Deanery Synod Report 2016-17

Deanery Synod has met three times in the past twelve months, at Eversholt in July, Arlesey in November and, most recently, at Flitwick on Monday 27th March. The Ampthill and Shefford Deanery covers a wide swathe of Bedfordshire, from Arlesey in the east to Woburn Sands in the west, and meetings are spread fairly around it. It is good to see other churches from time to time, and also to be reminded that there is a wider Church, outside of our own parish.

There has been a certain preoccupation this year with the preparation of a Deanery Mission Action Plan which had to be produced and presented to the Diocesan Pastoral Committee in October. (It is not just individual parishes that have to have a MAP)! The July meeting was largely taken up with a presentation on and discussion about the draft MAP. The November meeting reported that the presentation to the Diocese had gone well and the MAP had been well received. One of its main focuses is to try and improve communications within the Deanery. We shall see how that develops.

Bishop Alan spent a day visiting various parts of the Deanery last September, culminating in an evening service at Maulden, at which he presided. Our Shillington choir-members joined in a combined Deanery choir on that occasion, as they did in two other Deanery Evensongs during the year. We hosted one of them, at Shillington, and the other was at Woburn. These Deanery services are quite impressive, with some lovely, uplifting music. I do commend them to our church members. It is worth making the effort to attend.

Tim Watson

Deanery Synod Representative