Adult Formation department inspires faithful at 'I Have My Mission' event

^{Source: Diocese of Nottingham}

Around 50 Catholics gathered this Saturday 31st January at St Mary's Church in Derby for the "I Have My Mission" event, which started with Mass led by Canon Andrew Cole. This event was a day of reflection and encouragement on living out one's baptismal call to evangelise. Organised by the Diocese of Nottingham, the event featured keynote speaker Abbot Hugh Allan, Mission Director of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales.

Joe Hopkins, Mission Director of the Diocese of Nottingham, opened the conference by defining evangelisation simply: "Talking to a person about a third person—and that third person is Jesus." He urged attendees to move from abstract prayer to concrete action, inviting everyone to message a friend or loved one with a simple offer: "I have been thinking about you today; is there anything I can pray about for you?"

A Lived Faith, Not a Fabricated One

Abbot Hugh Allan drew on his fourteen years as a parish priest and his extraordinary experiences as the Apostolic Prefect of the Falkland Islands, Abbot Hugh spoke of the "great adventure" that begins at Baptism.

"Faith is never automatic; it must be lived," the Abbot insisted, echoing the words of Pope Benedict XVI. He warned against a faith "fabricated at a desk," noting that people can instinctively sense when a person’s words spring from a genuine life of prayer.

"In Baptism, when we say 'I believe,' we are also saying 'I belong,'" Abbot Hugh explained. "If you are not happy to talk to God, then everything else is volatile. Our mission is to ensure that the truth of the Creed—which we often recite dryly on Sundays—becomes a lived experience that we are desperate to share."

Abbot Hugh shared captivating stories from his time serving one of the largest geographical dioceses in the world, covering one-sixth of the earth's surface. He spoke of the "heroic" faith found in the most isolated places. He told the story of a single Irish maid on Tristan da Cunha who, despite being pressured to abandon her faith, raised eighteen children in the Catholic tradition. When a priest finally reached the island years later, he was met by seventy Catholics—a community grown from the seeds planted by one woman.

Abbot Hugh reminded the congregation that while talents and circumstances vary, the "duty and joy of loving Jesus Christ" is a gift available to everyone.

"You cannot hope to leave the world a better place," he concluded, "you can only hope to leave the world a better person. It is in doing that—by looking in the mirror and asking what we can do—that the world truly changes."

The speaker left attendees with a clear mandate: to listen to the experiences of others, to be firm in their own belief, and to never underestimate the difference one person can make when walking with Christ.

Group focused workshops

The day continued with two break out rooms. Georgia Clarke, from Alpha, taught the group about Relationally Evangelisation. She shared her journey from law aspirations to leading a thriving youth ministry (now over 100 young people weekly). Clarke advocated Alpha for the curious, stressing invitation as evangelisation: "Go and makedisciples, not just be disciples." Overcoming fears of offence or awkwardness, she called for hospitality – treating parishes as homes where newcomers are hosted, not guests pandering to consumer preferences.

While, Fran Hazel and Joe Hopkins spoke about Spontaneous Evangelisation, ways to talk to people and invite them to church. An example of this would be hosting a Night of Light and invite passers-by to light candles in the church.

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