CROSSLINCS Dioceselincoln
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January/February 2017
Photo: Thy Kingdom Come
News from around the Diocese of Lincoln www.lincoln.anglican.org
Thy Kingdom Come: join the global wave of prayer People around the world are again being invited to take part in Thy Kingdom Come, a global prayer movement. A focused time of prayer is set to take place between Ascension and Pentecost (from 25th May – 4th June), with the hope being that at least 80% of Church of England churches and cathedrals will take part, as well as many other denominations and the churches of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Following on from the launch event in 2016, it is hoped that: • people will commit to pray with God’s worldwide family • churches will hold prayer events, such as 24-7 prayer, prayer stations and prayer walks, across the UK and in other parts of the world • people will be transformed through prayer by the Holy Spirit, finding new confidence to be witnesses to Jesus Christ. (continued overleaf)
INSIDE...
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Focus Youth event
Learning together
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Creating space to help young people to thrive
A special event seeking to enhance religious literacy
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Crosslincs is produced by the Diocese of Lincoln
The submission deadline for the next issue is Friday, 20th January 2017. Editor E: crosslincs@lincoln.anglican.org Communications Officer The Revd Adrian Smith T: 01522 50 40 37 M: 07885 99 99 07 E: adrian.smith@lincoln.anglican.org Diocesan Offices Edward King House, Minster Yard, Lincoln LN2 1PU T: 01522 50 40 50 E: enquiries@lincoln.anglican.org www.lincoln.anglican.org www.facebook.com/Dioceselincoln www.twitter/CofELincoln www.flickr.com/Dioceseoflincoln
Welcome...
In this first issue of the new year we particularly focus on prayer, as we also look ahead to Thy Kingdom Come in 2017. We think too of mission, hospitality and welcome and the sharing of good news. Please keep your contributions coming, and I hope you enjoy the issue. Adrian Smith
Thy Kingdom Come: join the global wave of prayer (continued from page one) As we look ahead to Thy Kingdom Come 2017, the Archbishop of Canterbury is asking people to pray in whatever way they wish and wherever they can, so that others might know Jesus Christ. As part of this, people are now invited to visit www.thykingdom.co.uk and to click on the ‘Pledge2Pray’ button. This offers an opportunity to register and to pledge to pray as an individual; with family members; and/or to hold a prayer event in your church. Resources, information and tips on organising prayer events are to be made available online from the end of January, and further details on events planned in our diocese will follow. In the meantime, we invited some people from our diocese to share their experiences of Thy Kingdom Come in 2016 with us...
The Bishop of Lincoln The Right Reverend Christopher Lowson T: 01522 50 40 90 E: bishop.lincoln@lincoln.anglican.org
What do you do when you have eight churches in eight communities and the Archbishops of Canterbury and York ask you to pray – you link your communities by walking and praying, says the Revd Penny Green...
The Bishop of Grimsby The Right Reverend Dr David Court T: 01522 50 40 90 E: bishop.grimsby@lincoln.anglican.org
Our plan was that over the course of a week we would link our churches in South Lawres and Barlings by walking and praying from one to the other, noticing things that we had never noticed before, deepening friendships as we walked and talked. We kept it simple: we made a plan that meant we prayed in a church at the outset, we then walked to the next church and prayed in there. On the way we stopped to chat with people, we prayed with one or two folk, and by advertising approximate times of arrival at the next church we found we were often met by others who joined us to pray in that location. We were blessed with lovely weather, and I saw parts of my parishes that I had not seen before.
The Bishop of Grantham The Right Reverend Dr Nicholas Chamberlain T: 01522 50 40 90 E: bishop.grantham@lincoln.anglican.org Diocesan Secretary Angela Sibson OBE T: 01522 50 40 32 E: angela.sibson@lincoln.anglican.org PA to the Diocesan Secretary Kay Clayton T: 01522 50 40 32 E: kay.clayton@lincoln.anglican.org The Archdeacon of Stow and Lindsey The Venerable Mark Steadman T: 01522 50 40 39 E: archdeacon.stow@lincoln.anglican.org The Archdeacon of Boston The Venerable Dr Justine Allain Chapman T: 01522 50 40 39 E: archdeacon.boston@lincoln.anglican.org The Archdeacon of Lincoln The Venerable Gavin Kirk T: 01522 50 40 39 E: archdeacon.lincoln@lincoln.anglican.org W W W.LINCOLN. ANGLIC AN.ORG
It was an ‘odd’ sort of a week for me. I missed the Monday journey because my mother was dying in hospital and she passed away early the next day. No walks were planned for the Tuesday. On Wednesday, I presided at a midweek Eucharist and then I walked and prayed with friends, and so it continued through the week. Honestly, I could not think of a more appropriate and beautiful way of both honouring my mother’s memory and resting in God than being with friends, praying and being out in the sunshine. What next? In 2017 our deanery is looking to replicate this idea across the whole deanery, linking all of our churches through the bond of prayer, in a pilgrimage across our part of the diocese. I believe this is a powerful statement of intent and will bind us together in a new and different way. Prayer is the precursor to renewal and growth, and I, for one, am looking forward to seeing that growth happen.
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Thy Kingdom Come – local stories St George’s Swallowbeck (Lincoln) hosted a range of events for Thy Kingdom Come in 2016, including a 24/7 prayer space and a ‘thought for the day’ over breakfast... We hosted a 24/7 prayer space, offering an opportunity to pray away from distractions. All were invited to participate, and a variety of materials were offered to help people to pray. The prayer space had lots of props and helpful ideas; there were places to journal or to share prayer requests; and music could be played in certain areas of the building. The clergy and staff each took a night to spend praying for the parish and for evangelism through the mission of the Church. They then led a ‘thought for the day’ over breakfast. Our young people watched the live event at Canterbury Cathedral, which, despite the technical issues caused by demand for the live stream, they really enjoyed.
St Thomas’ Church in Market Rasen responded to the Archbishops’ call for a week and a great wave of prayer in 2016. As the Revd Steve Johnson, Vicar of Market Rasen, writes, Thy Kingdom Come offered a timely reminder of the great importance of prayer... Thy Kingdom Come in 2016 saw seven prayer stations set up around the church (shown below). The stations were created by Grace Tompkins, our authorised lay minister, and provided an opportunity for people to reflect and to pray. These stations also included a prayer activity for the children, so that they too might be welcomed and involved. We had a number of visitors over the weekend as the week coincided with the West Lindsey Open Churches Festival.
It gave them a taste of the wider church and showed them just how many other young people want to follow Jesus. It was a powerful time for all involved, and we are looking forward to participating again in 2017. All of our congregation received a prayer booklet, and the weekend marked the beginning of a series of sermons focusing on the different petitions of The Lord’s Prayer. Our Messy Church for that month also took the theme of prayer, with the children writing their own individual prayers that were then attached to balloons and released into the sky. In addition, and as part of the week, several members of the congregation joined me for Morning Prayer each day, and they have continued to do so since. The event focused our attention on the importance of daily prayer, and we intend to be involved in Thy Kingdom Come in 2017. For news and information relating to St Thomas’ Church please visit http://www.stthomasmarketrasen.org.uk
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Mission and message Celebrating 130 years of mission and outreach in Sutton-on-Sea For the past 130 years the local community and visitors to Sutton-on-Sea have been offered an opportunity to hear more about Jesus courtesy of the popular Beach Mission. Liz Boland, Beach Mission Leader, looks back and reflects on the central message of the mission… Children’s Special Services Mission (CSSM) appeared in Sutton-on-Sea in 1886 and a new way of evangelism in Lincolnshire was born. One-hundred-and-thirty years later and this mission still happens every summer, during the first two weeks in August. It is now run by Scripture Union and led by a team of approximately 25 volunteers, who give up responsibility to make it both appealing, and to get the one or two weeks of their summer to come and lead this gospel message across, without boring the children and event. The team is made up of people aged between 16 young people who are there every day! and 70+, and who love to share their Christian faith with children, young people and families. In the afternoons we run holiday clubs in local churches Each morning we meet about 100 young people and 30–40 and halls for people of all ages. People are split into groups adults on the beach, where we play games, sing songs, have by age and have more teaching, songs, games, crafts and a short Bible-based talk and have a lot of fun. This is a great fun in age-appropriate activities. In addition, we help to lead worship in each of the four local churches, have a time to meet new people, who pass by and want to come family fun night, a barbecue and two services at the war and find out more about what is going on. We are aware memorial. It is a busy two weeks, but it is so much fun for that this could be the only contact with Christians and the the team and for the people who come along. Bible that some people might have, and so we know the For our 130th anniversary we had a birthday lunch that was attended by supporters and children. It was great to welcome people who had served on the team in the past, and, during a service on the beach, we heard from supporters who had come to faith during the mission, and who expressed what the Beach Mission still means to them. During the service, Tim Hastie-Smith, National Director of Scripture Union, spoke of Jesus’ words in John’s gospel: “A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13 v.34–35)
Photo by Richard Turk
People of all ages gather for games, songs and teaching
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I imagine that the Beach Mission looks very different now compared with how it must have looked in 1886, but the message and the aims persist: ‘to share Jesus with children, young people and families in Sutton-on-Sea’. Please see www.scriptureunion.org.uk/suttononsea or email suttononsea@hotmail.co.uk We are also on Facebook (search for us as ‘Sutton on Sea SU Beach Mission’).
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Focusing on youth Focus Youth event creates space to help young people to thrive Matt Rodgers reports on The Gathering, an event in London that offered an opportunity for young people to spend time together in fellowship, worship and prayer... Last autumn we joined a 500-strong crowd of young people from across the country for The Gathering at Holy Trinity Brompton, which is located just next to the V&A Museum. Piling onto a coach from Lincoln, 25 of us from the diocese made our way to London, picking up a group of young people from Stamford on the way. We were able to make the most of our day, calling in at the Science Museum, before heading to the evening youth event. The Gathering was born out of the Focus Youth church summer holiday, and creates space for young people to thrive, both as they come together in friendship and as they grow in faith; regardless of where they live. Drawing together a community of young people from across the country for occasional gatherings helps create space to help young people treasure God, have fun, realise their God-given identity and influence society, as they value all and emulate Christ. For young people, living out faith in school can be incredibly hard. Our young people need our love, encouragement and support to thrive in their faith, love God and bless others. They also have so much to contribute to the body of the Church. In my experience, young people can have a wonderfully bold and confident faith and God-given gifts and abilities, which when lived out can contribute to and inspire the wider Church greatly. It’s great when our young people are helped to flourish.
‘The deep stuff happens in the teaching, worship and ministry’ A highlight of The Gathering, for me, apart from the hog roast (!), was seeing our young people praying for one another with others from across the country. At events like this, the barriers of insecurity seem absent and young people don’t hold back in worship, prayer and love for one another. Of course, the addition of a rodeo sheep, sumo suit wrestling and a well-stocked tuck-shop helps create a great atmosphere, but the deep stuff happens in the teaching, worship and ministry when ears and hearts are open and eyes are fixed on Jesus. The reality is that no one is ever quite the same having encountered the presence of God, and this is a joy to experience. It was also great to see young people give their lives to Christ for the first time – especially those who had come along with friends for the event. Unfortunately, we had to bail out before the silent disco and laser-tag at the end, but it left us wanting more. The friendships and memories will continue now that this community of young people is spread out once again across the country. Please do join us in praying that their faith would continue to radiate out as they live for Christ in their settings and that they would thrive in their local churches. Matt Rodgers is an ordinand in the Diocese of Lincoln and currently oversees youth and student ministry at St Swithin’s Church in Lincoln. Booking information on the 2017 event (Saturday, 11th March) may be found at: https://www. eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-gathering20-tickets-28219981725. All images: copyright HTB.
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Praying together Providing space for prayer Pupils at St Michael’s Church of England Primary School in Louth have been given the opportunity to reflect courtesy of a Prayer Space in their school. Paul Fox, Headteacher at the school, looks back on a memorable experience... To end a busy first term, the staff at our school wanted to give our children the chance to stop for a moment and to reflect on the things that they care about or which were concerning them. Winnie The Pooh had a ‘Thoughtful Spot’ to go to and so the music room at St Michael’s was turned into a ‘Prayer Space’ for the week. All 284 of the children had the opportunity to explore any or all of the eight activities that had been designed to help them ‘be still’. Many wrote a ‘thank you’ on a leaf for our ‘friendship tree’ and all contributed to a giant ‘friendship flower’. Some used the ‘sorry sand’ and ‘fizzy forgiveness’ to put behind them times of upset, and others said ‘let it go!’, borrowing a line from Frozen, to worries or fears. Some simply sat quietly watching the ‘bubble tubes’ (shown below), wrote prayers or read the letters from the children of the Arab Episcopal School in Irbid, Jordan, as they thought about other children around the world. And then one of the school’s youngest children, in Foundation Stage, summed up all of this activity perfectly in what he told his mum that night:
Saying ‘let it go!’ to worries or fears “I got to do a lovely thing today. I went in a special room, and it had special lights. It had lots of special things for us to play with… Not toys, special things. I put rocks in water and they went away! There were fishes in a tent, and flowers, and you could draw a picture of the person you wanted to say sorry to. In my classroom, there was green sand where you could say sorry. You say sorry to the person and then you go in the sorry sand. Today was a good day.” More information about St Michael’s CofE Primary School may be found at http://st-michaels.lincs.sch.uk
New look for diocesan prayer calendar in 2017
As mentioned in recent e-bulletins, the diocesan prayer calendar will be published in a new format in 2017. This will mean that each benefice is prayed for during the year, and incumbents will be contacted in advance to ask for their help in compiling a small amount of information for their parish(es). As part of a two-month trial, the calendar will be published on a monthly basis and may be downloaded from http://www.lincoln. anglican.org/faith-discipleship/prayer-diary (A paper copy of the calendar may be obtained by contacting Simon Dean on 01522 50 40 50.) As part of the trial we would be pleased to receive your feedback (directed to the Communications Officer) so that we can further develop this resource and help us to come together in prayer.
Lent study guide
Parishes are invited to follow the USPG Lent resource, Living An Authentic Life. More information will follow in due course with regard to ordering printed copies.
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Learning together Culture, creativity, community A recent community event that focused on interfaith integration has been declared a great success. Gillian Georgiou explains the genesis of this project and looks ahead to further efforts to increase religious literacy... The Diocesan Board of Education strongly believes that it is our duty to make sure that pupils in all schools and academies within the diocese are religiously literate. That is, we feel that by the time they leave school, they should be able to hold balanced and informed conversations about the religions and beliefs in our society. REConnecting Lincolnshire: Culture, Creativity, Community started life as a community event in Swineshead, near Boston. I worked alongside staff and a variety of interfaith partners to produce a ‘Unity in the Community’ event that responded to a bigger need at that time. From here, I worked with a wonderful creative team to seek funding to produce a larger series of events that would have a wider impact. We developed a project that brought together stories from the Bible and the Qur’an with the aim of helping whole communities better understand the differences and similarities between Christianity and Islam, the two largest faith communities within our region. From this, and towards the end of last year, we were thrilled to present three performances that brought together pupils from Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School, Stallingborough Church of England Primary School and Swineshead St Mary’s Church of England Primary School with their parents, teachers, members of local faith communities and other local representatives. These performances all took place in
Everything in the performances was locally produced local churches and incoporated live action with shadow puppetry, music and film. Everything that was included in the performances was produced by the community – props and lanterns were made by parents and local faith groups, music performed was sung by local choirs, filming took place in churches, mosques and schools, but at the heart of it all was a fabulous group of young people committed to a vision of their community that welcomes all and takes the time to get to know and understand everyone. All of the performances were incredibly exciting and powerful to watch; it was fantastic to hear so many voices represented within the film elements, as well as having the opportunity to see the faces of all those who had participated both on stage and in the audience. The basic purpose of these community events was to help support local people to develop their religious literacy such that they will be better able to live well together with those around them. Early feedback indicates that the process has had a real impact on these communities. In addtion, an education pack that includes elements of the film produced, the music used in the performances and teaching and learning suggestions will be produced by February, and this will be shared with all schools and academies in the Diocese of Lincoln. Gillian Georgiou is Diocesan RE Adviser. She may be contacted at gillian.georgiou@lincoln.anglican.org or on 01522 50 40 16. This event was produced in partnership with Leanne Taylor, cultural solutions UK, Shooting Fish Theatre Company, Blueprint Film and Jonathan Nowell. DIOCESELINCOLN
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Helping one another Providing a happy, safe place Might you know of parents or carers of a person with a learning and/or physical disability who are looking for suitable long-term accommodation for them, or some assistance at home? Richard Steel attended a Prospects church service and heard more... A group of parents have a dream of providing a highquality residential supported living service and/or a domiciliary care service for people that will also be sympathetic to a person’s faith background. As the Revd Keith Tomlin, chair of the action group, explains, “As parents of an adult child with special needs we are very aware of the difficulty of meeting the long-term care needs of our offspring as it becomes increasingly difficult for them to remain at home. We have had a very positive experience with Prospects, the national care-provider charity. They have supported us in organising monthly church services for adults with special needs, and so we have asked them to consider bringing their supported living service and/or domiciliary care service to the Lincoln area.” (Prospects and its partner, Livability, already provide such care services in many other parts of the country.) “Livability has asked us to provide more details of what type and level of support we need in this area,” Keith says, “so that they can take the idea further.” If you need such help yourself, or if you know of someone who might be interested in developing such
Prospects has helped in the organisation of church services Christian care services in the area, please contact Barry or Jenny Robinson (by email at jenny.robinson55@ ntlworld.com or by calling 01522 80 70 88). Jenny also has details of church services – these are generally on the first Sunday of the month at St George’s, Swallowbeck, Lincoln; on the second Sunday of the month at Side Door Methodist Church in Grimsby; and on third Sundays at Fiskerton Village Hall. For more details on Livability see www.livability.org.uk and for more on Prospects see www.prospects.org.uk Richard Steel is Diocesan Mission Team Leader.
Week of guided prayer ‘has changed my life’ “You have given me permission to be me”: the words of one of the participants from the Week of Guided Prayer that was held at Gainsborough All Saints last year. Led by Canon Stephen Hoy (Diocesan Spirituality Adviser) and a team of prayer guides, 20 people took part in the week. Participants met with a prayer guide each day for five days and they committed themselves to a halfhour daily prayer using a pattern of stillness, reflection on scripture, thanksgiving and response, prompting a further reaction of: “The week brought me great joy – it was so rewarding – you have opened up my prayer in a way I could not have imagined.” Canon Mike Cooney, Vicar at All Saints, said that the week had also opened up a conversation in the wider congregation. “The Week of Guided Prayer was the
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culmination of a year of prayer and spirituality at All Saints,” he said, “and it was wonderful to see so many people engaging in the week. A renewed interest in prayer and spirituality has rippled out from the participants to the whole church. The week certainly had a big impact on everyone who took part, and prayer and spirituality is now seen as a core activity and concern at All Saints.” As one of the participants also said, “This week has been so important to me – it has transformed my understanding of prayer, and I think it has changed my life!” So, if your parish or benefice would be interested in exploring the possibility of holding a Week of Guided Prayer, please contact Canon Stephen Hoy on 01522 52 56 21 or by email at stephenhoy39@gmail.com
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Announcements The Revd Lorna Lucas has resigned her licence as Non Stipendiary Minister of the Lea Group, and has been issued with permission to officiate. The Revd Canon Ian Silk has resigned his licence as Vicar of St George’s, Swallowbeck. The Revd Canon Jeremy Pemberton has resigned his position as Senior Chaplain and Bereavement Services Manager at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust. We hold these people in our prayers, and we pray for the people, parishes and communities in our diocese.
The Revd Timothy Astin has resigned his positions in the Diocese of Lincoln. This follows the appointment of Canon Moira Astin as Archdeacon of Reigate in the Diocese of Southwark. The Revd Paul Slater, Community Chaplain in the Deanery of Holland, has been licensed as a General Preacher by the Bishop of Grimsby. The Revd Canon Ian Robinson’s term of office as Rural Dean of the West Wold Deanery will come to an end on 21st January 2017.
PRIZE CROSSWORD No. 17 1
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Across 1 Foreign freeman sounds edible (7) 5 Felons I record here (2,5) 9 Topping up (7,3,5) 10 Unaccompanied like Wordsworth’s cloud (6) 11 Wren band not used (5,3) 13 Jogs memory of campanologist (5,1,4) 14 Clot who crossed the line (4) 16 Return of forenoon after back up for 6D (4)
Solution to No. 16: R B S H A M P O O E A S I R L I T T L E C O G T U E T A P O O R R E T U R N N D P R I M A Y O R E S S S Y N P I R E R J O A N A O T S G E S I N W H I T E A C E C T A L I A H E A T H T L A R U E S L A Y O D D S
Winner of Prize Crossword No. 16: Mr John Fowler, Caistor. Thank you to all who entered. To enter: please send completed entries to Crossword No. 17, Crosslincs, Communications Office, Edward King House, Minster Yard, Lincoln LN2 1PU. The closing date for Prize Crossword No. 17 is 20th January 2017. The Editor’s decision is final. The prize will be a faith-related book, and this issue we extend our particular gratitude to Kettlebird for 10 years of crosswords!
Down 17 Often found on only one side of the street (3,7) 20 Tries out and causes accident (4,4) 21 Dress with reluctance among Anglicans (6) 23 Effect of spirits on cockles (6,3,6) 24 Depart cheerful after having 23 (2,5) 25 Part is a new creator (7)
– set by Kettlebird
1 6D Thief possibly (7) 2 Ensconced ruler (with “uneasy head”) (8,7) 3 The result of depilation (4,4) 4 Anger at being in the wrong gear? (4) 5 Alternative strategies (5,5) 6 Nothing raised in charge for moggy (6) 7 Great and small but not necessarily bright and beautiful (6,9)
8 Gossamer trap produced by eight legged 7D (4,3) 12 Blonde yet I thus arranged to comply (10) 15 Uniquely lowly (8) 16 May conceal 3D (7) 18 Walks over child of spouse (7) 19 “Hath holpen his servant Israel” – but not if confused (2,4) 22 Beat up second Greek letter (4)
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fresh expressions mission shaped ministry: equipping you and your church mission shaped ministry is a one-year, part-time course that sets out to equip people for a lifetime of good practice and learning in the planting and sustaining of fresh expressions of church. So what is involved? mission shaped ministry is a course especially designed for those exploring how to begin, sustain and grow a fresh expression of church, as well as experienced pioneers who want to reflect on what they are doing. It can also benefit those wanting to learn qualities of Christian ministry, and Christians who want their churches to be more effective in mission. The course is for laity, clergy and anyone interested in mission; all denominations, traditions and ages; and for those in urban, suburban and rural contexts. The course will be running in our diocese during 2017 (it will be on weekday evenings at Holton-le-Clay and Kirton, and on Saturdays in Lincoln) and is open to individuals and small groups from churches. Here, Paul Staples offers his account of taking part in mission shaped ministry: “I enrolled on the 2015/16 course as part of a team of five from New Life Church, Sleaford. I really had no idea what to expect from the course, except that it was a cross-church training programme that looked into mission locally. Once the course started it was clear that there were people from across the county in all types of church, who were passionate about their communities and desperate to do whatever they could to reach people for Christ. The part that I enjoyed the most about the course was the residential weekend away at Swanwick. The weekend helped break down preconceived ideas and stereotypes I didn’t realise I had about other denominations and the
work undertaken around the county. I made some new friends and felt more a part of the Church than ever before. Although the weekend was very busy, I learned a lot, both about mission in my local community and where I fitted into what God was doing. Next steps for me involve two main things. First, I am using my new insight to spread the word around my local church about how we need to engage in our local communities and to listen to what God is calling us into and the needs of our area. Second, I will be part of the southern hosting team for the 2017 mission shaped ministry course in Lincolnshire. I am really excited to see what happens in this upcoming course and to see what will become of the work I do within my local community.” In addition, the Revd David Oxtoby has said, “Having run the local mission shaped intro course in Elloe East Deanery, it was wonderful to see people excited and fired up with fresh ideas and enthusiasm about how they might do church in new ways within their own contexts and communities. The course provided a space for fresh thinking, sharing of new ideas, worshipping and learning together. All of the candidates really enjoyed the course and were excited about what God might be doing in their parishes, and how God could use them to do mission to those who have no contact with their local church.” To find out more information please see the website at http://www.missionshapedministry.org/lincoln17
Spring Harvest 2017 (10–14th April 2017) The theme at Spring Harvest 2017 is ‘One for all’, which will be centred around Jesus’ prayer in John 17.22–23. The week will offer an opportunity to gather for worship, bible teaching, seminars and workshops, children’s and youth activities, space for relaxation and fun, all surrounded in an environment of learning, growth and spiritual refreshment.
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The diocese will once again be offering an opportunity for clergy and readers to attend a leaders’ day (on 12th April) and will offer a discount for others who might wish to attend. More details will follow. Spring Harvest is held at three national locations, one of which is in our diocese at the Butlin’s resort in Skegness. For more information please see the website at www.springharvest.org
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Resources and reviews
Matt Woodcock; Becoming Reverend – A Diary; Church House Publishing, 2016.
Judy Robinson: Cooking for Large Numbers – A Practical Guide to Doing Your Own Catering; Sunningdale Press, 2016.
‘This diary invites us into Woody’s story from journalist to vicar. It’s not always a pretty story. Irreverent, rude, funny, profound, messy and painful, this book takes you on an earthy journey with heavenly themes. While St Paul had his Damascus Road experience, for Woody it was on the A19 to Selby. God joined Woody in his Ford Fiesta and presented him with an offer he found impossible to refuse. The diary traces how that offer unfolds.’
A churchwarden at St Michael’s Church in Langtoft, Judy Robinson has produced a practical guide to cooking for large numbers, with suggestions relating to choosing a suitable menu, planning time, preparing the room, calculating quantities and serving the meal. Judy told Crosslincs how the book came about and what readers might expect:
In these words, taken from accompanying notes for book groups available on the Church House Publishing website, Kate Bruce (Acting Warden at Cranmer Hall in Durham) offers a neat summary of Matt Woodcock’s journey toward ordination. An ‘earthy journey with heavenly themes’ captures the content and tone perfectly, as we follow Matt through his studies at Cranmer and on to his arrival as an Ordained Pioneer Minister at Holy Trinity Church in Hull. It’s quite a journey: in keeping this diary, Matt reflects on death and new life; on his sense of call and formation; on mission and evangelism; and on the need to communicate the love of God in a way that is exciting and accessible. As Matt writes, ‘I get asked all the time how I actually became a priest. What was it like? What did I do? I suppose you’d ask it too if you knew me. This book – these diary extracts – are my attempt to answer those questions. I wanted to show – if you don’t know already – that faith in God is rooted in the good, the bad and the ugly of real life. Becoming a reverend was no different. For me, anyway.’ Earthy and honest, readers of Becoming Reverend will be left in little doubt as to Matt’s desire to share good news. Reviewed by Adrian Smith
‘Organising the catering for a church event such as a Harvest supper or Passover meal can be very rewarding. It can also be stressful, particularly if you have little relevant experience and the kitchen is poorly equipped. My book, Cooking for Large Numbers, draws on 30 years of practical experience in catering for large groups, both professionally and as a volunteer. The book was written in response to friends’ requests for help when organising large family parties and church-based social events. As well as advice on planning and serving the meal, the book has over 50 recipes, all of which can be easily adjusted to the number that you are catering for. As an approved tutor in food safety, I am very aware of the problems that can arise when a group of people are catering in a church or village hall. I have therefore included a chapter on the common causes of food poisoning, and what steps can be taken to ensure that the food we serve is as safe as possible.’ Please see www.cookingforlargenumbers.com for further information. The book may be bought from Amazon and is priced at £14.50 + £2.80 p&p.
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Hospitality & welcome Following on from the well-established and very popular West Lindsey Open Churches Festival, which is held in May of each year, a new event for places of worship in the Holland area is to take place in September 2017. Crosslincs has been along to the meetings held to begin to plan the new festival to find out what’s in store... The inaugral Holland Places of Worship Festival is set to take place over the weekend of 9th and 10th September 2017. Timed to coincide with the Heritage Open Days, it is hoped that this festival might become an annual fixture as visitors are given an opportunity to explore different places of worship and the beauty of the area. More information will become available during the first part of the year, but each place of worship taking part will need to be open and free to enter, with the added opportunity to offer further attractions such as stalls, displays, refreshments and organ recitals. An accompanying map/brochure and website will be produced to provide information and to help guide visitors around the various locations, and as many venues as possible are being encouraged to take part. To get involved, each place of worship must register with Heritage Open Days at https://www.heritagelincolnshire. org/heritage-open-days/organisers It is important to note that the deadline for registration is 10th February 2017, and information required includes some description of the event, opening times and access and venue details (a photo of the venue and a short piece of text will also be required for the brochure in due course). Once this has been completed, venues should also inform the Holland Places of Worship Festival organising committee and await further information. It is hoped that this first event will be a great success, and more information will follow in the build-up to the 9th and 10th of September.
Raising awareness of dementia and helping our churches in their offer of welcome and service Are you currently involved in running any kind of service or support for people who are suffering from dementia? We are working to help all of our churches to be more aware of the needs of people with dementia and their carers, and to improve what we offer, both in terms of our services and for the benefit of the wider community.
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St Peter & St Paul, Kirton-in-Holland, hosted a planning meeting Building a picture library in the Diocese of Lincoln The Communications Department is building a picture library containing photos of activities and events taking place all around the diocese. As well as using these on a diocesan level, we are sometimes asked to supply photos to accompany national stories, and so if you have some high-resolution photos that you are willing for us share in print and online, please do contact us on 01522 50 40 37 or via crosslincs@lincoln.anglican.org
We are going to meet on Wednesday, 8th March, with a view to bringing together some of those already working in this area and those who are interested. This meeting will be held at Trinity Centre, Eastgate, Louth (LN11 8DJ). We will meet at 4pm, following the weekly Dementia CafĂŠ held in the centre. If you are able to come, or if you are unable to but are already doing something, or would simply like to know more, please contact Richard Steel, Mission Team Leader by email at richard.steel@lincoln.anglican.org
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Sharing good news Here to help: sharing details of news and events in the diocese The Communications Department seeks to share news and information around the diocese and to assist our parishes as they strive to serve their local communities. So how might we help you to help others? Crosslincs magazine, the publication you are holding or reading online, seeks to record and share the life of the diocese, and we are always happy to receive contributions. The magazine is complemented by the diocesan website (which includes a calendar of events), a fortnightly e-bulletin, and our social media, but we are mindful of possible issues around connectivity (we would be particularly interested to hear about the broadband coverage in your local area). The Communications Department also regularly deals with enquiries from the media, and can offer you advice here. We can provide pointers if you are thinking about creating or updating a parish website, and we also assist parish magazine editors with the provision of a monthly letter from our bishops. Parish magazines are an invaluable means of communication in our parishes, and here follows just two examples, as we thank all who produce parish magazines... The Revd Julie Wearing, Vicar of St Faith & St Martin with St Peter at Arches, writes on the value of Parish Focus... Parish Focus seeks to link the different voices across the community of Lincoln’s West End. It is delivered to around 2,500 houses across the West End, four times a year, with Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter editions. It has recently had a facelift but there are still some voices that are yet to be heard, such as the students and businesses, something that we hope to work on. St Faith’s Church is a church with a strong community focus, and so in developing Parish Focus we are seeking to promote our community by celebrating its diversity. It also shares details of all the events and organisations that run across the community, and addresses issues of local concern. For more information see http://stfaithslincoln.org.uk
Shoreline celebrates a year of local service Rosemary Sharp and Gwen Drury look back on a fruitful first year of publication for Shoreline, serving Skegness and the surrounding area... In the spring of 2015 we had the idea to start a parish/community magazine. We had previously printed a weekly newsletter, but as we were in vacancy we were finding it increasingly difficult to find the time each week to put this together, and so we decided that a weekly pew-sheet would be the way forward. We wanted to produce a magazine that would reach out to the community of Skegness and its surrounding areas, taking the church out into the community. Although it would have some religious content, we also wanted community groups to be able to share their news and to advertise their events. We also wanted local people to be able to have their articles and stories published. It was decided that it should be a free magazine and therefore advertising was sourced to sponsor it. The biggest challenge was to find an editor. Eventually we found a graphic designer, who, for a small fee, would put the layout together and send it to the printers each month. Two of us from the group that was formed to start Shoreline gather all of the articles, edit them and find advertisers. We then send the completed content to the graphic designer half-way through each month. The first issue was published in November 2015, and one year on we were finalists for the Community Award at the Skegness Business Awards. Although we didn’t win an award, we were delighted to have reached this stage. From an initial run of 20 pages and 1000 copies, by the November 2016 issue we filled 24 pages and printed 1500 copies. People are now talking about Shoreline, advertisers are telling us of successful results, and, what is more, we and the community enjoy Shoreline, too. Back issues of Shoreline may be found online at http://skegness-anglican.org.uk/shoreline-magazine
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The Developing Discipleship Programme (DDP) Prayer and desire in our mission When it comes to mission action planning, John Leach suggests that prayer and desire are key to our approach... The first edition of Mark Ireland and Mike Chew’s How to Do Mission Action Planning was published in 2009, and this title has been a very important resource for the Discipleship Team as we have put together the Developing Discipleship Programme (DDP). In the latest 2016 edition of the book there are some new sections, reflecting the discoveries made by the authors as they have continued to work with planning around the British churches. One section contains the story of our own DDP here in the diocese (p. 31f), but another very significant addition is the section on ‘desire’. Reflecting on why some programmes have failed, they identify the lack of desire among church members as one key factor. This might be because the programme has been imposed from on high with little buy-in and a degree of resentment from the parishes (which is why our churches are invited to take part), but also because the desire for mission and growth is not felt strongly in parishes, or is placed way down the list of priorities after other matters, such as buildings, finance and other more immediate concerns. The book discusses how we might raise the levels of desire for mission in our churches, and of course lists prayer as a key factor. It is as we tune in more closely to
the missionary heart of God that his desire to see people come to a living relationship with him rubs off on us, and begins to feel more important to us than merely keeping things going, or indeed surviving. The great danger with drawing up plans for mission and growth is that of doing so without listening to God, so that we merely collect a few good ideas, which may or may not work. Prayer helps us to begin really to believe that ‘we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do’ (Ephesians 2.10). Our prayer cards, which we give out to congregation members at the start of the process, help to emphasise and resource prayer before and throughout. Planning is not about us thinking up a few ideas: it is about discovering the plans God already has for us. Another helpful book on prayer and planning is a Grove booklet by Matthew Swires-Hennessy that is titled Connecting Worship & Vision (2013). In this he acknowledges that prayer and worship often surround a vision-discernment process like a pair of brackets, but suggests that ‘Worship should be a cord that runs through the whole process’ (p. 4). He gives practical suggestions for how a church community might enable this, including some ideas on preaching and teaching, prayer and even music. The idea is that the process of discerning vision and drawing up plans should be thoroughly and completely rooted in prayer and worship. This helps us avoid merely coming up with our own bright ideas, and also serves to increase our desire to join in with God’s mission in our patch, as we get more and more closely in touch with what he is already doing among us.
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Prayer and reflection Success, sticking points, surprises, spirit and sharing The Claypole Benefice has taken part in the DDP process. Here, Oliver Phillips reflects on the local experience and encourages others to take part... I became treasurer of Claypole PCC just over a year ago, and at that time the Claypole Benefice had just been through a long period of vacancy. Following the welcome appointment of the new Rector, Sonia Barron, the Joint PCC agreed a vocation statement: ‘The Claypole Group of Churches is committed to grow and work together in fellowship, to offer our community distinctive Christian witness and hope for the future.’ And also a vision statement: ‘God is calling us in the next five years to be more faithful and loving, encouraging hospitality and generosity, and by our worship and witness, fostering enthusiasm, hope and neighbourliness’. The delivery of our promise would be a challenge, and so we planned activities and set targets, both as individual churches and as a group, so as to ensure that our vocation and vision were being actively pursued. One year on and the Joint PCC gathered for a ‘self-appraisal’ under the direction of Nick Munday and John Leach from the diocesan Discipleship Team, and tackled five key questions: • what were our successes? • what were the sticking points? • what were the surprises? • when did we feel the Holy Spirit, if at all? • what can we share with others?
The Joint PCC gathered for a time of ‘self-appraisal’ Nearly all of the individual churches had set ambitious targets or had planned activities that would take a year or more to come to fruition, so at first it appeared that we had all failed! However, when we looked over the past year we were able to identify the smaller achievements that had been made and which would continue to build towards our original targets. This included simple things such as keeping the churchyards tidy, getting finances upto-date and creating a Messy Church-type space for those with young children. Within all of these small tasks lay the core values we had communicated in our vocation and vision statements and therein lay the biggest surprise of all – by actually focusing our efforts on a larger project or more daunting tasks we actually achieved a number of smaller, potentially routine tasks that might not have had any separate consideration. All of our churches are now continuing to work towards their original targets and we have no doubt that these will be achieved in the near future. One key lesson to share from our experience would be the importance of collaboration and communication and being involved with your local church. You might not have a Joint PCC but the benefits of sharing ideas, discussing plans and group worship have been immense. We found that things that were our sticking points were things we learnt from and which we will build on as we move forward. We would therefore encourage you to take part in the developing discipleship programme – you will be amazed to see what a difference it makes to mission and ministry and partnerships in the parish and the community. If you would like some further information on the DDP and copies of the prayer cards, please contact the Revd Louise Vincer (DDP Coordinator) at ddp@lincoln.anglican.org DIOCESELINCOLN
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CALENDAR FEBRUARY Saturday, 11th & Sunday, 12th; Saturday, 18th & Sunday, 19th; Saturday, 25th & Sunday, 26th: Snowdrop Walks 2017 (11.30am–3.30pm) at St Mary’s Church, Whaplode (PE12 6TA). You are welcome to go along and experience thousands of Snowdrops in their natural setting in a secluded area of the churchyard, where it may also be possible to see some aconites. Visitors might also wish to be guided around the inside of the church and learn of its 900 years of history. Stalls and refreshments. APRIL Saturday, 1st (7pm) – Passiontide Concert. Lincoln Cathedral Choir will perform St John Passion by Johann
Sebastian Bach in the cathedral nave. Tickets (from £8) are available from www.lincolncathedral.com Monday, 10th – Friday, 14th. Spring Harvest at Butlin’s resort, Skegness. More information is available elsewhere in this issue and at http://www.springharvest.org MAY Friday, 5th – Sunday, 7th (10am– 4pm). Spark! Engineering Festival. An opportunity to celebrate engineering heritage at this three-day festival to be held in Lincoln Cathedral. JUNE Saturday, 17th. A service to celebrate lay ministry in Lincoln Cathedral.
Land of Hops & Glory, the Beer Festival held at St Wulfram’s Church, Grantham, late last year (right) was considered an overwhelming success. As Fr Stuart Cradduck says, ‘Over 2000 people came and we had some wonderful moments, with people of all ages gathered in this special place. It felt like a big family, with conversations shared with myself and others on faith, the Church and life.’
Messy Cathedral – 7th January 2017 Lincoln Cathedral will celebrate ‘light in the darkness’ at the next Messy Cathedral family church event. On Saturday, 7th January 2017 the cathedral will come alive with craft activities, singing and drama, all designed for families and all completely free. The team will be looking at the Bible stories that come after the Christmas story with lots of light, colour and fun, followed by an opportunity to share lunch together. Please call the Revd Philippa White on 01522 56 70 04 to book your place.
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The Jesus Story – a musical by the Revd Richard Rice-Oxley Are you passionate about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord? Do you want Christians to be excited and encouraged by their faith? Would you like enquirers to be introduced to the real Jesus as shown to us in the New Testament? If the answer to these questions is ‘yes’, then maybe The Jesus Story is for your church, school, community and choir. The Jesus Story is an easy-to-sing and uplifting musical that covers the birth, life and ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some of the songs simply retell the biblical narrative, others seek to draw out the meaning of the events they describe. There are parts for soloists and chorus. The whole is linked by a spoken narrative. The Jesus Story is freely available to listen to, and the score and narration are downloadable for free from our website. After a performance by a local choir someone said ‘Brilliant! A gift from God – it has to be – to send one away feeling so elated and joyful’. After buying a CD, another person wrote, ‘It’s truly inspiring and ought to provide a staple resource for any school’. Another listener said ‘Such a beautiful way of telling the story of Jesus, told in a way that everyone, young and old, those who know the story, and those who maybe don’t, can really appreciate and understand’. Richard has said ‘My hope and prayer is that the wonderful story of Jesus, so compellingly told in the Gospels, will find its way more deeply into the hearts and minds of those who sing or listen to this musical’. For more information please see the website at www.rev-rice-oxley.uk
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