Sharing Christ Through a Meal
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NEWS SPRING 2018 Sharing Christ through a meal INSIDE: Rev Dr Helen Collins on peacemaking, a new book honours Rev Prof John Nolland, and more… www.trinitycollegebristol.ac.uk Cover photo: Images of Trinity students at Bristol’s Wild Goose Café by Chris Dobson. Read more on page 18. Focusing exclusively on the call to Christian In this issue unity or on what it means to be set apart in truth can lead to our forgetting that we are sent by God into the world that he loves. If we NEWS were truly to be living embodiments of Jesus’ From the principal 3 prayer in John 17, we would be those whose commitment to the truth of God’s word leads College news 4 From the principal to a desire for unity and an impetus to go Staff news 7 into the world in mission. The features in this newsletter reflect all of these themes Faculty news 8 The idea is often put forward that and therefore reflect the way in which here Alumni news 22 truth and unity are in conflict, or in at Trinity we hold all three of them to be tension. That is not true. Disunity important. FEATURES presents to the world an untrue I am delighted to see the publication in honour of the 70th birthday of Rev Prof John Why is peacemaking so hard? image of Jesus Christ. Lack of truth corrodes and destroys unity. Nolland, a man whose life’s work has been a If God created us to live in peace, why do we struggle so much commitment to studying and revealing the Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury as Christ’s followers to be peacemakers? By Tutor in Pastoral truth of God’s word in the Bible. John was and Ministerial Studies Rev Dr Helen Collins. 10 my pastoral tutor when I was an ordinand Holy Father, protect them in your training at Trinity twenty years ago. Both name that you have given me, so then and now as his colleague, I have been New book honours John Nolland that they may be one, as we are one. encouraged and blessed by his profound A recently published volume honours Rev Prof John Nolland’s … Sanctify them in the truth; your wisdom and insight, as have so many others. contribution to the field of New Testament studies. word is truth. As you have sent me Helen Collins’s excellent sermon on 14 into the world, so I have sent them peacemaking stands as a challenge to into the world. each of us to do ‘one thing’ to work towards restoring the peace and unity (not ‘order’ or John 17.11b, 17-18 Finding Jesus in a hot meal ‘same-ness’) of relationships in God’s creation. Bristol’s Wild Goose Café provides unconditional Finally, I am always so pleased to see our acceptance and practical services to those who’ve hen Jesus prayed for his disciples in students being ‘sent out’ of college to 18 become marginalised. Its ministry is also having an impact the upper room the evening before his on Trinity ordinands. W minister to those in our city who need to hear, crucifixion, he was specific in what he asked see, and receive the love of God. I hope that his Father for them. He prayed that they reading about the contribution some of them would be one, he prayed that they might be are making through the Wild Goose Café will Trinity College is a theological training college located in Bristol, England, dedicated to sanctified (set apart, consecrated for God’s inspire you, as it does me. equipping students to live like the Kingdom of God is near as they prepare to lead churches purposes) in the truth, and he committed to and Christian ministries around the world. The college offers certificate, diploma, bachelor’s, their being sent out into the world with that graduate, and postgraduate programmes to both residential and nonresidential students. word of truth. As I have been reflecting on this passage recently, it strikes me that as a Trinity College News is published twice annually by the college to inform, serve, and connect Trinity’s alumni, students, and friends. To contact the editor, please email Melissa Stratis, church we are sometimes tempted to focus [email protected], or call + 1 (44) 117 968 0205. on one aspect of the prayer at the expense of others—a focus on unity can lead to a neglect For more information about Trinity, including recent news and blog posts, please visit Rev Dr Emma Ineson www.trinitycollegebristol.ac.uk and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. of the truth of God’s word, and vice versa. Principal 2 33 Nursery connects New Bonhoeffer class Trinity NEWS with care home During the spring Bonhoeffer’s writings, from his dissertations to Beginning last October, Alive’s Bristol Ageing term, students his posthumously published Ethics and Letters Better community engagement project has were offered the and Papers from Prison. In between, the group New Trinity video connected our nursery, Muddy Boots Day opportunity to take looked at Bonhoeffer’s time in Harlem, his Nursery, with the residents of Stokeleigh a new 10-week Creation and Fall letters, his controversies with Care Home. Once a week, either some of class focused on the the National Socialists and the nationalised the residents come for a visit to the nursery, life and writings of church, and his popular Discipleship and Life or some of the older children visit the care Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Together. ‘Learning about Bonhoeffer and home, resulting in firm friendships and The class, which was taught jointly by Tutor reading his work has stretched and challenged benefits to both young and old. ‘The children in Theology and Ethics Rev Dr Jon Coutts me,’ says ordinand Emily Swinerd. ‘His life love it,’ says nursery manager Jenna Jefferies. and Tutor in Christian Doctrine Dr Justin reflected the development of his theology. He ‘They love interacting with different people, Stratis, worked chronologically through was an inspired theologian.’ showing things they’ve been making and doing at nursery. It’s been really positive for the residents, who have different levels of Retreat Day studio and started creating. Other options dementia—they’ve seen positive changes in included learning about icons, photography, If you’ve not yet seen our new video, At the end of January, students spent a their memory and interactions. The parents watching and discussing a film, participating highlighting the college community and what Retreat Day engaged in one of ten options of our nursery children have also really been in a Quiet Day at a church near Ilminster, it can mean to train at Trinity, for the day, designed to help them be still, behind our making this connection. It’s put us and learning how to meditate on scripture visit bit.ly/2AP1J1C. to reflect, and to engage with God and the more into our community, and it helps us to through Bible journalling. world around them in a variety of ways. link more with the college’s kingdom values.’ Global Anglican mission Options included a 30-35 mile cycling New at Connect In February, Trinity welcomed Vice pilgrimage, during which students stopped Chancellor of Uganda University Rev Dr at various churches and chapels to pray for Over the last year, Connect (Trinity’s group John Senyonyi and Church Mission Society their work and witness. Others participated for student spouses) has developed executive leader Philip Mountstephen to in an 8-mile Franciscan walk through Leigh opportunities for their growing number college to give a presentation on global Woods with missiology tutor Rev Dr Howard of student husbands. In addition to their Anglican mission and ministry and to Worsley. Students who chose the visual arts participation as desired in weekly Connect participate in a Q&A with students and others option collected inspiration during a quiet events, husbands of Trinity students regularly who attended the evening. walk around college, then came back to the meet at Bristol Zoo or elsewhere with children during the day, or at a pub in the evenings, without children. ‘We have also organised a regular night out in our Monday Connect calendar to eat together,’ says Ebun Faturoti, who served on Connect’s Exec this year. ‘There has been a Mexican Night, Chili Night, and a Beer and Burgers Night. This has come about due to an increase in men regularly attending Connect—hopefully numbers will continue to increase next year.’ Want more frequent news updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, When it snowed in March, Trinity ordinands Emma Swarbrick, Lydia Rudge, Becca Rimmer, and or Instagram. Rebecca Taylor created snow sculptures of the Clifton Suspension Bridge and Belfast Cathedral. 4 5 The Light Experiment John Swinton lecture Block week on preaching At the start of the 2017-18 college year, our Last November, Trinity hosted a free As part of a preaching block week, students Student Exec commissioned ordinand Joe public lecture from Prof John Swinton on participated in sessions that included Knight to work with a team of students to create ‘A Matter of Faith? The Role of Belief in the ‘A Theology of the Preached Word’, a new gathering called ‘The Light Experiment’ Experiences of Christians Living with Severe ‘Approaching the Bible’, and ‘Authentic for a worship and prayer experience in which Mental Health Challenges’. Prof Swinton Preaching’, as well as a seminar from everyone in the larger Trinity community could is one of the leading voices in the field of comedy writer James Cary, who has written participate.