Live the Mission November 2017

On page 2 read about the first silver Eco Church in the Diocese. Pictured are Andy Lester from A Rocha and Rev’d Julian Williams from St John's, Rownhams

ave you ever wondered what into a valuable resource for the whole H people think? Christopher Diocese —the Clerical Registry. Butler, retired minister and a member Alongside these are news and ideas from of Clerical Registry, certainly does. He other churches, plus encouragement to believes it is key to ministry and become a Fairtrade church. hopes that the Who Cares? initiative will help provide some answers. Have a good month. Both Clerical Registry and Who Cares? feature in this month’s Live the Inside Mission. The first stage of Who Cares? News and Fairtrade..……. p.2-3 —the listening phase—has come to an end and the responding phase has Who Cares? …...……..….…. p 4-5 begun. On pages 4-5 you can read more about what hurts people most Clerical Registry ………….. p.6-7 and how churches are beginning to Mission in practice—churches at take action. work …………………………… p.8 Then on pages 6-7 there is an insight

1 News from across the Diocese St John’s is first Silver Eco Church in Diocese t John’s, Rownhams, is the first S church in the diocese to receive its Silver Eco Church award. The award was presented by Andy Lester, A Rocha UK conservation director, in a celebration service where the theme was that every action counts in looking after God's earth. The Ichthian young people's group The allotment at St John’s performed a powerful drama celebrated Earth Hour and held a sale depicting a forest fire and unhelpful of unwanted Christmas presents. animals which mocked a humming bird which was trying to extinguish the Church member Angela Jones said: fire one drop of water at a time. The “To ‘Go for Gold’ is a huge challenge. congregation were also given acorns We have produced an Individual to hold as Andy Lester asked them to Lifestyle Eco Survey, asking the think what a hard journey it is for one congregation to take part so we can to grow into an oak tree. He all see how we’re doing and perhaps encouraged the church to think how do one or two more actions to live they could take the opportunity to more sustainably in our damaged and flourish by doing one more thing to fragile world. This is for the sake of ‘Go for Gold’. future generations and for those many people in the world who are suffering To gain silver, the church has grown dreadfully from the effects of climate food in the churchyard allotment with change.” produce going to Basics Bank, promoted Eco Church, committed to For details of the Eco Church scheme, pray for an A Rocha project, visit https://ecochurch.arocha.org.uk/ Speaking out prophetically through Fairtrade

hat does it mean to be Prophetic Every Fairtrade registered church sends a W Global Citizens? One answer message to our communities that God might be that God’s prophets often cares about fair pay for their produce. spoke out against trade injustice and It's really easy to become a Fairtrade defrauding the poor (e.g. Leviticus 19:35, Church and speak out for the world's Micah 6: 11). poorest producers. Find out how at www.fairtrade.org

2

Happy 100th birthday, All Saints

ll Saints’ Church, Basingstoke, is A 100 years old. The celebrations lasted for a fortnight, beginning with a talk by local historian Debbie Reavell about the religious history of Basingstoke, leading up to the building of All Saints’ church, and ended with Messy Church with activities inspired by the building. On September 23, the bell ringers contributed to the celebrations by Bishop David cuts the birthday cake ringing a record six-hour peal while the the congregation both of the faith of church welcomed visitors coming to see those who had built the church during a ‘Faith and Flowers’ display. This was World War 1, and of the God who is followed the next day by a celebration always searching for us to bring us home. service with Bishop David who reminded Building work, building faith

ix young members of St Saviour’s, led by the children and visited a project S Iford, Bournemouth, this summer run by the charity Mosaic Vision which spent two weeks in Rukungiri, Uganda, supports families where children have with the charity Mission Direct which been orphaned or abandoned. works with local partners to support One particularly moving experience was communities through a visit to Rukungiri prison building work, education, which Frankie described training and healthcare. as “life-changing”. “As we Nathan Bendell, Frankie walked into the prison, Bendell, Sarah Bendell, we were greeted by Lucy Cox-O’Rourke, Lizzie approximately 300 men Dibden and David Oldham singing and dancing spent much of the time praises to God ,” she said. helping a rehabilitation She concluded: “We were centre for children with inspired by the faith, love disabilities, many of and joy for the Lord whom are isolated from displayed by the people, their community. They despite the great poverty also visited schools, took There’s always time to skip they are living in.” part in a church service 3 Who Cares? Churches listen ack in July we reported on the as far afield as Lymington and Fleet B launch of Who Cares?, an initiative gathered to share their experiences and across Hampshire whereby 59 churches to pray for how they would respond. of varying traditions and backgrounds went out to ask those around them – David Grant, chair of Who Cares? churchgoers and non-churchgoers alike Hampshire, stressed that “the – ‘What hurts you the most?’. responding phase will go on for years”. Asking the question is just the beginning The answers – given anonymously – and has involved churches stepping out have come in thick and fast – 11,798 of into the community. Now the challenge them – and an analysis has shown that is to stay there in the community and the areas that most worried people show, as David said: “love and care for were negative emotions, family and people as Christ did”. relationships, though the results varied when issues such as age were taken into Bishop David, who also spoke at the account (for instance the prevalent area event, emphasised another point – that of concern for the 65+ age group was responding was not about providing injustice). some form of paternalistic answer but of journeying together. “When we start to The question then is what to do about step into someone’s life we are not this. On October 5, the ‘Responding being invited to rescue them but to Phase’ was launched at London Street accompany them”. Drawing on United Reformed Church, Basingstoke, Philippians 1, verse 6 (‘I am confident of when representatives of churches from this, that the one who began a good What hurts the most? Analysis of the answers: Nega- tive emotions represented 19.77% of the overall number of categorisations; 18.26% were fam- ily and 16.89% were relation- ships. The small- est areas of hurt were loneliness at 4.54% and money at 5.4%. The percentage of hurts in each category

4 Now it is time to respond

work among you will bring it to Jesus—will complete the work he has completion by the day of begun.” He added: “What Jesus Christ’) he further “When we start to we become while we wait reminded people: “Who is step into someone’s is as important as what we at work? Jesus is at work… life we are not being are waiting for because he It is the Lord who does the has begun a good work”. helping. We are not to try invited to rescue them to make other people like but to accompany How each church is responding depends to a us but to walk along with them”. them.” He reminded large extent upon their people that “We will have community and the needs to be patient and we may have to wait. which this community has expressed. We will get things wrong but he— Here is one church’s story so far:

Having a Heart for Overton

St Mary’s is something of a focal point in the village of Overton but the church realised that not everyone living there knows about all the care and support available in the area. It has therefore launched ‘Heart for Overton’, which will provide a directory of those who provide a caring service locally. They will deliver this to every home in the village and keep people up-to Children join in the Overton open -date via noticeboards and online. afternoon This practical response is a reflection of something larger – a desire to show that Christians care. St Mary’s has also started a weekly coffee drop-in on Tuesday mornings at the library, where people can drink coffee, have a chat and find support if it is needed. Another initiative is‘Soul Space’ on Saturday mornings in the doctors’ surgery where people can learn to meditate. A series of talks has also begun on subjects that came to light in the Who Cares? survey, topics such as injustice, family hurts and healings, relationships and ‘Where is God when it hurts?’, and there are plans for other groups including ‘Crossing the Generations’ – a friendship group for children and older people. The church put on an open afternoon on October 8 to draw attention to what is available and are hopeful for the future. However, as David Spencer, one of the leaders of Who Cares? in Overton, said: “We have made a corporate response as a church. The challenge is how individuals respond. Each individual is just as responsible to be there and accompany people.” After all, we are all parts of the body of Christ.

5 Clerical Registry:

our vicar has retired, or moved on, For Paul Canon Harris who was forced Y and you don’t have a new one yet; to retire early through ill health, Clerical your vicar is ill, has booked a retreat or Registry is “not just filling a slot on a simply a holiday, and you can’t cover all rota. You can go to a place and be a the Sunday services. What do you do? provocative friend. Change is something Simple - call Clerical Registry. dear to my heart and I can encourage if Clerical Registry is exactly what it says it a church is struggling with the prospect is : a register of clerics, mainly retired, of change. A vacancy can be hard—a who have said they are happy to take church may be reeling from services and who have ‘Permission to something—and I can encourage.” Offciate’. It has the dual advantage of Some people confide in him because he helping churches and allowing retired is a stranger. men and women to continue a ministry Retired clergy have to be wise, he says. should they wish to. It is, as Archdeacon Particularly in vacancy their role is to be Peter Rouch describes it: “The RAC for “very much John the Baptist— decrease the PCC”. as the new incumbent is coming”. “It’s something worth preserving,” says Paul also writes and performs poetry, Graham Trasler who lives in Andover broadcasts on radio and is the author of and has taken services at more than 60 Leading for a Change, designed to help churches since he retired. Another Christian leaders, and the soon-to-be- retired minister, Jan Brookshaw, says published Seasoning the Preaching—a that “it takes the pressure off clergy. series of sermon outlines and gospel Some other dioceses don’t have readings following the church year. anything like this and if you are in one “Life was never this exciting while I was such diocese you think twice about working,” said Graham Trasler on taking holiday.” accepting the request to preside at the However, here in Winchester as Jan 63rd church in the eight years since his says “a single phone call sorts it out”. retirement. That was back in June and Churches make that there have been a few more since. single phone call to Liz One of the advantages Wilkinson who then of being part of Clerical finds someone to fill Registry is, he says, that the slot. “you don’t have to “I value this so much worry about the massive for my colleagues,” rows between the says Jan, who cleaner and the verger. remembers well the You are there to do a days as a busy parish job.” He tries to fit in priest. Christopher Butler

6 ‘The RAC for the PCC’

with each church. “I am not may produce some answers. there to import my own “The great question is,” he brand.” says “What do people think?’ He encourages any church Some retired ministers go on with a vacancy or gaps in the the register, but also have a rota to call Liz and ask for more formal role. Jan help. “I do everything I can Brookshaw, for instance, is to let the clergy have Assistant Curate in Upper holidays!” Itchen, and is also responsible Christopher Butler is almost for compiling the monthly 92, as busy as ever, and still Jan Brookshaw Diocesan prayer cycle. learning. “You have to live to She has a “portfolio learn and the further you go the more retirement”. “It’s almost like being a you need to know.” He doesn’t pretend curate again— the fun bits of the to know all the answers but can pose ministry— the liturgical and pastoral questions. “I think people want rather than all the admin.” thoughtful addresses. I always hope that “Clerical Registry can provide a huge after preaching people will have variety of preachers and open up people questions and pursue things further.” to different ways of doing things,” she He takes services as often as possible says and adds that all curates could and during the week does mental health benefit from doing time on the register advocacy work with Solent Mind, as it exposes them to a wide range of helping people with benefits and debts, churchmanship. and is a support worker at a centre for “Until I went on the register I knew people with disabilities. “I am very exactly what I was leading each Sunday. fortunate to be able to do this, At first it was nerve-wracking to turn up extremely grateful to be keeping active. at a church and be presented with a Then there is the ministry of the Word— booklet but I wished I’d had that one has to carry on preaching.” experience early on in my ministry.” He says he wishes he could work out For Clerical Registry, call Liz Wilkinson what goes on in people’s minds and on 01962 737345. hopes that Who Cares? (see page 4)

The Clerical Registry was founded in 1913 and exists to provide clerical cover for any church service. Around 2,000 services are covered in this way each year.

There are two Clergy Retirement Officers for the Diocese of Winchester: Rev’d Canon Michael Kenning, Winchester Archdeaconry, and Rev’d Canon Peter Doores, Bournemouth Archdeaconry. They produce Oldhabits, an occasional news -sheet for retired clergy in the Diocese of Winchester.

7 Mission in practice – Churches at work

Garden is a chance to remember t Francis of Assisi Church, The church plans to use the £50 prize S Bournemouth, has won the from Dementia Friendly Churches to Faithworks Wessex Dementia Friendly buy sensory plants to plant in the Church award 2017. spring. Maralyn Stuckey and others in the Tracy Wilson-Corben from Faithworks church created an indoor garden for is keen to support any church which dementia patients.“ The church was wishes to become more dementia welcoming and many practical friendly. Call 01202 429037 or email reminders within a garden were [email protected] for introduced to ensure others had the details. chance to enjoy and remember,” said Pictured are Maralyn and Priest-in- Maralyn. Charge Jenny Nightingale. Message of the knitted angels ighfield Church, Southampton, has message that the world may seem H run the outreach event ‘Carols on broken, but the message of the angels the Rec’ for the past three Christmases. 2,000 years ago is for us too. Each year, they try to engage the Abi Scase from the church said: “Our community with something people can hope is that they will be taken home relate to and this year it’s the turn of and hung on Christmas trees around our knitted angels. The angels – around 400 community”. of them – will contain invitations and a Contact us: Please let us know your news. Email Stella Wiseman, the Marketing and Content 8Editor, [email protected] or call 01962 737325.