APCM 25 OCTOBER 2020 Sutton Deanery Synod Report for 2019

Deaneries are groups of parishes in a geographical area, the deanery being an important bridge between parishes, diocese and the wider church. Churches within a deanery work together, supporting each other and sharing resources, as well as information on Mission Action Plans and the Parish Support Fund pledges. Some deaneries in the Southwark Diocese are already employing a shared youth worker, running joint healing ministry services, study days, training locally for lay people and joint events.

Deanery Synods are the formal meetings of the deanery which focus on the mission and ministry in the area as well as providing a channel for the sharing of information, with presentations discussion and debate of issues that matter to the local worshipping communities. The Deanery Synod comprises of both clergy and lay members.

One of the key priorities for our diocese is for Deaneries to become viable centres of mission and ministry, for churches within deaneries to work effectively with each other, working towards the Southwark Vision of: Walking, Welcoming, Growing, and for the Southwark Vision to become embedded in the life of all the churches of the diocese. In the Southwark Vision for a fruitful future, we share a vision in which we will see:

• growing churches, new worshipping communities and new Christians. • deepening discipleship; engaged, prayerful and informed Christians. • growth in vocations to existing and new ministries. • generous giving and prayer supporting all we do. • justice and peace built up, and violence challenged, in our local and • global community. • a shared commitment to the integrity of creation. • a church for all which reflects our diverse community in membership • and leadership.

The major change in 2019 has been with the retirement of The Venerable Christopher Skilton as Archdeacon of Croydon and the subsequent reorganisation of the Croydon Archdeaconry - the Sutton Deanery which started the year as part of Croydon, finished the year as part of the Archdeaconry of Reigate.

With the introduction of the Southwark Vision in 2018, the diocese has been encouraging the development of deanery leadership teams, to provide even more opportunities for local lay leaders to work in partnership with each other and with clergy to develop local initiatives for their communities and to support the diocesan vision and growth objectives. This and the Southwark Vision ideas were very much the focus of the presentations that were shared at the three Deanery Synod meetings that took place in 2019.

At the first meeting held in February at St Mary’s, synod welcomed the Rev Duncan Swan who spoke about his role in deanery development, helping deaneries implement their role in the Southwark Vision and helping them to establish deanery leadership teams. At the time of this meeting, of the 25 deaneries in the diocese seven had started to pilot the scheme. Sutton will be one of the last deaneries, with training for the Area Dean, Lay Chair and other offices due to happen in early 2020. The first step in the process will be to establish the deanery leadership team, this will consist of the present elected Standing Committee, which under Church rules has to continue, and in addition include members of synod with interests in particular fields that are relevant to the projects being worked on. The mission and evangelism report of which Southwark Vision is a result, encourages lay and ordained members to carry forward the work of the church in their own areas, with the diocese giving advice and support, rather than imposing ideas. As a deanery we need to ask ourselves where it would make sense for the worshipping communities to work together on a project. What each deanery decides to do will depend on its individual needs and capabilities.

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The aspiration of the Bishop is that each deanery should have a fresh expression or a church plant over the next 5 years and that deaneries should work more effectively.

The second meeting in June took place at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Carshalton Beeches, and saw a new initiative after the official welcome, that of the presentation of two parish profiles. This is thought to be a good way of getting to know each other and the parish communities in our Deanery. The first profile was presented by the host church, by Rev Kevin Lewis Vicar of the Good Shepherd, who gave an interesting view of developments and initiatives in his parish, including various events involving food. The Rev Stephanie Nadarajah then spoke about the joint CofE, Methodist shared ministry of Christchurch with St Phillip Worcester Park. After these presentations Kevin and Stephanie were asked for which areas in their work they would like prayer.

The main presentation at this meeting was by Ish Lennox, Lay Leadership Organiser for the diocese, who began by expressing her pleasure in hearing about the initiatives mentioned by the two previous speakers. She then handed out small oranges to all present as a symbol of the need for refreshment where so many are weary. We are called to be light, the gathered church, and salt, the sent church. She mentioned the many ways that the sent church is ministering to their communities: food banks, debt counselling, job clubs, street pastors etc. We are all called to be the best versions of ourselves in the environment in which we operate. She emphasised the call to appoint Lay Champions from each congregation, whose role would be to promote what is already happening and encourage more people to get involved. When asked to further clarify the role, Ish, said that the Lay Champion should be an active member of the congregation, not necessarily a committee member, who is already well known, and can encourage people who wouldn’t normally volunteer for roles. The role of the lay champion’s is an active role - out and about amongst the congregation, enabling and encouraging people to use their individual skills and interests and get involved. She closed her presentation by mentioning the Croydon Episcopal Area Lay Conference, “Refreshing Church”, which would take place in September and encouraged all to attend.

The third meeting in October at All Saint’s Benhilton was led by the Lay Chair, Mother Angela the Area Dean being on sabbatical. As the Rev John Itumu of St Peter with Bishop Andrewes St Helier could not attend the meeting, there was only one parish profile presentation at this meeting. Fr David Chislett and his churchwardens at All Saints’ welcomed us and gave an informative presentation about the work of All Saint’s, especially its work with families and young people and its work with its church school.

The main presentation was by the Rev’d Jay Colwell Diocesan Canon Missioner, who started with a verse from Ephesians: “ Through Christ we have access to the Father by the one Spirit” Eph. 2 v. 18. The question for mission is how we make Christ accessible to those that do not yet know him? Jay told of his journey to synod and how he had been able to pray with the taxi driver who had driven him from the station. He then described his journey to his present role of Canon Missioner and his experience of different ministries. He encouraged synod members to see their lives as a pilgrimage from here to there, a journey where we know the destination, and to see our lives, our worship and our mission in that frame. In Matt 28: 19&20 Jesus commissions his disciples to a life of mission and teaching. Like the disciples we as Christians are called to grow both as individuals and together as a community. Jay reminded synod of the aim of the diocese in:

• Walking with Jesus and getting to know him better. • Welcoming all and embracing diversity and different ways of worship. • Growing God’s kingdom in numbers, generosity, faith & discipleship. and the five Marks of Mission

• Tell - Proclaim the Gospel • Teach - Nurture and encourage in the life of faith • Tend - Respond to local needs through loving services • Transform - by seeking to reform unjust structures in society • Treasure creation - by safeguarding the environment.

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He said that different traditions have different ideas about mission. He encouraged us in groups to look at as a deanery, how we can benefit from each other? What we can do better together than we could apart? The aim of mission should be to:

• Engage with the local community. • Raise up and motivate whole-life disciples. • Develop the prayer life of the community. • Connect with new housing developments. • Welcome the stranger and alien. • Address the issues of hunger, homelessness and youth violence

The new deanery leadership teams are intended to facilitate mission in the deanery by adding to the Standing Committee particular members with the skills and interest in the programme in hand.

Synod members queried the practicality of working together on single projects when the deanery is so spread out. Worcester park is a long way from Roundshaw and St Helier from Belmont. It was felt that smaller grouping for projects would be more effective. Suggestions were that larger churches should try to support smaller neighbours, which might not have the same resources, and that training days, such as those for children’s ministry, could be held regularly to share and encourage. Preparation for Confirmation and Lent groups could be undertaken jointly. There was a thought that Sutton could become an eco-deanery, leading in the care for all of God’s creation. Jay encourages everyone to call on the resources that are available from the diocese. He concluded his presentation by returning to the passage from Matthew and linking it to the diocesan aims: Go ……. Walking and make disciples of all nations, ……. Welcoming teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you ……. Growing

2019 was a busy year which by the end left deanery synod looking forward to the training day organised for the Standing Committee in February 2020 and then formal commissioning for the new deanery structure.

Anyone is welcome to attend Deanery Synod meetings but only elected members can vote. If you are interested in the work of the Deanery Synod please do not hesitate in speaking to Fr Andrew or Linda Wood, St Mary’s Deanery Synod Representative.

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