BOROUGH COMMON CHURCH
We're a church in the Borough/London Bridge area of London. Our church is common property so come and join in for spiritual growth and helping to make the world a bit better.
We meet every Sunday at 6pm in the lower hall of the Welsh Chapel at 90 Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 0EX.
This week- Events
- Where to Find Us
- Contact Us / Facebook
- Things we like
-
Posts
- CREED
CREED
Next few weeks we’ll be continuing our series, inspired by the Nicene Creed
22nd - We Believe - multimedia service
29th - songs of the creed - musical service
5th Feb – ROBES training [a homeless project we’re volunteering for]
12th Feb – Sam Smith environment project surprise tbc
19th - Sacramental creed26th Feb – The end of the world?
- NEW YEAR
Happy twelve everyone!
As a new year lies ahead like a fresh blank canvas, what better way to kick start your resolutions than to come to open planning this Sunday! Particularly if one of your resolutions is to get more involved in Borough Common [and if not, why not?]
We’ll be planning for the next few weeks and months ahead, and also looking at how we could be involved in the Robes project [a London winter night shelter]
6pm in the Welsh Chapel
Bring drinks and snacks if you wish [mineral water and fruit obvs.]
PS a couple of thoughts for the interested on making resolutions: 1 and 2
In the run up to Christmas this year, the Borough Common has an exciting series planned, interspersed with some festive events and high octane merriment for everyone to get involved in.
sunday evenings:
20th Nov – the story of incarnation: truth or fiction?
27th – Christmas and childhood – how family impacts us
4th Dec – meal: the greetings card campaign + stories of hushed voices
18th – Borough Common Christmas Party!!!
25th – CHRISTMAS DAY [we probably won’t be doing a service today]
1st Jan – New Year recovery at the pub
special festive events:
4th Dec – Contact the Elderly tea party – 3-5pm – helpers needed!
11th – Borough Common 3rd Annual folk singalong carols @ the Libertine – 7pm
17th – Bermondsey Fayre – pop up Christmas poetry and performance - details tbc
Dear Commoners
The Common is 2, the year is nearing its end, a meeting of ‘scientists’ decided this week that they are 95% sure the yeti lives in Siberia. What a modern time we live in.
We are part way through our series on what it means to be church and we have started into some of our changes to our rhythm. its an exciting few weeks. The next 4 weeks we have a collection of topics for our intellectual dissection but as yet have no one to lead them through. Please help us!
Anyone is welcome, one of our key values is that of common property. Everyone has a voice and anyone can be involved in running a service and having their say. If you want to help out on one of the weeks please just let us know (email/message me if you like). The list of topics are:
- Why do we care for others in our community (tea for elderly, homelessness, Carols)?
- Why do we care about the environment?
- Why do we care for each other?
- Why do we give?
Obviously this coming sunday is the most pressing but look at the next 4 weeks and see when you’re free. Don’t worry you won’t be doing it on your own! We always do these things together.
Be great to see you all soon
Ben- sunday meal and church pop quiz
Dear Commoners,
This Sunday we will be sharing a meal!
It will also be the first in a series of evenings on what it means to be a church.
Over the coming weeks we will be exploring questions like why do we care for others in our community? Why do we care about the environment? Why do we care for each other? Why do we give? What is Diversity?
This Sunday will be a bit of an introduction, starting with a pub/sundayschool quiz on bible and church history, followed by some discussion on what church means to all of us, how the borough common fits into the church narrative and perhaps our hopes for the future.
It will be a pot luck so it would be great if you can a bottle of something or a small dish of something delicious – we have an oven, hobs and microwave for reheating etc.
You can bring food from 5.30 and we’ll be starting at 6.
Enjoy the sunshine! - small groups
As mentioned last Sunday, we would like to start a small group. We are going to try for a first meeting next Tues. Oct. 4, 7:00 pm at the Doghouse Pub (location subject to change). If you’re interested in theological conversation and maybe a baked good or two, please join us. Drop me an e-mail if you’re interested or if you have any questions, comments, or concerns (aburroug@gmail.com).
Ashley - This Saturday...
meet 1pm at Palace Bowling Alley inside Elephant & Castle shopping centre
3-6pm will be fun activities in the local area [bring a camera, pen, umbrella..]
6pm will be in the pub tbc!
contact us for more info…
- Saturday funday!
this saturday the 24th september the borough common will be having a very fun day out!
it will commence at 1pm at Elephant and Castle, and be based in the surrounding area, going on till late…more details to follow…
…From Lulu
When the sun shines I hope you are all making the most of it and not in the smashy grabby sense!
We are going to have a restful August at the common. For the next few weeks the service will be 10-15 minutes so we can spend more time at the pub or walking or chatting or eating or in the sunshine. Hopefully this will be a natural rest in a busy few months.
Last week we tried to reply to this letter from a little girl called LuluLulu’s dad sent the letter to the Archbishop and he wrote a reply which I thought was quite nice.
This coming week will be really short and really nice communion. Welsh Chapel 6pm then onwards to drinking establishments!
And relax.Borough heads hello
The summer is in full swing, at least in the calender sense if not in the weather sense, so lets have some get together fun. We have been working through a piece of writing that we wrote together a few weeks ago about who we think we are and what we hope for. This week will be the last in the series and will therefore obviously be a meal!
We are going to look at some of things people have come up with over the last few weeks and eat good food and drink good booze. Bring yourselves and something consumable to share. Bring a dish that most reminds you of your childhood, mine will definitely be choc ices.
Welsh Chapel in Borough from 6, lets summer feast!
BenThis is one of many amazing images you will see if you type ‘oneness’ into google images, I recommend trying it.
Dear Commoners, This sunday we’ll be exploring another part of the piece that we wrote a few weeks ago: the importance of solidarity and the notion that we are all ‘one’. What does it mean to show solidarity? How can we exist for the other? What is the ‘other’? Come and give us your ideas. 6pm, Welsh Chapel. Lauren & KatieBorough Common this Sunday continues the series looking at the little piece we came up with a couple of weeks ago about what the Common may just be about. This week it’s on some or all of the section that talks about growing together, in our own ways, our own directions. Together.
We all come together with at least slightly different thoughts, ideas, beliefs and voices, and even in the conflict that may arise we can create something far more beautiful and complete together than we ever could alone.
Until then, why not look at – and listen to – this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzF_MoXOU1E
simply because it’s good.
J [B&C], A, D
————————————————————————-
on another note, this saturday is our pop up folk/poetry extravaganza mark 2!
at: Bermondsey Fayre
time: 5.30pm till 7 or 8 ish
it will be WONDERFUL and SPECIAL.
contact Ali Mac for more details.
please come!
here is the event invite. tell your friends
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=159111084158331&ref=mf
- What we wrote...
@font-face { font-family: “Cambria”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
This week we wrote together. This is what we ended up with. It is our hopeful, messy, collective ramblings on who we are and what we want. It is by no means complete or perfect or right, it is us at this point in time. I think it is beautiful.
This is a safe space where we humbly come to learn rather than persuade,
To accept our faults rather than prove our superiority.
What’s mine is yours, this is ours,
We come to share and to take only what is offered freely,
We take trust seriously.
We stumble together,
We fail together,
We grow together.
We grow together, spiritually…
Trunk, branches, roots: upwards, outwards, downwards.
We grow hope; we grow vulnerability;
We grow understanding; we grow confused.
We grow in our own ways, our own directions, together.
We like beer; we like music;
Some of us even dance…together.
We are on a journey of faith, exploring, questioning,
Embracing what we believe, individually and corporately…
Together.
We exist for the other; for those beyond us, for those who cannot speak, cannot fight, cannot stand, cannot walk.
We exist for the other; the weak, the poor, the lonely, the sick, the fearful.
We exist for the other; though we fail sometimes, often…maybe mostly.
We know there are lonely elderly people, we want to drink tea with them.
We know there are prisoners who have no hope, we want to visit them.
We know people struggle daily with cancer, we want to stand with them.
We know people die from fruitless, solvable problems, we want to build a better world.
We exist for the other because of solidarity, because they are us and we are them, because there is no divide.
Over the next few weeks we are going to take sections of this piece and find ways to collectively explore and express the words in various artistic mediums. Whatever you want, however you want. We have loads of people in our number who are amazing at different artistic expressions so lets use them together and see what we can come up with.
The piece splits roughly in to 6 so if you read a bit you would be interested in, let me know and we’ll sort something out. There are still a couple or weeks that need covering if people are around (26th June and 17th July), get in touch if you want to help out.
And then maybe, somewhere near the end, we might put all our pieces of paint, photograph, dance, song or sculpture together into some kind of exhibit, like a Borough Common Church Showcase!
The Bard Would Be Proud
Commoners, comrades
Hello all, as usual we will be meeting on Sunday at the Welsh Chapel in Borough. This week we are going to try something together, it will not necessarily involve invasion of personal space.
We are going to try and write together, write something about us, about common, about Borough. If you like, you can bring your own pen and paper but they will also be provided, possibly in several colours.
There is a point to this calligraphy exercise but to find that out you’ll have to come along!
See you all Sunday, brother ben
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
ALSO
Bermondsey Fayre - pop up folk gig - Saturday 9th July
Ali has organised another mega folk get together at Bermondsey Fayre on Bermondsey Street. Its a collaboration of singing, shouting, music and poetry from anyone who wants to get involved.
For more details on how to be a performer get in touch with Ali and we will no doubt remind you again nearer the time.
- share and share alike
Dear friends,
One of the ideas that came up in our last open planning was to do something on sharing.
So this Sunday we are going to share a meal, maybe share some stories about the recent ‘borough local’ series and share ideas for the next few weeks which might involve even more sharing….
It’s pot luck, so if you come along it would be great if you can bring a small dish or drinks – we can heat/cook things in the oven and microwave if you arrive a little early. Salads, pizzas, tasty breads, dips and snacks always work well.
See you at the Welsh Chapel at 6
ps i thought i would share this lovely picture of the orion nebula - borough local treasure hunt
A chance to explore the people and the places that have made Borough great!
Meet at the welsh chapel at 6pm, dressed for the outdoors (try to be on time as we will be leaving the chapel shortly after 6 and dispersing across the local area. Hunting for treasure. Ooh aaarrr).
Bring a friend. Bring a smartphone if you have one. Bring your puzzle solving brain.
See you there!IH x
- sunday excursion
hi folks
hope all is well. this sunday we start on our series looking at ‘borough local’: exploring secrets and delights of our local area and looking for ways to help out or learn about our environment.
This week we will be heading to Southwark Cathedral for evensong. more specifically Compline and Eucharistic Devotions. Sounds intriguing…we would love to see what goes on at this place on our doorstep.
Details:- starts at 6.30 sharp
- we will meet at the welsh chapel [usual meeting place] at 6pm, then head over at 6.15, so either be there on time, or meet us at the cathedral!
- we will head to the pub afterwards - the libertine most likely.
Southwark Cathedral is right in the middle of borough market - here’s the website with directions etc.
http://cathedral.southwark.anglican.org/visit/
see you all sunday - i am looking forward to it! Hi folks
this sunday, may 15th, we will be open planning for the next few weeks and investigating the borough common creative output.
1) the next few weeks we want to get out and about in our local area, to explore what is has to offer us, and what we can perhaps offer in return.
2) we would LOVE to put on an event or exhibition of some sort, so need ideas and inspiration. we will be exploring our more creative side to see what we can come up with. exciting…
should be a fantastic few months ahead. the summer is our inspiration.
Join us! see you sunday 6pm at the chapel.
snacks and ideas to be provided.
Becky x
- commoner cryptics
just a little plug for the wonderful jon coe’s incredible crosswords he constructs.
http://commonercryptics.wordpress.com/
have a go! tell your friends!
-
Posts
our next contact the elderly tea party is 5th June 2011.
WE NEED HELPERS. WE NEED YOU. bakers, talkers and creative people to give the tea party an artistic theme.
contact lucie or shona - please do volunteer!
Lucie (07855485703) lucietaylor@hotmail.com, Shona (+447738555763) shonajc@yahoo.com
- January: Engaging in Spirituality
9th JAN
CULTURAL SPIRITUALITY: pete, helli, ruth, daniel, ben, steve w16th JAN
PRAYER: jon c, sarah h, ali, lizzy, dan, max, amanda23rd JAN
STILLNESS: johnny, steve m, paul, jodie, becky, helen30th JAN
PERSONALITY & SPIRITUALITY: nick, katie, simon, sam, shona, bill, david The Borough Common Church Carol Singalong Extravaganza at The Libertine was lots of fun. Ali and Emily even did a folk version of stay another day.
I wish i had a video of that.
Our second tea party for socially issolated older people (with contact the elderly) was a big success with extra special thanks going to Lucie and Shona.
There will be another one in ‘eleven so get involved.
You can see a little video here thanks to one of the volunteers.
We went on a weekend away earlier in the year and we made a giraffe. Simon is very talented so made a film.
Just don’t ask him how he broke his arm.
Sunday 28th Nov at the Common we will be screening FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO, an award winning documentary that tracks the experiences of five very normal, very christian, very Americain families who discover that they have a gay child.
Obviously there is lots of chat about issues of sexuality in the wider church and so what a great opportunity to carry on some of the conversations that have already bubbled up in our community. Arrive the Welsh Chapel at 6pm SHARP - we will be starting bang on time. There will be popcorn and then some lively chat in the pub afterwards.
INVITE YOUR FRIENDS. It really is quite a beautiful film and we even have a proper license to show it. How grown up!
Richard x
Schedule for our series on fruits of the spirit
10th Oct - Jon C, Nick - Joy - interactive
17th Oct - Lauren, Becky - Love - meditative
24th Oct - Pete, Heli, Tamsin - faithfulness - discussion
31st Oct - Simon, Ben M, Ashley - Goodness - meal (HALLOWEEN!)
7th Nov - Emma, Karin - Self-Control - interactive
14th Nov - Ali, Sarah, Sam, Lucie - Peace & Gentleness - meditative- Wildly successfull tea party for lonely older people
We arranged it through Contact The Elderly who do lots of wonderful work to help socially issolated over 75s. Check them out.
- June and July: Sundays At The Common
JUNE - SAINTS
6th - meal - Ali/Ndriana/Grant/Rich - GANDHI13th - meditative - jon c/ ashley/emma - A MIXED BAG OF SAINTS
20th - creative - Donna and Sam S - MARTYRS
27th - discussion - nick w/amy k/ ben b / jon b and izzy - BONHOFFER
JULY - OUR PEOPLE’S PASSIONS
4th - meal - Becky C - International Development and Baking11th - meditave - Ben M (+ Simon H?) - ITS A MYSTERY
18th - creative - Donna - civil disobedience / non violent direct action
25th - discussion - Tamsin et al - The Common Community Showcase
1st August - OPEN PLANNING (where we arrange what’s next)
-
Posts
MAP: 90 Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 0EX
TUBE: 3 mins from Borough, 7 mins from London Bridge/Southwark
The Libertine Pub (where we spend the second half of our evening)
-
Posts
- How to contact us/facebook us
email: click here to email us
join the email list: click here to subscribe
facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=153322126250
-
Posts
- Things we like
This is a non-exhaustive list of things that some of us like:
MAKING THE WORLD BETTER
www.ecomodo.com/pages/index.aspx?id=circle1471 - Ecomodo: increasing sharing of objects and skills – join our Borough Common church and friends group
www.freecycle.org/group/UK/London - Freecycle: free things!
http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/FreeBuyersGuides.aspx - particularly relevant is the buyers guide at Ethical Consumer
www.bookcrossing.com – a fun way to share books
www.brightsparksonline.com - a social enterprise in Islington that can take your broken electronics
www.ted.com/talks/capt_charles_moore_on_the_seas_of_plastic.html - about enormous floating plastic islands of waste in the pacific
www.folkstreams.net/film,102 – grandma’s bottles – a cool short film
http://www.praythedevilbacktohell.com/ - an inspiring film about women activists in Liberia
ORGANISATIONS THAT WE SUPPORT
http://www.housingjustice.org.uk/ is a charity working with people emerging from homelessness - they have a mentoring program that Ali, Sam and Shona are involved in
http://www.macmillan.org.uk/ - they do wonderful work offering care and support to people with cancer - lucie works for them
http://www.contact-the-elderly.org.uk/ - do great work running tea parties for isolated older people – we have run a couple of parties in Southwark, with more to come.
SPIRITUAL GROWTH
www.quaker.org.uk The Quakers have for years been at the forefront of positive social change and open minded spirituality
http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/ The Enneagram is a tool for understanding different personality types/motivations - we used it at church once
http://www.alternativeworship.org/index.html is an online portal for alternative churches and groups - we are listed in london and, by beginning with a B, have a clear alphabetical advantage over other groups
http://simon.hildrew.net/ is where simon puts some of his thoughts/reflections
http://shanghaicommon.tumblr.com/ there is now a common in shanghai, meeting every sunday night in the old french concession - if you are in the people’s republic then get in touch on shanghai@boroughcommon.com
CREATIVITY
http://takeitandrun.wordpress.com is a collaborative creative project that lots of people at the common got involved in
http://alistairmusic.com/ is Ali’s music site
http://www.ififoundafrozentimewarpidputitinthemicrowaveatyourhouse.co.uk/ is where to find Sam R’s drawings
www.penpaperpause.com is richard’s sketch/poetry site
http://gretchenjacobsen.blogspot.com/ is gretchen’s pencil work
