Issue No. 6 February to April 2014 Welcome to the sixth edion of the Newark and Southwell Deanery Newsleer. Dear All, For many in church life the respite following Christmas and Epiphany is already a memory. The Chrisan Calendar will soon lead us to Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, signalling the beginning of the Lenten season. As we all know Easter will seem for many only a hop, skip and jump way. It is against this familiar backdrop the work of the Deanery proceeds. In January Rev. Stephen Morris was licenced at St. Mary Magdalene, Newark, where he will join colleagues Rev. David Anderton, Rev. Sam Tredwell and Curate Rev. Judith Pollard, thereby bringing the Newark team to full strength. Our thoughts and prayers are with Stephen and his wife Jean as they sele into Bede House and into Newark life. For many the penitenal season of Lent falls into regular and almost expected rounes of services, courses, retreats and other projects — they are all part of the mix. There is something about organised discomfort which aempts to engage and develop challenge that can become somehow expected, even safe. Using the gi of Lent leading to a place of real spiritual growth is an amazing opportunity, but can become stylised and even roune. We would very much like to know what you are planning to do? Please contact the Deanery Office with any plans you have in your parish or group so that different ways in which lent is used can be shared. This year we have Deanery Elecons and there will be changes to personal circumstances. 2013 was an unusual year for me with the discovery in late November that I had Leukaemia. Preparing Christmas events and services and yet not sharing the Christmas gi with my church family was a very different experience, as has being out of acon for Epiphany and Candlemas. I hope to be back for Easter and picking up the threads very soon. I sll have some specialist appointments to go, we are very posive about the outcome but it is a case of waing. Krisna and I have been extraordinarily touched by the many leers, cards, emails and calls wishing us well. They have all made the experience of chemotherapy, recovery and hopefully remission bearable. Revd David Milner Area Dean of Newark & Southwell Deanery hp://southwell.anglican.org/about-us/deaneries/newark-southwell-deanery-home/ holidays, such as Royal Selston to Elston Week in Cornwall then later to New Wine. I, Revd Elizabeth (Liz) Murray was licensed at Elston Church in this Deanery on October the 13th In the early 80’s at St last year. My parishes are: East Stoke, Elston, Helens Selston, for two Kilvington with Alverton, Staunton with weeks we had students Flawborough, Shelton, Sibthorpe and Syerston, with us from Ridley with 7 open churches (and churchyards) in all. College Cambridge who were on ‘Mission Weeks’, in this they would look I am a Noinghamshire lass, brought up in the at the work of the church and challenge us in our village of Selston in the coalfields of West mission. One of the students had challenged Robert Noinghamshire, on the Noinghamshire/ and I on why we led the Youth, asking, ‘was it for Derbyshire boarders; real ‘Ey up me Duck’ country. us, was it for the children, or was it for God?’ I I went to Grammar School in Eastwood, and due to think this awoke both mine and Robert’s faith and an enthusiastic English Literature teacher had read challenged us in our service of God. all – yes all – of D H Lawrence’s book by the time I Intertwining around each other, we both held was 16: actually most of the (talked about) content responsibilities in the church (but not at the same went way over my head. time), such as Church Warden, Worship Leaders, Home Group leaders and Lay Readers. Robert was I began my working life in the textile industry, in ordained in 2000 and we served God in the Parish the laboratories, and aended Trent Polytechnic of Annesley with Newstead, and then in Brinsley (now Noingham Trent University), day release for with Underwood as Robert took the post as Priest- 4 years to gain a Licentiate to the Textile Institute in in-Charge. Analysis and Textile Testing. I worked in the textile industry for 25 years, with a few breaks as I had a I was working in Social work and Advocacy for family. Rebecca is now 30 and William 25. people with learning difficulties, and also in the Mental Health services, I had felt the call to I met Robert Murray, my husband, at work, he had ordination for a while and in 2007 I began my trained as a Dyer in the Woollen Mills in the studies at EMMTC, thus being ordained in 2010. Scoish Borders and had travelled to Noinghamshire via Cumbria as the textile Sadly in February 2008 Robert was diagnosed with industry declined in Scotland. bowel cancer, and after treatment and short time of We both continued to work in Textiles until the remission he died in July 2009. His ashes are decline in this area in the late 1990’s, and after this scaered in his beloved Scotland, on the farm by Robert worked as a Training and Quality the river Tweed where he spent his childhood. Consultant and I studied for and gained a Degree I was just going in to my last year of training for in Social work. ordination, and with great support from family, I had aended church since childhood, my mother friends, the people of the parish, Bishop Tony and sending us to Sunday School at the local ‘Free Archdeacon Nigel Peyton, plus many others, I Church’ – the Church of Christ, at the age of 12, continued to live in the Vicarage at Brinsley and along with a few friends, I took up Bellringing at when ordained served my Curacy in the parishes of the Anglican Church of St Helen’s Selston to gain Brinsley with Underwood and Eastwood. my Girl Guide Campanology Badge. I then joined I am now seled in Elston and beginning my new the choir (aracted by the boys in the choir), and ministry in this area. I thank God for his guidance have worshipped in the Anglican Church since throughout my life, and trust Him for my future as then. I serve Newark and Southwell Deanery. Just after being married, Robert and I were CYFA leaders, taking the young people on many camping Love Liz The Reverend Sheila Dixon 1946 – 2014 It is with great sadness that we report the death of Reverend Sheila. Sheila’s quiet, spiritual and She retired in 2011, but her ill health and its prayerful presence was a great blessing and an necessary treatment delayed her move to Malton in inspiration. We extend our sympathy to her family Yorkshire. Sadly she had very lile time to enjoy and friends. this much anticipated return to her native county before the ravages of cancer took her life far too Sheila came to the Suon Benefice in 1997 and soon. worked amongst the parishioners and with the four churches encouraging We remember her with affection, and with their growth. Her visits to the respect. There will be a service of schools were of great benefit as thanksgiving to celebrate her life on she had a particular gift for Sunday 9 February at 6.00pm in All Saints working with children. In 2005 Church, Suon on Trent. You are all she took on the Norwell warmly invited to this service. Benefice as well, bringing the number of parishes under her Balderton Printing Service care to eight. This was an enormous challenge and responsibility; she Canon Tony Tucker at Balderton connues to worked tirelessly to bring the churches together offer a prinng service at great rates. Please contact him on [email protected] and set up the Group Council so that the church or 01636 704811 for a quote and for more wardens could plan together. informaon. “Feeding the world in the future: can we do it?” Lecture by Professor Tim Benton Thursday 13th March at 7 for 7.30pm in Southwell Minster All welcome, admission free Professor Benton will outline the challenges for food security (providing enough food for all) and the difficulties of doing it on less land, with less water and with climate change being a really potent force. He will discuss that sustainable production is needed to protect future generations and that this is itself a challenge and will end with discussion that for the most part the solution is for us to change our eating habits and demand less and waste less. In essence he will discuss the quotation by Professor Tim Lang: “the rich have to eat less, and differently, to allow the poor to eat more, and differently”. Professor Tim Benton is the UK Champion for global food security Newark & Southwell Deanery Synod At the next meeng on Wednesday 5th February at 7 for 7.30 pm, at the Parish Church of St Andrew’s, Caunton an item on the agenda will be Vacancy in See Consultaon This meeng is open to everyone. Dear Readers, doing God's work. This – if we are using this aright – is a work of the Holy Spirit, and therefore cannot be Recently I agreed to write this Lenten Reflecon - I'm negave. In our light hunger pangs resulng from giving not sure this was very wise! Lent is a difficult subject up junk food, biscuits etc, we are helped to have an because its meaning I think has 'gone dead'.