The Magazine – Jul/Aug 2018
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JULY-AUGUST 2018 JULY-AUGUST Love bade me welcome Places of welcome and sanctuary PAGE 6 Refugees welcomed in Luleå PAGE 18 Blakeney Brunch One Day: Inspired Classrooms What’s On A tasty welcome The PlayVan on Welcoming Bumper summer 11 the road 24 schools 26 special! 37 DEVLIN PLUMMER STAINED GLASS We work on glass dating from the early SPECIALISTS IN 14th century to the present day, the repair ALL TYPES OF of casements and ferramenta, supply and installation of window protection. Many of STAINED AND our commissions come direct from PCC’s LEADED GLASS whilst many others are initiated by architects. To discuss conservation, protection or commissions of stained glass in any space in the UK or further afield please contact our studio.01379 677111 www.devlinplummer.co.uk Why are so many people choosing leasing for their new car? Leasing with Newgate is easy, convenient Depending on the car you choose, your package and hassle-free. 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Choose the UK’s most trusted home insurer and we’ll donate £130 to your church To celebrate our 130th anniversary, Ecclesiastical is offering to donate £130 to your church for every new home insurance policy taken out.* To take advantage of this offer call 0800 783 0130 and quote Trust130 or visit www.ecclesiastical.com/Trust130 for more information *Terms and conditions apply and can be viewed on the offer website page above. Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc (EIO) Reg. No.24869 is registered in England at Beaufort House, Brunswick Road, Gloucester, GL11JZ, UK and is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority From the Editor Contents THE MAGAZINE | JULY – AUGUST 2018 ur God is a God of welcome. Welcoming those from other cultures “Do not neglect to show who have faced hardship is another hospitality to strangers, element of sharing God as Love. An 4 COMMENT: You’re very for thereby some have explanation of the impact of welcoming welcome! entertained angels unawares” (Hebrews a large influx of refugees in our link 13:2). In showing hospitality, we can diocese of Lulea is given by Emma 5 PAUSE BUTTON: Love bade Oencounter the divine. It is through people Berkman on page 18. and our interaction with them that me welcome God speaks to us and acts in the world. Inspired Classrooms is a new initiative The person we invite into our home or from the Diocese and offers churches, welcome into our church may be the not only here, but nationwide, an means by which God is changing our life opportunity to welcome their local through them, and it can also be that he is schools into their buildings to inspire using us to change their lives. learning. See Saul Penfold’s feature on page 26. This issue is full of stories of individuals and congregations being actively aware Plenty to inspire us to ponder how we of their ‘welcome’. In his Comment, Paul open ourselves to others. “Therefore Beverley shares his epiphany moment of welcome one another as Christ has discovering that God is welcome (pg 4). welcomed you, for the glory of God” In the main feature Marion Welham (Romans 15:7). explores the welcome that’s extended at Blessings, two very different churches in our Diocese 6 FEATURE: (pg 6) and other parishes share their welcome stories from Sprowston (pg 13) Places of welcome to Blakeney (pg 11) and Kings’ Lynn (pg 9) and sanctuary to Long Stratton (pg 25). Anna Walker takes a look at how three 9 Further ideas and Welcome Inn churches are creating a sacred space for children to feel welcome (pg 14) 10 The unconscious bias question and Andy Bryant ponders on some recent research about tourist visitors 12 SOUL SPACE: Practising to cathedrals: “Perhaps part of good hospitality hospitality is taking the spirituality of our visitors seriously” (pg 23). 14 CYF – creating sacred spaces The Soul Space explores the practice of for children hospitality (pg 12) and Tim Rogers urges us to question our ‘unconscious bias’ as Barbara Bryant 17 Book reviews on the theme of we seek to offer welcome (pg 10). Editor welcome 25 Big Day Out with Mothers’ Union The Magazine design: Get in touch Adept Design www.adeptdesign.co.uk 29 An artful encounter with God 01603 882348 (Editor) Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily 30 Resources [email protected] those of the Diocese and the acceptance of advertising does not indicate editorial endorsement. Diocesan House, 109 Dereham Road, Cover photo: Some of the welcoming faces at St Edmund’s Easton, Norwich NR9 5ES in Taverham. Photo by Barbara Bryant. www.dioceseofnorwich.org/magazine facebook.com/dioceseofnorwich @DioceseNorwich The next issue (deadline 23 July) focuses on peace and the end of WW1. Listen to The Magazine Podcast by searching for 32 FOCUS ON: ‘Diocese of Norwich’ on the podcast app of your choice. The Waterside Benefice To advertise in The Magazine please contact Sally on 01603 882322 or email [email protected] 34 OUT & ABOUT: Parish activities 3 COMMENT You’re very welcome! fter 37 happy years attending and baptisms, we then allow them to But how do we have so many people the same central Norwich be involved on their own terms; just actively involved? The answer is largely church, we felt it would be whatever they feel comfortable with. just what I said earlier: make people better, having moved out to feel welcome, and the chain reaction of Taverham, to find somewhere local to Varied services welcoming will continue, as they feel worship. After a couple of services at committed to sharing with others all that StA Edmund’s we knew that this was the People are individuals and have varied they have received. tastes in music, service styles and place we wanted to be. Almost every different time commitments. The church Having been made so welcome time we talked to someone new, and therefore puts on many (very) different ourselves, we’re now helping to run a we asked them how long they’d been at services on several days of the week: welcome café in the church on a Tuesday St Ed’s, we got the same sort of answer, 8am and 10.30am Sunday communions, morning. Anyone, church attender or “I was in a difficult place in my life, and all-age services, all-age communions, not, is welcome to join us for a cup of when I came here I was made to feel so Julian meetings, café services, Messy tea or coffee, plus a slice of toast or very welcome.” It became a sort of litany Church, evening prayer, and compline, as something sweet, and in the middle of thankfulness. well as running a range of home groups. of the morning there’s a well-attended Our vicar, Paul and his wife, Rachel The Revd Seabrook has built up a team toddler tunes session. are such open and welcoming people and shares the ministry with three retired In this past 12 months I’ve come to that they have set the tone. Now they or part-time clergy, a Reader and three experience, in a new and wonderful way, have set the ball rolling, the welcoming Authorised Worship Assistants, plus other that God is welcome. What I mean is that process seems almost unstoppable. lay helpers. I’ve rediscovered (after almost 50 years as And other things have worked here to a Christian!) that God, as Father, Son and support this welcome. Pastoral care Holy Spirit, embodies relationship. And As well as these service leaders, there’s because that love within the godhead An open policy a pastoral team of seven people, plus is the very essence of what God is, he welcomes us into that deep relationship At St Ed’s, while we explain very clearly a ministry team that offers prayer after of love. the significance of the promises that every morning service, and there are people are about to make in weddings teams going into care homes locally. To know and experience welcome personified: “By this will everyone know you are my disciples: if you have love for one another.” It’s true that, as Jesus knew well, real love is very costly, but thankfully real love is amazing and wonderful and life-affirming! For me, that’s what’s at the heart of “Welcome”. Paul Beverley is a semi-retired freelance proofreader (hopefully, there are no mistakes above!). He and his wife, Sue, are passionate about building community to combat one of the biggest curses of modern life – loneliness.