CULTURE
The social environment, the institutions, myths, lifestyles, shared assumptions, rules & policies by which we live out our lives.

VALUES
The ideas that, consciously or unconsciously, we believe to be important and that lay the foundation for how we live our lives and run society.

POLITICS
The process by which we choose the values, on the basis of which we wish to be governed.

"The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature."
Luke 8 v14. NIV.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is ... his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Romans 12 v 2. NIV.

"Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
Matthew 6 v 10. NIV.

When Christians began to dream of the Hope for Europe vision, they immediately saw the importance of a Culture, Values & Politics track (CVP).

If the Church does not understand the culture around it, how can it help its members to be in the world but not of it? How can it communicate the Gospel effectively if it does not use the right language? And how can it be effective salt and light if it does not assess where the needs are and how best to respond?

Jesus is Lord of all. There is indeed hope for Europe if God?s people live out the Gospel in every sphere of life and if they get the balance right between wise reflection, strategising and action. CVP exists as a resource, not just for those whose particular calling is to shape the culture, values or politics of Europe, but for all who see the importance of understanding the times in which we live in order to make their ministry more effective.

CVP is an open fellowship, welcoming all who want to be better equipped to understand, pray for and influence society from a biblical perspective. For a decade, we have been inviting people to come together annually at the New Europe Forum, a meeting place to build relationships and to reflect deeply about contemporary issues in Europe today with the help of the highest calibre of experts available. Past topics have included Hope, Nationalism & Nationhood, Worldviews in Collision, and Church & State Relationships.

Out of the New Europe Forum was born the New Europe Student Forum, a conference for Christian students considering serving God in key public spheres e.g. politics, law and media. We strongly believe in nurturing the next generation of potential leaders in society and in building ongoing mentoring links between those at different stages in their careers. For information about the 2003 Student Forum (10-14 September), please e-mail Maggie Vaughan at info@nesfor.org

CVP brings together a wide range of people, including cultural thinkers, scientists, politicians & civil servants, journalists, political campaigners, lawyers, social action practitioners and church & mission leaders who want to make sure that their ministries are culturally relevant. Within the New Europe Forum, we have encouraged specialist groups to gather in their own private meetings. Specialisms have included religious liberty, bioethics, family, people with disabilities and business ethics. We are delighted that some of these groups are now Hope for Europe tracks in their own right. Our desire is that CVP can continue to act as a catalyst for strategic networking. We hope that more specialist networks will form. At the same time, we will encourage inter-specialism networking and cooperation as there is so much to gain from sharing experiences, knowledge and skills.

Future Plans
We will continue to provide a resource for understanding the state of our continent and ways in which the Church can be effective in making a difference in shaping the future.

Plans are beginning to take shape for the 2004 New Europe Forum, which will be organised in conjunction with other Hope for Europe tracks. This interactive event will address 2 questions:

a) How to 'read' a culture and
b) How to communicate into it without compromising the Christian faith.

We also hope to develop more of an ongoing network for Evangelicals involved in politics. The aim would be the mutual strengthening of everyone's ability to bring a biblical perspective into his or her policy and practice. A consultation process is taking place with CVP contacts before launching any discussion forum or events.

If you are interested in CVP's vision and would like information about future events or would like to get involved in a more active way, then we would like to know. Like all the Hope for Europe tracks, CVP is the sum of its parts - the individuals who choose to make it happen. Let us know if you want to become one of them.

Team:

Coordinator(s):

Julia Doxat-Purser