Issue No. 8 August to October 2014 Welcome to the eighth edition of the Newark and Southwell Deanery Newsletter. Dear All, As you read this there will be those amongst you who are looking forward to a summer holiday. The Commonwealth Games will have been a focus for many and an opportunity to witness a particular sort of excellence. In our Deanery over the coming months we have the opportunity to experience excellence in a number of ways. A Deanery Cream Tea has been arranged in the Great Hall at Southwell Minster. It will provide all present with an opportunity to see first-hand the refurbished site and of course enjoy a cream tea!! On Saturday September 27th at Tuxford Academy, excellence will be demonstrated as Church of England Primary schools from across the Deanery take part in a football spectacular. If you have not received notice of the event, which forms the opening section of Bishop Tony Porter’s day in the Deanery, please log on to the Deanery Website at http://southwell.anglican.org/about-us-2/deaneries/newark-and -southwell-deanery-news-and-events/ which gives full details of the day’s programme. It will be in three places and offer different opportunities. There will be a Football competition in the morning. Bishop Tony will lead a prayer and drama event at 2.30pm at All Saints, Hawton. Holy Trinity, Southwell, will host a concluding event with music provided by students from, The Minster School, Tuxford and Magnus Academies. Light refreshments will be provided at each event. The Deanery Leadership Team is grateful for Bishop Tony’s vision in spending a day in each of the Deaneries in the Diocese. We hope that the day in our Deanery will draw folks from different contexts together. It is open to everyone, and all are welcome. For those who are interested there is going to be a Rock Mass at the Minster on the same evening. Please Contact Father Matthew Askey - [email protected] - for more information. We look forward to seeing you at some time point during the day. Our last Deanery Synod at St Nicholas’ Church, Tuxford was a landmark occasion. Firstly, it gave all present the chance to spend time in the recently refurbished parish church - the interior now provides a creative, new and open space for worship as well as other community activities. Secondly, Synod said farewell to Penny Peterson who has been the Deanery Lay Chair for a number of years. Penny has played a significant part in developing the Deanery Vision and 2020 plan. Her humour, insight and diligence will be missed. Thirdly, Michael Wilson, a member of Deanery synod and at present its treasurer, was unanimously voted in as the New Lay Chair, I know he will be an able successor and I look forward to working with him. Fourthly, a new standing committee was also voted in through both the house of laity and clergy. I’m grateful for the work of those who have stood down and very thankful for those who will make up the new committee. Finally, it saw Revd. Colin Wall preside at a concluding Eucharist. Colin is soon to move from the Tuxford group to the Riverside group of churches. I’m very grateful for Colin’s insight and support during his time at Tuxford and look forward to working with him once he is installed in his new post supporting the Riverside Parishes. At our Autumn Synod last year Revd. Nigel Coates, now Acting Dean at the Minster, together with Fr Matthew Askey, made helpful and informative presentations about the Minster’s mission and ministry. I anticipate a further presentation this Autumn. At the beginning of this article I mentioned summer holidays. For some it will be too short and for others an eternity. Trite perhaps but true - patience and forbearance, though hard at times to sustain, can enable Christian love to flourish. Wishing all a good August – see you in September!! In Christian Love, David Milner http://southwell.anglican.org/about-us/deaneries/newark-southwell-deanery-home/ Mike Wilson becomes new Lay Chair As the newly elected lay chair of became better at piano and violin than me. Now I the deanery, I thought I should concentrate on singing, being a member of Newark introduce myself more thoroughly Choral Society and St Giles’ choir. than what many will know about me. Born in the North Riding of My other interests include watching Middlesbrough Yorkshire in 1950, I grew up in the Football Club (I am sadly a season ticket holder), being industrial slum town of South Chairman of Newark Save the Children and being a Bank only famous for Wilf member of St Giles Whisky Appreciation Society. Mannion (footballer), Paul Daniels (conjuror) and myself. I was a So, that is a short biography of me, I am sure others member of the church choir, at St could write more with their own particular point of view. John the Evangelist, from the age However, allow me one indulgence, to sum me up; I am of 7 until taking my A levels. a left handed, dyslexic Yorkshire man who does not have an agenda but is ready to serve you in the capacity of lay I left the area to come to Nottingham to train as a chair of the deanery but also and chiefly as your friend in teacher, leading to my appointment as a teacher of Christ. Michael John Wilson Religious Education (with some music) at the former Grove Comprehensive School, Balderton. I retired from there after 40 years being the Head of the Humanities Department (RE, Geography, History and Citizenship), Thank you leading a team of 10 teachers. I was also heavily involved with trade union activities, becoming the Negotiating On the 2nd June I had a Secretary for the NASUWT for Nottinghamshire ceremonial “removing of the representing over 4500 teachers over conditions of meetings” session with my service and education matters. I have also retired from diary. It was the day when these duties. I was known to be candid in my dealings, I common sense won out over was even blunt but that reflects my upbringing because I ego (not always a good thing, egos!) and at the was taught that if the truth could not be said, say Deanery Synod I stood down as your Lay Chair nothing. and handed over the reins to the very capable Mike Wilson. I must say it was the most enjoyable I have been married to Alison, a retired primary school synod I had been to for some time. Apart from music teacher, for 42 years and have two daughters and handing over all responsibility to someone else I one grandson - Joseph. Emma, the eldest, lives in was presented with a beautiful arrangement of Geneva and works in shipping for an American food flowers. Thank you all so much. It was a pleasure manufacturer. Helen the mother of Joseph is a solicitor, to travel with you all over the last 14 years. has been married to Andrew (also a solicitor) for five years and lives in Harrogate. We have two nephews both Everyone always says that they don’t know how of who, as from July 6th, are ordained in the Church of they had time to work once they retire. Let me England. assure you that this is quite true. For every meeting I removed, 2 appeared in their place. So, Alison and I moved to Balderton in 1975, immediately retirement and rest? No such thing. I am about to becoming involved in the life of St Giles. This has go on my holidays now and when I return my involved choir/music, Sunday school, social activities, diary is looking much emptier, for August. My new ideas for worship, communications, P.C.C., plans for the future include helping with the magazine and Balderton Churches Together. For the past Deanery Day with Bishop Tony in September and three years I have been the Treasurer. I have also the Deanery Social event in the Great Hall, also in represented St Giles at the Deanery Synod and the September. You can’t get rid of me that easily. I deanery at the Diocesan Synod, along with being wish you all the best for the future and hope you appointed to the Diocesan Board of Education. all mange to have a well deserved break at some point over the summer. Music is a very important part of my life, along with family; Alison is an excellent pianist and both daughters Penny Peterson Diocese gathers to say farewell to Archdeacon Newark & Southwell Deanery The Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham gathered to say thank you and farewell to Archdeacon Peter Hill at a Invite you to packed service in Southwell Minster. More than 200 peo- ple heard tributes to the Archdeacon, who is leaving to become the Bishop of Barking. He was described as gen- erous, wise and a hard worker. Robert Cleave, Lay Chair of Nottingham South Deanery, said he was “encouraging, challenging and supportive”, while the Revd Canon Phil Williams, Area Dean of Gedling, said he was a man of “even temper, generosity, vision and enthusiasm.” Next Bishop must focus on prayer and justice The next Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham must have a passion for social justice, the courage to speak out on difficult issues and a prayer-centred life. That was the view of people at a public meeting called to give people the chance to say what sort of person they wanted to see leading the Church in the diocese.