Past events

Stargazing

• 11:00 am, July 7 2013
• York Hall, Bethnal Green
• Speaker: Andrew Pontzen

As the roasting summer days, give way to balmy summer nights (here’s hoping) what better time to stargaze? We have a top-notch astronomer coming to talk to us, Andrew Pontzen. You can read more about him at www.cosmocrunch.co.uk

Go Team!

• 11:00 am, September 1 2013
• York Hall, Bethnal Green

After a lovely summer break, Sunday Assembly London starts again with the topic “Go Team!”. We’ll be talking about working together, trying your best and hopefully being your team.

There’s going to be a fantastic sportsman talking, and lots of jolly songs and fun and tea! See you there, you beautiful squares.

Oh, for those that don’t know, the Sunday Assembly is a celebration of life. It’s for folk who want to live better, help often and wonder more. And our aim is to help everyone live this one life as fully as poss.

The location is the wonderful York Hall in Bethnal Green, but please keep an eye on the location because we’ll be moving round in the next few months (long story).

Harvest Festival

• 11:00 am, September 15 2013
• Conway Hall, Holborn
• Speaker: Simon Howland

After a long summer ripening on the vine, it’s time to collect the harvest, or something like that. Either way, we’re having a Harvest Festival at Conway Hall and we’d love you to come.

Our speaker is Simon Howland, Australia wine drinker, trader, journalist and all round good guy. He knows wine and he knows harvesting.

We’ll also be harvesting from you guys (not organs) and donating to food banks. Bring tins and non-perishable foods.

Thanks in advance for your generosity. It will help make some people happy.

Also expect the normal mega-songs and good times.

Global Mega Party!

• 11:00 am, October 20 2013
• Conway Hall, Holborn
• Speakers: Harry Cliff, Carrie Armstrong

On October 20th we are having a party, at our usual time in London, for the launch of the 40 Dates and the 40 Nights Roadshow, and our crowdfunding campaign, and everyone in the world is invited.

This will be livestreamed across the world, so Assemblers can have viewing parties of their own wherever they are. Going to people’s houses, bringing some grub, eating, sharing and laughing, because it is a great way to build friendship and community, and just a good thing all round.

As it’s a party we are going to have some extra super great elements – including a variety of speakers! we have invited back our friend Harry Cliff – the CERN guy (you may remember his many pictures of Brian Cox) and Carrie Armstrong, author of the website lifeafterthechair.com.

With a band, the choir and, of course, Pippa and Sanderson, this is going to be a party that you will never forget!

Photos

Remembrance Sunday Assembly

• 11:00 am, November 3 2013
• Conway Hall, Holborn
• Speaker: Dan Snow

This Month’s Sunday Assembly London will be Remembrance – looking back to all the soldiers who have given their lives and why it is important to remember them.

Our guest speaker is Dan Snow, historian and Humanist, which we are very excited about as he has been on the television and everything.

Expect songs, readings and cake and a slightly different tone to the Global Mega Party!

We’ll also have the kids corner for little ones and a kids club (7yrs-12yrs) run by Camp Quest. Look forward to seeing you there.

Photos

Ritual

• 11:00 am, December 1 2013
• Conway Hall, Holborn
• Speaker: Dr Linda Woodhead
• Poet: Mike Garry

We shall be having a super high-energy Sunday Assembly on Dec 1st. Dr Linda Woodhead will be talking about Ritual. Mike Garry will be poetifying (new word) and we’ll be bringing some Joy and Wonder your way.

Bring your pals and your children (there will be Curious Kids Club (age 7 – 12) and Kids Corner (for restless little ones during the service) for a bit of pep in your step.

Photos

Wonderland

• 11:00 am, December 15 2013
• Conway Hall, Holborn
• Speaker: Jinni Lyons

We will be getting together on Dec 15th for our last Sunday Assembly of 2013 to sing some sparkle-filled Christmas songs (you know the ones… Fairytale in New York, Merry Christmas Everyone etc) and for a fun-filled talk by….

Jinni Lyons! AKA @comedyfoodgirl, Jinni knows all about the joys of eating and will be talking about feasting at Christmas.

Then we will have an area at the Penderel’s Oak for festive drinks and banter. And possibly Christmas dinner! http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/pubs/penderels-oak

We will also be doing a collection for Crisis at Christmas – things that are needed for homeless shelters across London. Things wanted can be found here: http://www.crisis.org.uk/pages/our-christmas-wishlist.html

Beginnings

• 11:00 am, January 6 2013
• The Nave at St Paul’s Steiner School
• Speaker: Andy Stanton

Starting things is so hard. There’s the dread of work, the bogeyman of failures past, and future, and all manner of mental booby traps that prevents you from getting going.

Luckily people like Andy Stanton, fantastic children’s author and creator of the cult Mr. Gum series, show that it can be done. Hear how his first book took almost a decade of dropping out and dead end jobs to write.

How our homepage described us at the time

The Sunday Assembly is a godless congregation that will meet on the first Sunday of every month to hear great talks, sing songs and generally celebrate the wonder of life. It’s a service for anyone who wants to live better, help often and wonder more.

Come on down to hear inspirational speakers and to enjoy a morning that is part-atheist church, part-foot stomping show.

Each event will have a theme – the first one is on ‘Beginnings’ on Sunday January 6th 2013 – with stories, readings and a final address on that topic.

No matter what the subject the goal of The Sunday Assembly is to solace worries, provoke kindness and inject a bit more whizziness into the everyday.

We meet in The Nave on St. Paul’s Road in de Beauvoir, between Hackney and Islington (for directions click here), and it will start at 11 am (latecomers go straight to HELL!). It would be a pleasure to see you there.

Wonder

• 11:00 am, February 3 2013
• The Nave at St Paul’s Steiner School
• Speaker: Lucy Porter

Bookended between an eternity of absolute nothingness, life should be white knuckle rollercoaster ride of sensory overload. But why does it feel like a drag?

We’re lining up a super scientist to talk about something that is guaranteed to make your brain go ‘Pop!’. Joining her will be Lucy Porter chatting about what it’s like when your little miracles (she owns two children) are also the grind. Plus more ways to wonder.

Lend a Hand

• 11:00 am, March 3 2013
• The Nave at St Paul’s Steiner School

Look at the About page, and you’ll see we’re looking into ways of hooking up The Assembly to some great community projects. Here we’ll outline how.

Easter for Atheists

• 11:00 am and 1:00 am, April 3 2013
• The Nave at St Paul’s Steiner School
• Speaker: Sarah Dunant (11am), Dave Tomlinson (1:30pm)

What? An Easter service in an atheist church, that doesn’t seem right? Don’t worry, we’re as rational as they come but let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

There have been spring festivals since time began, and wouldn’t it be a shame to lose 1400 years of British history over a minor theological difference? Yes. It would. Also, we love chocolate eggs!

11 am service. Speaker: Sarah Dunant

Sarah Dunant is a wonderful historian with expertise on the Borgias, the lives of 14th century nuns and Renaissance women.

1.30 pm service. Speaker: Dave Tomlinson

This wonderful vicar will talk about the power of stories, myths and metaphors as ways of seeing the world, and why humans have enjoyed the Easter tale.

Play

• 11:00 am, May 5 2013
• Conway Hall, Holborn
• Speakers: Marie Foulton and Rob Davis

Spring is here, the clouds are gone and the sun is out (sometimes) so let’s PLAY! Not just because it is fun, but because playing is important.

The Assembly will feature two guest speakers, Marie Foulton and Rob Davis, in one action packed double bill. Marie Foulton runs the Wild Rumpus, an indie games night that turns video games into physical activities and encourages adults to rough-house. Her talk is why adults need to keep playing. Then Rob Davis (chief game designer and CEO of Playniac – a company that make ‘thinky games’) will teach us about game design through his mass participation game ‘Cat On Yer Head’

The special bank holiday service will also include a round of ‘Danish Clapping’ – the most fun two hands can have in a family friendly environment – and will finish with a potluck picnic and games aplenty for a super day of fun.

Sound fun? Yes. It does.

There will also be songs! And readings! And tea! And cake! And that magical thing that happens when good people get together to celebrate life!

For those who don’t know: The Sunday Assembly is the godless congregation for people who want to live better, help often and wonder more.

Also: brap.

Our change of venue

We are very sad to announce that The Sunday Assembly has been evicted from its venue, The Nave, by our landlord St. Paul’s Steiner School. A small faction within the school decided that The Sunday Assembly (motto: “Live better, help often and wonder more”) was antithetical to their own ethos.

The news of the eviction came on Friday, and we tried to find a way around, but sadly couldn’t. What makes this super aggravating is that it is only two weeks before the service on ‘Play’ and after the school had agreed to host the Assembly.

Sadly the committee members who took against the godless congregation didn’t spell out the precise reason for their disapproval. Was it novelist Sarah Dunant’s talk on the art of the Resurrection? Vicar Dave Tomlinson’s meditation on the power of metaphor and stories? Or the congregation singing Run Rabbit Run during April’s Easter service?

I’m still not quite sure how it happened. It was bizarre being part of primary school politics. Committee X got to rule us out because The Sunday Assembly hadn’t been raised in the minutes by Trustee Y. It felt like being involved in a poor man’s version of In The Thick Of It.

It is such a shame that it happened like that. We loved The Nave and really enjoyed being part of the community. However, do not worry, this exile to Holborn is a temporary blip. We will return! Pippa wanted to add: “A deconsecrated church with just the right level of shabby chic was perfect. If anyone else can suggest some venues we’d love to hear about them. We’re homeless. Help!”.

Luckily The Conway Hall, that bastion of humanism, has stepped in and agreed to host The Sunday Assembly on Sunday May 5^th.

Happiness

• 11:00 am, June 2 2013
• York Hall, Bethnal Green
• Speaker: Lord Prof Richard Layard (originally due to be Anthony Seldon)
• View on Facebook

Another Sunday Assembly, another venue, this time we’re in York Hall in Bethnal Green for a service on ‘Happiness’. It is gonna be all about how to get happy, and make other people happy.

[The speaker is] Richard Layard who is the founder of Action For Happiness. He’s behavioural economics LEGEND, and all round champion of delight.

More important than all that … PIPPA IS BACK. We have all missed her loads and it is going to be great to have her there.