A small campaign to boost Network coverage
Earlier this year the SOFN Steering Committee decided to reproduce a leaflet explaining what the Network does and who it might appeal to. You should find a copy tucked inside this edition of Sofia.
Having gone to the trouble of redesigning, rewriting and reprinting 1000 leaflets we had to decide what to do with them.
Some were distributed at the summer conference; some at this year’s RE Lecturers and Advisors Conference. But that still left a hefty pile sitting in a box in my study.
There are various community or religious venues where we could leave some for passers‑by, of course, but this seems rather passive. And how long before someone has a helpful “clear‑out” and dumps unwanted literature in the recycling?
Pass it on
We have decided to try a more active approach — albeit on a modest scale — and need Sofia readers’ help.
Do you know someone who might be surprised to learn that exploring and celebrating religion — maybe even worshipping — does not necessarily entail belief in the supernatural?
If so, we invite you to give that one person the enclosed SOFN leaflet.
How you do so is entirely up to you.
- Pop it in the post.
- Tell them a bit about the Network and what you get out of it.
- Or say: “I was asked to give this to one person, and thought of you”.
Zero hard sell required
The purpose of Pass It On is not actually to persuade people to sign up as members — although we would be delighted if anyone wants to — rather it’s to spread awareness.
I am a newish member of the Network, having joined in 2023, and a newish adherent to the idea that it’s possible to appreciate religion as a human‑made phenomenon. Earlier this year I was confirmed at Southwark Cathedral, where my son is a chorister.
When I talk to friends about my “faith” most of them look askance. But if, when probed, I tell them more about how I got here — via Don Cupitt videos on YouTube and the Sea of Faith Network — I often get a reply along the lines of: “Oh yeah, that makes sense” or “That’s sort of how I see things actually.”
The point is, most people — certainly most youngish people — seem genuinely surprised that such an approach even exists.
If you know someone who might be interested to learn there can be more to religion than the binary I believe / I don’t believe, please pass on this leaflet.
Oh, and if you’re wondering why we’re bothering with paper in this digital age, it’s because we feel giving someone an actual leaflet is somehow more personal. You might not agree. Technophiles will find a PDF version to pass on at https://sofn.uk/about
Let us know
- How you get on
- If you need any more leaflets
- If you think this whole thing is a terrible idea
