Spring 2015 2 2015 - Year of the Unexpected?
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THE E UROP E AN A NGLICAN G IBRALTAR F AR E W E LL I N 1 4 0 C HARACT E RS A G OSP E L O F T RUTH A NTI C ORRUPTION IN M ADRID W AT E R E V E RYWH E R E B IBL E G UID E TO TH E E NVIRON me NT R E CALLING G ALLIPOLI 1 9 1 5 A NZAC D AY P ILGRI M AG E M INISTRY U ND E R TH E M ATT E RHORN W INT E R W ORK IN Z E R M ATT europe.anglican.org No.65 SPRING 2015 2 2015 - YEAR OF THE UNEXPECTED? THE E UROP E AN A NGLICAN The Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe The Rt Rev Robert Innes Bishop in Europe’s Office 47, rue Capitaine Crespel - boite 49, 1050 Brussels Belgium Tel: +32 (0)2 213 7480 Email: [email protected] The Suffragan Bishop in Europe The Rt Rev David Hamid Postal address: Diocesan Office Tel: +44 (0) 207 898 1160 Email: [email protected] The Diocesan Office 14 Tufton Street, London, THE E ASTER CHALLENGE SW1P 3QZ Tel: +44 (0) 207 898 1155 Fax: +44 (0) 207 898 1166 Email: OF UNE XPECTED EVENTS [email protected] Diocesan Secretary If the first month of 2015 is typical we can expect this to be a year of the unexpected. Around Mr Adrian Mumford Europe extraordinary events are having repercussions with the reaction “Who would have Appointments Secretary imagined that?” Miss Catherine Jackson Who would have imagined the outpouring of emotions in Paris, in many French cities and across the world in the wake of the massacres in the French capital. Our diocesan Finance Secretary Mr Nick Wraight congregations were ready to share in the response and offer space for prayer and reflection. In an election in Greece, where the Greater Athens congregation had been busy in Diocesan Website practical social support for some years, the country voted to follow a course that could force www.europe.anglican.org unexpected consequences in the European Union. Editor and Diocesan Britain is due to go to the polls in May with political pundits having no idea of what the Communications Officer outcome may be. Here again, unexpected events in the final days of campaigning could bring The Rev Paul Needle Postal address: Diocesan Office about a result that could not have been predicted. Email: This is not a situation that journalists and commentators enjoy. Wall to wall news coverage [email protected] is an area where reporters not only tell the facts but try to gaze into the future. News is Tel: +44 (0)7712 463806 increasingly becoming speculation and only a brave soul would attempt to predict outcomes Friends of the Diocese in this world of the unexpected. Secretary: Mrs Jeanne French Christians, like journalists, do not find it easy to accept change. The Iona based composer Email: and Christian teacher John Bell once remarked that one of the best loved hymns; “Abide with [email protected] me” includes the line ”Change and decay in all around I see” and asked why the change is Design always assumed to be a symptom of decline and decay. Adept Design, Norwich Around Europe our congregations large and small are preparing to proclaim the certainty Printer of the resurrection in a world and culture that is unsure of itself. The challenge takes us back Colchester Print Group, Attleborough to the first Holy Week, Good Friday and Easter. Events in their world could be cataclysmic with Distribution natural disasters, armed coups and terrorist activities. The Gospels tell of a hectic week of CoDEStorm plc see-sawing emotions and incidents culminating in the Cross and the Easter tomb. We can understand the first disciples’ confusion. As Our Lord’s body was buried, his Front cover picture: faithful followers would have said “I never expected things would end like this”. On the Canon Herrick Daniel who served as a Emmaus road a confused couple are bereft and searching for a plan, desperate for meaning visiting seasonal chaplain in Zermatt, out of the apparent meaninglessness. Switzerland, was delighted last December when a local publicity drive and visits The power of the risen Christ offered meaning to them as he still does to us as we prepare to hotels brought packed churches on for the season which focuses on the centrality of our faith. Christmas Eve (another picture is on Page 8). He says it was a joyful time - the P AUL N EEDLE snow was a bonus! E DITOR , TH E E UROP E AN A NGLICAN A FAREWELL TWEET 3 FROM GIBRALTAR G OODBY E TO G IBRALTAR – IN VE RY F E W W ORDS Rev Andrew Jacobson reflects on a unique and wide reaching mission opportunity at the end of his ministry in the Diocese. The Internet is increasingly making farewell. I also popped into a local the world a smaller place. The online public house to say goodbye to the social networking service Twitter landlady who had previously asked now has more than 500 million users. me to pray for her and bless the pub. Twitter allows users to send and read She reported with a smile that takings short 140-character messages that are had been up since the blessing! I said called “tweets”. my farewells to the Captain of the The Church of England is Port, Gibraltar Port Authority staff making good use of social media. and stevedores. Then, after my final Its @OurChurchofEngland invites was seriously ill in the hospital’s Sung Eucharist at the Cathedral, guest tweeters both lay and ordained intensive care unit having been hit in Jane and I enjoyed a special Sunday to tweet about their work. I have the head by a crane hook. Lunch with many of the regular been a ‘Tweeter’ for just over three I bade a fond farewell to many who cathedral congregation. years, so when I received an email I had come to know over our three Gibraltar is a very special place via Mission to Seafarers asking for a years in Gibraltar. My ecumenical and I thoroughly enjoyed the rich volunteer to tweet about their work, I clergy colleagues from the Roman variety of ministerial opportunities it leapt at the opportunity. A Church of Catholic, Methodist and Church afforded. I am now back in Blighty England Media Officer arranged for of Scotland dined me out after our and Priest-in-Charge and Team me to tweet during my last week as monthly Fraternal. There were Leader of the St Laurence-in-Thanet Assistant Chaplain/Port Chaplain in members of the Gibraltar Interfaith Team Ministry in Canterbury Gibraltar. Group from the Jewish, Muslim, Diocese but you can still follow me The reports reflected a busy Hindu, Baha’i and Christian faith on Twitter at @Cycling_Vicar. and varied ministry. I had to make communities with whom I shared a welfare visit to the crew of an another informal farewell lunch. I arrested cargo vessel moored on the visited HM Prison Windmill Hill Detached Mole. This entailed a trip to bring Holy Communion and say out on the port launch and a 30ft goodbye to a small group of inmates climb up a ladder on the seaward side including the son of a member of of the vessel. The crew had not been our congregation. They were greatly paid and were keen to leave the vessel appreciative of the support that the and return to their families. They church is giving them. were appreciative of the ministry of I made my last pastoral visit to port chaplains who take an interest in Mt.Alvernia, a residential care home their welfare. I also made a pastoral to bring the Reserved Sacrament to visit to a Moroccan stevedore who two elderly parishioners and a tearful Tweeting can be thirsty work! 4 KEEPING OUR CHURCHES SAFE I M PORTANT I N F OR M ATION C O M ING S OON TO A S CR ee N N E AR YOU Diocesan Safeguarding Co-ordinator Lesley Weaver unveils the Child Protection Online Training aimed at keeping our diocese and its churches safe. As part the Diocese in Europe’s commitment to Safeguarding, a new training package for those working with children and young people will be available from mid March 2015. It is now a legal requirement that everyone working with children must have received the appropriate training. The new computer-based course will fulfil the As this is mandatory training, a register of those first level of this requirement. The second level of training undertaking the training will be kept. The training is will be covering the area of working with Vulnerable Adults. completed individually rather than in groups. At various Bishop Robert has mandated that this course must stages there are questions relating to the previous topic – it be completed by a wide range of staff – licenced clergy, is not a pass or fail – just a way of embedding your learning. postulants, PTO clergy and lay readers, worship leaders, all A certificate is awarded on completion. church wardens and all parish safeguarding officers in every The course should take less than an hour to complete but Chaplaincy and everyone working with 0-18 year olds. you do not need to finish it in one visit. Instead, you can Even if you have already done safeguarding training, you work your way through the course, using shorter periods of will need to complete this as well.