10:30 am – 11:45 am
Grand ABCDE

Free and Cheerful Missionaries: Characteristics of Today’s Disciples. Pope Francis talks a lot about discipleship, but what does he say often about the character of a modern disciple? What do today’s disciples look like and sound like? Would we notice a disciple if we met one and could we dare to use the title for ourselves? Let us consider that despite human frailty, we too can become free and cheerful missionaries with a specific and unique calling.

KEYNOTE: David Wells

contact@davidwellslive.com

David Wells is a catechist and author who regularly speaks at conferences throughout the world. David was born in Market Harborough, Educated at St Joseph’s primary school there and then at English Martyrs in Leicester. He returned to the diocese after university to work at the Briars, Crich and then as a teacher at St John Houghton in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. He later worked for the Catholic Education Service in London as a research assistant and gained an M(Phil) having researched Effective Methods in Teacher in-service Training.

In the 1990’s David served the Nottingham diocese as an Education Adviser working at Mornington Crescent. David has contributed to the production of catechetical resources in the UK and North America and spoken at more than 300 conferences worldwide. He is a regular contributor to the Religious Education Congress at Anaheim in California, where over 30,000 delegates gather to hear some of the world’s most prolific religious writers.

In the USA he was a contributor to the Echoes in Faith Programme by RCL Benziger. He has also spoken at some of the largest gatherings of teachers in Canada and appeared on Canadian television. In the UK he has presented at conferences in every diocese in England and Wales, served on several working parties for the Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales, guest lectures at three English Universities, and in 2000 he scripted and produced the video series “You, your Children and their Catholic faith” which sold widely throughout the English speaking Church. He has published two books, The Reluctant Disciple and The Grateful Disciple, both available from Redemptorist Publications. The Reluctant Disciple was Redemptorist’s best-selling book of 2015.

Bishop Malcolm McMahon Chair of the Department for Education and Formation in the Bishop’s Conference described David as a “Remarkable and gifted speaker.” David is married to Alison and they have three grown up children and a very badly behaved dog. David’s eldest son Sam, has just begun a teaching career in mathematics. David now lives in Exmouth, East Devon where, when he has an opportunity, he spends time on the Exe Estuary pretending he understands the sea.

contact@davidwellslive.com