Seven Years in Winson Green: Our hopes have just begun to be realised

Hope that lasts can sometimes be detected in unexpected times and places.??I was in a bustling, humid food court in Kuala Lumpa in 2014 when I first heard ‘seedbeds’ used as a metaphor for ministry.??Dr John Perkins, the famous civil rights leader, author and founder of the Christian Community Development Association in the USA, met up with a few of us organisers between?sessions of ISUM Summit.?It was a time of huge transitions for us. Not only had I just moved out of Klong Toey slum, Bangkok, that had been our home for 12 years, but we were also leaving Urban Neighbours Of Hope, the organisation I had founded and led since I was 22 years old. I was now 45 and preparing for a new chapter of life and ministry. Dr Perkins suddenly turned, looked to me and asked, “So.. why will you move to Birmingham, England?”??

I gulped and felt my face getting even redder. How could I explain this craziness, in a way that made sense quickly and without embarrassing myself in front of a living legend and peers? I took a deep breath and blurted it out: “In the second half of my life I want to invest my best energies in local leaders and their urban communities. We need to find out what is possible ourselves, in a particular place, but also see a new generation go further than we could. I want to live in a world where local communities decide their own futures and grow their own leaders. I think that if we can start that anew, planted in Winson Green, then we can be available and accessible to support long term change in cities around the world too.” I eventually shut up. It went quiet on our table as the buzz of the food court seemed to grow louder.?

Dr Perkins slowly looked up at me and then grew animated. "I know what you’re trying to do….??You wanna grow seedbeds! You want to offer fertile soil and nutrients and water and help new shoots grow up that wouldn’t normally do that. You wanna see more fruit grow in unexpected places. Some seedlings may get replanted some place else and they can grow there in new ways they couldn’t before, but you wanna grow seedbeds!”?

Four months after this encounter we moved as a family to Winson Green, Birmingham, UK. Over those first few years here none of our initial organisational plans survived impact, but Dr Perkins dream of seedbeds kept reoccurring.??

Fast forward seven years and we've learned a lot about grit. That 'passion and perseverance over time' (Angela Duckworth) is worth it. Winson Green is now not only our home, but has become a real seedbed of hope for so many. Anji’s leadership of Newbigin Community Trust (see this?inspiring film) and now also as a URC Minister with me in our local church plants from Lodge Road Community Church has been instrumental in this. The Birmingham Mail even recently celebrated the potential in Winson Green with a?story about our Alpacas.?

Our passion to raise-up a new generation of urban leaders is also happening. Over the last seven years, through our 5 Cohorts of?Change Makers?emerging leaders programmes and over 30?School for Urban Leadership?accredited and/or immersion courses, we have seen over 300 local leaders grow in??dozens of unexpected urban places. Not just in England now either as opportunities have opened up to offer leadership development programmes in places like Scotland, Ukraine, Germany, Myanmar and Thailand.?

When we thought about what to call this next stage of our dreams coming true in leadership and community capacity building we eventually came back to?Seedbeds: growing leaders, growing communities. We officially launched Seedbeds (the new name for Newbigin School for Urban Leadership) in July 2021 at the Greenhouse at Barnes Close with?the Annual Newbigin Public Lecture). It was a special time to give thanks for provision so far and to dream afresh for the future.?

As part of resourcing this new stage of our vision we’ve started?Seedbeds Communications?to grow more inspired and informed people through our speaking, publishing, media work and YouTube channel.?Anji’s first book?Missionary Not Just a Position?was launched in September as an example of this happening and it quickly reached a high of Number 2 in Amazon UK Theology best sellers and has opened up all kinds of media opportunities, including BBC radio.??

We are especially grateful for those who have known, trusted and believed in us enough to pray and support us. Our prayer and support partners have certainly needed grit too. We appreciate our path isn’t always conventional. We certainly need your support more than ever as we grow into the next phase of our dreams coming true. Fresh hope is being planted in unexpected places and more is now possible than we could have imagined.?

Shalom,?

Ash Barker

Seedbeds.org?

PS. You can financially support us?here

PSS. Here are some of our latest Praise and Prayer points for Winson Green as well as our Seedbeds leadership development work.

Winson Green is becoming a place of shalom?

In August, our Summer Scheme drew hundreds of local kids together both in Winson Green, but also using The Greenhouse at Barnes Close and local canals and rivers. Pray for the ongoing children's and young people's work in Winson Green that many may find fullness of life. Pray too for all the work of Newbigin Community Trust on three sites in Winson Green (Newbigin House, Benson Hub and Lodge Road Church Centre) run by over 30 local leaders.

Anji was commissioned as a URC Minister at our Lodge Road Community Church in September. The church continues to grow and develop, including the renewing of the church building for art, music, advocacy, community cafe, community garden and bicycles. Please pray for the growth of local leadership, the two congregations we lead and for ongoing building work to make the Lodge Road building safe, accessible and usable.

Change Makers empowers a 5th Cohort in England

In September, our 5th Cohort of Change Makers began. The 15 Change Makers nominated from 5 local seedbeds will launch their ideas for change in November after their 3 weekend residentials, 3 site visits and 3 coaching sessions. Pray these emerging leaders and their ideas take shape for compassionate, resilient and innovative local change. Pray too for the piloting of Young Change Makers (for teenagers, starting in December) and the next Cohort of Change Makers (starting in February). Please watch the new video that outlines the Change Maker journey.

School for Urban Leadership equips leaders for change

We focus on releasing the unique potential?of urban people and places?through practical, formative and accredited leadership development programmes.We do this through working with various academic partners to help design and deliver accredited leadership programmes. These include:?Church Mission Society?(Undergraduate immersion courses),?Nazarene Theological College?(MA programmes) and?Bristol Baptist College?(PhD research). A recent highlight was the annual Newbigin Public Lecture with keynote from John Newbigin (see below). Please pray especially for these upcoming MA units hosted online or at the Greenhouse at Barnes Close: Social Entrepreneurship II: Leading Enterprises (12-13 November, 19-20 November, 26-27 November 2021); Practices of Social Justice (15-22 January 2022); Resilient Discipleship (11-12 March, 18-19 March and 25-26 March 2022); ?Ecology and Theology I: Creation and Crisis (1-9 July, 2022); Community Engagement: Building Communities of Shalom (1-2 July, 8-9 July, 15-16 July, 2022). Please apply if you are interested?here.

Seedbeds Communications grows more inspired and informed people for change.

Many are aware of the vast, urban needs in the world, but few find meaningful, personal responses. Therefore, we have a renewed focus to grow more inspired and informed people through our speaking, publishing, media work and YouTube channel. Please pray that now the world is opening back up again we can help mobilise more people into being agents of change.

In September, Anji launched her first book through Seedbeds Communications. In Missionary Not Just a Position she shares openly and honestly about faith and doubt, the challenge of raising children in difficult places, as well as the joy that this life brings. Anji reminds us that our mistakes and failings can be our assets and that God delights in the strangest, most unlikely bits of who we are. Her stories will make you laugh and cry, inspire and encourage you. We've been thrilled by the feedback already. The Reverend Kate Bottley, Broadcaster and Priest (as seen on Gogglebox) says: 'Anji’s story is engaging, insightful, heart wrenching and at times, very, very funny.' A highlight too was the book launch events in Birmingham (above) and London (below). Books are available to order now at?Amazon.

We are especially grateful for Sharon Fraser (far left) who joined the Seedbeds team in July and is helping make this area possible. Sharon comes to us with years of experience in marketing, promotions and administration. If you would like to invite Anji or Ash to speak at your church, college or event please contact Sharon Fraser on at?[email protected]

Seedbeds Global builds grass roots capacities for shalom around the world

Unjust situations can change when growth and connections happen from the ground up. Solidarity across boundaries can alter destinies of people and places. Sharing friendships, resources, experiences, insights and learning can make poverty personal and build capacities for all to grow shalom…??even in the most troubled contexts. Formed out of our international connections we have developed over 30 years, our focus here is building leadership and community capacity for shalom in all its forms through connecting communities together across boundaries. We can offer opportunities to join in solidarity partnerships in Myanmar, Thailand, Ukraine, Germany and Australia.

Stand with Myanmar: The Military Junta in Myanmar have been slaughtering its own people for decades, but a fresh wave of brutality hit this year. On 1st Febuary 2021, the Military staged another violent coup. Many of its citizens have fled to safe areas while others have stayed to resist the Junta with direct action campaigns. Both are becoming more vulnerable as the military grows bolder. Since the coup on 1st February, the Janta have detained over 5000 political prisoners and killed over 1000 citizens.

Would you stand with the people of Myanmar in their darkest hour?

A. Write to our MPs calling our Governments to recognise and deal with the democratically elected government of Myanmar which is the National Unity Government (and not the Military Junta)?

B. Help fund urgent medical relief, shelter and training for those who are making it to safe areas? Through our partners on the ground we can get the aid to the right people there.

C. Help fund those courageous activists who are resisting the Junta with a Civil Disobedience Campaign inside Myanmar? Through our partners on the ground in Myanmar we can get support to the right people.

D. Help us design and develop leadership programmes that we can deliver with activists on the ground inside Myanmar and in refugee camps.

You can give financially here

Seedbeds Local helps local communities to raise up leaders and discover deeper shalom together

We know the joy and also the pain of trying to live out God’s shalom in difficult urban places. It can be lonely work at times and training rough-diamonds to become trusty leaders can seem like a huge challenge. We want to stand with community leaders, helping build capacity in their local community, raising up and equipping leaders to work towards more shalom filled living together.?To help this we connect local communities to our leadership programmes, coaching and retreats. Initiatives that have sprung up within these local Seedbeds include community enterprises, community organising campaigns and community building initiatives.?

We are thrilled that Rev Dave Mann from East London has joined the Seedbeds team to help this area grow. Seen here in red with Change Makers on Holy Island, Dave has been instrument in helping grow local Seedbeds in East London and is already helping new ones connect in Bradford, Lemington Spa and new parts of London. You can see the growth of local leaders in their communities in the film below. If you want to help to see your local community to become a Local Seedbeds please contact [email protected]

Good News for The Greenhouse at Barnes Close

In October we had the joy of commissioning Rev Helen Lawson to lead the Greenhouse at Barnes Close as Retreat Centre Manager. Helen (seen below, on left) comes to us as a Minister, activist and leader with over a decade of experience in urban contexts. This also relieves Ash of his role as voluntary CEO of the Community for Reconciliation that he's done since February last year. Please pray for Helen and her family as they settle into the cottage on site and the new role.

The Greenhouse is a former Cadbury family home that we took up as part of the Community for Reconciliation in February last year, just weeks before the Pandemic lockdown. It was in a near derelict state then, but through the thoughtfulness, hard work and sacrifice of our community and supporters it has been transformed and includes beautifully equipped training rooms, a 5,000 volume theological library and is able to host up to 30 students for residentials. It has recently been approved as a 'partnership campus' with Nazarene Theological College (University of Manchester) and Moorland College (University of Gloucestershire) for accredited programmes there. Please pray for Helen and her family as they settle into the cottage on site and forms a new team ready to help The Greenhouse become the place to belong for growing leaders and communities into fullness of life. If you would like to book the Greenhouse please contact [email protected]