WELCOME
We create learning environments that offer practical, local and accessible training to Christian groups, intentional communities and churches in urban areas and marginalised neighbourhoods.
Our work is shaped by:
Reflection on Practice: Rigorous theological reflection is a key part of how we learn. The role of Urban Life is to act as theological accompaniers, helping groups to navigate the journey and enable a kind of ‘banter’ between their local story and theological themes.
Context based: Where we are placed always shapes our learning and Urban Life fosters this connection by situating learning in context and by keeping conversation rooted in context.
Interdisciplinary: An interdisciplinary approach to theological learning, which means drawing on different fields such as Practical Theology, Social Science, and Urban Theory.
Learning in Community: Urban Life believes that everyone is a learner, including the facilitators, so we are strongly relational and participatory in all of our activities.
Inclusive: Open to all who want to reflect on their experience of mission in situations of marginalisation regardless of their role or academic experience.
Attentive: Attentiveness to everyday life, through the particular use of ethnographic research methods among Christians in mission.
Reflection on Practice: Rigorous theological reflection is a key part of how we learn. The role of Urban Life is to act as theological accompaniers, helping groups to navigate the journey and enable a kind of ‘banter’ between their local story and theological themes.
Context based: Where we are placed always shapes our learning and Urban Life fosters this connection by situating learning in context and by keeping conversation rooted in context.
Interdisciplinary: An interdisciplinary approach to theological learning, which means drawing on different fields such as Practical Theology, Social Science, and Urban Theory.
Learning in Community: Urban Life believes that everyone is a learner, including the facilitators, so we are strongly relational and participatory in all of our activities.
Inclusive: Open to all who want to reflect on their experience of mission in situations of marginalisation regardless of their role or academic experience.
Attentive: Attentiveness to everyday life, through the particular use of ethnographic research methods among Christians in mission.
THE tEAM
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Anna is a community theologian and researcher who facilitates theological reflection and learning for leaders, congregations and Christian organisations seeking to deepen and strengthen their relationships with their local community. She holds a Doctorate in Practical Theology and works freelance in a variety of church and charity settings including as a Core team member for Urban Life. She is also a Research Fellow at Bristol Baptist College, and lives in Leicester with her husband Andrew and son Noah.
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ANNA RUDDICK
CARMEL MURPHY ELLIOTT |
Carmel is a Community Organiser and Baptist Minister who, in a variety of ways, has been involved in mission and ministry at the margins for nearly 10 years now. She is part of Urban Expression, initially co-leading a team in Cobridge, Stoke-on-Trent and, more recently becoming a mission partner, having moved to Manchester with her husband Andy. She is also a Director of All The Small Things CiC, a collective of community development practitioners who are passionate about seeing people transform their localities in creative & innovative ways.
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