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Come and Be Stirred: The Newbigin Annual Public Lecture 2026with Revd Dr Samuel Wells
What might it look like for Christians to engage more deeply, more faithfully, and more imaginatively in the places we live and serve?
Each year, the Newbigin Annual Public Lecture invites us to pause, listen, and be renewed — drawing wisdom from a leading Christian thinker whose life and work echo the missional vision of Lesslie Newbigin: a faith planted in place, open to the world, and alive to the Spirit.
Over the years, this lecture has been shaped by voices such as Steve Bevans, Krish Kandiah, Shane Claiborne, Cathy Ross, Deirdre Brower Latz, Anthony G. Reddie, and others — each helping us see afresh what it means to live the gospel faithfully today.
2026 Lecture: We are delighted to welcome Revd Dr Samuel Wells, who will offer a lecture entitled:
“The Holy Spirit for Grown-Ups”
This promises to be an honest, hopeful, and deeply human exploration of the Spirit’s work — not as something distant, embarrassing, or reserved for specialists, but as the quiet, surprising power shaping ordinary lives, communities, and commitments.
“I’ve had three kinds of people in mind…”
Sam speaks to charismatic Christians, cautious Christians, and those unsure whether they would even call themselves Christian — inviting each to discover that the Holy Spirit may already be at work in their lives in ways that are wonderful, empowering, and transformative.
About the Speaker
Revd Dr Sam Wells has been Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, since 2012 and has served as a parish priest for nearly three decades. He previously spent seven years as Dean of Duke University Chapel in North Carolina and is now Visiting Professor of Christian Ethics at King’s College London and the Theological University of Utrecht. A regular contributor to BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day, Sam is the author of over 50 books on ethics, ministry, worship, and preaching, including his latest, "Constructing an Incarnational Theology" (Cambridge University Press, 2025).
Event Details:
🗓 Wednesday 3 June 2026
🕖 7.00pm (doors open at 6.00pm)
📍 Lodge Road Community Church, Winson Green, Birmingham B18 5BU
🍽 Light finger food and refreshments will be provided.
🎟 The event is free, with donations towards Seedbeds warmly welcomed.
💬 Responses will be confirmed, but your questions are welcomed!
Whether you are deeply planted in church life, cautiously curious, or simply drawn by thoughtful conversation about faith and public life, you are very welcome.
Come, listen, reflect — and be surprised by the Spirit at work among us.
Places are limited to 100 people so please indicate your availability to [email protected] or book on Event-rite (to come)
Sam says, ‘I’ve had three kinds of people in mind as I share these remarks. The first is charismatic Christians. If you believe the Holy Spirit came into your heart at conversion, and does signs and wonders through words of prophecy, healing and speaking in tongues, I hope I’ll demonstrate that the Holy Spirit is so much more exciting and transformative than that. The second is Christians who have assumed the Holy Spirit is slightly embarrassing and best avoided. If that’s you, I hope I’ll show that the Holy Spirit is constantly empowering, cajoling, surprising and transforming you. The third is those who aren’t at all sure they’d call themselves Christians. If that’s you, I hope I’ll demonstrate that the Holy Spirit has been at work in your life since your life began. Which I hope is a rather wonderful, empowering and inspiring thing to discover.’
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Lodge Road Community Church, Shambhala Limited, 7 Lees Street, Birmingham, B18 5DB, United Kingdom
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.
