GOOD NEWS FROM THE NOVEMBER 2016 The embrace DEVON

of God HE FIRST ROUND of money to be awarded from the diocesan Mission OFTEN THINK of November as the and Growth Fund will help churches Season of Remembrance. We start with to reach out to families and children All Saints and All Souls, we move through as well as to improve buildings. Remembrance Day and Remembrance TThe funds just released from our diocese Sunday and by the time we get to will help facilitate new initiatives such as the One award will help to fund an after-school club IAdvent we have walked on our pilgrimage appointment of a Families Minister in in St Pancras Church with huge numbers of saints and martyrs. St Pancras Church in Plymouth. We remember and give thanks for a wide, Vicar, the Rev Jon Marlow, said: “We are diverse and wonderful range of people and delighted to have been able to appoint Jo an amazing depth of witness to the love of Parker to the role and she brings with her a God in Christ. wealth of experiences working with young Awards help While it remains a season of they feel most abandoned by those they people and their families in both school and Remembrance, it also seems diff erent trusted, is that shockingly God remains church contexts. One immediate benefi t of to me now. Maybe I’m getting old (and faithful. A light shines in the darkness, a Jo’s appointment is that we’ve been able to churches to it does happen to us all eventually...), glimpse of glory is seen, the embrace of start up a new after-school club to follow on but remembering all these saints and God enfolds you and you know you are not from our successful summer holiday club.” martyrs, remembering those who gave alone. That faithfulness of God is often seen Bishop Robert said: “I am delighted to hear REACH OUT their lives for us all in war, remembering most profoundly in the love shown to us by that the fi rst grants are making their way into all those who have died and whom we unexpected people in small and unexpected communities across Devon and that they Diocesan Vision to grow in prayer, make new miss and mourn now makes me think less ways. God’s faithfulness may not save us are making provision to serve children and disciples and serve the people of Devon with about remembrance and more about the from the time of trial, but it will sustain us to families and to improve the welcome of our joy. A total of £250,000 is available during the faithfulness of God. the end. ££££££church buildings for all who visit.” current year with further funding being made Many of these saints and martyrs lived As we move into the season of Advent The new fund was launched earlier this available in the future. The closing date for their lives and expressed their faith in and our watching and waiting for the Christ year to help local churches to respond to the second round applications was 25 October. circumstances which were very diffi cult. to come, let us also give thanks for the The great witness they made was not only faithfulness of God who sustains us in the through challenging circumstances, but darkness as we move towards his circumstances that challenged their sense of marvellous light. ● St Philip & St James, Ilfracombe awarded who they are, challenged their own integrity, £20,000 over two years in support challenged their own sense of worthiness THE AWARDS ARE: of phase 2 of Ilfracombe School and and self-understanding. Sometimes their Community Youth Programme subject to lives echo the cry of dereliction of Jesus on ● Braunton Mission Community awarded additional information being provided. the Cross: why have you forsaken me? £10,000 over three years towards the cost What they learn and experience is that THE VERY REVD JONATHAN DRAPER ● Chudleigh Parochial Church Council of funding a part-time Children’s Worker. awarded £8,000 in support of a Family even in these dark moments, when perhaps DEAN OF EXETER ● Sampford Peverell Team Mission Work Trainee, subject to additional Community awarded £20,000 over three information being provided. years in support of a Children and ● St Disen, Bradninch awarded £8,000 Families Worker. Diocesan Communications Unit towards new toilets for the Church Hall, DIOCESE ● St Pancras, Plymouth awarded subject to confi rmation that a faculty www.exeter.anglican.org OF EXETER twitter.com/cofedevon THE CHURCH £20,000 over three years in support of and the relevant planning consent has OF ENGLAND a Families’ Minister. been obtained. facebook search diocese of exeter IN DEVON 13 and 17 Working together ordained HE NEW diocesan he experienced life in a God. As Pope Francis says interfaith adviser multi-cultural setting and we can fi nd something of has embarked on was the fi rst chairperson God in other faiths and two new careers of the West Midlands there is much we can do by – he also doubles Regional Faith Forum. He working together.” Tup as a thriller writer! John said: “We had a number of Hall has just published his challenges that came along National Interfaith Week runs fi rst novel in a trilogy of but we were able to tackle from 13-20 November: thrillers in which he covers them through the good interfaithweek.org themes such as diversity relationships we had.” and extremism in our Of the situation here in Not in God’s Name conference contemporary society. the South-West he said: is run by the Devon Faith and FORMER US naval offi cer and a former diocesan rural adviser were among John came to faith “There is an increasing need Belief Forum, Mint Methodist 13 people ordained by Bishop Robert in Exeter Cathedral in September. as a teenager and was to engage with inter-faith Church, Exeter EX4 3AT Please pray for them as they serve as in parishes across Devon. particularly infl uenced by issues. Some reactions Saturday 5 November 17 people were ordained in locations around the diocese. Please also a Christian Youth Camp are coloured by unhelpful 9.30 – 1pm. To book a free remember them in your prayers. Leader. He said: “He taught stereotypes. place, contact: gerry.rufolo@ A me what a living faith was. “I’m particularly devon.gov.uk For a full list of names and places see the September magazine: exeter.anglican.org/magazine Through Bible study he interested in how the connected the Bible with South West copes with John’s book real life in a way that I new migrants and ‘Flashbacks’ by hadn’t done before.” how our children and JE Hall is available That living faith provided young people will through Amazon fi rm foundations for John cope in a changing as a paperback as he went on to become culture.” and as a Kindle VER 100 PEOPLE from Church a probation offi cer and “As a Christian e-book. of England churches enjoyed then parish priest. Prior I want to remind Family Fest camping at the River Dart to living in Devon he lived people that all people Country Park in Ashburton as in Coventry and Leicester are made in part of a festival to celebrate for many years where the image of Ofaith in the Catholic Tradition. Five vicars organised the event and Rev Will Hazlewood explained: “A number of churches within the Diocese are seeing a Eco-church launch event: growth in primary school age children; we would love to take them to the families’ ROCHA has re-launched its weekend at Walsingham, but it is just too far, ‘Eco-congregations’ project so we asked Walsingham to come to us.” as ‘Eco-church’ and Ruth The event was supported by The Shrine Valerio will lead a workshop of Our Lady of Walsingham and the Yr4God to share examples of your team (four young people working at the Aown church green action and ministry shrine for a year) came to help lead a packed between 11am and 3pm on Saturday 19 It is planned to repeat Family Fest on 9 to 11 programme of fun activities and worship. November at Cullompton Community June next year. For details email Fr Nick Debney One of those attending said: “Everyone Centre, EX15 1JX. For details and to book [email protected] or Fr Peter March was really friendly and we liked the games contact Joanie Harris on 01392 294940 [email protected] and activities.” or email [email protected]