Live the Mission January 2017

The Holy Family have been on the move in Pokesdown. See page 8.

Happy New Year! We appreciate And, as it really is still December, take that it may still be December, but this a look at the website issue looks forward to January, a time www.achristmasnearyou.org where of new resolutions and fresh starts. you can find more than 33,000 We look back at the remarkable story Christmas and Advent services and of a church, St ’s, add your own, plus the Bishop of Bournemouth, which has swelled ’s Christmas appeal in aid from 11 to 550+ in two years, and we of the British Red Cross is on page 2. look forward to a new partnership between St Swithun’s and its sister Inside church St Clement’s, Boscombe. We also beat the winter chill as churches News ……..……………………... p.2-3 open café doors and offer all-comers coffee, cake and chat. A tale of two churches.….. p.4-5 There’s plenty of news too and, don’t Café society.….…………...… p.6-7 forget, you can use anything from Live the Mission in your own Mission in practice – publications and forward the website churches at work ……….…... p.8 link.

1 News from across the Diocese

Mountainous effort In October we left Rev’d Dr Chris Steed heading up Mount Everest to help raise funds for St Winfrid’s Church, Totton. He reports: “A tough trek has been completed amidst cold and fatigue where your breath doesn't go very far. It was very hard going and everything Made it! is so much more of an effort at 17,000 to 20,000 feet. The warmth of Fighting stigma in Uganda our Sherpa guides, their kindness and awesome stamina will linger long. A team from Shirley Parish Church “Your thoughts and prayers have been recently spent two weeks in Jinja in so greatly appreciated. A long-held Busoga Diocese, Uganda, where the dream has been accomplished but church is engaged with the Barbara more than that, it has raised a great Project, in partnership with Family Life deal of awareness about the major Education Programme (FLEP), offering project coming on-stream at St Win’s assessment, therapy treatment and Totton; a new type of social equipment for more than 400 disabled innovation that fuses creative children. There remains significant enterprises with addressing social stigma around having a child with a issues in the district and all in a church disability, which means they are often space. Curious timing as it coincided hidden and do not go to school and with publication of my new book A there is little support available in the Question of Worth, a fresh take on rural areas. what consumer capitalism is doing to The team ran assessment and review us all.” clinics, and advice, treatment and

Christmas appeal This year, Bishop Tim Dakin has asked everyone in the Diocese to give what they can to the British Red Cross. It is now one year since the first refugee family moved into Hampshire, and more families have begun to arrive. Bishop Tim has been keeping in touch with Hampshire County Council which is supporting refugees now living within our Diocese, assisted by the British Red Cross. The Bishop’s Christmas appeal aims to raise funds to support this vital work.

To donate to the appeal, visit www.justgiving.com/winchesterchristmas and if you are a 2 taxpayer, please do add Gift Aid to your donation.

weekend when, among the 40 residents who gathered for an afternoon of war-time memories, were those who would otherwise have had trouble attending. They were treated to an afternoon of war-time poetry, art and images, with plenty of time for reminiscences of their own experiences of Whitchurch during the Second World War. Penny Allen makes a friend Particularly interesting were the memories, often overlooked, of the exercise programmes were given to women who were left behind. each child and their families. The team The British Legion provided a ordered, paid for and issued essential thoughtful display and ration books mobility equipment, including walking were handed round, giving coupons to aids, wheelchairs, and footwear. exchange for spam or fish paste Two of the team, Penny Allen – a sandwiches, with cakes baked using physiotherapist – and GP Katy Barnes, wartime recipes. The afternoon was will return to Busoga in February for topped off with some rousing further clinics. renditions of war-time songs. Driving back to the war Andrew Hobley, one of the organisers, said: “Our mission group wanted to organise something for those who Two members of the congregation at were unable, or who choose not, to All Hallows', Whitchurch, have been attend the Sunday service in church. It funded to qualify to drive the was a joy to meet with them and hear community minibus. This was put to them share their stories with us.” good use over Remembrance

Whitchurch at war. 3

A tale of two churches

What do you do with an empty “Eating and drinking often goes on church? Most of us have seen them – and there is a lot of fellowship but no they are now flats, restaurants, private religious jargon is used,” as pioneer houses, pubs, one has even become a minister Rev’d Tim Matthews says. circus school. Or you can plant a new The small group grew, and grew, and church, see it grow to 500 plus, then grew, from 11 to 250, to 400, and now watch it partner its struggling sister. welcomes around 550 people to its services. The key? “Alpha.” This is the story at St Swithun’s, Bournemouth, where, in The Alpha courses have, Tim says “fuelled growth so much – September 2014, 11 The small group adults and four children not just in terms of people arrived from Holy Trinity, grew from 11 to converting but in raising up Brompton, London, and 550. The key? leaders and setting up the set up home in the shell “Alpha”. DNA of a welcoming of a Victorian church atmosphere.” right in the town centre. To be fair, The warm welcome is there not just they did not just arrive, they spent the on the Alpha courses and on a Sunday, previous 18 months travelling but midweek, through groups for all between London and Bournemouth, ages, courses to help with family meeting people, drinking tea and issues – marriage, parenting, divorce, coffee with them, and developing bereavement – and in outreach to friendships, for above all St Swithun’s homeless people and those with is a place of relationship where addictions. In fact, the first winter

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Previous page: Party time at St Swithun’s. This page: Left: a service at St Swithun’s. Bottom: St Clement’s, Boscombe.

they opened a homeless shelter in 10 years lower than in other parts of partnership with the charity the city. Faithworks Wessex. St Clement’s, another Victorian church Behind the scenes is a massive and, historically, a sister to St amount of work, prayer and planning, Swithun’s, is a place where the not just for the days and weeks ahead congregation is older, decreasing, but, but for the longer term. The team Tim stresses “full of faith”. As a grade I there believes in investing in what Tim listed building it is also costly and the describes as the “pipeline” of future months ahead will be a challenge for church leaders, administrators, youth Tim, who becomes priest-in-charge leaders and the like, starting an intern there on January 10 and will be programme (three working with ordinand Simon Nicholls. interns in 2015, five this But he has faith and optimism. year) and then sharing “We were told ‘it can’t what they have. “We happen’ at St Swithun’s and want to begin to resource we were dead and gone at others where appropriate times, but I’ve seen God step and where we can.” in, so I look at programmes like St Clement’s and I say it will be Perhaps a natural step hard – there is also so much then is to partner still to do here in St Swithun’s another church: St – but it can be done. Clement’s in nearby Boscombe, one of the “We have not done anything most deprived areas in particularly original or done it the country and where that well and yet we have seen life expectancy is up to the Lord move.”

5 Café society - more than a church coffee morning

Hospitality and the sharing of food is central to the way Christians express their faith, from prayer breakfasts to Lent lunches, coffee mornings, food banks, meals for homeless people, and of course, communion itself. One way of sharing faith and food is through cafés, such Craft at the 3Rs Café as the 3Rs Café which pops up children, we are able to offer a monthly in Pilgrims’ Cross CofE completely free afternoon of School, in Picket Twenty, Andover. refreshments and fun.” The 3Rs stand for Relax, Refresh, It seems to be working. “The children Revive, but might also stand for really enjoy themselves getting relationship which is central to the involved with all the craft,” said one café’s inspiration, as this is a place parent, while another added: “At the where people on this new and ever- weekend it’s nice to go out and spend expanding housing development can a fun time together. It’s religious- meet, where children can play, and do based but no-one is trying to force it craft, where the tea, coffee, squash on us. We would know where to go if and cake are free and plentiful, and we wanted to ask questions,” the welcome from the church is warm. Some churches draw on already “Our objective is to share the love of established cafés to reach out. Rev’d Jesus by creating an environment Tim Sledge and the team from where we can build relationships, and Romsey have close links with seek to see where the Lord may lead Sundae’s Child, a café and ice cream us in terms of social outreach,” says parlour where, once a month on a Canon John Harkin, vicar of nearby St. Sunday, a group of young people take Mary’s. “We purchased an excellent over the upper room for a discussion, coffee machine and had fun being and have followed the Pilgrim course, trained as baristas. With wonderful a resource to help home-made cakes thanks to the people explore the Christian faith generosity of our church members, together (www.pilgrimcourse.org) and tables full of craft activities for

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During the wave of prayer that led up to they are not on their own, that there last Pentecost, people in Romsey were are others, that people can support invited by the church to drop into Caffè them,” says Tim. “It provides human Nero, have a chat and make prayer contact and also signposts services requests of Tim and his team. Out of this such as courses and talking therapies. came a regular Wednesday morning It has been a life line for some, oxygen drop-in session at Caffè Nero where for others and sanctuary for all.” people can discuss whatever they want. Another collaboration between the “We need to have both the time and the church and the health service takes space to listen,” says Tim. place at Christ Church, Chineham, Upstairs at Caffè Nero is also the where on Mondays in term time the setting for another café supported by Health Visitor clinic is in one room the abbey and local mental health while ‘Coffee and Co’ is in the next. charity Triangulate and Southern “I’ve been coming since my daughter Health NHS Trust. The Tree of Life was born,” says Lisa whose father Café meets every Monday afternoon Chris and two-year-old daughter to provide support, encouragement Morgan are also regulars there. “It’s a and advice for people with mental nice secure place for mums [and health issues. “It provides a safe place grandads] with little ones to come out for people to come to talk together and socialise. It’s better than being at and share stories, to find a coffee shop.” encouragement, so that people know “And it’s an excuse to see my granddaughter and participate in the cake!” adds Chris. The idea is to make people feel special, to give them a bit of a sanctuary, where someone will serve them real coffee and homemade cake and then wash up. If someone needs a listening ear there is Christine who keeps an eye out for anyone on their own or looking a bit lost. For the children there are toys, cakes, drinks, a safe place to play and Which cake? Lisa and Morgan relaxed, happy parents. Not bad for a choose at Chineham. Monday morning.

7 Mission in practice – Churches at work

Room in our hearts More than money

For several years now, the church family Fundraising doesn’t only bring in of St James, Pokesdown, has offered the much needed cash, it can have other Holy Family a night in their homes benefits as members of St Francis of through a Posada, a Mexican tradition in Assisi Church, Charminster, which a young couple dressed as Mary demonstrated recently when they and Joseph travel from house to house in held a charity auction. Advent. Models of Mary, Joseph and the The auction raised £1,700 from the donkey spend the night with different sale of items such as mirrors, pictures, families in Pokesdown. a train set, whisky and , as well as a silent auction of promises such as someone to do gardening for a day, and use of a beach hut for the day. However, the auction did more than just raise money. “It brought people together and it brought people to the church who wouldn’t normally come,” said Maralyn Stuckey one of the team who Getting the Holy Family ready for helped organise it. the Posada in Pokesdown. Contact us: Ruth Crosland, LLM at St James, who Let us know your news and send us your helps organise this, said: “Offering the photographs, preferably high resolution Holy Family a bed for the night means jpegs of around 1MB. Please email Stella people get to know each other in a Wiseman, Marketing and Content Editor, different way as they visit each other's [email protected] homes. While the Holy Family are with or call 01962 737325. the hosts they are often taken www.winchester.anglican.org shopping, visit friends, go to school and a journal is completed. This @CofEWinchester welcoming of the Holy Family enables www.facebook.com/CofEWinchester us to prepare a space in our hearts for https://twitter.com/CofEWinchester the coming of the baby Jesus.”

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