WE HAVE A NEW NAME!

As many of you will know already, we have been working towards a new name for this group, that will encourage engagement from a broader range of ages, and to widen our focus to include technological changes and ethical implications.

In doing this, we have also recognised the need to bring together both “Bible and Science” and “Re:Think”, our youth section.

Our name is now “Science and Faith Worcester” – but it’s still us!

Visit our new website to keep in touch with us, and find out what’s coming up!

 

MARCH 2023

MR. SPIELBERG – TEAR DOWN THIS WALL

John Boardman PhD

Tuesday 21st March 2023

7.30 for 8pm at Worcester Baptist Church

This talk will stimulate thinking about the deeper meanings of popular films to help provide bridges across the secular spiritual divide. Join George Bailey, Andy Dufresne and others on their journey, get to know these characters better, uncover the symbols their creators intend and, with the eye of faith, discern spiritual truths such as the power of prayer and the resilience of hope.

About John:

During his academic career, John held tenured professorships at 3 British universities including Portsmouth where he was GEC Marconi Professor of Systems Engineering, and Dean. In his last appointment at Stevens Institute of Technology, NJ, USA, he co-authored two textbooks on systems thinking. John is currently producing a series of books and videos entitled ‘Hollywood Parables’.

We will be meeting in our new venue, Worcester Baptist Church, Sansome Walk, Worcester WR1 1LN, in the church hall. There is parking available there, for those who are coming by car. Click here to visit the “How To Find Us” page.

Doors open at 7.30pm for cake and coffee, and the talk will begin at 8pm.

To view or download the flyer, please click here.

ALL WELCOME!

FEBRUARY 2023

COMPLEXITY OF LIFE AND THE INFINITE IMPROBABILITY DRIVE!

Dr. Kim Stansfield

Tuesday 21st February 2023

7.30 for 8pm at Worcester Baptist Church

 

 

Life is so complex, so unlikely. Luckily science provides a way of taking complexity and reducing it to a much simpler level that we can understand, and then reconstruct the complex from the simplified understanding. So can this approach be used to estimate probabilities for life emerging from the primordial soup on earth? It’s apparent that to coordinate the parallel and interdependent developments to create even the simplest, viable life forms we have to take a ‘systems’ view.

In his short talk Dr Kim Stansfield will illustrate what he thinks taking a systems view means. On the one hand that might support a biblical interpretation, or, alternatively might require Douglas Adams’ infinite improbability drive described in the comic masterpiece (personal view), The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. There will be opportunity to discuss these or other ideas offered by the audience.

About Kim:

In his youth Kim obtained degrees in materials science before moving to industry to work on advanced manufacturing systems in 1990. Over the following 26 years he adapted to various development roles working in intelligent driver support systems, enterprise IT systems and renewable energy systems.

In 2016 he moved to academia at Warwick University’s WMG Dept, where he taught systems engineering and advanced quality management on company sponsored undergraduate and masters apprentice degrees, becoming Associate Prof of Transformational Systems Engineering.

Kim took early retirement at the end of 2020 and subsequently has been collaborating with teams around the world on improving professional systems engineering approaches and the development of sustainable solutions.

At age 29 whilst completing his Ph.D. and happily pursuing life as an atheist, God immediately answered a question Kim asked about his newborn son, and Kim immediately abandoned atheism. He is now a Street Pastor and on the Church Leadership team at St Peter’s Baptist Church, Worcester. He is happily married with three wonderful adult offspring and a gorgeous, annoying cat.

We will be meeting in our new venue, Worcester Baptist Church, Sansome Walk, Worcester WR1 1LN, in the church hall. There is parking available there, for those who are coming by car. Click here to visit the “How To Find Us” page.

Doors open at 7.30pm for cake and coffee, and the talk will begin at 8pm.

To view or download the flyer, please click here.

ALL WELCOME!

DOPAMINE DETOX?

PLEASURE AND PRODUCTIVITY: DO WE ALL NEED A DOPAMINE DETOX?

James Birkett and team

Tuesday 17th January 2023

7.30 for 8pm at Worcester Baptist Church

Based on a generational shift in mindset, this talk challenges our daily attitude towards achievement. Is short-term pleasure and consumerism fulfilling people completely?

Or is there a strong case to be made for young people to aim at achieving something difficult, while blocking out the incessant noise of (un)social media.

James and the Bible & Science team, representing three generations aged from 20s to 60s, will investigate the role of the dopamine reward cycle in driving behaviours and social interactions. These will be considered in the light of Biblical wisdom.

We will be meeting in our new venue, Worcester Baptist Church, Sansome Walk, Worcester WR1 1LN, in the church hall. There is parking available there, for those who are coming by car. Click here to visit the “How To Find Us” page.

Doors open at 7.30pm for cake and coffee, and the talk will begin at 8pm.

To view or download the flyer, please click here.

ALL WELCOME!

 

November 2022

THE CHURCH AND BUILDINGS: RESPONDING TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS

Robert Lewin-Jones

Tuesday 15th November

7.30 for 8pm at Worcester Baptist Church

Robert Lewin-JonesOur buildings have a number of serious climate impacts – from the heating and power they use, to the energy embedded in the materials used to create them. According to the UN, the buildings sector globally emits 39% of global CO2 emissions, 28% of which come from the operation of buildings and 11% of which come from building materials and construction. Buildings will also need to be adapted to an unpredictable degree of climate change, including higher temperatures and more extreme rainfall events. Using some biblical inspiration, we will look at how building designers and our churches can work towards meeting the challenges.

Robert Lewin-Jones is an architect who has worked in Nottingham, Germany, Worcester and Birmingham. His work has included new schools and extensions, library refurbishment and extension, health facilities, and the refurbishment of high-rise public housing. He is also a local preacher in the Methodist Church.

This term, we have a new venue. We will be meeting at Worcester Baptist Church, Sansome Walk, Worcester WR1 1LN. There is parking available there, for those who are coming by car. Click here to visit the “How To Find Us” page.

Doors open at 7.30pm for cake and coffee, and the talk will begin at 8pm.

To view or download the flyer, please click here.

ALL WELCOME!

October 2022

ARE OUR WORDS OUR SWORDS? THE VALUE OF TRUTHFUL SPEECH

James Birkett

Tuesday 18th October

7.30 for 8pm at Worcester Baptist Church

When Social Media exploded into our lives, the way that we communicate changed. Is it good for everyone to have an equally loud voice in a social environment? And are we becoming worse at communicating, despite us having more tools to do so? Does the quality or quantity of our speech matter more?

I will give the perspective of someone who has grown up in the information age, making a case for and against digital socialisation.
I hope that my conclusions, after pursuing both digital and physical goals, provides some understanding on the modern struggle of young people.

James Birkett is a Mechatronics Engineer and is the founder of a 3D printing company, Protogen 3D. He’s been heavily pursuing self-improvement for five years, learning about business, psychology, relationships and meaning.

This term, we have a new venue. We will be meeting at Worcester Baptist Church, Sansome Walk, Worcester WR1 1LN. There is parking available there, for those who are coming by car. Click here to visit the “How To Find Us” page.

Doors open at 7.30pm for cake and coffee, and the talk will begin at 8pm.

To view or download the flyer, please click here.

ALL WELCOME!

 

 

September 2022

DISCERNING THE MYSTERY

Rt. Revd. Dr. John Inge, Bishop of Worcester

A scientist’s experience of reconciling scientific truth with biblical truth.

Join us on Tuesday 20th September, when we are delighted to welcome Rt. Revd. Dr. John Inge, Bishop of Worcester, as our guest speaker.

 

Bishop John has a BSc in Chemistry from Durham University, and was a Chemistry teacher for a number of years, before being called to ordination in the Church of England. He has been Bishop of Worcester since 2008.

 

This term, we have a new venue. We will be meeting at Worcester Baptist Church, Sansome Walk, Worcester WR1 1LN. There is parking available there, for those who are coming by car. Click here to visit the “How To Find Us” page.

Doors open at 7.30pm for cake and coffee, and the talk will begin at 8pm.

To view or download the flyer, please click here.

ALL WELCOME!

 

 

 

 

JOURNEY FROM BACKWATER TO NATIONAL RESEARCH DIRECTOR – PART 2

 

 

DEVELOPING SUSTAINABILITY IN COLUMBIA

15TH MARCH

7.30PM ON ZOOM

Part 1, in February, was a great evening, when we gathered on Zoom, to watch the first part of Prof. Dr. Fernando Colmenares’ interview, which had been pre-recorded with Dr. Kim Stansfield. It was followed by a time of Q and A, with the opportunity to ask Fernando a wide range of questions, following the interview.

If you missed it, the recording is below, for you to watch prior to Part 2.

Part 2, “Developing Sustainability In Colombia”, will be on Tuesday 15th March, again at 7.30pm on Zoom.

If you’d like to join us, click here.

PART 1 INTERVIEW:

November 2021

We are delighted to let you know that we have a face-to-face event coming up soon! We are looking forward to welcoming you back to Lindisfarne House, with our guest speaker,  Rev. Dr. Stephen May, who many of you will remember from previous talks.

 

THE GALILEO CONTROVERSY

Rev. Dr. Stephen May

Tuesday  16th November
Lindisfarne House, 4 Barbourne Terrace,
Worcester WR1 3JS

 

Rev Dr Stephen May

Galileo: the Man and the Myth

For more than a century – and today as much as ever – the story of Galileo’s 17th Century clash with the Catholic Church has been gleefully seized upon by detractors of the church as evidence for “the war of science and religion”. Theologian and historian Stephen May will examine the truth (or otherwise) of this claim. In particular, does the Galileo Controversy still have lessons for the church today?

Stephen is a former lecturer in Systematic Theology at the University of Auckland, and a former member of the Bible and Science committee, with an early love of astronomy, a first degree in history, and continuing interests in it, as well as the relation of science and faith.

Doors open at 7.30pm for coffee and cake.
The event begins at 8pm.

ALL WELCOME

Entry and refreshments free – optional donation – free parking