Tomas supervises the theological/philosophical training of interns. This includes group sessions as well as individual guided reading & discussions
The Rev’d Dr K Tomas Krejci is the Assistant Curate at S Giles-Reading.

5. Homiletics. The Rev'd Stephen Cousins. All interns have the opportunity of writing and delivering short sermons at week-day services. They are guided in this by a supervisor, who meets regularly with them. Sermons are sometimes recorded on video for constructive critique.
The Rev'd Stephen Cousins is Priest Pastor of Benson with Ewelme.

6. University outreach. Mrs Sue Mott. The interns help run our Old Wine Philosophical Dinner Club. Using this as the base, they also engage in outreach at our local University, with particular attention to the many student residences in our parish.
Mrs Sue Mott is a Visiting Fellow of the University of Reading.

7. Youth Outreach. Mr Chris West. Westy assists a team of volunteers which guide the outreach and activities of the interns. The interns meet monthly with the whole team to discuss activities.
Mr Chris West is Youth Worker in the Parish of Sonning.

8. Safeguarding. Mrs Jan Hearn. Safeguarding is of critical importance in Church ministry. Jan supervises the interns in their own safeguarding practices, as well as has helps them through any safeguarding issues they face.
Mrs Jan Hearn is our Safeguarding Superviser.