GOOD NEWS FROM THE CHURCH OF DIOCESE OF MARCH 2017 Fund award will help refugees The slogan of hope from the Calais Jungle camp

UNDING TO HELP house Syrian ●● City Deanery has been awarded refugee families in £5678 to host a ‘Leading Your Church into has been included in the second Growth’ conference. round of awards from the diocesan ●● The Edgemoor Group (Bishopsnympton, Mission and Growth fund. The TARKA Charles, , High Bray, FCommunity Refugee Sponsorship in the , Mariansleigh, , , Landcross, , , Twitchen, and & Mission Community has ) has been awarded £12045 been awarded £10,000 towards supporting a towards the cost of funding a Group Syrian family relocating to the UK. Administrator. Lead sponsor on the project Brian Walker ●● St Mark’s, Exeter has been awarded £3000 said: “Thanks to the fund we already have towards the cost of relocating their coffee enough to welcome our first family. We are servery and the provision of a children’s now searching for two 3/4 bedroom houses. area. The Syrian families will pay the local market ●● St Peter’s Foundation, has been rental for a lease of two years, with us awarded £15000 to help further the work helping when necessary. We need furniture, of the Foundation. appliances, household goods and more, for ●● St Paul’s, Stonehouse, Plymouth has been two family homes. Our initiative is open to all awarded £12000 towards the cost of who wish to help refugees.” funding a full time Project Worker. A total of 13 grants were received. Five ●● Bideford and the 4 parishes Mission applications were unsuccessful but all were Community have been awarded £15000 encouraged to resubmit their applications towards the cost of funding a part time taking into account the comments and Children’s and Family’s Co-ordinator. suggestions from the panel. ●● St Andrew’s, has been Visit facebook.com and search for TARKA awarded £15,000 towards the cost of Community Refugee Sponsors, and North Devon funding a Pastor to families in severe Refugee Solidarity for gifts in kind. To donate need and a parish safeguarding officer. online, visit justgiving.com and search for “Tarka”. FUNDRAISING LUNCH in Escot Melanesia event raises church has raised £312 to support funds for Sisters the work of the Melanesian Sisters through the Melanesian Mission The Sisters and Novices enjoying rice and fish thanks to the Melanesian Mission ‘Lunch Appeal’ charity based in Aand with whom we are linked as a diocese. Around 50 people enjoyed the event. Katie Drew, Executive Officer of the Mission said: “This donation will ensure that all the Sisters and Novices at the religious orders’ headquarters and training centre will have lunch for the next three months. Before this appeal was started only those in most need would have lunch, and the health of the Community was suffering.” For details visit: www.mmuk.net

HE VICAR OF GOODRINGTON GARY DEIGHTON is to spend the whole of Lent sleeping rough to raise awareness of homelessness and rough sleeping, and to raise money for charity. He said of his six week challenge: “Homelessness kills: average life expectancy in the UK is now over 80 - but if you sleep rough it’s 42. Homelessness cuts away at our most basic human needs of shelter, food and Tsafety and we need to keep awareness of that on the agenda.” For details and to sponsor Gary call him on 01803 843038 or email [email protected]

MAJOR Pilgrim conference is to take place this month led by To be a Pilgrim series authors Athe Bishops of Exeter and Chelmsford Robert Atwell and Stephen Cottrell. Pilgrim is a major teaching and discipleship resource from the Church of England designed to help people explore the Christian faith in their local churches. Justin Welby (centre) meets Pilgrim authors (l to r) Stephen Cottrell, Director of Mission and Stephen Croft, Paula Gooder and Robert Atwell Ministry Philip Sourbut said: “We’re very excited to be able The day is aimed at all those To book on the event which to announce that Bishops involved in parish mission, runs from 10am to 3.30pm, Robert and Stephen will be lay ministry, education with free lunch provided, running the event. There will and training and who are on 29 March in Cullompton be recorded contributions interested in finding out Community Centre visit from the other Pilgrim more about the materials www.exeter.anglican.org/ authors.” available. events Fairtrade rep, chaplain and minister

ULIE CARTWRIGHT is lead Chaplain Hospital as well as to , Bideford at North Devon District Hospital, part and Community Hospitals. She of the Torridge clergy team and a has been employed as a Chaplain since 1990 Fairtrade champion, running a monthly and describes it as an ‘incredible privilege’ to Traidcraft stall. Fairtrade Fortnight runs be part of the healthcare provided to people J until the 12th of this month. in a variety of circumstances. She adds: “As Julie said: “I have always been part of my role I am one of the Dementia interested in Fairtrade goods, using the Champions for the Trust, leading Dementia Traidcraft catalogue to shop for personal Friends sessions and supporting individuals gifts. When I found out that we had, in and their relatives through this most difficult the past, had a Fairtrade rep with a stall time. I have a personal interest in promoting selling goods locally and that the church the best practice that we can as my mum community would support its reintroduction, has Alzheimer’s and I know from first-hand I volunteered.” experience the affect this disease has on Julie is supported by her husband both the individual, their family and the wider Tim who takes the stall to the monthly community too.” community market in , if Of Fairtrade Julie adds: “One of the most Julie is unable to go. She adds: “We were interesting things is to read the stories of the very pleased recently to be part of Bishop producers and hear of the ways in which, Sarah’s Fairtrade Coffee Morning and thanks by being part of the Fairtrade movement, to everyone’s generosity sent a sizeable lives and communities are transformed donation to Traidcraft alongside the sales for and hope is offered. We really can make a the producers.” difference. Go on, cup of fairtrade coffee and When Julie is not championing Fairtrade a catalogue anyone?” she has responsibility for providing pastoral and spiritual care, through a team of For details call Julie on 01409 281554, evenings chaplains and volunteers at are best, or visit www.traidcraft.co.uk Stamp Collecting OD IS RATHER LIKE a stamp their prized possessions; but they still collector, you know.” I preserve the quirks and oddities which make “ remember hearing this in a a particular stamp unique. sermon by that great Biblical God has made a creation in which we scholar Canon John Fenton. each emerge as the unique people we are. ThereG was a collective silence wondering He rejoices in our individuality. And Christ’s what on earth he meant. “You see, the thing resurrection suggests that individuality will about stamp collectors,” he continued, “is continue into eternity: Christ is recognisably that they love stamps with oddities and himself, even down to the holes in his hands quirks, the ones that aren’t completely and feet. perfect. God is the same with us. He loves us If God rejoices in our individuality, and as we are, with all our oddities and quirks; he all our quirks and qualities, then so should delights in them.” we. He loves us as ourselves, as you, as me. I found this immensely reassuring - the Remembering that may stop us beating thought of God delighting in the real me ourselves up for falling short of some image with all my mistakes, rough edges, and bits of perfection which we think we should be missing – the individual me, the whole me, striving for, but inevitably never attain. We’re warts and all. not called to be alabaster saints; we’re called Of course, I can’t deny that there are to be ourselves. aspects of me that go beyond oddity into So do pause on your Lenten journey to feel sinfulness – things that need righting and God’s love for you as you. Do thank him for transforming. That is true for all of us, and transforming you now and in the future into Lent is when we bring the real me to God for the perfection of yourself. And do delight in his forgiveness and healing. But any such who you are, just as he does. healing will surely respect the individual people we have become. I’m sure serious THE VEN DR MARK BUTCHERS stamp collectors gently clean and restore ARCHDEACON OF BARNSTAPLE

Diocesan Communications Unit DIOCESE www.exeter.anglican.org OF EXETER twitter.com/cofedevon THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND facebook search IN DEVON