For anyone who has noticed a big, white marquee on The Downs this week and perhaps found themselves wondering what is happening within, fear not – you can find answers to all of your questions here in my interview with Keziah Nightingale, one of the organisers of the ‘[story]’ 2020 event run by the Christian Union.
So, in a nutshell, what is Events Week?
‘[Story]’ is a week of events hosted by the Christian Union. There are interviews and talks answering big questions from a Christian perspective, food, Q&As, live music and a café!
It’s all taking place in a massive marquee on The Downs and there’s free food at every event! There’s also a café open every day 10:00-16:00 at one end of the marquee with coffee and amazing cake – in the café we’re suggesting a £1 donation for coffee and cake.
At every event you’ll be greeted at the door, invited to grab some food and there will be plenty of people to chat with.
“IT’S FOR PEOPLE OF ALL FAITHS OR NONE”
Why should people come to Events Week and what should they expect? Is it just for Christians or people looking to become a Christian?
If you’ve ever been intrigued by Christianity, ever asked questions about life and faith, ever enjoyed telling or hearing a story, then this event is for you! It’s for people of all faiths or none.
Whether you’ve got loads of questions, wonder why a bunch of students call themselves Christians, or you just forgot your lunch and need some free food, you are very welcome!
What is the purpose of Events Week, a.k.a. [Story] 2020?
Events Week takes place every year, usually around late February/early March.
“WE WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE SO WELCOME TO OUR EVENTS, WHATEVER THEY BELIEVE, WHATEVER THEIR STORY”
We think it’s really important to have one well-publicised event each year that is easy for people to access and that has a relaxed atmosphere where people feel able to come along and ask questions about life and faith, share their own story, hear about the story of Jesus, and decide for themselves what they think about the Christian story – hence the name of the event!
We want everyone to know that they are so welcome to our events, whatever they believe, whatever their story.
What would you recommend people do if they would like to attend an event that is part of Events Week but are struggling to find someone to come with them?
Absolutely come along! We’ve got a whole team whose job is to welcome guests – they’ll be wearing [story] jumpers and will happily chat with you and introduce you to others.
Are there any other events around campus this week that are part of Events Week?
We’ve got stands around campus that we’d love people to engage with!
There’s a photo booth in Portland – an aesthetic backdrop that you can have photos with. There’s also chalk boards around campus on Portland steps and outside George Green with questions that we’re thinking about this week such as ‘do you think the universe has a designer?’
Come and say hi and find out about what’s happening this week!
What is one of the best parts of Events Week?
I love having chats with people who have come along to events and have loads of questions! It’s so great to see that people are interested in Christianity and want to know more about it.
“SO MANY DIFFERENT TEAMS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN MAKING [STORY] HAPPEN AND IT’S BEEN SO EXCITING TO SEE IT ALL COME INTO BEING!”
How has the process of organising Events Week been this year?
It’s been so great organising this week! So many different teams have been involved in making [story] happen and it’s been so exciting to see it all come into being! While tiring at times, it’s definitely worth it!
What would you recommend to someone who might not yet be a Christian but who might like to learn more about Christianity as part of their overall university experience?
Give the Christian Union events or a local church a try!
Come along to Equip on Tuesday evenings at 19:30 on campus (for more details see our Facebook page Nottingham University Christian Union). Equip is a weekly meeting run by the Christian Union and we love it when people join us who are just exploring or asking questions!
If you’d like someone to go with you, message us on Facebook and we can sort this out. If you live in halls, you can get involved with an Explore Group – these are groups of people from all faiths and none, exploring Christianity together. Check out the website explorenucu.com
So, a whole week to realize, reflect, and refine your ideas.
Come along to the marquee on The Downs (easy walking distance from Hallward library) to get involved in some of the final events of the week. Every lunchtime talk is repeated at 12pm and 1pm each day and evening festivities start at 7:30pm!
You can also stay up to date with the events by following @uonstory2020 on Instagram.
Rachel West
Article images courtesy of Rachel West.
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