Faith and Reflection Room

Our Faith and Reflection Room provides a quiet space for reflection, contemplation and prayer for the exclusive use of staff and students at Edge Hill. Open to people of all faiths and none, it offers the opportunity to explore matters of faith and spirituality, or just simply to unwind after a busy day.

Location

You will find the Faith and Reflection Room in the Magnolia Building, next to the Forest Court Halls of Residence. There are signs around campus which can help to direct you. Access to staff and students is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Between 6.00am and 9.00pm, Monday to Friday, entry is through Unicard swipe. Outside of these times the door is manually locked. If the door is locked please go to the Security & Customer Information Centre, at the University Main Entrance.

Bookings

The Room can be used as a drop-in centre, or booked for the exclusive use of groups at certain times. Bookings can be requested through the Chaplaincy and Wellbeing Co-ordinator. Where requests for bookings conflict, we may propose alternative accommodation on campus. If the Room is booked for a private group session please do not enter as this can disrupt prayer or quiet contemplation. You can see when the room is booked for regular meetings here.

When using the Faith and Reflection Room, please respect each other’s faiths, beliefs and practices and behave reasonably and considerately at all times. You should not actively seek to persuade others to join your own faith, or criticise others on how they choose to worship.

Layout

We have set the Faith and Reflection Room out in a way that considers the needs of all users, and ensured it is fully accessible to disabled people. There are a number of chairs and small tables in the room which can be moved according to need. We are aware that in some faiths men and women choose to pray separately. To make this possible, we have provided several moveable screens that may be used to divide the room when necessary. The screens may also be used to section off the room so that individuals and groups can use the space concurrently.

Regretfully we cannot open up the Faith and Reflection Room to members of the public as it is only a small space and in high demand. External guests, speakers and groups may be invited to use the Room by staff and students with prior agreement from the Chaplaincy and Wellbeing Co-ordinator.

Contact

Please send any questions, concerns or feedback about the Faith and Reflection Room to chaplaincy@edgehill.ac.uk

Events

Regular Events

Monday

Meditation | 1.00pm – 1.30pm | Faith and Reflection Room
Reduce stress, control anxiety, boost attention span and improve sleep with regular meditation. Who leads this? Elke Weissmann is a lecturer in the Department of Media and is also training to become an order member in the Triratna Buddhist Order.

Wednesday

Christian Prayer and Bible Study Group | 1.10pm – 2.00pm | Faith and Reflection Room

Nurses’ Society Wellbeing Drop-in | 2.00pm – 4.00pm* | Faith and Reflection Room
A wellbeing and mental health peer-to-peer communication and support network for student healthcare professionals. Encouraging those dedicating their lives to caring and thinking of others, to say to themselves: ‘It’s Time2ThinkofU’! In partnership with the Time2ThinkofU campaign and the Student Minds Society. Facilitated by Chaplaincy.
*Runs on the first Wednesday of each month.

Thursday

Brunch Club | 10.00am – 12.00pm^ | Faith and Reflection Room
Meet the Chaplains and grab some free brunch snacks. Come along for toast and jam, cereal, pastries and conversation. No need to book just turn up.
^Runs on the second Thursday of each month.

Faith in Work Social Group (Staff Only) | 12.15am – 12.45pm | Room H243 (Faculty of Health and Social Care)
Staff led group welcoming those of all faiths and none; the focus will be on non-denominational Christianity and peer support.

Faith Information

Local Places of Worship and Faith Groups

Please note that the list of organisations below is not comprehensive. Nor can the Chaplaincy recommend or endorse any of the websites or their content.

Local Christian Churches

• Christ Church Aughton
• Cottage Lane Mission
• Emmanuel Ormskirk
• Lathom Park Chapel

Ormskirk Catenians (for information on bursaries for Catholic students, networking, and more) contact Andy on 07806619485 apltd@hotmail.co.uk

• Ormskirk Christian Fellowship
• Ormskirk Parish Church
• St Anne’s Ormskirk
• St James Church of England Westhead
• St Michaels Aughton

Local Mosques and Muslim organisations

• Liverpool Abdullah Quilliam Mosque
• Liverpool Altaiseer Mosque
• Liverpool Mosque and Islamic Institute
• Liverpool Muslim Society (Al Rahma Masjid)
• Preston Jamea Mosque
• Preston Quwwatul Islam Mosque
• Skelmersdale Jummah Salaah
• Southport Mosque and Islamic Cultural Centre
• St Helens Iman Trust
• Warrington Islamic Association
• Wigan Masjid Tooba & Islamic Centre

Local Jewish Synagogues and Congregations

• Liverpool Allerton Hebrew Congregation
• Liverpool Princes Road Synagogue
• Southport Hebrew Congregation

Local Buddhist Centres

• Shri Dechen Dharma Community
• Liverpool Buddhist Centre
• Liverpool Diamond Way Buddhist Centre
• Liverpool Kadampa Meditation Centre
• Liverpool StoneWater Buddhist Centre
• Preston Vajravarahi Kadampa Buddhist Centre
• Southport Buddhist Samantha Meditation
• Wigan Amida Trust Group Phone: 01942 234988

Local Hindu Temples

• Preston Telugu Community Association, St Mary’s Street
• Liverpool Ganesh Temple, Delby Crescent, Kirkby
• Preston BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ribble Bank Street, off Gerrard Street
• Liverpool Shree Radha Krishna Temple, Edge Lane
• Warrington Rama Krishna Temple, Haydock Street
• Preston Gujarat Hindu Society, South Meadow Lane

Local Sikh Temples (Gurdwara)

• Blackburn Sikh Temple, Culshaw Street
• Liverpool Gurdwara & Sikh Community Centre
• Preston Guru Nanak Gurdwara Bhatra Singh Sabha, Clarendon Street
• Preston Sikh Temple, Bow Lane
• Warrington Guru Nanak Gurdwara, Dover Road, Latchford

Faiths and Religions

• Christianity
• Islam
• Judaism
• Buddhism
• Hinduism
• Sikhism
• A-Z of Religions

National Faith Organisations

• Anglican Association
• Anglo-Jewish Association
• Baptists Together
• Catholic Association
• Church of England
• Church of Scotland
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (UK
• Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
• Congregational Federation (UK)
• Evangelical Presbyterian Church
• Fellowship of Evangelical Churches
• Interfaith Network
• Islamic Society of Britain
• Jehovah’s Witnesses
• Methodist Church in Britain
• Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) UK
• Roman Catholic Church
• United Pentecostal Church of Great Britain and Ireland
• United Reformed Church

Local Inter Faith Organisations

• Preston Faith Forum

Directories

• UK Church Directory
• UK Mosques Directory
• UK Buddhist Centres
• UK Hindu Temples
• UK Sikh Temples

Chaplaincy Organisations and Information

• Association of Muslim Chaplains in Education
• Buddhist Society Chaplaincy
• Catholic Chaplains in Higher Education
• Chapliancy Central (schools and FE)
• Church of England Chaplaincy Resources
• Community Chaplaincy Association
• International Association of Christian Chaplains
• Methodist Church Chaplaincy
• Muslim Chaplains Association
• Prison Chaplaincy
• Quaker Chaplains
• Sikh Chaplaincy
• Sports Chaplaincy
• University Jewish Chaplaincy
• Workplace Chaplaincy Mission

National Inter Faith Events

• Interfaith Week

Calendars of Inter Faith Festivals and Holidays

• Interfaith UK 2017
• BBC Jul-Sep 2017
• BBC Oct-Dec 2017
• Interfaith Calendar 2018

Volunteer

All our chaplains are volunteers.

The service they offer is from a multi-faith perspective, is confidential, and non-judgemental.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer chaplain the University would be happy to consider your application.

For more information on Chaplaincy, please email chaplaincy@edgehill.ac.uk.

Service Rota

Chaplaincy Service Rota Semester 1 (2018-19)

^Sue is available on the second Thursday of every month.
*Please note that Ben will join us for Breakfast Club on the second Thursday of every month in place of his usual hours.

If you need to talk to a Chaplain and no one is available, you can get in touch with the Wellbeing team. Visit their webpages for more information: ehu.ac.uk/wellbeing

Want to just talk and no EHU chaplain available? The Samaritans are available around the clock, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and can be contacted for free:

Phone: 116 123

Email: jo@samaritans.org

Write: Freepost, RSRB-KKBY-CYJK, PO Box 9090, STIRLING, FK8 2SA

Feeling really low? HOPELineUK is a confidential support and advice service for Young people under the age of 35 who may be having thoughts of suicide. Opening hours are 10am-10pm weekdays, 2pm-10pm weekends, and 2pm-5pm Bank Holidays.

Call: 0800 068 41 41

Text: 07786209697

Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org

Meet the Chaplains

Meet the Chaplains

Ben Dyer

I lead a church in Ormskirk called Red Church (redchurch.org.uk). We are part of the Church of England and exist to try and help young adults engage with church and God. Our aim is to be a bunch of ordinary people who try to live life together and work out what it means to follow Jesus.

I am married to Bethany and have two daughters – none of them find me funny (but I like to think I am…). I support Manchester United, enjoy (maybe endure is a better word) going to the gym and playing a board game or two.

I became a chaplain at Edge Hill because I like people – getting to know them, having a laugh with them, drinking beer with them and being there when life goes a bit wrong – so if you ever need to hear a bad joke, have a pint or need someone to talk to let me know.

Email: dyerb@edgehill.ac.uk 

Harry Pickett

My heart is to see students flourish and become all that they are meant to be. I spent two and a half years as a missionary in the Philippines training others for the mission field in English, culture, worldviews and biblical studies and loved the challenge and reward of helping our students grow and develop.

Now, I work as part of the leadership team for the Community Church in Southport. As part of that, I am available to support and help students in their walk of life and run a church group called Blueprints geared specifically towards students to facilitate this.

Life is full of twists and turns and university proves to be a foundational time of searching for identity and purpose. I think it’s so important to create an environment where we feel safe to ask questions about life and faith. I want to help people on that journey, no matter their belief, situation or circumstance. Whether it’s talking through issues or sharing thoughts, grilling me on my faith or just getting to know each other, that’s what I’m here for. I look forward to hearing from you.

Email: Harry.Pickett@edgehill.ac.uk

Rev. Sue Guenault

For thirty years I worked as a primary school teacher and a specialist in music. In 2013 I began training to be a Methodist Minister and am currently the Minister in Pastoral Charge of Emmanuel Methodist United Reformed Church, here in Ormskirk. I also lead outreach work in schools in West Lancashire, and I am passionate about giving young people the opportunity to develop and nurture their Spirituality.

As a newly-appointed Chaplain at Edge Hill, I am looking forward to building relationships with both staff and students and providing pastoral support to members of the Edge Hill Community.

Rabbi Shmuli Brown

I was born in Manchester, studied in the UK and Israel, and was ordained by the Chief Rabbi of Israel in 2000. I worked in the Ukraine for nearly a decade establishing youth clubs across the former Soviet Union and then established a very successful publishing house in Dnepropetrovsk. I taught children, students and adults the Jewish way of life through formal and informal education

I moved with my family to Liverpool in the summer of 2010 to open the door of Judaism to all Jewish students and faculty at Liverpool Universities, and establish a Chabad House, a place where Jews of all backgrounds and degrees of observance can enjoy exploring their Jewish heritage in a warm, welcoming and non-judgmental environment.

Tom Bacon

I studied at Edge Hill in the early 2000s and was heavily involved in student life – particularly in the running of the Christian Union. I fell in love with the Ormskirk area, and settled down, becoming heavily involved with Ormskirk Christian Fellowship and some of the local churches. I’ve always had a passion for my campus and acted as a Student Link between my church and the student community for a number of years. It was while serving in that capacity that I met my wife, Fiona.

It’s my firm conviction that student life is a unique time, one of unlimited potential, when character is shaped and refined. As such, it’s been my privilege to support students in their development and growth, often helping them deal with sometimes quite intense personal issues. I still serve as part of Ormskirk Christian Fellowship’s wider leadership team, I’m an active lay preacher, and I help run Kids’ Church and Youth groups. In terms of my career, I’m a freelance writer who focuses on the television and entertainment industry.

Email: bacont@edgehill.ac.uk

Proselytising policy

The principal of moral and emotional freedom of the person shall be adopted in the advertising, invitation and conduct of faith-based events at Edge Hill University and events advertised at the University.

Information may be freely given about events, but there should be no unreasonable pressure applied to people to attend the event. Acceptance or otherwise of the invitation should be free from judgement.

The same principle or autonomy should also apply at the event itself, with no unreasonable pressure being exerted.