Mission in practice – Churches at work

Live the Mission November 2017

Garden is a chance to remember t Francis of Assisi Church, The church plans to use the £50 prize S , has won the from Dementia Friendly Churches to Faithworks Dementia Friendly buy sensory plants to plant in the Church award 2017. spring. Maralyn Stuckey and others in the Tracy Wilson-Corben from Faithworks On page 2 read about the first silver Eco Church in the Diocese. Pictured are Andy church created an indoor garden for is keen to support any church which Lester from A Rocha and Rev’d Julian Williams from St John's, dementia patients.“ The church was wishes to become more dementia welcoming and many practical friendly. Call 01202 429037 or email ave you ever wondered what into a valuable resource for the whole reminders within a garden were [email protected] for H people think? Christopher Diocese —the Clerical Registry. introduced to ensure others had the details. Butler, retired minister and a member Alongside these are news and ideas from chance to enjoy and remember,” said Pictured are Maralyn and Priest-in- of Clerical Registry, certainly does. He other churches, plus encouragement to Maralyn. Charge Jenny Nightingale. believes it is key to ministry and become a Fairtrade church. hopes that the Who Cares? initiative Message of the knitted angels will help provide some answers. Have a good month. ighfield Church, , has message that the world may seem Both Clerical Registry and Who Cares? Inside H run the outreach event ‘Carols on broken, but the message of the angels feature in this month’s Live the the Rec’ for the past three Christmases. 2,000 years ago is for us too. Mission. The first stage of Who Cares? News and Fairtrade..……. p.2-3 —the listening phase—has come to Each year, they try to engage the Abi Scase from the church said: “Our an end and the responding phase has Who Cares? …...……..….…. p 4-5 community with something people can hope is that they will be taken home begun. On pages 4-5 you can read relate to and this year it’s the turn of and hung on Christmas trees around our more about what hurts people most Clerical Registry ………….. p.6-7 knitted angels. The angels – around 400 community”. and how churches are beginning to Mission in practice—churches at of them – will contain invitations and a take action. work …………………………… p.8 Contact us: Then on pages 6-7 there is an insight Please let us know your news. Email Stella Wiseman, the Marketing and Content 8Editor, stella.wiseman@.anglican.org or call 01962 737325. 1 News from across the Diocese ‘The RAC for the PCC’

with each church. “I am not may produce some answers. St John’s is first Silver Eco Church in Diocese there to import my own “The great question is,” he t John’s, Rownhams, is the first brand.” says “What do people think?’ S church in the diocese to receive its He encourages any church Some retired ministers go on Silver Eco Church award. with a vacancy or gaps in the the register, but also have a The award was presented by Andy rota to call Liz and ask for more formal role. Jan Lester, A Rocha UK conservation help. “I do everything I can Brookshaw, for instance, is director, in a celebration service to let the clergy have Assistant Curate in Upper where the theme was that every holidays!” Itchen, and is also responsible action counts in looking after God's Christopher Butler is almost for compiling the monthly earth. 92, as busy as ever, and still Jan Brookshaw Diocesan prayer cycle. The Ichthian young people's group The allotment at St John’s learning. “You have to live to She has a “portfolio performed a powerful drama learn and the further you go the more retirement”. “It’s almost like being a celebrated Earth Hour and held a sale you need to know.” He doesn’t pretend curate again— the fun bits of the depicting a forest fire and unhelpful of unwanted Christmas presents. animals which mocked a humming to know all the answers but can pose ministry— the liturgical and pastoral bird which was trying to extinguish the Church member Angela Jones said: questions. “I think people want rather than all the admin.” fire one drop of water at a time. The “To ‘Go for Gold’ is a huge challenge. thoughtful addresses. I always hope that “Clerical Registry can provide a huge We have produced an Individual congregation were also given acorns after preaching people will have variety of preachers and open up people to hold as Andy Lester asked them to Lifestyle Eco Survey, asking the questions and pursue things further.” to different ways of doing things,” she think what a hard journey it is for one congregation to take part so we can He takes services as often as possible says and adds that all curates could to grow into an oak tree. He all see how we’re doing and perhaps and during the week does mental health benefit from doing time on the register encouraged the church to think how do one or two more actions to live advocacy work with Solent Mind, as it exposes them to a wide range of more sustainably in our damaged and they could take the opportunity to helping people with benefits and debts, churchmanship. fragile world. This is for the sake of flourish by doing one more thing to and is a support worker at a centre for “Until I went on the register I knew ‘Go for Gold’. future generations and for those many people with disabilities. “I am very people in the world who are suffering exactly what I was leading each Sunday. To gain silver, the church has grown fortunate to be able to do this, At first it was nerve-wracking to turn up dreadfully from the effects of climate extremely grateful to be keeping active. food in the churchyard allotment with change.” at a church and be presented with a produce going to Basics Bank, Then there is the ministry of the Word— booklet but I wished I’d had that For details of the Eco Church scheme, promoted Eco Church, committed to one has to carry on preaching.” experience early on in my ministry.” visit https://ecochurch.arocha.org.uk/ pray for an A Rocha project, He says he wishes he could work out For Clerical Registry, call Liz Wilkinson what goes on in people’s minds and on 01962 737345. Speaking out prophetically through Fairtrade hopes that Who Cares? (see page 4) The Clerical Registry was founded in 1913 and exists to provide clerical cover for any hat does it mean to be Prophetic Every Fairtrade registered church sends a W Global Citizens? One answer message to our communities that God church service. Around 2,000 services are covered in this way each year. might be that God’s prophets often cares about fair pay for their produce. There are two Clergy Retirement Officers for the Diocese of Winchester: Rev’d spoke out against trade injustice and It's really easy to become a Fairtrade Canon Michael Kenning, Winchester Archdeaconry, and Rev’d Canon Peter defrauding the poor (e.g. Leviticus 19:35, Church and speak out for the world's Doores, Bournemouth Archdeaconry. They produce Oldhabits, an occasional news Micah 6: 11). poorest producers. Find out how at -sheet for retired clergy in the Diocese of Winchester. www.fairtrade.org

2 7 Clerical Registry:

our vicar has retired, or moved on, For Paul Canon Harris who was forced Happy 100th birthday, All Saints Y and you don’t have a new one yet; to retire early through ill health, Clerical your vicar is ill, has booked a retreat or Registry is “not just filling a slot on a ll Saints’ Church, , is simply a holiday, and you can’t cover all rota. You can go to a place and be a A 100 years old. The celebrations the Sunday services. What do you do? provocative friend. Change is something lasted for a fortnight, beginning with a Simple - call Clerical Registry. dear to my heart and I can encourage if talk by local historian Debbie Reavell Clerical Registry is exactly what it says it a church is struggling with the prospect about the religious history of is : a register of clerics, mainly retired, of change. A vacancy can be hard—a Basingstoke, leading up to the building of who have said they are happy to take church may be reeling from All Saints’ church, and ended with Messy services and who have ‘Permission to something—and I can encourage.” Church with activities inspired by the Offciate’. It has the dual advantage of Some people confide in him because he building. is a stranger. helping churches and allowing retired On September 23, the bell ringers men and women to continue a ministry Retired clergy have to be wise, he says. contributed to the celebrations by Bishop David cuts the birthday cake should they wish to. It is, as Archdeacon Particularly in vacancy their role is to be ringing a record six-hour peal while the the congregation both of the faith of describes it: “The RAC for “very much John the Baptist— decrease church welcomed visitors coming to see those who had built the church during the PCC”. as the new incumbent is coming”. a ‘Faith and Flowers’ display. This was World War 1, and of the God who is followed the next day by a celebration “It’s something worth preserving,” says Paul also writes and performs poetry, always searching for us to bring us home. Graham Trasler who lives in Andover broadcasts on radio and is the author of service with Bishop David who reminded and has taken services at more than 60 Leading for a Change, designed to help churches since he retired. Another Christian leaders, and the soon-to-be- Building work, building faith retired minister, Jan Brookshaw, says published Seasoning the Preaching—a that “it takes the pressure off clergy. series of sermon outlines and gospel ix young members of St Saviour’s, led by the children and visited a project Some other dioceses don’t have readings following the church year. S Iford, Bournemouth, this summer run by the charity Mosaic Vision which anything like this and if you are in one “Life was never this exciting while I was spent two weeks in Rukungiri, Uganda, supports families where children have such diocese you think twice about working,” said Graham Trasler on with the charity Mission Direct which been orphaned or abandoned. taking holiday.” accepting the request to preside at the works with local partners to support One particularly moving experience was However, here in Winchester as Jan 63rd church in the eight years since his communities through a visit to Rukungiri prison says “a single phone call sorts it out”. retirement. That was back in June and building work, education, which Frankie described training and healthcare. Churches make that there have been a few more since. as “life-changing”. “As we single phone call to Liz One of the advantages Nathan Bendell, Frankie walked into the prison, Wilkinson who then of being part of Clerical Bendell, Sarah Bendell, we were greeted by finds someone to fill Registry is, he says, that Lucy Cox-O’Rourke, Lizzie approximately 300 men the slot. “you don’t have to and David Oldham singing and dancing worry about the massive spent much of the time praises to God ,” she said. “I value this so much helping a rehabilitation for my colleagues,” rows between the She concluded: “We were cleaner and the verger. centre for children with inspired by the faith, love says Jan, who disabilities, many of remembers well the You are there to do a and joy for the Lord job.” He tries to fit in whom are isolated from displayed by the people, days as a busy parish their community. They priest. despite the great poverty Christopher Butler also visited schools, took There’s always time to skip they are living in.” part in a church service 6 3 Who Cares? Churches listen Now it is time to respond

ack in July we reported on the as far afield as and Fleet work among you will bring it to Jesus—will complete the work he has B launch of Who Cares?, an initiative gathered to share their experiences and completion by the day of begun.” He added: “What across whereby 59 churches to pray for how they would respond. Jesus Christ’) he further “When we start to we become while we wait of varying traditions and backgrounds reminded people: “Who is step into someone’s is as important as what we went out to ask those around them – David Grant, chair of Who Cares? at work? Jesus is at work… life we are not being are waiting for because he churchgoers and non-churchgoers alike Hampshire, stressed that “the It is the Lord who does the has begun a good work”. – ‘What hurts you the most?’. responding phase will go on for years”. helping. We are not to try invited to rescue them Asking the question is just the beginning to make other people like but to accompany How each church is The answers – given anonymously – and has involved churches stepping out responding depends to a us but to walk along with them”. have come in thick and fast – 11,798 of into the community. Now the challenge them.” He reminded large extent upon their them – and an analysis has shown that is to stay there in the community and people that “We will have community and the needs the areas that most worried people show, as David said: “love and care for to be patient and we may have to wait. which this community has expressed. were negative emotions, family and people as Christ did”. We will get things wrong but he— Here is one church’s story so far: relationships, though the results varied when issues such as age were taken into Bishop David, who also spoke at the account (for instance the prevalent area event, emphasised another point – that Having a Heart for Overton of concern for the 65+ age group was responding was not about providing injustice). some form of paternalistic answer but of St Mary’s is something of a focal point in the journeying together. “When we start to village of Overton but the church realised that The question then is what to do about step into someone’s life we are not not everyone living there knows about all the this. On October 5, the ‘Responding being invited to rescue them but to care and support available in the area. It has Phase’ was launched at London Street accompany them”. Drawing on therefore launched ‘Heart for Overton’, which United Reformed Church, Basingstoke, Philippians 1, verse 6 (‘I am confident of will provide a directory of those who provide a when representatives of churches from this, that the one who began a good caring service locally. They will deliver this to every home in the village and keep people up-to Children join in the Overton open What hurts the most? -date via noticeboards and online. afternoon Analysis of the This practical response is a reflection of answers: Nega- something larger – a desire to show that Christians care. St Mary’s has also started a tive emotions weekly coffee drop-in on Tuesday mornings at the library, where people can drink represented coffee, have a chat and find support if it is needed. Another initiative is‘Soul Space’ 19.77% of the on Saturday mornings in the doctors’ surgery where people can learn to meditate. A overall number of series of talks has also begun on subjects that came to light in the Who Cares? categorisations; survey, topics such as injustice, family hurts and healings, relationships and ‘Where 18.26% were fam- is God when it hurts?’, and there are plans for other groups including ‘Crossing the ily and 16.89% Generations’ – a friendship group for children and older people. were relation- The church put on an open afternoon on October 8 to draw attention to what is ships. The small- available and are hopeful for the future. However, as David Spencer, one of the est areas of hurt leaders of Who Cares? in Overton, said: “We have made a corporate response as a were loneliness at church. The challenge is how individuals respond. Each individual is just as 4.54% and money responsible to be there and accompany people.” After all, we are all parts of the at 5.4%. The percentage of hurts in each category body of Christ.

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