Crosslincs Mar/Apr edition 2015

New

Pull out prayer diaryThe new look prayer diary for March and April is now available as a centre page pull-out.Pages 13, 14, 15 & 16

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Win a Real Easter EggSend us your Easter egg designs for a chance to win a Fair-Trade Real Easter Egg.Page 21

News from around the Diocese of Lincoln www.lincoln.anglican.org Dioceselincoln @cofelincoln

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Jerusalem journey for curate Phaedra

Selected by the Swedish Theological Institute, Phaedra will join a group of 13 other successful applicants to take part in the inter-faith course, which aims to teach students about the three religions with roots in Jerusalem; Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Introducing the three religions as distinct faiths, the course will show the inter-related religious systems.

Phaedra applied for the course in July 2014, and believes her Masters degree in Pastoral Theology and her previous work in inter-faith relations helped her in the application progress.

“I have been privileged to work with Imams as a hospital chaplain when I was in

Stepney,” explains Phaedra, “as well as the Haredi community in Hackney.

“I have always had an interest in understanding where other people come from and other cultures, and I believe that having a greater understanding of others helps us to better understand ourselves. If we want to share the gospel effectively we have to be understanding of other people’s beliefs and where they come from.”

As well as understanding the theological aspects of the religions in Jerusalem, the course sets out to explore and explain the long standing conflicts that have arisen between the regions of Israel and Palestine.

Revd Phaedra in All Saints’, Gainsborough

The Revd Phaedra Pamphillon-Green CA (Church Army) a first year curate from All Saints’ in Gainsborough, will be heading off to Jerusalem for eight weeks on an International Course.

Continued on Page 2

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The submission deadline for the next edition is Wednesday, 18 March.

Editor and Head of Communications Michelle LeesT: 01522 50 40 34M: 07885 99 99 07 E: [email protected]

Media Officer and Sub Editor Daniel HerrickT: 01522 50 40 37M: 07885 99 99 06 E: [email protected]

Bishops’ Press OfficerWill HarrisonT: 07736 29 26 68E: [email protected]

Diocesan OfficesEdward King House, Minster Yard, Lincoln LN2 1PU.T: 01522 50 40 50E: reception@lincoln.anglican.orgwww.lincoln.anglican.orgwww.facebook.com/Dioceselincolnwww.twitter/CofELincolnwww.flickr.com/Dioceseoflincoln

The Bishop of LincolnThe Right Reverend Christopher LowsonT: 01522 50 40 90E: [email protected]

The Bishop of GrimsbyThe Right Reverend Dr David CourtT: 0152250 40 90E: [email protected]

Diocesan SecretaryMs Angela Sibson T: 01522 50 40 30 E: [email protected]

PA to the Diocesan SecretaryMickey Tucker-LoweT: 01522 50 40 32E: [email protected]

The Archdeacon of LincolnThe Venerable Tim BarkerM: 07590 95 00 41 E: [email protected]

The Archdeacon of BostonThe Venerable Dr Justine Allain ChapmanM: 07715 077 993 E: [email protected]

Interim Archdeacon of Stow & LindseyThe Venerable Martin Grey M: 07809 521995E: [email protected]

Contacts

Phaedra hopes to bring these lessons back to the diocese to use throughout her priesthood.

“I really want to learn what it is like to live within the area of conflict and see how it affects people in the region. On the course we will be looking at sustainable development across the cultures, which is something I can bring back to the diocese to relate to our own situation in Lincolnshire; bringing cohesion to communities with diverse cultures.

“As priests we have a unique opportunity to work with and guide communities, helping each other to develop an understanding of other points of view; to recognise that we are in this community together and to realise how many similarities we share, so we can learn to work together peacefully.”

Canon Jeffrey Heskins, the IME Officer responsible for curate training in the Diocese of Lincoln said;

“I am delighted that Phae has been offered this opportunity,” said Canon Jeffrey.

“Her background as a former social worker and her commitment to inter-faith dialogue make her an ideal choice as a participant on this course.

“I am certain that the experience can only enhance the training she has begun here and will benefit not only her, but her fellow curates as she reports back – and of course the wider Church. Our Swedish link diocese has been very generous in making this possible.”

Phaedra is very thankful to the diocese for this once in a lifetime opportunity. “It’s humbling and exciting and I feel that I have a lot of responsibility to get it right and to give something back to the diocese. It’s important that the whole diocese benefits from this.”

The Swedish Theological Institute

The Swedish Theological Institute is the Church of Sweden’s study and dialogue institute in Jerusalem.

It was founded in 1951 and hosts in-depth studies into the texts and traditions, which are fundamentally important to the three religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Phaedra with Canon Mike Cooney, who has been influential in making this happen.

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Lent is often seen as a time to ‘deny ourselves’, to give things up - often things like coffee or chocolate or alcohol. This discipline both helps us to remember this is a solemn time leading up to the joys of Easter resurrection, and to strip away symbolically some of the things that can get in the way of our relationship with God. It helps us to be intentional about our relationship with God.

More recently there has been a move towards encouraging people to think of Lent as a time to take up (rather than give up) something – to start doing something we have not been doing before. This can be as diverse as taking a course on mindfulness, or just making the time to read a novel, as well as things like going to a Lent group or reading the Bible and praying daily.

2015 is a special year in the life of our diocese – we’re calling it ‘Year of Discipleship’ – as we focus on what it means for each one of us to be a disciple, a follower of Jesus, today.

So I would encourage this to be your focus in Lent 2015. Is there something you could take up this Lent as part of your journey as a follower of Jesus? The diocese has resourced lots of things you could do, and I encourage you to visit their page on our website, or contact them to find out more.

Whether you take up or give up, the end purpose stays the same – you are doing something to help you focus on your relationship with God. When we do that, we find God willing and waiting to nurture and deepen that relationship as we journey with Jesus through Lent, and discover again that the Way of the Cross is the Way of Resurrection.

The Right Reverend Christopher Lowson The Bishop of Lincoln

From the Bishop...

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Seventy years on from the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, St John the Baptist’s church on Lincoln’s Ermine estate, hosted one of 70 specially commisioned holocaust candles.

Miss Jessica Howell, an RE teacher at a local academy in Lincoln, lit the candle at 4.30pm to mark a moment of national reflection.

“It was a real privilege to be part of such an important event today, and to be able to light this candle” said Jessica. “It is important that we always remember the people of the Holocaust and pass the message on to future generations.”

St John’s was chosen from hundreds of applications sent to the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, and Stephen Hoy, vicar of St John’s, is proud the church was selected to host one of the 70 candles.

“It’s a great honour to have been selected to host one of the special memorial candles here at St John’s,” said Fr Stephen.

“Holocaust Memorial Day is an important focal point in the year, and it is vital that we remember and reflect upon the horrors of the past, and honour those who survived.

“The service was attended by people of various faiths and none, and was a real moment of unity for everyone.”

The congregation stand in a moment of reflection at St John the Baptist’s church, Lincoln

Special Holocaust Memorial candle lit at St John’s

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Deanery FocusBolingbroke DeaneryIn each future edition of Crosslincs we will feature one deanery. We hope to highlight some of the exciting work and interesting areas of the deanery and give a taste of some of the work going on there.

In this edition we are focusing on Bolingbroke deanery.

Bolingbroke is in the Archdeaconry of Lincoln and is in the heart of rural Lincolnshire. Situated in the east of the diocese and contains five groupings, Spilsby, Marden Hill, Stickney, Partney and South Ormsby in two Benefices. There are 39 churches within Bolingbroke, all of which are overseen by a team, both lay and clergy, working with the Rural Dean of Bolingbroke, The Revd Canon Peter Coates.

With a fantastic heritage of beautiful buildings and stunning countryside, you could be forgiven for thinking this rural idyll is a sleepy place. But far from it. Bolingbroke is a thriving and forward thinking area. It has a history of pioneering ministry. The current rural dean of Bolingbroke,

Canon Peter Coates is excited by the opportunities that developing discipleship can bring across the diocese, but particularly the opportunities for Bolingbroke.

Canon Peter is working with the whole deanery as “united benefices” and has big plans for the future: “With Cheryl Hilliam and Fran Jeffries, my full time colleagues, we are looking forward to the fruits of discipleship growth across the Deanery; in particular that the strength of our small rural Churches can grow through a renewed and enriched local leadership and vision. We believe that small is good – in fact it is beautiful”.

Beautiful is certainly a word that applies to Bolingbroke; home to some very unusual and possibly unique churches. At the heart of the deanery is St James in Spilsby. Built in the 14th century, it has two naves and once housed a college consisting of a master and twelve priests. Founded by Sir Robert Willoughby, the first Baron, the

college was housed in the Trinity Chapel, which is the oldest part of the church and which today houses the tombs of some of the Willoughby family.

St Peter and St Paul’s at Langton-by-Spilsby, built in 1725, is also very unusual. The Grade I listed building remains in the classical style with box pews facing each other, a triple decker pulpit and a gallery at the western end. Only three parish churches in England retain the same arrangement of box pews.

As well as having many interesting historical buildings, Bolingbroke is a pioneering deanery, with many exciting projects and ideas to take faith to the people of the deanery in the future.

The South Ormsby group has always been at the forefront of pioneering ministry. It was instigated as an experiment in the early 1950’s and was a way of grouping together a set of parishes in an entirely rural area. What we have come to know as group ministry, was an entirely new concept at the time, pioneered The two naves at St James, Spilsby

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here in the Diocese of Lincoln.

The first incumbent of the South Ormesby Group was the Reverend Arthur C. Smith. He and his team called this venture, “an adventure in friendship,” and while working in the area, he wrote a book entitled: “The South Ormsby Experiment.”

“The South Ormsby group has always been at the forefront of pioneering ministry. What we have come to know as group ministry was an entirely new concept pioneered here in the Diocese of Lincoln.”The Revd Cheryl Hilliam the Rector for South Ormsby, explains how one particular story in the book inspired Mr Smith, and still inspires Cheryl today.

“In the book Mrs Smith comes across her three children playing, conducting a pretend service in their nursery. When asked where the congregation was, one of the boys replied, “there is no congregation, it’s Sunday.”

“This obviously struck a chord with Mr Smith and so he spoke with every PCC in the group to discuss the possibility of purchasing a bus to enable people to travel to church. They all donated £12 and the bus was purchased, and with it congregations improved as people

were able to travel from the rural areas to their local church.“Today we thank Revd Arthur for his work, foresight and vision and we try tirelessly to follow his philosophy of ‘together we can’.

“Each service held is a group service, and each parish retains its identity and independence, whilst also fostering the identity of South Ormesby and working together to build upon its success.”

The foresight shown by Mr Smith in his ministry continues today, with the Revd Martin Faulkner and the Revd Fran Jeffries developing new schemes and projects to bring the church to all ages and to all people.

Martin explains just some of the projects being developed in the deanery.

“In the Partney group we have developed a child friendly liturgy for the family service,” explains Revd Martin. “We can engage children at their own level and we use a children’s story teller bible for our scripture readings, prayers that are age appropriate and instead of a sermon, the children are told a story that fits in for the scripture of the day to help them understand the reading.”

Bolingbroke is a very rural deanery, so the team are also working to make the church more accessible to those in rural areas.

“At Little Steeping the church is situated about a quarter of a mile outside of the village, explains Martin. “This puts it on the periphery to the community, so in order to re-connect the church with the village we hold a monthly service called ‘Second Sunday at Six.’”

These services have been running for two years and no two services have ever been the same.

“Second Sunday at Six is very much a fresh expression of church, and one person has even gone on to describe it as Messy Church for adults. It begins by providing food and drink and moves on to worship God in new, different and novel ways.” These novel ways have included people making plasticine models of the things they wish to pray about.

Other initiatives include Breakfast Worship at Raithby, which was held in the village hall, and a 24-hour prayer vigil for Syria and Africa.

“The prayer vigil for Africa ecumenically involved all the churches in Spilsby from the Roman Catholic church to the New Life Church to the Christian Fellowship, all provided a session of worship in their own style and included Messy Church where children made bread.” said Revd Martin. “In just a 24-hour period the church raised £1500 for people starving in Africa”.

Bolingbroke deanery is steeped in history and is using fresh thinking initiatives to engage people throughout the area. If you would like to find out more you can visit www.lincoln.ourchurchweb.org.uk/spilsby.

In the next edition of Crosslincs we will be

looking at the deanery of Holland

If you have any interesting stories from Holland that you would like published

in the next Crosslincs, then please contact us at

[email protected]

01522 504037

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The Bishop of Lincoln undertook one of the less familiar services of his office when he commissioned The Revd Jeff Wilson as Spiritual Director, and Liz Lilley as Lay Director, for the Cursillo movement in the Diocese of Lincoln for 2015.

The Bishop commended Jeff and Liz for their dedication to working towards Christian revival in Lincolnshire. He quoted Archbishop Justin Welby, saying that the Church cannot be rejuvenated from outside, but must change from within. This rejuvenation, he said, would, “take place through spiritual regrowth, rooted in prayer and study, “like that found in Cursillo. He spoke about each Christian’s lifelong journey, growing and developing in faith, and commented, “that new growth in the Diocese is rooted in the people it serves, springing from those roots as the diocese grows in faith, confidence and joy.”

Liz Lilley commented; “It was so encouraging to be acknowledged and affirmed by our diocesan Bishop. I was moved to have the Bishop extend to me the right hand of fellowship. Within Lincoln Cursillo we are pleased to be able to provide another method of deepening people’s commitment to Christ, especially as we approach the Year of Discipleship together.”

Cursillo is a worldwide organisation, Spanish in origin, which takes the four-day model of Christ’s passion and resurrection and uses it to shape an intensive, residential retreat based on studies, reflections and the expression and sharing of thoughts and faith. The Cursillo movement is structured on the tenets of prayer, study and action, used to underpin and promote individual Christian involvement in local communities and churches.

Cursillo encourages faithful Christians to explore their belief more deeply and to walk forward with new energy and commitment in their lifelong journey of faith – their “fourth day”, following the three-day retreat.

The next Cursillo retreat in Lincoln will be in October 2015 and places are already being reserved. If you would like to know more, please contact Liz Lilley 01507 440039.

Commisioned to serve

Bishop Christopher with Liz Lilley and The Revd Jeff Wilson after their commissioning to service for Cursillo.

First female bishop consecrated in historic ceremony

The Rt Revd Libby Lane was consecrated as the first female bishop in the Church of England in a packed service at York Minster on 26 January.

More than 100 bishops attended the ceremony, as well as women bishops from across the Anglican Communion.

In a statement shortly after being consecrated, Bishop Libby said she had been encouraged by the thousands of messages of support

she had received. “Archbishop Sentamu has observed, ‘The way that we show our faith and our love for one another is with two simple things, prayer and parties.’ Today is an occasion of prayer and of party – and I am thrilled that so many want to share in both. I cannot

properly express how encouraged I have been in the weeks since the

announcement of my nomination, by the thousands of messages I have received with words of congratulation, support and wisdom. I’ve heard from people of all ages, women and men - people I have known for years, and people I have never met; people from down the road, and people from across the world.

“Many of those who have been in touch have little or no contact with the Church of England; not all have

been people of faith, but every one of them has felt this moment marks something important.

“Thank you to all who are praying for me and partying with me today. Please continue to hold me in your prayers as, after the example of St Timothy and St Titus who are celebrated by the Church on this day, I share in work of proclaiming the gospel, in word and action, and bearing witness to the name of Jesus.”

The Bishop of Lincoln was at the service in York, and spoke of his delight at being part of the historic event.

“I was honoured and delighted to be able to participate in the ordination of Libby Lane as Bishop. Today marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the life of the Church of England.”

Bishops gather outside York Minster following the Consecration service.


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South Holland Flower FestivalThe South Holland flower festival is one of the highlights of the year on the deanery calendar.Between 25 April and 4 May, 20 churches from across Spalding and

the surrounding areas will display their flower arrangements, designed around a selection of themes.

This year’s themes range from ‘music in bloom’ to ‘inspirations’ and even ‘TV comedies’.

Jane Pearson is the PCC Treasurer and Flower Festival Co-ordinator at St Mary and the Holy Rood’s in Donington. She and her colleagues have been organising the event at St Mary’s, which isn’t just about the flowers.

“A significant part of the flower festival is the catering that the ladies do in the church hall. They provide a constant supply of tea, coffee, wonderful home made cakes, toasted sandwiches and

much more,” explains Jane.

The flower festival also has to cater for people from further afield. “We regularly cater for coach parties,” says Jane. “They either just pop in for a quick bite to eat and then take a wonder around the many decorated churches, or they stay for the whole day. On the Sunday we provide a full roast dinner for around 100 people.”

The themes provide some interesting arrangements each year and Jane is already impressed with some of the ideas from her church. “Our theme this year was chosen by our outgoing co-ordinator Ina Price. She has chosen “Inspiration – what inspires you?” and we have already had some great ideas such as mothers, the forces, a day at the river and a lovely warm fire on a cold winter’s night.”

“St Mary’s church usually raises around £5,000 each year from the flower festival, but last year topped all expectations. We managed to raise a wonderful £7,003.45 last year, which gives us a hard target to achieve this year, but we are hopeful we can do it.”

Debbie Reynolds is from St Peter and St Paul’s in Gosberton and explains the planning behind the flower festival.

“The planning work starts in September when the Flower Festival Committee meet in the Church Hall to find out what the theme will be,” says Debbie. “Our theme is chosen by Valerie Brocklehurst who is fantastic and organises the flowers in the church. She also decides what theme each arrangement will have, sends letters out to people who have done arrangements in the past, advertises for new arrangers and orders the flowers.

“We have another meeting in early February to discuss any problems that may have cropped up in the planning. Each section head knows what they have to do and just gets on and arranges everything to do with their section, including compiling volunteer staffing rotas to cover the 10 days.

“We have section heads for flowers, catering, raffle, cake stall, book stall, plants & vegetables stall, meeters & greeters, tombola, craft stalls, bric-a-brac, music & candles, advertising and sponsorship.”

For many years the churches of south Lincolnshire have decorated their buildings with wonderful flower arrangements for everyone to enjoy. This year sounds like it will be no exception.

For more information about this year’s festival, or to download a leaflet, visit the Churches Together in Spalding and District website at www.ctspad.org.ukWimbledon themed arrangement by Jane

Pearson

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Across1.Pathetic payment brings low expense initially (6)4. sound like nobleman can be praiseworthy (8)9. Pet attack (6)10. in fight, some chest rug gleams (8)12. fall over the first tear (4)13. Pound the day before Roundhead force

(5)14. 500 consumed fruit (4)17. flattering in at 1 in shredding (12)

20. in record, no Rite confused lapse (12)23. Join King idiot! (4)24. cruel feline (5)25. marathon people (4)28. attractive wizardry overpowering web (8)29. good fortune in afterthought? Does not bow (6)30. motel, tee off eggs (8)31. stage is happening including hostess (6)

Down1. flicker angle end (8)2. court procedures, topless around top of normal salary (8)3. fond of beginning of likeable american President (4)5. confirm gold, then spasm consumed (12)6. Paint evil round University (4)7. started to plead newspaper back (6)8. the spanish flat football team (6)11. feminist ail to reach the penultimate round (12)

15. cover Head of Physics is not cockney16. Heavenly theatre invester (5)18. intended south, not east, round North capital (8)19. Deep below c to the audience (8)21. a Kipling poem, personal hygiene problem crossed (6)22. topless pop star the french thrill (6)26. minehead comes before lake (4)27. feel around and run away (4)

the first correct entry to crossword No.5 to be opened on 20 march will win £25.

send to:crossword, crosslincs,edward King House,minster Yard,LN2 1PU

The editor’s decision is final.

Photocopies acceptable

Congratulations to the

winner of Prize No.4

Mr Alan Watton

from Reepham

PRIZE CROSSWORD No.5

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A H N N R I M C

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K Y T N W E S E

Answer to No.4

A churchwardenTerry Allaway is churchwarden at St Matthew’s, Skegness.

He tells us what a typical day is like.

“Today duties did start with a huge gust of wind and heavy rain which made me immediately think, ‘I had better check the area near the font’ where the roof had leaked before. It had been repaired, but had it held? Thankfully it had, but with a building 134 years old you can never be certain.

Then a quick check to make sure the drains were clear of debris, another source of problems.

Our building is a baby in this parish, but the potential problems are the same.

There was a meeting with a local electrician to discuss old outdated heating panels and what the options were for replacing them, with something modern and efficient and hopefully warmer.

Then of course there is the question of where that money might come from and if we can afford it.

I then went into the office to assist the parish secretary to prepare and print off the accounts sheet for next week’s PCC meeting.

I collected the food donated by parishioners for the Larder (the local food bank supported by the Skegness Fellowship of Churches) and took it to the distribution point.

Home for lunch, and then as we are in a vacancy at this time, I went on line to view other web sites for ideas and inspiration for the draft parish profile we are preparing.

Life is busy and hectic at times, but it is a fulfilling role that enables me to serve God. I would encourage anyone to be a churchwarden, an essential post in the Church of England, especially if you don’t want to be sitting at your fireside watching daytime television!

A day in the life of...

From your Archdeacons...


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Could you be a churchwarden?Springtime is always heralded as a time of new beginnings and new life, and in the Church it is a very important time for obvious reasons, with Lent and Easter, followed by Pentecost.

It is probably no coincidence then that this is the time we hold our annual parochial church meetings – thinking about our plans for the forthcoming year, and electing new officers, such as churchwardens.

Churchwardens are elected annually – some churchwardens stand only for one year, whereas others choose to stand for election every year and hold office for many years. The role carries great responsibility, and many people don’t realise that it is a legal position that requires a declaration to be completed, and the churchwarden to be sworn in each year at an Archdeacon’s Visitation Service. [For important detailed information on the legalities and legal responsibilities of being a churchwarden, please see the website lincoln.dioce.se/newchurchwardens ]

Some churchwardens take on the role simply to ensure the building is kept in order - preserving history and heritage for future generations - others because they enjoy the privilege of serving their church and community. It is a highly respected and multi-faceted role, covering such areas as leadership and support for parish priests and incumbents, facilitating worship, looking after the fabric and its contents, record keeping and financial matters – not that the churchwarden needs to undertake all these tasks themselves, but rather to

delegate when necessary, and ensure they are done.

Whilst the role requires great care and dedication, most churchwardens find it very rewarding. If you think you would like to play a role in what happens in your church, and to help safeguard its heritage, you may like to consider whether you could stand as a churchwarden this year.

To all our current, future and past churchwardens, we would like to offer our thanks for the incredible job you do.

Church Support Officers Daycombined with visitation services.

Thursday 7 MayPetwood HotelStixwould RoadWoodhall SpaLincolnshireLN10 6QG

Saturday 13 June

Lincoln College Monks Road

LincolnLN2 5HQ

The Venerable Martin Gray will be serving the diocese as Archdeacon of Stow and Lindsey on an interim basis, until a permanent replacement is appointed.

Bishop Christopher said, “I am delighted that Martin has agreed to join our team, and I am extremely grateful to Martin for agreeing to step into this

demanding role, and I know you will join me in welcoming him to the Archdeaconry of Stow and Lindsey.”

Martin comes to us with significant experience, having previously been Archdeacon of Lynn, and will be supported in his ministry here by the Reverends Moira Astin, Andrew Dodd and Alan Hayday.

Archdeacon Martin said, “It is a real pleasure to be here in what is a new part of the world for me, which I am looking forward to discovering.” He added that he is, “Looking forward to being able to offer help and support wherever I can over my interim period here.”

Martin has been licenced by the Bishop of Lincoln in order to undertake this role and, working approximately half time, he will remain with us until a permanent appointment to the role is made.

If you wish to make appointments with Martin, please contact Angela Wilson in the first instance on [email protected] or 01522 504089

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The Diocese of Lincoln is full of many rich and diverse cultures and religions. With so many different faiths in our county, it is important to educate children on the different cultures to build strong interfaith relationships within our communities.

The diocesan RE advisor, Gillian Georgiou, is working with schools to engage children in the subject of multi-faith, and is currently working on a project called ‘Unity in the community’.

Gillian explains the importance of education when it comes to multi-faith.

“It is a great privilege to visit many primary and secondary schools – both church and community - around the Diocese as part of my role as Diocesan RE Adviser,” said Gillian. “The staff and pupils of the schools I visit are particularly enthusiastic about and committed to exploring world faiths and investigating the ways in which they are lived out around the world today.”

Gillian and the RE department are keen to encourage such enthusiasm and in one School in Swineshead the pupils are really embracing inter-faith relations.

St Mary’s C of E Primary School, part of the Emmaus Federation, are working on a “unity in the community day”, and Gillian is looking forward to being part of it.

“It is really exciting to see the work of Swineshead St Mary’s C of E Primary School. Pupils have been working hard to produce a ‘Unity in the Community’ Day, which aims to inform local people about world religions and give them the opportunity to experience some of the sights, sounds and tastes of these faiths. This is hoped to be the beginning of a Diocesan-wide project on interfaith relationships.”

“It is impossible to understand and inhabit the modern world… without a critical appreciation of faith and, even more than that, a mature spiritual, social and cultural world view.”

It is hoped that projects like this will be set up across the diocese, enabling children, teachers and parents to explore and discover other cultures and religions, as well as equiping them with the tools necessary to recognise bias, prejudice and misinformation in the ways in which world religions appear in the media and on social media; tools which Gillian believes are important for everyone to learn.

“Church school education is focused on the development of the whole child, and understands the school community to extend beyond pupils and staff out into the wider family, church and social communities.”

The Bishop of Chelmsford, the Right Reverend Stephen Cottrell, recently stated that it is, “impossible to understand and inhabit the modern world… without a critical appreciation of faith and, even more than that, a mature spiritual, social and cultural world view.”

“We are really proud of the church schools in our Diocese for doing just that,” said Gillian. “They are shining a bright light on what can be achieved when you “welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God”.

“Unity in the community”How one church school is embracing inter-faith relationships

Gillian plans the day with pupils from

Swinehead St Mary’s School

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A youth group in a deprived area of Lincolnshire has been awarded a Silver Award in the Bishop’s Best Practice Scheme.

The Riddings Brigade was given the award for its great activities for children and providing a sustainable service to the Scunthorpe area.

The Brigade was launched in 2011 by the Diocese of Lincoln, and is organised by the Church Lads and Church Girls Brigade (CLCGB) and linked to the Church of the Holy Spirit, Riddings in the parish of Botttesford with Ashby. Its aim is to combat boredom amongst youngsters living on the Riddings estate in Scunthorpe. Children aged between 7 and 11 years of age; meet every Wednesday evening at Riddings Youth Centre on Willoughby Road and take part in a variety of activities including sports, crafts and cooking.

Karen Boothman is the leader of the group and was surprised to have been given the award. “It’s just what we do,” said Karen. “We didn’t set out to win any awards, we just wanted to provide a safe haven for the children.”

Karen believes that the Brigade is vital to the area. “The Riddings is borderline deprived, and the youth population have very little to keep them entertained. The Riddings Brigade is a positive activities group, which engages young people and gives them an outlet

to express themselves in a safe environment off the streets and out of trouble. We have good links to the local junior schools and the wider community, as well as some great church volunteers, which we simply could not do without.”

Since opening in 2011, youth crime statistics in the area have dropped year on year. In 2010-11 the number of arrests for 10-14 year olds was 206. It fell to 102 the following year, and last year it dropped further to just 52.

Karen feels that youth groups like The Riddings Brigade and her other group, Positive Activities Riddings for 11-19 year olds, have had a positive effect on the crime figures for the area. “There is nothing else for this age range to get engaged with,” explains Karen. “We run a very varied programme to cater to people of all faiths and none; and the children are asked what they would like to do and have a say in the running of the group and publicising it to other children.”

The Brigade is currently looking for further funding. They have funding for another year, but are yet to find anyone to fund them beyond that. “We have tried local funding options, but to no avail, so are currently looking to apply nationally with the help of Dave Rose from the Diocese of Lincoln Children and Youth Services (DoLCYS). Dave is a great help to us and is always there for advice and support when we need it.”

Riddings Brigade earns Silver Award

At the diocesan centre we constantly review how we can give you the best service, for the lowest price.

For many years we have delivered the prayer diary directly to those who requested it. But when we looked at the communications we deliver, and considered how we can best help grow and deepen faith and prayer in the diocese, it seemed obvious that a simplified prayer diary should be included inside each edition of Crosslincs. With a distribution of 9,500 we have the opportunity to engage many more people in the prayers for our diocese.

The prayer diary will also be available on the website, facebook and twitter each day, and downloadable for you to print from the website.

To help us deliver Crosslincs to the distribution points as quickly and as cost effectively as possible, we will be switching over to a Royal Mail 48 hour delivery service.

We would like to thank all of our distributors who have so dilligently delivered these for us in the past; we are extremely greatful for all your work.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers who take the bundles of Crosslincs, and make sure they get to their intended recipients.

Thank you

Michelle Lees Communications Officer

Delivery of Crosslincs and Prayer Diary


See the new pullout prayer diary on pages 13,14,15 and

16

It is also available via the website

www.lincoln.anglican.org

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Grant money available “Our church building needs urgent repairs - but we can’t afford it.”

A scenario familiar to many, but did you know there might be a solution?

Your church tower is in urgent need of repair; it says as much, and more besides, in your recently-delivered Quinquennial Inspection report.

The sum total of the work is £110,000 and it should have been done yesterday. You have £5000 in the PCC’s bank account which you had intended to spend on a new servery, whence you would offer warming (for your church heating system is moribund) post-Sunday service or pre-music recital coffee to congregation and community alike. That £5000 you raised and saved seems to be destined for other purposes. And this is entirely, but perhaps frustratingly, correct.

Every PCC member is a trustee of the charity that is the PCC and as such shares legal responsibility for the care of the church building or buildings under its stewardship; and while a new servery can be a tool for mission, it will not keep the church tower standing.

But there is a way for a PCC faced with such a situation to have its cake and serve it; to transform a potentially daunting, disappointing situation into one filled with opportunity.

Current funding culture, driven by the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Grants for Places of Worship (GPOW) scheme, recognises that PCCs not only

wish to keep the church building in good repair, but wish to share it with their communities. For this reason the GPOW scheme will fund heritage-focused activities such as community-led research, new interpretation (guidebooks; touchscreen facilities; displays), new church websites and lecture programmes as part of a scheme of work that addresses urgent building repairs.

The GPOW scheme will also provide an additional 15% of the total project cost (repairs plus activities) for capital works to help community engagement, i.e. serveries, lavatories, heating and lighting.

So, with the help of the Heritage Lottery Fund our hypothetical PCC with the £110,000 urgent repair bill, £5000 in the bank and dreams of a servery, now has a £140,000 project for repairs, recruitment of new volunteers, a new website, guidebook and touchscreen displays in church, plus £21,000 to spend on a new servery and an upgrade to the decrepit heating system.

As you may imagine, such a grant scheme is very competitive, so the Church Buildings Team will assist you to plan a project, application, match funding strategy and programme for delivery that will give you the best chance of success.

For more information regarding the GPOW scheme, visit the HLF website at www.hlf.org.uk and click on the “Looking for funding?” tab at the top of the page.

To discuss any repair or adaptation of your church building, please contact the Church Buildings Team on: 01522 504047 / 01522 504048 / 01522 504049

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w w w.lincoln.anglican.org

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dioceselincoln @cofelincoln

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w w w.lincoln.anglican.org

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dioceselincoln @cofelincoln

New DAC Chairman appointedThe Revd Canon John Patrick, the Subdean at Lincoln Cathedal, has been selected to succeed the Revd Canon Nick Buck in the role of DAC Chairman.

Canon John will chair the committee of specialists who advise the diocese, serving the 631 churches regularly used for

worship across the diocese.

Canon John has been involved with the diocese for 20 years including roles as vicar of Sleaford, Rural Dean of Lafford and chair of the House of Clergy for Diocesan Synod. He also has a background in church care and, in his role as Sub Dean, is charged with looking after the fabric of the Cathedral.

He feels that all of his previous experience will stand him in good stead in his new role. “I applied for the position

as I felt it was something I could contribute towards,” said John. “Hopefully I can bring my background as a parish priest and my background from the Cathedral, where I work with skilled tradesman who work with all the material which make up a church building, and apply that to make the very best of what the Church can offer.”

Canon John is also thankful for the team he has inherited and the work done by his predecessors. “We are well blessed with the people at the DAC. They are a body of people who give up their time willingly to progress the mission and ministry of churches throughout the diocese. I am also thankful for the work done by Revd Canon Nick Buck and Vice Chairman Susan Ledbetter. They have laid strong foundations upon which we can build and expand our work out into the parishes,” said John. “I also acknowledge with gratitude the work that goes on in the parishes by those un-sung heroes, who want their churches to be the heart of the community.”

If you have any questions regarding your church building, then please contact the church buildings team on 01522 50 40 46

New DAC ChairThe Revd Canon John Patrick

RECENT APPOINTMENTS

The Revd (Peter) Charles Patrick is to become Rector for the Benefice of the Horncastle Group.

The Revd Canon Nicholas John Buck is to become Vicar of the Benefice of St Giles, Lincoln.

The Revd Richard James Edward Major is to become Rector of the Benefice of Woodhall Spa Group

The Revd Susan Ann Paterson is to become Vicar of the Benefice of Deeping St James.

The Revd Jacqui Morton was licensed by the Bishop of Grimsby on 21 December as assistant priest to the benefices of Alford with Rigsby, Well, Saleby with Bessby and

Maltby, Bilsby with Farlesthorpe, Hannah cum Haganby with Markby; and the parishes of Willoughby with Sloothby with Claxby and Ulceby with Fordington

The Revd Pamela Fraser was licensed by the Bishop of Lincoln on 15 January as Rector of Asterby and Hemmingby Groups.

The Revd Paul Darbyshire resigned from his post as non-stipendary assistant curate of St. Botolph’s Church in Quarrington on 30 September 2014.

The Revd George Douglas Massey retired from his post as incumbent of the benefice of Messingham with effect 24 October 2014.

The Revd Sandra (Sandy) Brown retired from her post as Associate Priest at St George’s Church, Swallowbeck with effect 31 December 2014.

The Revd Jean May Wrisdale retired from her post as assistant curate of Fotherby parish with effect 31 December 2014.

The Revd Alan Littlewood retired from his post as Priest in Charge of the benefice of the Barkston and Hough Group and Ancaster Wilsford Group with effect from 31 December 2014.

The Revd Hugh Charles Middleton will retire from his post of Priest in Charge of the Benefice of Bracebridge and Incumbent of Bracebridge Heath St John the Evangelist with effect 31 March.

LICENSING RETIREMENT

RESIGNATION


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This is a big year for the Diocese of Lincoln and for the nation.

Lincoln was recently voted third in the top 20 ‘must visit places’ of 2015 by the Mirror newspaper, and with so much happening, it’s easy to see why.

2015 sees the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, a General Election, Diocesan and General Synod elections and in the diocese it is the Year of Discipleship with many events taking place throughout the year to promote discipleship.

Over the next couple of pages is a calendar showing the highlights and important dates for your calendar in 2015.

• 9 - 13 February – General Synod, London.

• 13 February – 7.00pm – 8.00pm Magna Carta Lecture Series: Lincoln Cathedral’s Magna Carta Abroad.

The 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, is being celebrated by a series of lectures on the historic document, to be held throughout the year, including this one hosted by The Very Reverend Phillip Buckler, Dean of Lincoln. This lecture will take place in Lincoln Cathedral’s Chapter House. • 14 February – St. Valentine’s Day

• 18 February – Ash Wednesday

• 3-10 March – HLF Applications

Early March is an opportunity to get in any Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) applications to the DAC.

• 7 - 28 March – Exploring Discipleship Days

As part of our Year of Discipleship, the discipleship team have put together a collection of regional events to support and resource people for the year ahead. The events are free of charge and open to everyone. For more information, or to download a leaflet about the days, visit www.lincoln.anglican.org/faithanddiscipleship

• 28 - 29 March - Discover Lincolnshire Weekend

There will be free entry to many of Lincoln’s attractions over this weekend, including Lincoln Cathedral. For more information visit, www.visitlincoln.com.

• 1 - 2 April – Lincoln Castle Magna Carta Experience Opening

After £22m of investment, Lincoln Castle re-opens its doors to unveil the David P J Ross Magna Carta Vault, as well as improvements to the Castle’s historic prisons and wall and a new Heritage Skills Centre.

This opening will commemorate the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, showcasing the only remaining original example of the historic document, signed at Runnymede in 1215. For more information and pricing, visit www.visitlincoln.com

• 2 April – Maundy Thursday

• 3 April – Good Friday

• 6 April – Easter Monday

• 24 May – Pentecost

• 5 May – General Elections

One of the biggest days of the year. The country will vote for the next British Prime Minister.

What’s coming up in 2015?

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Hustings are being held throughout Lincolnshire over the coming months, and we would urge you to use these opportunities to really understand what each candidate stand for.

• 15th May – Talk by Dr Rowan Williams, ‘The legacy of Magna Carta in the modern world.’

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, will be visiting St Giles’ in Langton-by-Wragby to give a talk on the legacy of the Magna Carta. This forms part of several events held at St Giles; read more on page 27

• 31 May - Trinity Sunday

• 18 - 22 June – Three Choirs Festival

A feast of English music at Lincoln Cathedral performed by three choirs and other classical performers.

The choirs of Lincoln, Peterborough and Southwell Cathedrals will come together for a feast of mainly English music over four days in June.

On Thursday 18 June there will be an opening gala evening featuring Tasmin Little, the world renowned violinist, accompanied by Australia’s most

famous pianist, Piers Lane.

• 25 June – Lincolnshire Show

A celebration of Lincolnshire’s agricultural sector. www.lincolnshireshow.co.uk • 26 June – 23 September

Lincolnshire’s Great Exhibition

From the Magna Carta, to the birth certificate of Australia and much more, the Great Exhibition is an opportunity to celebrate some of Lincolnshire’s heroes at local museums across Lincoln.

Among the historic figures celebrated are, Sir Isaac Newton, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Sir Joseph Banks, and Hugh of Wells, who was at the signing of the Magna Carta.

• 23 July – Jesus Christ Superstar at Lincoln Cathedral

Read more on page 24

• 4 - 5 July – Petertide Ordinations

• 8 July – Diocesan Synod

• 10 - 14 July – General Synod

• TBC – September – Diocesan and General Synod Elections

• 7 November – Diocesan Synod

• 29 November - First Sunday in Advent

• 3 - 6 December – Lincoln Christmas Market

Needless to say, 2015 is a packed year with loads going on across the diocese.

You can keep up to date with all the big events via our website at www.lincoln.anglican.org, where you can also advertise your own events.

You can also visit www.lincolncathedral.com and www.visitlincoln.com for more information about other events happening across Lincolnshire.

Keep up to date throughout 2015 at www.lincoln.anglican.org

There you can also sign up to our E-Bulletin for all the latest events in your area.


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How to get your church Messy

Revd Steve Johnson, the Priest in Charge of Market Rasen (Regional Coordinator for Messy Church covering theNorth East of the Diocese) explains how you can set up a Messy Church in your area.

If, like many of us, you are keen to engage with young families, then Messy Church is an ideal way to do it.

Messy Church has three essential ingredients; craft, worship and food - which can be fun for all the family.

The best way to ensure a successful Messy Church is to plan ahead. From the outset you need to understand what Messy churcn is and isn’t! Don’t worry, support is at hand from one of the Regional Coordinators1 in the Diocese, all of whom have a wealth of experience and resources.

Once you understand what Messy Church is, you need to consider what resources are needed, its venue, and how to raise the profile of this new initiative. This can involve, for example, contacting the families of those who have been baptised in the past five years, using the links you may have with schools in your area, and inviting families you know to come along.

The next step on your journey is to identify and seek volunteers from across your parish who have an interest in either doing craft, helping with the worship, or preparing the food. It is important to establish teams of people who will help in these areas (remember that for safeguarding it is recommended that you have your Messy Team DBS checked). It is these volunteers who play a vital role in the success of Messy Church.

Once you have your volunteers identified, then it is time to make sure that all fully understand Messy. Each Messy Church meeting is based around a theme, and the best way is to meet regularly for prayer, to plan the craft activities, plan the worship and organise the food. Typically you will need around ten craft activities covering ages frompre-school to year 6. When planning craft activities remember that many can be resourced by donations of unwanted and often discarded items. Such items include empty boxes, egg boxes, thread, cloth, and so on, given by the congregation who are often very willing to help. It is also important that the volunteers meet to learn about the theme and to consider how they can disciple those who come to Messy Church on their Christian journey.

Messy Church lasts about two hours. Following on from an hour of craft, everybody is involved in worship, followed by a shared meal together. From my own experience, Messy Church is the ideal way to engage with families.There are 3 very good books to give you many suggestions of themes and craft and other easy to organise activities to go with them, complete with details for the worship session and the food. There is also now a quarterty magazine “Get Messy!” which has even more themes and suggestions. Also, a member of the Lincolnshire Messy Church Team will be delighted to come and talk to you.

The very first Messy Church I set up saw the number of people attending rise quickly as word spread. For these people, Messy Church has become their church. As we begin to think about the Year of Discipleship this exciting venture is encouraging and up lifting when as a parish we previously only engaged with a few families. Underpinned by prayer, our volunteers and members journey together on their path of discipleship.

1Revd Ian Walters, Regional Coordinator (South of Diocese), 01775 [email protected]

Revd Steve Johnson, Regional Coordinator (North of Diocese), 07766411090, 01673 844770 [email protected]

Revd Julie Doddrell, Regional Coordinator (Boston and east), 01205 [email protected]

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...and for the little ones there’s a ‘mini’ version. Messy Church has become a common sight throughout the diocese and across the Church of England. It was launched in 2004 by Lucy Moore, in Cowplain near Portsmouth and has grown ever since. There are currently 2723 Messy Churches across the world; providing fun in a family friendly environment, and teaching children about Jesus Christ.

St Thomas’ church in Market Rasen has taken the concept one step further. In January they launched a new toddlers group called ‘Mini Messy Church’.

Mini Messy Church follows on from the concept of Messy Church, but aims the activities at pre-school children. Families are encouraged to come along and learn about Jesus through craft, music and play.

Revd Stephen Johnson from St Thomas’ explains the premise behind Mini Messy Church. “Each session always comprises of three distinct parts, breakfast, craft and playtime, with a Christian story and song!

“The group meets weekly, and it is an opportunity for the families of Market Rasen and the surrounding villages to come together and celebrate God through story, music and prayer.

“It’s different from an ordinary toddler group,” explains Revd Stephen, “because it’s an event for pre-school children and their carers, parents, or grandparents which will follow a particular Christian theme each week.”

St Thomas’ is home to one of the first Mini Messy Church groups in the world and it is hoped that the concept will spread and be as successful as its counterpart Messy Church.

Volunteers Sheila Lamming, Ann Court and Liz Johnson with puppet Mini, who helps to tell the stories

Competition!Easter is fast approaching and the shops are filling with chocolate eggs.

In a national poll last year, the Real Easter Egg was voted

the UK’s favourite Fairtrade egg and more than a million Real Easter Eggs were sold! And we would like to give children, courtesy of the Real Easter Egg company, a chance to win one of these delicious eggs.

We are giving away three Real Easter Eggs to the best Easter egg design sent into us. You can paint it, draw it, or even make it! Just make sure we receive your entries by 20th March by sending a picture of your Easter themed design, with your name, age and contact details to: [email protected] or

by post to : Crosslincs Easter Egg Design, Edward King House, Minster Yard, Lincoln. LN2 1PU

There are three age groups each winning one of the Fair-Trade eggs.

Group A - 4-7 year oldsGroup B - 8-11 year oldsGroup C - 12-15 year olds

We will announce the winner on March 30th via the website and our social media pages.

Good luck! The Real Easter Egg is still the only Fairtrade egg with a copy of the Easter story in each box. There is also a charitable donation for every 150g egg sold. More than £140,000 has been donated from sales. It also supports farmers and producers in the developing world by using Fairtrade chocolate, and can be purchased from major retailers.

The Real Easter Egg range for 2015

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Exploring DiscipleshipThe Diocese of Lincoln’s Year of Discipleship launched on 18 January. Throughout the year resources and guidance will be available to help us develop and grow in our relationship with Jesus.

Exploring Discipleship days

These are regional events to support and resource people and churches for the Year of Discipleship. The events will showcase a variety of speakers, ideas, stories and resources, to enable churches to develop and encourage people into faith, and deepen and grow faith further in day to day life.

This event is free of charge and open to anyone who would like to come whether lay or ordained.

Dates: (All events are a 9.30am arrival for a 10am start ending at 4pm.)

Saturday 7th March - The St Lawrence Academy, Doncaster Road, Scunthorpe, DN15 7DF

Wednesday 11th March - Leasingham Village Hall, Chapel Lane, Leasingham, NG34 8LB

Thursday 12th March - St Mary’s Church, Market Place, Long Sutton, PE12 9JJ

Thursday 19th March - Fortuna Horncastle Business Centre, Mareham Road, Horncastle, LN9 6BW

Wednesday 25th March - Grimsby Minster, St James Square, Grimsby, DN31 1EP

Saturday 28th March - St George’s Church, St George’s Square, Stamford, PE9 2BN

(Please bring a packed lunch. Drinks are provided)

To book visit the Diocese of Lincoln website

www.lincoln.anglican.org/exploringdiscipleship

or call the discipleship team on 01522 504080.

New twitter feed and blogFollowing the launch of the Year of Discipleship, we have also launched a new twitter feed and blog, so that you can follow along on our journey on the road to discipleship.

The twitter feed will feature members of the discipleship team tweeting about upcoming courses

and resources, as well as featuring fellow disciples, who are taking part this year.

The new blog will be live every Wednesday morning from 11am, so you can read about what the team have been up to each week.

So follow - @YoD_Lincolnand visit - www.yearofdiscipleship.wordpress.com

New table talk app available for Lent.

Helping us engage with Lent and Easter in a new and exciting way, Table Talk for Easter provides a safe place for people to begin to explore, articulate and engage in conversations about the big, and not so big, questions of life.

A free mobile phone ‘app’ has been developed and is available to download in time for Lent (and for those who prefer not to use phone technology, a hard copy is also available).

The Table Talk for Easter app is available free from 1 February until the end of Easter.

To find out more about these visit www.table-talk.org

Confident DiscipleshipA course to help explore discipleship in your church

Following on from the ‘Lifelong Journey’ Advent course, this five session course is designed to get the Church in Greater Lincolnshire thinking and talking about what it means to be a ‘disciple’ of Jesus Christ today.

The five sessions of the course are based around the journey that Jesus’ first disciples travelled:

Come, Follow, Learn, Change and Go.

This course can be used at any point during the Year of Discipleship.

Have you chosen your Lent course? If not, you can use the Confident Discipleship resource this lent. Downloadable from www.lentinlincoln.org or order a hardcopy from the discipleship office, 01522 504080.

Is your church running a pilgrim course for the Year of Discipleship?Please get in touch and let us know if you are.

If you would prefer a lent course based on this year’s lectionary, you may wish to look at Reflections for Lent available from Church House Publishing.

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Meet the Discipleship Team - Nick Mundy

What did you do before joining the Discipleship Team?I was a teacher of classics (Latin and Greek), mostly at Manchester Grammar School, where I was head of department, head of sixth form and then deputy head. I trained for ordination at Ripon College Cuddesdon, Oxford, and then was a curate in the Monmouth Group of Parishes. I came to the diocese last July to be Rector of South Lafford, a parish of eleven rural parishes between Bourne and Sleaford, as well as a Developing Discipleship Advisor.

Who is your favourite disciple and why?This would have to be Barnabas – partly because of his name (which means ‘son of encouragement’) and also because he was so strongly supportive of his fellow-Christians. He is described (Acts 11.24) as a ‘good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith’ – which isn’t a bad description of what a disciple should be. The story (Acts 15.36-41) about him wanting to give Mark a second chance does him great credit.

What gifts do you bring to the Discipleship Team?Obviously as a teacher, I love explaining things, especially the Bible. And I like to encourage others and always try to bring the best out of them.

What does Discipleship mean to you? I like to compare it with being on pilgrimage – it means keeping going when things are tough, and enjoying sometimes plodding on on one’s own and at other times rejoicing in the company of fellow-disciples. But above all, it’s about pressing on towards the goal of being more Christ-like – with Christ himself walking alongside to support and guide.

Tell us one random fact about yourself.I went up the Twin Towers with our daughters on 8/11 – exactly a month before they were destroyed. One daughter still has her ticket… It was the only place where they searched our bags on the whole of a two week trip to the USA.

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Lincoln Cathedral is proud to present the the West End hit “Jesus Christ Superstar” the first time the show has been fully staged in a religious venue. With a company of nearly two hundred performers and a live orchestra, this brand new production will be the experience of a lifetime, and one of the centre-pieces of the Magna Carta 800 celebrations which run throughout 2015.

Working alongside producers Ben Poole, Brad Buchanan and Production Manager Neil Martin, the Cathedral have drawn talent from across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire and are working closely with the community to give first time performers, as well as established local talent, the opportunity to be a part of this epic event,and includes students from Lincoln University.

The Cathedral are now actively seeking sponsorship for the production and invite local companies who wish to help to contact Lincoln Cathedral Event Manager Alexandra Schimmel for an information pack via email at [email protected]. With performances running from July 23rd until August 1st 2015, this strictly limited run is sure to sell out very quickly – book your tickets today to avoid disappointment. Tickets are on sale from Lincoln Cathedral at www.lincolncathedral.com

You can discover more about the production on the official web site at http://www.superstarlincoln.co.uk and follow the production on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/superstarlincoln.

Lincoln Cathedral presents four organ concertsThis year sees an exciting and varied programme of organ concerts in Lincoln Cathedral.

The dates for the concerts are:

Saturday 16 May at 7pm Jeffrey Makinson, £5.00

Saturday 30 May at 7pm Gereon Krahforst (Saarbrucken, Germany), £5.00

Sunday 21 June at 5pm Colin Walsh (Lincoln) – part of the Eastern Three Choirs Festival, £6.00

Saturday 27 June at 7pm Philippe Lefebvre (Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris), £5.00 For more information, visit www.lincolncathedral.com

Gereon Krahforst will be performing on Saturday 30 May

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The 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta has attracted a lot of attention locally, nationally and internationally. With celebrations planned across the country and the grand unveiling of the new vault in Lincoln Castle.

However, in a small, sleepy corner of Lincoln there is possibly one of the most important pieces of the Magna Carta story, with some rather big events of its own.

The small village of Langton-by-Wragby is located about 12 miles east of Lincoln city centre. As you drive along the A158, you will notice the sign stating you are in the village, but you may not even notice any of the hidden beauty without leaving the main road. If you do venture down Church Lane, you will drive past a beautiful moated farmhouse and further around the corner you will stumble upon the medieval St Giles church. So what is the significance of these buildings in the story of the Magna Carta?

The farmhouse is said to be the site where former Archbishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton, was born in 1165. Stephen Langton was a pivotal figure in the Magna Carta story and in the way we read the bible today.

During his time teaching theology in Paris, Stephen Langton was responsible for changing the order of the books in the bible and arranging them into chapters.

Pope Innocent III consecrated him as the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1207, which proved unpopular with the then King John, who refused the Archbishop entry into England.

When Stephen was once again granted entry to England, he set about his work and concern for lawful government and national justice. He was at the centre of the negotiations prior to Magna Carta between the barons and the King, and he is named as the first witness on the historic charter.

To celebrate the signing of the Magna Carta and the historically significant part Langton-by-Wragby had to play in it, St Giles’ church will be holding a number of events over the year.

The main event will take place on Friday 15th May, when the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, will give a talk entitled ‘The Legacy of Magna Carta in the modern world.’

The Revd Ann Mazur hosts a monthly Sunday service in St Giles and feels it is important for Dr Williams to speak at the celebrations. “It is a privilege to have Dr Rowan Williams come to our church to talk about the Magna Carta. Langton-by-Wragby and St Giles are pivitol to the story of the Magna Carta and it is great to have such an important figure in the modern church here to talk about it.”

“We want Dr Williams to talk about not only the past legacy of the Magna Carta, but also what the future holds. We hope that this document will be celebrated for many years to come and it is important that the legacy of democracy is passed onto future generations.”

Tickets for this event are £5 and are on sale now. To book tickets and for more information, please call 01673 858 978 or email [email protected].

A small part of Lincolnshire with a big story to tell

A window in St Giles’ church depicting the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton.

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Digging in Sodom? glen Ruffle, a devoted local christian, talks about his time on an

archaeological dig in Jordan, and the wonderful discoveries that were made...

For the last few years, as February has come round, I’ve been blessed enough to jet off to a very sunny country. While England huddles in the frost, I head to Jordan.

Jordan is the ‘other’ Holy Land. We often forget that to cross into Israel, Moses and Joshua first came through Jordan. Moses led the Israelites there, and looked across the Jordan Valley from Mount Nebo to the Promised Land.

In fact, Jordan was so attractive, Reuben and Gad – two of Israel’s tribes – decided to stay and not cross over (Numbers 32:1-5), and David’s kingdom encompassed both sides of the Jordan Valley, which today demarcates Israel and her neighbour.

Jesus too went to Jordan, being baptised on the Eastern side of the River Jordan (Matthew 3:13-17) and sending the demon-possessed swine into Lake Galilee from Gadara (Luke 8). It’s also now believed that John the Baptist was beheaded at Herod’s fortress at Machaerus, overlooking the Eastern side of the Dead Sea.

I’ve been making this journey because I was blessed with having the opportunity to take part in an archaeological dig. A group of archaeologists from Trinity South West University in Texas, USA, believe they may have found the biblical city of Sodom! The place they are digging – Tell el-Hammam – is showing material remains of the right type, of the right age, in

the right place.

Most Bible maps place Sodom at the southern end of the Dead Sea, followed by a question mark. Yet the southern location only became a valid theory in the 1800s: before then, most people placed the Five Cities of the Plain of which Sodom was a part, at the northern end.

Tell el-Hammam shows evidence of a massive Middle Bronze Age fortified city-state that came to a fiery destruction. This places it at the time of Abraham, and fits the Genesis account of a city annihilated by fire and brimstone.

If you follow the Bible’s geographical indicators for the city’s location, Sodom is where it should be. Genesis 13:3-12 places Abraham between Bethel and Ai (at the northern end of the Dead Sea) and near the Perizzites (whose territory was at the northern end).

The Hebrew word for ‘plain of the Jordan’ is Kikkar, which translates as a round loaf of bread or coin; something similar to a disk in shape. This is the rough shape of the valley where the Jordan River feeds into the Dead Sea at the northern end. The Bible states that Lot went and lived among the cities of that plain.

The discovery and archaeological work continues, and whatever the site was, it is sure to add greatly to our understanding of the ancient world.

It’s not for the faint hearted - mornings start early, and the work can be slow and heavy (you have to get used to carrying lots of heavy buckets of soil to the dumps, though paid local Jordanian workers help us do alot of the heavy work).

All of the hard work is compensated though when you find something. Sometimes it is a ‘ching’ sound as your tools hit the pottery; sometimes it is a moment when the oddly shaped stone you are digging out suddenly shows a carved form you recognise, and sometimes the object literally jumps out at you.

Much of the work is carried out by volunteers, and funding is always in short supply. But why would anyone volunteer to sweat it out in the desert, getting covered in dirt?

For me, it is about being part of a project that is literally changing history, and challenging those who write off the Bible as historical junk to think again.

Dr Steven Collins, the head archaeologist, argues that as Western culture moves further from the biblical principles it was founded on, the value of finding physical evidence for the truth of the Bible increases. We give money to charities because our culture is ingrained with the Christian teaching to love others; yet if we remove the Christian part, there is no telling what else may fall.

Helping on the dig is also a chance for volunteers to learn a a great deal, and connect with the past in a very tangible and real way. Every volunteer finds something memorable in themselves and the place - my biggest thrill from my last adventure in Jordan was having the chance to pull water out of a 3000-year-old Moabite Well in exactly the same way that people have done since the time of David, and possibly before then.

The Holy Lands really are magical places.


cRossLiNcs 27

‘What have the Romans ever done for us?’ Fans of Monty Python will know the context for the question; in the film ‘The Life of Brian’ the freedom fighters are gathered in a meeting, angry at the Roman occupation. In answer to the question there follows an almost inexhaustible list of things the Romans had done for the people and the society to which they belonged: roads, irrigation, law and order etc.

It may be that we as Christians could pose the same question relating to those of a faith other than our own. ‘What have the Jews ever done for us?’, ‘What have the Muslims ever done for us?’ and so on. The answer would be more than we can imagine, and certainly more than most would admit.

Living in a world that increasingly reflects a village, it is inevitable that we should encounter more people of a different faith than the majority of our ancestors could have ever known existed, let alone learnt from.

“We have much to gain from engaging in dialogue and much to lose by pretending we have all the answers to life’s questions”

Over the course of my thirty–year ministry I have been truly blessed by those who have come from a different tradition to my own, from a Roman Catholic Priest to a Reform Jewish Rabbi. I have come to believe, and indeed hope and pray, that at some point in the not too distant future, we will undertake the same journey that many have taken with regard to the ecumenical movement within and across the Christian denominations, but this time with those of faiths different to our own. Today we speak of Muslims

as some of our forebears in Protestantism spoke of Roman Catholics.

When I left the Methodist chapel in the coal mining community of Cannock Chase in 1984, for theological college in Manchester, I would have found it hard to believe that over the coming years I would count amongst my closest friends members of the Jewish and Islamic communities, that I would play a part in providing refuge for Muslims fleeing a Serb Christian onslaught in the Balkans, that I would speak in Synagogues, be guest of honour and the only non-Muslim in a large gathering at Eid, and be the preacher in a mosque on a Friday during Ramadan. Each of these experiences, and many more, have not devalued my Christian faith by any means, they have strengthened it, enriching my life in the process.

In recent years my heart has sunk each time I have witnessed Islamaphobic rants or the recurrence of vile anti-Semitism. These ugly features of modern society threaten to tip us once again into very dark places; extremism breeds extremism and there is no more fertile ground than an age of austerity. I have spent a lot of time studying the anti-Judaism of the Christian Church that helped lay the tracks to Auschwitz. As a Church we have still not come to terms with our own complicity in the Holocaust and we are therefore unknowingly adding to the hatred that stalks our world. There are similar traits forming through our ignorance and prejudice of other faith communities, not least those within Islam. That is not to say that the other communities have no responsibility for the divisions that are opening up, but it is to admit our own need to repent of sin.

We have much to gain from engaging in dialogue, and much to lose by pretending we have all the answers to life’s questions, or a monopoly on truth and love, we do not.

Written by Bruce Thompson - Chair of the Methodist Lincolnshire District and Chair of Methodist Friends of Judaism

“What have the Romans ever done for us?”

DeaNeRY caLeNDaR


February 20 | 10.00am - 12.00pm Coffee morning and cake sale Somerby HouseCoffee and cake at the birthplace and home of Tennyson. All welcome. Funds will be donated to the Fabric Fund of the ‘Tennyson’ heritage church of St Margaret’s, Somersby

February 30 Be a chorister for a day Lincoln CathedralBoys and girls aged 7 to 11, can join Lincoln’s internationally acclaimed choir for rehearsals, lunch and Evensong in one of the finest medieval buildings in the world.Places are limited so book your place now!For further information, ring 01522 551342 or email [email protected]

March 7 - 28Exploring Discipleship DaysA number of regional events to support and resource people for the year ahead. The events are free of charge and open to everyone. For more information visit www.lincoln.anglican.org/faithanddiscipleship

March 11 | 9.30am - 4.00pmGift of Years conferenceOld Palace HotelLincolnResourcing the spiritual journey of older people and a look at Anna Chaplaincy to Older People.Guest speaker, former BBC and ITV presenter Debbie Thrower.To book a place or for more information contact Susanna Aldred via email at [email protected]

March 21 | 7.30pm - 9.30pm Lincoln Choral Society Concert Lincoln CathedralConcert by Lincoln Choral Society performing Beethoven’s 9th (Choral) Symphony) in the Nave of Lincoln Cathedral

March 24 | 6.00pm - 7.00pm“Who wrote Magna Carta?”University of LincolnHosted by the University of Lincoln: Professor Nicholas Vincent FBA will delve into the creation of this consequential document: ‘Who Wrote Magna Carta?’ as part of the Magna Carta Lecture Series 2015.

March 28 - 29Discover Lincolnshire Weekend Entry to many of Lincoln’s attractions and activities will be free of charge during Discover Lincolnshire Weekend from 28th to 29th of March.Find out more at www.visitlincoln.com

April 1 - 2 | 10.00am - 5.00pmLincoln Castle Magna Carta vault unveilingLincoln CastleLincoln Castle re-opens its doors after a £22m investment; revealing the David P J Ross Magna Carta Vault, vast improvements to the Castle’s prisons and its walls and a new Heritage Skills Centre.

April 3 | 7.30pm - 8.30pmGood Friday Devotional ConcertLincoln CathedralLincoln Chorale perform.Free entry

April 7 | 7.30pm - 9.30pm Lincoln Theological Society lectureBishop Grosseteste UniversityThe first of Lincoln Theologial Society Lectures.The Rt Rev. Rt Hon.Lord Rowan Williams will give a lecture; Centenarians,Teresa of Avila and Thomas Merton.Tickets £5 including wine or juice and parking if room available in advance from Unicorn books (Lincoln Market) and Lincoln Minster Shop and on the door

April 7 | 6.30pm 1549 EvensongSt Giles Church, Langton-by-Wragby1549 Evensong sung by Lincoln Record Society as part of Langton-by-Wragby’s Magna Carta celebrations

April 17 | 7.30pm Swayfield Village HallApril 19 | 4.00pmCorby Glen Church Street Rooms“The Jesus Story musical”The Jesus Story Musical was written by Revd Richard Rice-Oxley, a retired priest in Swinstead. It is a musical journey through the birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ with a linking narration. New members of the choir are warmly welcomed. Please contact the Musical Director Janet Roberts 01476 550374 for more information and rehersal times

April 17 - 19 | 10.00am - 4.00pmThe Spark Festival Lincoln CathedralLincoln’s most precious engineering masterpiece, the Cathedral, hosts a celebration of the city’s engineering heritage.Bring your families and take part in have-a- go activities, meet today’s en-gineers and technologists, and find out about career and study opportunities with world leading organisations based in and around Lincoln.Free entry. For more information visitwww.lincolncathedral.com

April 22 | 7.00pm - 8.00pm An evening with Lord JanvrinLincoln CathedralTalk by Lord Robin Janvrin, former Private Secretary to HM The Queen

April 25 - May 4South Holland Flower FestivalChurches from around South Holland will be decorating their buildings with wonderful flower arrangements.Catering provided. For more information see page 7


Documents

Crosslincs Mar/Apr edition 2015