THE BRIDGE Hearts on Fire - Anglican Diocese of Southwark Bridge/September 2016.pdf · Hearts on Fire The Diocese of Southwark Cathedral funeral ... by great-grandchildren. Having

Newspaper of the Anglican Diocese of Southwark Vol.21 No.7 September 2016

Inside THE BRIDGE ...this month

THE BRIDGE

Follow the Diocesan Blog: ‘Hearts on Fire – sharing God’s Good News in Southwark Diocese’ - http://southwarkcofe.tumblr.com/

Heartson Fire

The Diocese of Southwark

Cathedral funeral for ‘Man of History’

The Dean of Southwark, The Very Revd Andrew Nunn, led the service, describing Sam as a ‘man of history’. Tributes were read by friends, family and colleagues - and dignitaries including The Rt Hon Harriet Harman MP.

Several generations of the extended King family were involved. His son, the Revd Michael King, gave the eulogy. There was a sermon from grandson-in-law Pastor Alton McDonald and musical tributes and readings by great-grandchildren.

Having served in the RAF, Sam King returned to Britain in 1948 on the Empire Windrush and settled in Southwark in 1953. Amongst other things, he helped organise what would eventually become the Notting Hill Carnival and to establish the fi rst black British Newspaper, the West Indian Gazette.

He went on to become the fi rst black Mayor in the London Borough of Southwark and, during his mayoral year brought Songs of Praise to Southwark Cathedral – the fi rst time a gospel choir was featured on the programme.

He received the MBE in 1998, the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush and received the Freedom of the Borough of Southwark.

Building ‘Digital Futures’ in WaterlooA new charity, The Bridge at Waterloo, has been running digital boot camp to help get some of Lambeth’s unemployed into technology.

Called ‘DIGITAL FUTURES’, the free, 4-week digital boot camp taught coding, digital marketing and web and app building skills.

Funded by the Walcott Foundation, the course was put together with the help of Citizens UK and the Good Jobs Campaign.

The Bridge at Waterloo, was created by St John’s Church

with the aim of helping young people in Lambeth fi nd work in an area of high youth unemployment.

Fourteen students embarked on the course in July. Aged (mostly) between 18 and 30, they came from all walks of life. Kellyanna is a single mum hoping to forge a career using digital skills; Charlie, unemployed, dreams of fi nding work in special effects; Cornell would like to start his own business.

The course was held at St Andrew’s Church, Short Street

and the tutor was Alasdair Blackwell, an award-winning web developer.

After the course, St John’s is helping the students fi nd work placements. Organisations offering placements include Tech City UK and the National Theatre.

Canon Giles Goddard, Vicar of St John’s Waterloo commented: “This is the charity’s fi rst project - part of our redevelopment plans for St John’s, where we soon hope to build a state-of-the-art education centre”.

On Tuesday 19 July Southwark Cathedral was fi lled with people both mourning and celebrating the life of Sam King MBE, who died aged 90 on 18 June.

Centre pages...Who does what in the Church of England?

Cofe Schools celebrate A Level results - pages 4 & 10

Parish Profi le - St Paul w St Saviour Brixton - page 11

Bringing communities together - pages 12-13

And pages of news from the parishes

Page 15

2 THE BRIDGE...September 2016

Editorial Advisory Board:

Christopher Skilton (Chair)

Adeline Cole

Carol Coslett

Roxanne Hunte

Betty Percival

Wendy S. Robins (Secretary)

Dr Jane Steen

Tom Sutcliff e

The Bridge is on the web at : www.southwark.anglican.org

is produced & published by Kent Christian Press for Communications and Resources on behalf of The Diocese of Southwark, Trinity House, 4 Chapel Court, Borough High Street, London SE1 1HWTel: 020 7939 9400 Fax: 020 7939 9468e-mail: [email protected]

THE BRIDGE

Managing Editor: Wendy S. Robins (Communications & Resources)

Editor: Bryan Harris (Kent Christian Press)

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THE BRIDGESOUTHWARKSOUTHWARKPEOPLEPEOPLE

The OCTOBER edition is due to be printed on 29 SEPTEMBER and in your parish from the following Sunday. Material for that edition must be with Wendy S. Robins at Trinity House by MONDAY 19 SEPTEMBER. Space limitations mean that we cannot guarantee to publish everything we receive and material may be edited.The editorial team will assume that all photographs submitted for publication come to us with the necessary permission for printing. So, please ensure that people are happy for their photographs to be submitted before you do so. A form for permission for the use of photographs of children and adults who may be vulnerable can be found at www.southwark.anglican.org/what/diocesan-policies-procedures

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The institution and induction of the Revd Gill O’Neill took place with great rejoicing at St John the Evangelist, East Dulwich, on Tuesday 19 July. Bishop Christopher presided and Gill was presented by Bishop Humphrey Southern of Cuddesdon College. The music was led by John Webster, musical director of St John’s, and the choirs of St John’s and All Saints, West Dulwich, Gill’s previous parish.Pictured left to right: Joy Taylor (Churchwarden), Revd Alistair McCulloch (Assistant Priest), Bishop Christopher, Gill O’Neill, Bishop Humphrey, Anne Clarke (Assistant Priest), and Rachel Mills (Churchwarden).

The Revd Kevin Scott (Vicar of St John the Baptist, Malden) completed the Prudential 100 Mile Ride London event on 31 July raising money for the Mothers’ Union of which he is Southwark Diocesan Chaplain.

Readers celebrated at Kingswood

At a Service of Thanksgiving for Reader Ministry at St Andrew’s, Kingswood, on Sunday 24 July, Barbara Smith and Stella Gritten were both made Reader Emeritus.

Ray Wheeler, Croydon Area Warden for Readers, presented them with Certifi cates (above). He had been invited to preach by the Revd Christine Colton on the 150th Anniversary of Reader Ministry.

He emphasised that Barbara and Stella had been faithful ministers of the Gospel in Kingswood over many years, including before they were licensed as Readers together in 1998.

Stella, a Lancashire lass from Southport, had also ministered as a SPA (Southwark Pastoral Auxiliary) and brought her

faith to her work as a Deputy Manager for the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Barbara came from Oxford and had undertaken missionary work in Africa when younger. She became a local authority social worker and later worked within Southwark Diocese with Welcare.

Stella has continued the Reader tradition in her family with her son-in-law, Robin Hollington, now in Reader training! Robin acted as liturgical deacon for the service.

Afterwards celebrations continued with the cutting of a cake made for the occasion.

Its all about teamworkI don’t know about you but I am fascinated by the Olympics. I was on leave for most of the Games and so actually saw very little live but then when we got back – for the last two days of competition – I couldn’t stop watching.

The amazing feats that people manage never cease to leave me open mouthed and breathless. I have discovered that I love to watch taekwondo and really wish to be younger and taller so that I could take it up.

But, coming back and watching, one of the things that struck me most was the way in which almost every athlete gave credit to those who had helped them with funding - and especially with their training and diet and fi tness. They really wanted to acknowledge that what they achieved – whether it was a medal or not – was very much a team eff ort. They could not have done it without those behind the scenes who helped and motivated and fed and looked after them. No one person was responsible… it was the result of the work of a great many people.

It’s the same with our churches and it is important that we acknowledge this too.

Our Vicars, incumbents, Team Rectors, Curates and Assistant Priests, Readers and Southwark Pastoral Auxiliaries (SPAs) may have the acknowledged, often up front, roles but the work of our Treasurers, Churchwardens and PCC members help to ensure that the church keeps going so that these up front roles might be undertaken.

That’s why our centrespread this month sets out not only to explain the diff erence between some of the ordained roles which seem to be the same but have diff erent names but also to talk a little about those all important roles which church members undertake.

The Churchwardens, Treasurers, PCC Secretaries and PCC members - as well as those who help to clean our churches or arrange the fl owers and serve the coff ee - are the unsung heroes who work graciously and quietly in the background to ensure that the worship and evangelism of our churches is undergirded.

So, just as our Olympians did, let’s give thanks for all that is achieved in our churches and work together to make sure that we value all contributions – no matter how small or hidden or big and up front!

Wendy S Robins

THE BRIDGE...September 2016 3

After six months of meeting, training and planning, representatives of a number of churches in the Reigate Deanery held their fi rst service of healing and wholeness.

Sonya and Chris Barrow write:

The service was hosted by All Saints’, Merstham and led by the Revd Mark Pullinger. It followed a liturgy devised by the team at All Saints’ and was supported by a choir with music ranging from moving hymns through Taizé choruses to new songs.

Overall the healing presence of God was experienced not only in the welcoming space where we were seated in the round, but

also in the peace and order of the service. Time was made for people to go to one of three stations for prayer and anointing with oil. There was no need to speak a word; the prayers used encompassed all that one might have on one’s heart. The peace of God was tangible. We were also invited to light a candle to signify our prayer and this act was very moving. The service ended with a simple sharing of bread and wine as we remembered our Lord who has made all this possible.

The next service will be held at St John, Redhill on the 20 November at 5.30 pm. If you are interested in being part of this initiative either as a musician or in another capacity contact Chris Elliott: [email protected]

“I feel the important aspect of Leading Your Church into Growth is the sense it gives that change is possible.”

So says Jeff Richards, a Reader in Sutton Team Ministry, having completed Southwark Diocese’s Leading Your Church into Growth courses earlier this year.

In all, some 100 people attended the training, which is based on a successful format pioneered 25 years ago in an inner-city church in Bradford. Feedback has been so positive said the course leader the Revd Canon Dr Stephen Hance that the programme is being offered again starting on 19 September. The course consists of 10 classes, each on a Monday evening, once a month, from 7pm-8.15pm.

“It’s suitable for churches of all types, all sizes, and all traditions,” he says. “All that is required is a desire to grow.”

Over the course of 10 evenings, Canon Hance and guest speakers will take participants through different aspects of church life and explore the ways in which making small changes could lead to growth in both numbers and faith.

The emphasis is on fi nding solutions that will work for each church rather than trying to adapt a one-size-fi ts-all model – and on putting those solutions into practice.

Everyone is welcome but Canon Hance is particularly keen to encourage churches to send teams along. Not only does it help to share ideas with someone familiar with your church’s particular situation,

but it also helps to share the responsibility – building growth is challenging.

Canon Hance says: “Our mission as a church is to grow – in numbers, in faith and in connection with the local community. The course can

help you in that vital mission. Why not sign up and give it a go?”

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Bishop Jonathan joined members of Christ Church, at a service to mark the 25th Anniversary of the current church building on Sunday 5 June. The church was completed in April 1991 on the site of a Victorian church which closed in 1978 with structural problems.

Mums and Babes celebrate 35 yearsOn 13 July St Francis Horley Mums and Babes celebrated 35 years of continuous support to the local community with a special Toddler Service of Thanksgiving, followed by a Teddy Bears Picnic. Great fun was had by all including older generations and previous helpers.

Mums and Babes was set up in 1981 by two mums from St Francis Church who recognised the need for young families to meet. Currently it is run by a core of fi ve volunteers who set up the hall, welcome the families, help them settle in, introduce them to other people and provide refreshments. They arrange monthly Toddler Services in the church and other activities throughout the year.

The group has been recognised for their service to the community and at a reception on 23 September are to receive the Mayor’s Annual Volunteer Award for 2016.


Women and the Critical MassRev Alyson Peberdy, Dean of Women

It’s now 22 years since the fi rst ordinations of women as priests in the Church of England and two years since legislation was passed for the consecration of women as bishops.

So it’s a good time to review how things are for women clergy here in Southwark.

And, in particular, to ask if we are approaching the critical one third widely said to be a sign that an organisation really wants to draw on the gifts of women as well as men and establish a ‘women friendly’ culture.

Recently the Church of England made available annual statistics for 2012-2015 which allow us to see how things are developing. Looking fi rst at incumbents (Vicars/Rectors) and those of ‘incumbent status’ (Priests in Charge), there has been a small, gradual, increase

with 19% of such posts held by women in 2012, 21% in 2013, 23% in 2014 and 24% in 2015.

So we have reached a quarter but not the ‘critical’ one third. Monitoring enquiries about vacancies and formal applications, Woolwich Area noticed that most women requesting a parish profi le do not then apply.

Is there something about the way parish profi les are written that is more attractive to men than women?

To avoid this possibility St Albans Diocese has adopted a policy of using women friendly language, ‘What Language Should we Use?’. I hope we can do so too.

Senior postsDuring that same period, 2012-2015, in Southwark Diocese we have had one female Archdeacon and fi ve male Archdeacons, though by the end of 2016 there will be two women archdeacons (33%).

At present none of our four Bishops is female and

neither is the Cathedral Dean, though ‘Cathedral Other’ (residentiary Canons, not including Doorkins the cat) is a healthy 50% female. The CofE stats don’t record the number of Area Deans but our 2015 Diocesan Directory lists fi ve women amongst the 26 Area Deans and the 2016 Directory an increase to six. So nearing a quarter but not quite.

The picture is different for self-supporting (unpaid) ministers where roughly half are female; 49 % in 2012, 55% in 2013, 48% in 2014 and 48% in 2015). And women comprise about 40% of stipendiary curates.

So, overall, whilst in some areas things are gradually moving towards the crucial 33%, in others, namely incumbents, Area Deans and Bishops, there is still some way to go.

[email protected]

•

•

Best ever A level results for St Saviour’sSt Saviour’s and St Olave’s School has had its best ever A level results.

For the fi rst time, close to 60% of grades achieved by students were at A* to B. Against the national picture of a reduction in top grades, 30% of grades were either A* or A. There was a 99% pass rate.

Many students will go on to study at Russell Group or former 1994 Group Universities. They include Chloe Lennon (A*A*A), who will take up a place at Goldsmith’s, Sharon Darkwa (A*AA) who will study Medicine, Natasha Basham

(A*AC) who will study Veterinary Science whilst Precious Ogu (A*AB) will take up a place at university in Connecticut, USA,.

They are joined in the photo below by Bea Pearson, Tumi Adebimpe and Bolu Soyebo, who achieved top grades in all their subjects (AAA).

In addition, a number of students made exceptional progress between GCSE and A Level and the overwhelming majority achieved places at their fi rst choice university. Eight students received unconditional offers. A small number of students used the clearing system.

Headteacher, Catherine

May, said: “I am absolutely delighted with these results. Our girls are going to study at top universities, in the UK and abroad, and are accessing great opportunities in the world of work.

“This refl ects their hard work, the commitment of their teachers and the support of their families”.

Head of 6th Form, John Breslin added: “This confi rms my belief that whether you are aiming for the best universities or the most prestigious industry placements, St Saviour’s girls have shown that with hard work and commitment, you can achieve these goals”.


The Diocesan Synod met on Wednesday 6 July at St John’s Waterloo.

The meeting was opened in prayer by the Venerable Dr Jane Steen, the Archdeacon of Southwark.

At the request of the Bishop Christopher, Bishop Jonathan announced the appointment of the new Archdeacon of Reigate, Canon Moira Austin who is currently Vicar of Frodingham and New Brumby in the Diocese of Lincoln.

Bishop Christopher said that he was delighted that the Diocesan Secretary, Ruth Martin, had accepted his invitation to become a Lay Canon of Southwark Cathedral and would be installed with other new Canons on 19 September.

His Presidential Address looked back on 2015 as a year of great achievement and great change. Listing some of these changes the Bishop noted that ‘now, more than ever in this Diocese we need to live the Christian story.’ He spoke of the grants approved to Welcare and the Board of Education and the creation of the Department of Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation which will focus on the common good.

Detailing some of the focus of this work the Bishop moved the motion to accept the Annual Report. This was approved with one vote against.

2015 AccountsGerald Allison, the new Chair of the Board of Finance, presented the 2015 Accounts. John Kempsell, the outgoing Chair, had presented them to the Diocesan Council of Trustees.

He noted that there were some differences in the ways that the fi gures were presented

for 2015 compared with the 2014 accounts which was in order to make the 2015 fi gures align with SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice).

Gerald said that it is good to note that the 2015 fi gures showed a net income of £600,000 after eight years of defi cits. This was largely due to the pause in the existing property strategy which is being reviewed. The review was well underway. It was likely to lead to further benefi ts in 2016 and onwards which is positive

as Brexit had led to some uncertainty.

There were no questions so Gerald Allison then moved the motion that Synod receive the accounts which carried unanimously.

The Accounts and Statement of Financial Activities can be found at http://bit.ly/2b0aol5 The Annual Review will be sent to all parishes but can be found at http://bit.ly/2bmIWBU

EducationColin Powell, the Diocesan Director of Education, gave his biennial report of the work of the Board to the Synod.

He started by saying that it is a privilege to be the Director of Education. Speaking of the rich diversity of the schools in the Diocese he noted that the Board is unique in working with 12 local authority areas and that chaplaincy work in Diocesan schools and colleges is going from strength to strength. He noted that the Board has a small staff who are proud of their stated purpose of ‘Developing Church of England Education’.

Turning to statistics, Colin said that 92% of Diocesan schools are rated good or better by OFSTED and of these 36% of schools are rated outstanding; there are 16 building expansion projects; 49 building projects and 37,000 pupils. The Board, he said, is doing more and more with the same resources. In looking at opportunities for growth the Board needs to get better at

opening new schools so that we open 10 secondary schools over the next 10-15 years, he said.

Bishop Jonathan then proposed the development of a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) as a way to help make this happen. Southwark Diocese is one of the last to do this and has learned from what others have already done. The MAT would be a separate legal organization.

It preserves the strengths of the Voluntary Aided status of schools but it requires investment and the Diocese has already set aside £800,000 in ‘liquid funds’ for the Board of Education to use when needed. The Diocesan Secretary, Ruth Martin, then gave the technical detail on this.

Nine people spoke in the debate which followed and Colin Powell answered their questions. The motion to support the development of the MAT and establish an educational development fund was unanimously carried.

CommunicationsThe Venerable John Kiddle then spoke to the paper concerning the proposed strategic review of communications. He said that in some ways communication is very simple but it is a noisy world and it is often diffi cult to decide what should be communicated by whom and using what means.

As a result, he explained, he was going to Chair an advisory group looking at

communications in order to help to decide what the Diocese would like to be able to communicate and in what ways and what was possible within the resources available.

Vacancy in SeeThe Revd Canon Stephen Roberts spoke to his paper concerning the Vacancy in See Committee which laid out the way in which the membership was formed. There are vacancies on the Committee and it is important that they are fi lled. He said that nomination papers for the Committee would be sent to members of Diocesan Synod in July.

He also reported that Mrs Elizabeth Simon and the Revd Nicholas Elder had indicated their willingness to serve another term on the Diocesan Advisory Committee and as there had been no other nominations they were duly appointed.

Finally Two questions were asked, the fi rst concerning the percentage of female incumbents in post and how we encourage young women to pursue a calling. A full answer was provided by the Diocesan Director of Ordinands.

The second question, on the constitutional status of the Board of Education, its Trustees and aims etc, was answered by the Chair of the Board, Bishop Jonathan.

The meeting closed with Compline.

Wendy S Robins

DIOCESAN SYNODREPORT

The July Diocesan Synod was the first opportunity for Synod members to meet and hear from the new Chair of the Southwark Diocesan Board of Finance, Gerald Allison. Gerald Allison is a Chartered Surveyor and is a Senior Director of property advisors Cushman and Wakefi eld.

He has given strategic property advice to the Church Commissioners since 1992, advised on the re-location of Whitelands

College to the University of Roehampton as well as the transition of the former Royal Naval College Greenwich to contemporary use whilst retaining the Chapel for Anglican worship.

He is particularly interested in urban renewal, and residential development and investment. A lifelong Anglican, Gerald worships in the Putney Team Ministry.

He said, “I am delighted to support the mission of the Diocese of Southwark in this diverse, changing and vibrant part of London and the South East of England at such an exciting time as London, especially south of the River, faces many challenges that are matched by great opportunity especially for ministry”.

The Board also has a new Vice Chair - Carl Hughes.Mr Hughes had a long and distinguished career in fi nance. He retired in 2015 as a vice chairman and senior audit partner of Deloitte where he served as the senior audit partner for the Church Commissioners, the

Archbishops’ Council and St Paul’s Cathedral as well as leader of Deloitte’s energy and resources business globally.

A member of Wandsworth, All Saints w Holy Trinity, Carl was elected to represent Southwark Diocese on General Synod in 2015.

He said “My previous experience has provided me with a unique insight into the workings of our Church and the National Church Institutions, as well as an informed perspective of some of the fi nancial, operational and organisational challenges which the Church faces today”.

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For the fi rst time since World War II, the bells of Southwark Cathedral are silent – in fact they’re not there! But they’ll be back in the New Year after a £200,000 restoration.

The church that is now Southwark Cathedral was founded as an Augustinian Priory in 1106. Seven bells were installed after the construction of the Tower, which began in 1310. In 1424, the bells were recast and another was added in celebration of the marriage of James I of Scotland.

In 1734, the eight bells were recast again into a heavy ring of twelve, and hung in an oak bell frame,thus becoming the sixth heaviest peal in England. A thirteenth bell was added in May 2005. The tower contains a fourteenth, the St Peter’s Bell which serves as the service bell for all the daily services in the Cathedral when the full peal is not being rung – and will cope

‘bell-fully’ until the main peal returns.

It was previously thought that the bell frame was installed in the tower in 1734, however a recent report indicates that it is older and was adapted in 1734 to accommodate the twelve bells.

The frame and fi ttings have been well maintained but owing to the design and age of the installation the bells are becoming very diffi cult to ring, even by very experienced ringers. This is having a considerable impact on bell ringing at the Cathedral. The Cathedral Society of Bell Ringers has a tradition of nurturing young ringers, however the bells are now too diffi cult for the practice required and ringers from parishes are reluctant to take their part in ringing the bells because of the challenges.

During the past year, Southwark Cathedral Society of Bellringers and the Southwark Cathedral Development Trust have worked together to raise funds to restore the Cathedral bells and the frame. The generous support of a number of donors means that this work is now being carried out.

The last time the bells were out of the tower was during WWII, when they were removed for safekeeping. They

were returned in 1947. A lot of redevelopment work has taken place in the cathedral since then.

The largest of the bells is nearly two metres in diameter and weighs 2.5 tonnes. It doesn’t fi t through the ‘new’ porch around the south-west door; the parish door isn’t wide enough; and the north-west door would involve negotiating steps up to Lancelot’s Link.

Luckily, a walk around the cathedral with a tape measure proved that it would fi t through the door in the south transept and from there the bells can be lifted over the churchyard railings using a crane.

With the assistance of John Taylor & Co, the bell foundry in Loughborough who are

undertaking the rest oration, the bells have been removed from the tower and taken away to be repaired. The return of the refurbished bells and frame is expected to be in early January 2017.

The Dean of Southwark, Andrew Nunn, says: “For centuries the tower of Southwark Cathedral was the tallest structure on the south bank of the Thames, and its bells rang out above the noise of revellers and traders alike. Now the tower stands proud amongst taller buildings but the bells continue to ring.

“After this once in a century ‘MOT’ they will ring even more clearly and be rung even more easily to thrill hearts and draw people to worship in this holy and ancient place.”

Cathedral bells undergoing ‘once in a century’ restoration

Do you blog?A blog is an online personal journal or diary - your personal website that you can update on an ongoing basis.

Originally blogs were primarily places for people to write about their day-to-day activities and their mundane, everyday tasks.

Today people (and organisations) ‘blog’ about far more interesting topics and today’s blogs can provide up-to-date news, technical information, celebrity scandal, political rumour and much much more.

The Diocese has its own blog - ‘Hearts on Fire – sharing God’s Good News in Southwark Diocese’ - http://southwarkcofe.tumblr.com/

Among the topics ‘blogged’ in recent months is a report by the Revd Katy Hacker-Hughes on the recent Woolwich area visit to Zimbabwe; The Dean, Andrew Nunn’s refl ects on

visiting Wandsworth Prison; Theophilia Shaw, Public Policy Research Offi cer writes about the plight of refugees and the Revd Anna Macham, reports on the Global Leadership Summit at Willow Creek Community Church.

So even if you don’t blog yourself, why not visit http://southwarkcofe.tumblr.com/ and fi nd out what others are doing.

Look out for the Diocesan Facebook page too www.facebook.com/southwarkCofE and the Diocesan Twitter stream https:://twitter.com/southwarkCofE


Prom Praise for SchoolsSchools in the Diocese are invited to be part of an All Saints Orchestra interactive, music project which will culminate in a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. The project will explore the Parable of the Lost Son through song, dance, classical music and, new for 2017, beatbox!

In the run up to the Royal Albert Hall event on 21 March 2017, there will be many opportunities for the schools to engage with the project on a deeper level. A detailed Teachers’ Resource Pack will include the songs to learn, but also specially commissioned videos and lesson plans - to enable every child to participate and remember the experience more vividly.

Members of the All Souls Orchestra will also visit schools to bring a music education element to this wonderful project.

To register or fi nd out more visit: www.allsoulsorchestra.org/pp4schools or call 020 7935 7246.

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‘Next year in Jerusalem’Members of the Jewish community will often say ‘Next year in Jerusalem’ as they look forward to being in the city that is at the heart of their faith and community. The Very Revd Andrew Nunn

But it’s a saying that has entered into more general usage. Well in fact it’s not so much ‘next year’ but the year after, 2018, that the Diocese of Southwark will once again be on pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

In 2013 Bishop Christopher and I fi rst led a Diocesan Pilgrimage to the Holy Land and this was repeated earlier this year as over 80 people from across the Diocese made the journey with us. It was an amazing experience and I say that as one who has been to the Holy Land on many occasions.

But my experience of pilgrimage is that, though you might be seeing the same places again, you are seeing them through fresh eyes and with new friends. We see the

holy places not just with our own eyes but through the eyes of those with whom we travel.

This month booking opens for the next pilgrimage that Bishop Christopher and I will lead. This will take place in the Holy Land from 19-27 February 2018.

It seems a long way off, but in fact it isn’t. When a booking is made you are asked to pay a deposit to secure your place; the balance is not required until closer to the time we travel. But a good lead in time gives us all the chance to plan and save.

Pilgrimages to the Holy Land are inevitably always the same. We want to take pilgrims to the sites where the most important

events in Our Lord’s life and ministry took place. These are to be found in Jerusalem itself and the surrounding area and further north in Galilee. However, though basically the same we always like to include something different and we are hoping to be able to do that on this occasion.

We love travelling with old friends but we also hope that many people who have never been on pilgrimage to the Holy Land before will choose to do so in 2018. I am not exaggerating when I

tell you that for many people the journey is a life changing as well as faith changing experience. You never read the gospels in the same way again, you never think of Israel and Palestine in the same way again and having the chance to meet the ‘living stones’, the local Palestinian and Israeli Christians who are the ongoing, living church in the region, is humbling.

Bishop Christopher and I encourage you to pray about it and would love to be able to travel with you. You might open our eyes to something new in the place, forever old and forever new, where Jesus Christ walked.

Lord Jesus, you set the hearts of your friends on fi re as they walked the road with you. Bless us as we prepare for our journey that we may know you as companion, host and guide now and always. Amen.

The price will be £1545 per person sharing a twin room, full board accommodation at Golden Walls for 4 nights, Ron Beach for 3. Gratuities included in this price. There are a limited number of single occupancy rooms at a supplement of £445.

Bishop Christopher writes:It is always very moving to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and especially to lead people from the Diocese as they travel together around the holy sites. There is so much to see and experience and learn together. St Jerome said: ‘Five gospels record the life of Jesus. Four you will fi nd in books and the one you will fi nd in the land they call Holy. Read the fi fth gospel and the world of the four will open to you.’ I want to invite you all to come and know this for yourselves whether you are new to the Holy Land or have been many times before; there are always new sights and sounds to refl ect upon. It changes how you read the gospel story and by visiting the Holy Land we are standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters there too.Come, you won’t regret it!

8 THE BRIDGE... September 2016

Dioceses are divided into Parishes and Bishops appoint clergy to look after Parishes within their Dioceses. Modern Parishes are small in geographical terms in comparison to the past. In the seventh and eighth centuries, before the Reformation, Parishes were large and generally consisted of monastic lands. Lords of Manors and other barons didn’t like being told who their clergy were by Abbots, so they started to build Chapels on their lands, getting their tenants to pay Tithes to the clergy to enable them to

survive. In this way they became Patrons.

Today every Parish still has a Patron, with the legal responsibility of presenting a candidate to the Bishop for institution to the Benefi ce as Incumbent (Rector or Vicar). It could be the Diocesan Bishop, the Archbishop, the Bishop of another Diocese, the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral of this (or another) Diocese – even the Vicar or Rector of another parish.

A group of lay people can be Patrons, or a single named individual, or an organization such as CPAS or a College, usually of Oxford or Cambridge. Very occasionally, churchwardens hold the patronage. Some parishes have more than one patron who act alternately, or together (Patronage Board).

If the Bishop is the Patron, they also effectively appoint – although these days that is often done through an open and advertised process. The Parish has the right to two representatives who may veto the choice. If the Bishop is not the Patron, (s)he is not necessarily obliged to institute the Patron’s candidate, though there are few grounds on which (s)he can categorically refuse.

Historically the Rector of a Parish was the person with the right to the Tithes and his job (it always was a “him”) was the spiritual oversight of the church and community. Sometimes, the Tithes were appropriated – Patrons would keep them and appoint a Vicar (from the Latin ‘vicarius’ meaning ‘substitute’) instead of a Rector. The Vicar only kept the ‘small tithes’, the ‘greater tithes’ going to the appropriator. Nowadays there is no difference between a Rector and a Vicar.

The Parish to which Rectors or Vicars are appointed are also termed Parochial Benefi ces, or Benefi ce for short. The term signifi es a grant of land for life, (a ‘benefi cium’) given as a reward for services. Today, the Parish and the Benefi ce are NOT necessarily identical: it is possible to have several Benefi ces in one Parish, or to have several Parishes in one Benefi ce. (This means that the Rector/Vicar will have to attend - and Chair - all the PCCs). Parochial Benefi ces today come in the form of rectories and vicarages and is thus the origin of the Freehold. ‘Freehold’ has become a part of the history of the Church of England since Common Tenure came into being on 1 February 2011.

Common TenureFor years, people worried about the difference between Freehold clergy, who were almost immoveable until they turned seventy, and licensed clergy, who could be dismissed at the Bishop’s pleasure.

There was concern that holding clergy to account, or indeed even knowing what they were supposed to do, was not easy. In the 1990s the government indicated it

wished these so-called ‘atypical workers’ to be given better tenure, including Section 23 rights under the 1999 Employment Relations Act (not including the right not to work on Sundays), a clear expectation of services to be rendered, and a Capability Procedure. This led to the Ecclesiastical Offi ces Measure, 2010. Those with Freehold were invited to surrender it in return for Common Tenure rights and responsibilities. Those in licensed posts on 31 January 2011 and all clergy appointed after 1 February 2011 now hold offi ce under Common Tenure.

Given the information about a benefi ce, it is not surprising that the conventions governing parochial appointments come from assumptions about property and not from anything like what we now know as employment law. To this day, clergy are not employees unless they take up a post which is under a contract of employment rather than Common Tenure.

The Church of England is ‘by law established’ which means that it is regulated by Acts of Parliament – which, in the case of the Church, are known as Measures. The Measures which regulate parochial benefi ces and associated matters of

appointment are principally the Mission and Pastoral Measure (2011), the Patronage (Benefi ces) Measure (1986) and the Ecclesiastical Offi ces (Terms of Service) Measure, 2009.

The principle clergy posts in the Church of England are:Rector/VicarThe Rector or Vicar of the parish is the incumbent of the benefi ce: that is, in former times, the person to whom the grant of land was given (the so-called temporalities) in return for services rendered (called spiritualities, because the services are spiritual ones pertaining to the cure of souls). Nowadays they don’t get a fi eld to till - incumbents in a Diocese receive a stipend as well as housing and other benefi ts.

Priest-in-ChargeA Priest-in-Charge is appointed and licensed to a parish when the presentation to the living (or benefi ce) has been suspended by the Bishop. There can be many reasons for this. It may be because the vicarage needs rebuilding or replacing or because the Bishop is trying to bring two or more parishes together.

Who does what in tDo you ever find yourself being a bit bewildered about the various titles that are given to our priests in their roles in our parishes? Are there times when you just wish that it was all much simpler and easier to work out which role was related to which role and in what way? A number of people have written to the Bridge asking us to explain the various roles. So below the Venerable Dr Jane Steen, Archdeacon of Southwark, explains some of the titles and expressions in the Church of

England with which we are familiar today. We hope this will help you to get to grips with the various different names which priests in our parishes may have. We’ve also asked interviewed a Churchwarden, PCC Secretary and Treasurer - who have written for us - giving a bit of explanation from people at the ‘coal face’ about some of the roles that members of the congregation fulfil. They are really important in keeping our churches running smoothly and efficiently

and also making sure that the parish priest – whatever he or she is called – does not get overwhelmed by administration and the need to do everything. We haven’t managed to fit a piece from a PCC member in but we will try to do that another time. If you find these pages interesting then do please check out www.southwark.anglican.org/thebridge. We’ve uploaded the videos of the lay officer interviews there so that you can get even more of an idea of what it is like to take on these roles.

The Church of England is organised into two Provinces; each led by an Archbishop (Canterbury for the Southern Province and York for the Northern). These two Provinces cover England, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, the Isles of Scilly, a small part of Wales and continental Europe. Each Province is built from Dioceses - 41 in England and one covering the rest of Europe. (https://www.churchofengland.org/

Who does what in the

Team RectorThe Revd Chris Palmer

I’ve worked in developing or established Team Ministries ever since I was ordained – in Warwick and in two parishes in Southwark Diocese. I have valued the strong sense of collaboration both in sharing with other clergy colleagues and in creating teams of lay people. Churches in well-functioning teams are invested in each other and know that their wellbeing is linked.

I had the good fortune to become Team Rector of Merton Priory soon after the team was created. We established some principles early on to guide our growing together. These included generous sharing, accountability to one another, encouraging each

church to fl ourish, and looking outwards. These all fl owed from a guiding statement, ‘We belong together. The joy of one is the joy of all. The pain of one is the pain of all.’ (see 1 Corinthians 12:26)

Over the subsequent years we have sought to work in this spirit in developing a Mission Action Plan, establishing a pattern of worship and Christian education, and sharing some responsibilities around fi nances, safeguarding, and Health and Safety.

At the same time, we know that most people who live in our parish relate to their local church and not to the Team Ministry. So, in our outwood publicity – websites or Easter and Christmas leafl ets, for

example – we keep the identity and invitation of each church strong.

There can be frustrations in teams: at times team processes can feel heavy; and when things are not working well in one church, it can suck energy from other vibrant places simply to keep things going. But my experience as Team Rector is that the gains in terms of vision and relationships are far bigger than these negatives.

I value the sharing in a weekly team staff meeting and the chance to develop nurture programmes with others. I value the chance to pray Morning and Evening Prayer with others in the team – even when it means travelling a mile

each way early in the morning to do so!

And sometimes leaders can be taken by surprise. In my fi rst year, we worked hard to establish working patterns, a team Mission Statement, joint worship, and fi nancial procedures. At the same time, some enthusiastic people asked to put on a pantomime – in which I played an ugly sister. The pantomime did more to get people joyfully working together and to bring many people into church who don’t come for worship than all the ‘worthy’ things I had initiated. The pantomime is an annual fi xture now.

One feature of teams – whether Team Ministries or any other sort of team – is that

there are constant changes of people. We are very often welcoming new wardens, clergy, musicians and others, as well as saying thank yous and goodbyes. As Rector, I try to see this as a positive thing, a chance to help people grow an d move on in discipleship, and to receive fresh ideas.

Since I’ve arrived in our parish four former members of our congregations have been ordained; losing such commitment and talent is hard, but we are proud that they were nurtured in this context. Teams are not good places for control freaks. But, for those who desire to fl ourish in community and see others do so, they offer a space where God works to bring this about.

Induction, Institution and Collation When a parish gets a new Priest their arrival will usually be marked with a service of Collation and Induction or Institution and Induction. But what’s the difference?

If the Bishop is the Patron, the new priest is collated (into the spiritualities by the Bishop) and inducted (into the temporalities by the Archdeacon). If the Bishop is not the Patron, they are instituted (into the spiritualities by the Bishop) and inducted (into the temporalities by the Archdeacon).

THE BRIDGE... September 2016 9

Team Rector or Team VicarSometimes, the cure of souls may be shared by a Team or a Group. The workings of these are set out in the Teams and Groups Ministries Measure (1995) and in the Dioceses, Mission and Pastoral Measure. Every Team or Group has a Scheme describing its governance and responsibility. The Team Rector generally holds overall leadership of the Team and is technically the incumbent, although most Team Vicars also have care for a congregation and building, and have ‘incumbent status’.

Assistant CurateWhen a Vicar or Rector is instituted or collated (see below), the Bishop presents the institution or collation document with the words, “Receive this cure, which is both mine and yours”.

From this word ‘Cure’ we derive the word ‘Curate’ – one who has the Cure (or Care) of souls in the parish. So legally, the incumbent is the Curate and an Assistant Curate is an Assistant to the Curate. The BCP Communion Service prays for grace for all bishops and curates – meaning incumbents.

Minister-in-Charge or Curate-in-ChargeA Minister-in-Charge or a Curate-in-Charge is something like a Priest-in-Charge and something like a Team Vicar. There will be another church and other clergy somewhere around and although the church will have its own council, it will not technically be a parish.

A Minister-in-Charge may have charge of an Extra Parochial Place, a parish within, yet outside, another parish.

A Curate-in-Charge may have charge of a daughter church within another parish.

Area (formerly, and in most Dioceses still, Rural) DeanUsually, in addtiion to parish responsibilities, some clergy are appointed by the Bishop to bring together the clergy in a Deanery and chapter.

ArchdeaconTraditionally, ‘the eyes and ears of the Bishop’, the Archdeacon’s role is mainly buildings, fi nance and discipline. Every Diocese has one or more Archdeaconries, each with an Archdeacon, usually full-time. Archdeacons sit on many of the important Diocesan committees. When requested, they can act for the Bishop in many of his non-sacramental functions. If the incumbent cannot fi gure something out, and the Area Dean cannot assist, the Archdeacon is the person to ask next. Archdeacons are responsible for church inspections, in which they are assisted by the Area Deans, and are involved in appointments and pastoral reorganization.

Dean/ Residentiary CanonA Dean is the Cathedral equivalent of an incumbent, and, as in Southwark, may be an actual incumbent if the Cathedral is also a parish church.

Canons may be Commissioners’ (full-time at the Cathedral) or Diocesan (full-time in the Diocese but with Cathedral expectations as well). Deans and Canons appointed after the Cathedrals Measure (1999) came into force did not receive freehold and are now held under Common Tenure.

Suffragan Bishop- a Bishop without a Cathedral with some delegated authority from the Diocesan Bishop. Those with more executive authority, usually in larger dioceses, are known as Area Bishops and may have their role formally explained in a Scheme. This is the structure inSouthwark Diocese

Diocesan Bishop - the Bishop of the Diocese, with authority as its ‘Ordinary’.

(S)he is required to ensure that there are enough clergy able to preach the word and celebrate the sacraments for the people of the Diocese. (S)he has the right to correct and punish ‘the unquiet, disobedient and criminous’ (certainly clergy and arguably laity), to ordain, confi rm, consecrate new churches, institute to vacant benefi ces, appoint by licence to other posts, and to order and authorize all services in churches and chapels, including

those in consecrated burial grounds. (S)he may chair many of the Diocesan Committees and must chair the Diocesan Synod. (S)he must reside in the Diocese unless required to leave it to attend Court or Parliament.

In addition There are Pioneer Ministries, largely church planting initiatives supported by Fresh Expressions and Mission Shaped Church. There are also locally named ministries. The number

of these roles in Southwark is growing and can include ‘Senior Curate’, ‘Associate Vicar’, ‘Associate Rector’ and ‘Associate Priest’.

These posts can have considerable scope and independence and offer opportunity for the development of ministry and leadership for clergy.

And there you have it – a brief look at the structure of posts in the Church of England and how they came to be.

the Church of England?e Church of England?

PCC TreasurerAlex Mutyaba

I fi nd St Paul’s self-refl ection of doing things for the sake of the Gospel in 1 Corinthian 9:23 my rejuvenation in my spiritual journey.

Like a river, our walk with Christ moves and meets challenges on the way where we need to have things to ignite and keep us moving.

Having a responsibility in church motivates us to become more involved in the ministry.

God has blessed me with a professional gift and I feel privileged to edify and play my part in the body of Christ in serving as Treasurer of

St Mary. Magdalene Church Peckham. I have been backed by the PCC especially Standing/Finance committee in implementing fi nancial decisions made by the PCC.

Being a Treasurer demands a bit of time say 2-3 hours a week as you need to record fi nancial transactions, seek

authorisation, meet fi nancial obligations, maintain a good accounting system, monitor PCC fi nances, draft budgets, prepare and submit Annual Accounts to Charity Commission and the Diocese.

Over the past seven years, I served with a good team which has enabled me to fulfi l my responsibilities with minimal challenges.

The task demands planning, scheduling of tasks and working with other people which is the heart of our ministry in the Church.

There’s help out there: Treasurer’s seminars organised at Trinity House are very helpful to new Treasurers, the Parish Resources website is equipped with vital tools to help on the way and the Diocesan Parish Finance Offi cer is just a call away.

PCC SecretaryHelen Lishmund

I am currently PCC Secretary at St John the Divine, Selsdon - for the second time. My primary role is to support the PCC Chair, our Rector, in organising and preparing for PCC meetings and handling any correspondence on behalf of the PCC.

The PCC must meet at least four times a year - we usually meet about 6 times. Before each meeting I consult with the Rector and the Churchwardens as to what items to include on the agenda. Getting copies of the previous minutes and agenda to the PCC members is a lot

easier this second time around, as most people are now on e-mail. Previously it meant a lengthy printing job and then ensuring everyone had copies in good time for the meeting.

The PCC secretary takes minutes of each PCC meeting - it is sometimes diffi cult, when there has been a lengthy discussion keeping the record

accurate, brief and clear. It is usually best to type up minutes as soon after the meeting as possible while things are fresh in your memory.

It is also my responsibility to deal with any correspondence on behalf of the PCC which includes keeping on top of the various bits of information required by the Diocese.

The PCC Secretary is also responsible for organising the APCM, posting notices, collating the Annual Report and providing the minutes of the previous meeting. At St John’s we are fortunate to have a Parish Administrator who is a great help.

Being PCC Secretary does, at times, feel like you are juggling an enormous number of balls, but it is very satisfying when they land in the right place.

Churchmoots, Foot washings and Pigeons: Random reflections of a ChurchwardenCarol Graham

In our church the two churchwardens divide their duties roughly into pastoral and fabric. Some prefer the pastoral role which brings you in more direct contact with church members. However,

while people don’t join churches to organise electrical testing, I still take pride in many of the repairs and improvements I oversaw as fabric warden.

Unusually, I spent one year performing both roles when we failed to recruit a second warden to replace our outgoing warden. Although, the solo year was hard, it was also good. I learned more about the church and about myself. It also led to a project that made the next two years even more enjoyable. I launched a blog.

We had produced a job description for a churchwarden but I wondered if people required insights into what it is like to do the job. Mary Lynne (who bravely took on the post) and I called the blog, the ‘The View from the Font’ because the churchwardens sit by the font during services.

My fi rst post was called the ‘Churchmoot’ and it described the Visitation – the service where churchwardens take their oath.

Before I knew it, the blog had become not only a communications tool, but also a place to turn frustration into fun. The supreme example of

this is when a pair of pigeons settled into the church during a heatwave. Someone heard them cooing and called me. I discovered a wide area of dried pigeon droppings around the choir stalls and altar. With a local school holding their prize giving that evening I spent the next hour (at least) scrubbing away in a sizzling hot church. I’d like to think it was the look in my eyes as I cleaned that sent the pigeons out before the pigeon remover arrived!

I decided to write a post about the incident from the pigeon’s point of view and by the time I had pressed ‘publish’ I was happy to be churchwarden again. Sometimes we need an outlet – the blog was mine.

Of course most of my time was spent not writing blogs, or organising repairs or even attending meetings but helping prepare and run services and in frequent conversations with our priest by email, phone, text or face to face.

We really saw eye to eye except once a year on Maundy Thursday due to the foot washing. One year, minutes before the service Fr Stuart told me that one of our 12 ‘apostles’ had taken ill and I

needed to fi nd a new volunteer. I asked if we could not just this once settle for 11?

Fr Stuart saw this as a teaching moment. The sanctuary team, Mary Lynne and I were treated to a brief but beautiful sermon about the signifi cance of foot washing on Maundy Thursday and the absolute necessity of 12. I nodded acquiescence, then said to Mary-Lynne ‘Ok, anyone who makes a mistake goes up front! ’. Maundy Thursday encapsulates the essential difference in our roles - spirituality (priest) and practicality (churchwarden).

Do I miss being a churchwarden? Not at all but not in a negative way. I enjoyed being a teenager but I don’t miss being 17.

And my life has moved on. As our Parish is made of three churches we have parish wardens who look at the big picture as it were – and I agreed to be one. I was assured that the work load was well below that of a churchwarden and that has proved to be the case - I don’t even feel the need for a blog!Carol Graham was a Churchwarden at All Saints, East Sheen from 2009-2014


New Sixth Form celebrates A Level success

Bishop Christopher Presided and Preached at a Farewell Eucharist at St Michael’s Convent, Ham on 3 June. At the end of July 2016, the convent closed its doors for the last time as the Community of the Sisters of the Church prepared to move to Gerrards Cross where their new home is scheduled to open some time in 2017.

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Christ’s School, Richmond is celebrating the inaugural A Level results of the newly established sixth form.

Christ’s Sixth Form opened its doors in September 2014 and these results will see the fi rst Sixth Form students heading off to top universities across the country.

Overall, 21% of students got A*-A and 54% of students achieved A*-B grades with particular successes in Maths, Chemistry, Politics and Spanish.

Commenting on the results, Matthew Morris, Head of Sixth

Form at Christ’s School said “I would like to congratulate all of our students. These results are a credit to their hard work, the quality and commitment of our staff and the strong relationships that exist between students and staff”.

Mrs Dixon, Headteacher said, “We are particularly delighted with the outstanding results of Dorsa Nasrollahi who achieved 2 A*s and an A and is off to study Physics, Will Imber-Coxhead with 1 A* and 2 A grades studying Aerospace Engineering and Abi Houghton Brown who achieved 3 A grades and will study Politics and Spanish.

Commenting on her success, Dorsa said “I’m delighted that

all of my hard work has paid off. I’ve had a fantastic time seven years at Christ’s and can’t wait to start the new chapter of my education at UCL”.

Will added that he too was “delighted. The support from the school and teachers has been amazing”.

Ruth Martin, Chair of Governors, applauded the efforts and hard work of the students, staff and governors and thanked parents for their continued support for the school and their children’s education.L-R: Will Sanders Abi Houghton Brown, Matt Morris, Dorsa Nasrollahi & Helen Dixon

On Thursday 4 August an ancient tradition was revived when the Revd Lee Taylor blessed the beer at the Dog and

Bull, Croydon Minster’s local pub. Lee is Associate Vicar at the Minster. He explained “God is the giver of all good

things… and that includes beer. The ritual of blessing beer probably goes back to the medieval monasteries, many of which were brewhouses. The monks of Rochefort Abbey in Belgium still brew and bless their beer today. The Dog and Bull has stood on Surrey Street in the middle of Croydon’s historic fruit and vegetable market since at least 1595, the oldest in Croydon - a most appropriate place to revive such a piece of history”.

A service was held at Croydon Minster for the pub. Then a small procession made its way to the pub where Lee blessed the barrels in the cellar and the pumps upstairs. And no surprise – they all enjoyed a pint afterwards.

‘Praise God from whom all blessings flow’...including beer!


Bryan Harris’s

PARISH PROFILE

St Paul w St Saviour, BrixtonWe’re frequently told that the Church is in terminal decline but our parish profi les consistently give the lie to that media hype! This month is no exception but its story combines allegories of a faithful remnant and a resurrection!

From the 1970s St Paul’s with St Saviour’s Brixton had been in a steady decline punctuated by a few good years and others where numbers were so low that in 1980 they did a building swap with the local Seventh Day Adventist Church.

By 2008 the small congregation realised they needed help. They had commitment, ideas and talent –but they simply didn’t have the numbers to turn their ideas into action and were struggling to maintain contact with the continually changing local community.

Then in 2008 they were invited to consider a ‘graft’ from the Ascension, Balham Hill, to be led by Ascension’s curate, the Revd Ben Goodyear. Ben met St Paul’s PCC, both congregations prayed about it and they all agreed to go for it.

In September 2009 Ben arrived with the graft team of 18 from Ascension to join the existing congregation. It would be easy to see it as a ‘rescue package’ but Ben (now St Paul’s Vicar) says that’s far from the truth.

“The existing congregation had been faithfully sowing the seeds of growth, praying, inviting and welcoming new people - but they were too few in number to reap the harvest of their efforts. I’m reminded always of John chapter 4… ‘Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefi ts of their labour.’ We were able to build on the foundations which the faithful remnant had laid – and together enable the resurrection which St Paul’s has experienced.”

The result is a more than doubling of attendance from a Sunday average of 28 to 65 with about 120 adults and 30 children now regular members of the church family. And St Paul’s is now able to be more pro-active and more visible to – and valued by - the Brixton community.

But it didn’t all happen overnight. Ben said “We took the time to get to know each other – to pray together, to study the Bible together, to discern together what it means to be Church here in our part of Brixton. We thrashed out a vision and set of values – to move from being just a Sunday service church to

being a Christ-centred every day church where old and new members work together to love God, love each other and love Brixton”.

“We began by establishing connection points – small community groups with St Paul’s people at their core, but always welcoming to non-churchgoers. Many have an Alpha fl avour about them - food, prayer, Bible Study, singing and social events. Loving God and loving each other - a place for building

relationships, for mutual support and for spiritual growth – and they are the power houses behind our community action – loving Brixton. There’s one most weekdays – some in the daytime, some in the evening, groups tailored to the young and to the not so young”.

‘Loving God’ also involves a lively Sunday morning service with singing, teaching, prayer, and blessing - and tea, coffee, cakes and chat afterwards. Every 1st and 3rd Sunday is a Communion Service and there is a Sunday School and Crèche. Ben’s style is charismatic evangelical but they deliberately set out to make worship accessible and acceptable to people of all traditions. There is a focus on people’s personal relationships with God, encouraging spiritual exercises – and providing the resources to enable them. And people are encouraged to give – time and talents as well as money – and to be part of the St Paul’s team which makes it all possible.

‘Loving each other’ is about supporting each other – in the Community

Groups for instance – but also serving others as part of different ministry teams and being a church family, with social events and having fun together regularly.

Ben said “As a church we are committed to ‘Loving Brixton’ in practical ways. We want to be good news in what we say and in what we do. So we opened a weekly café in the church building and that subsequently provided the location for a foodbank. We started a toddlers’ play group

in our Community Centre on the Blenheim Gardens Estate and we run Messy Church also at the centre”.

And it doesn’t stop there – have a look at their excellent website http://www.stpaulsbrixton.org/ and the list of activities they are now involved in is impressive to put it mildly – Alpha, marriage and parenting courses, street pastor, Food for the Soul (a weekly lunchtime service for people working in Brixton), debt advice, an annual youth camp… and more.

The secret says Ben is

“Partnership and prayer”.“We are part of Churches

Together in Brixton (CTB) and the majority of things we do are done in partnership with other churches. We share Alpha courses; run three local foodbanks together; food for the soul, street pastors, the Christians Against Poverty debt counselling service, the youth club, all are really only possible by working across parish and denominational boundaries – we share the load and all the churches involved are reaping the benefi ts. And undergirding that partnership is prayer – both within each of the partner churches and together including a weekly 6.30am CTB prayer meeting and, for example, a 24/7 Lent week of prayer as part of Love Lambeth”.

Today’s congregation at St Paul’s is all age and multi-cultural and across all social and income groups – perhaps refl ecting the change which has taken place over the past decade in the Brixton population Ben was keen to stress that “we are welcoming, supportive, celebratory, local, church community where everyone is welcome”. Most of the original St Paul’s congregation are still there, even those who didn’t always agree with the changes (but agreed to go along with them). New people have been brought in by friends or through contact with one of the St Paul’s activities or through seeing St Paul’s on social media like YouTube, Facebook

etc. At Easter 2015 St Paul’s baptism service refl ected the diversity of people who have come to faith at the church including a man in his 80s, a Belgian working in London, a single mum and a teenager.

In February 2014, Mission Action Planning was launched in Southwark and St Paul’s took it up with enthusiasm. Earlier this year he told The Bridge - “MAP has made us choose which things to focus on, which has been really helpful, because in the past I think we’ve tried to do too much”. It encouraged the church to develop some of their existing activities, and some new ones – and to give up those which had run their course or just weren’t justifying the time and resources involved.”

Most importantly, said Ben, MAP has “given us a new vision & values”. “Having to choose fi ve values that really represent St Paul’s has been really helpful – to say, this is who we are, and this is the kind of Church we’re going to be”. So he says the next 12 months are all about consolidation “…making sure that we are living out our values in everything we do, rather than just looking to do more.”

Brixton, St Paul w St SaviourEpiscopal Area: Kingston Archdeaconry: Lambeth Deanery: Lambeth NorthPatron: The Church SocietyPopulation: (2001 census): 9,491Urban Priority AreaChurch: Ferndale Road, SW9 8AHBuilt: 1958Architect: John SoperContact: The Revd Ben Goodyear, c/o St Paul’s Hall, Church House, 24 Blenheim Gardens, SW2 5BZTel: 020 8674 1043E-mail: offi [email protected] Website: www.stpaulsbrixton.org/

The Vision... ...and the Values

The Revd Ben Goodyear


Southwark church-mosque twinning programme to go nationwide

As Us returns to the well-loved USPG, the P in our name has changed! It might seem a small change but it’s an important one. It’s the way we do mission now - inclusive, empowering, forward-looking.

FROM PROPAGATION TO PARTNERSHIP

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Bringing communities

The Diocese of Southwark’s innovative Church-Mosque twinning programme is to be rolled out to other cities in the UK. The programme was initiated by Bishop Richard through the Christian Muslim Forum.

Supported by the Near Neighbours programme, and led by Siriol Davies, the Diocese’s Inter Faith Adviser, it aims to encourage purposeful, ongoing engagement between Christians and Muslims in local communities by developing and supporting twinning arrangements.

Christians form the largest faith community in South

London, with Muslims second in most places.

Bishop Richard sees living well together in a plural, globalised world as one of the key challenges of the 21st century, with political, social, theological and missiological implications for the Church.

“The key starting point is encouraging people of different faiths who live near one another to develop good, strong relationships in which they can speak honestly of their respective faiths to each other”, he said.

Aware that both church and mosque leaders already felt

squeezed for time, the model that emerged was simple: ask two leaders who would benefi t from knowing each other to commit to meeting up over a coffee or lunch - no need for big events or public discussions, just two people getting to know each other.

A pilot project in Kingston Episcopal Area was launched at St Barnabas, Southfi eld and quickly expanded to other parishes.

The Revd Simon Metzner from All Saints Tooting and Iqbal Turk of the Sunni Muslim Association in Tooting had been neighbours for over 10 years but they had never

actually met. Coffee in a local café was arranged through the

twinning programme and a friendship began. A report on the project has demonstrated the development of positive local relationships between the two communities at a local level.

As a result the Christian Muslim Forum and Near Neighbours are now discussing a roll-out programme in other cities.

The report of the pilot programme is free to download* and anyone who would like to facilitate similar work in their own area is invited to contact the Christian Muslim Forum at @christianmuslimforum.org *http://www.christianmuslimforum.org/images/uploads/Twinning_Report.pdf Iqbal Turk and the Revd Simon Metzner

Women in HebronIn 2014 a Holy Land pilgrimage group from Holy Trinity and St Augustine Tooting who were visiting the Palestinian city of Hebron had lunch with the Women in Hebron Cooperative. The ‘co-op’ helps women in the Hebron area to provide for themselves and their families by producing and selling handicraft items.

In August Nawal Slemiah, founder of the cooperative, was welcomed to Tooting to talk about her work and sell the co-op’s products.The meeting at Muskil Aaasaan, an Asian women’s centre, brought together church members and a wide range of local people. Nawal told her audience that the project is about more than just income-generation. It is an act of community-strengthening, of honouring the role of women in society, and way of showing sumud – steadfastness – in the face of the occupation of Palestine and the harm it has done to the people of Hebron. Business was brisk, especially with the arrival of the Asian women elder’s lunch group.

Below: the Slemiah family with members of Holy Trinity and St Augustine and Naseen Aboobaker, Director of Muskil Aaasaan (left).

Read more about the Cooperative on the website: http://womeninhebron.com/

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Kingston Area clergy reflect on ministry in multi-faith communities

Salaam! Peace!

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St Augustine’s Church, Upper Tooting was a great venue for Kingston Area clergy when they met together with Bishop Richard and Siriol Davies, Diocesan Inter Faith Adviser, to refl ect on the realities of Christian ministry in multi religious communities.

Siri ol Davies writes:

It is a parish in which 26% of parishioners identify as Muslim and 10% as Hindu making it one of the most religiously diverse parishes in the diocese. This was the fi rst Area meeting to refl ect in this way but more will follow.

The Revd Andrew Davey gave an account of building

relationships with faith leaders in the complex landscape of faith in Tooting. One of his main issues is getting Christians to be confi dent enough to talk about their faith to others.

During the morning, clergy looked at the Diocesan vision for ministry in a multi religious Diocese and heard about the Church’s national Presence and Engagement programme, which has pushed forward thinking about the importance of parishes such as St Augustine’s.

Their pioneering work of re-thinking ministry, developing good relations and Christian witness is seen as a valuable resource for the whole church.

The programme is seeking to encourage humbly confi dent disciples for the multi faith reality in which the Church is called to proclaim and live out the Gospel; this is now central to the Church’s mission and ministry.

The day was an opportunity to hear voices from chaplaincy ministry as well as parish ministry, from voices new to working in a multi religious context as well as from those who have been doing it for decades.

The challenges and diffi culties were expressed in these stories but also the blessing that people of other faiths are to us, whatever our context is.

Christians and Muslims came together to promote friendship and peace at this year’s ‘Southwark Eid’ celebration held in Burgess Park, Camberwell.

Clergy and members of St Peter’s Church in Walworth and St Philip’s Church in Camberwell joined with friends from the Muslim Association of Nigeria, based at the Old Kent Road Mosque, to celebrate their strong bonds of friendship with a display and badge making activities.

The Revd Andrew Moughtin-Mumby, Rector of St Peter’s, Walworth said: “I don’t think I’ve ever felt quite so warmly welcomed at a public celebration, as I did at Southwark Eid in Burgess Park.

“I have certainly never had my photo taken with so many people! It was a huge blessing to be at Southwark Eid throughout the day and to celebrate with old friends from the Old Kent Road Mosque, with Muslim friends I know from the community, and with

the hundreds of people who I met on the day.”

Earlier in the week, church members visited the Old Kent Road Mosque to share the evening meal at sunset known as the Iftar.

Siriol Davies, Diocesan Inter Faith Adviser and St Peter’s PCC member said, “It was great to be able to join with our friends at the Old Kent Road Mosque. We all share in a desire to promote friendship, peace and understanding in our community. We were made to feel very welcome and enjoyed excellent food together!”

During the Eid festival members of both faith communities gave out badges saying “Salaam! Peace!” made by local children.

Andrew added, “The organising team did an amazing job: the atmosphere was fantastic, the welcome was warm, and it was a great celebration of a religious festival combining prayer and a whole day of celebrations. I can’t wait for next year!”

On 23 July Pembroke House / St Christopher’s, Walworth brought together four local Tenant and Residents Associations for a Summer Celebration sponsored by United St Saviour’s. It featured a fashion show, African dancing, tables loaded with food for sharing, live music, street games for all ages, storytelling and meet-your-neighbour sessions - a wonderful afternoon of community-building and fun.


Let us pray

The Very Revd Andrew Nunn, Dean of SouthwarkPlease follow me on Twitter as I off er a prayer each morning so that you can join me in Morning Prayer. Go to @deansouthwark

‘When we could endure no more upon the water; we to a little ale-house on the Bankside, over against the ‘Three Cranes’, and there staid till it was dark almost, and saw the fi re grow; and, as it grew darker, appeared more and more, and in corners and upon steeples, and between churches and houses, as far as we could see up the hill of the City, in a most horrid malicious bloody fl ame, not like the fi ne fl ame of an ordinary fi re.’

This is an extract from the diary of Samuel Pepys from Sunday 2 September 1666. He writes about watching the

fi re engulf the City of London from the safety of an ale-house close to the Cathedral.

The steeples of the churches stood proud above the buildings and amongst them the gothic splendour of the old St Paul’s. All was to be swept away by ‘the malicious bloody fl ame’ of the Great Fire of London of 350 years ago.

It is hard to imagine anything like that – though those who lived through the Blitz will have some idea.

As people climb the Monument near Pudding Lane they will look across a twice rebuilt City and a place of

huge regeneration, wealth and redevelopment.

As we sit in the ale-houses and restaurants of Bankside we can still, like Pepys, view what is happening on the north side of the Thames and ponder this great city of which we are part.

But above all as we commemorate this City-changing event we give thanks for those who keep us safe and not least the members of the

London Fire Brigade, whose Headquarters, for what are, I’m sure, very sensible reasons, are in this Diocese, south of the river!God bless the men and women of our Fire Brigades.Protect them in their workinspire them in their serviceand make us ever thankfulfor those who risk their livesthat we may be safe.Amen.

Time for a Time for a breakbreak

September 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London

A “Gravetalk Event” led by the Revd Mia Hilborn, Hospitaller, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, will be held on Thursday 6 October at St Andrew’s Church & Community Centre, Short Street, SE1 8LJ from 3.50pm to 5.20pm.This is an informal cafe which offers a safe space for conversations about what happens when someone dies. God, Faith, practical aspects such as wills, fi nances, powers of attorney, and funeral arrangements are among topics for

discussion. Expert advice will be on hand to introduce topics. The event respects the need for confi dentiality and different points of view.For further details please contact; The Revd Mia AK Hilborn 020 7188 1187 or email: [email protected]

I was delighted to see

the profi le of NSM’s being raised; I am one such person, who is in my second of three years’ training

and can thoroughly recommend it.

SEITE (South East Institute for Theological Education) is changing its name to St Augustine’s College of Theology, inspired by Augustine of Canterbury, the great missionary to England and fi rst Archbishop of

Canterbury. At the same time, its administrative home and some evening classes, will be based at St Mary’s Abbey in West Malling.

I was struck by Oswald Chambers’ tutor, Duncan McGregor, who in 1893, said that, “in ministerial training there should be less of the factory and more of the garden”. It feels like a real privilege for us to step into St. Mary’s Abbey with its centuries of prayer and peace to enfold us, whilst keeping our Southwark & Canterbury homes too.

Daphne Clifton London SE18

PostbagPostbag

Something to say? Drop us a line - the postal and e-mail addresses are on page 2. Publication of a letter does not imply that it refl ects the views of the Diocese and letters may be edited.

Changes coming at SEITE

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Thank youThe pledges for_- the Parish Support Fund 2017 were due in by the end of June and over 60% of parishes have sent theirs in.

The Diocese wants to say a big thank you to them. Those who have yet to do so are urged to let your Archdeacon know as soon as possible how much your pledge is for 2017. The pledges are needed in order to formulate the 2017 budget and that process starts in September.

So far, the pledges received show an increase overall in the amount of money the Diocese can expect. But you are urged to continue to think generously and transparently about what you can give in 2017.

2016 is the fi rst year of collections for the Parish Support Fund and it is great that, so far, the payment rate for the year is over 98%. Thank you to all the parishes that have met their pledges and helped to support mission and

ministry across the Diocese.There’s a new person to

make contact with if you have any questions about the Parish Support Fund. Last year, as well as the Archdeacons, Jackie Pontin, the Parish Support

Fund Project Offi cer, was here to answer your questions. Jackie has moved on to a new role as Head of Strategic Projects for the Diocese and in July, Gabby Parikh joined the Diocesan Communications and Resources team as Parish Giving Communications Offi cer. She will be offering help and advice concerning the Parish Support Fund as well as supporting and advising churches on their giving and stewardship initiatives and dealing with any questions. (Thanks are due also to Kevin Hawkes who stepped in to help with stewardship advice whilst Jackie was seconded to the Parish Support Fund.)

Gabby is a chartered accountant and prior to

joining Southwark worked in the Mission Resourcing/Stewardship and Parish Development Department of the Diocese of St Alban’s. She can be contacted on 020 7939 9438 or [email protected]

Please get in touch with her with any queries and questions that you might have about stewardship, the Parish Support Fund or Gift Aid.

Bromley & Sheppards to celebrate 350 years in OctoberFormer Mayor of Southwark, and wife of a Peckham vicar, Janet Heatley will play the part of Widow Featley who fought for the rights of widows in the 1680s in a play celebrating the life of the founder of Bromley and Sheppards Colleges, Bishop John Warner.

The play will be part of the 350th anniversary of the

two Kent colleges which have offered help, hope and a home to about 800 clergy widows and, more recently, clergymen.

The week of celebrations starting 12 October will also include visits from the Sealed Knot, the Kentish Opera, the Bromley Youth Band, and a chance to explore behind the walls of the 350 year old,

Grade One listed buildings. The Revd Christopher Boulton, Chaplain to the colleges, also hopes to unveil and open for the fi rst time two new iron gates.

For further details contact the College Offi ce on 020 8460 4712, weekdays 9.30 – 12.00 pm or visit www. bromleyandsheppards colleges.com

THE BRIDGE... September 2016 15

Please send details of your events for OCTOBER ONWARDS to Trinity House

BY MONDAY 19 SEPTEMBER

BROMLEY - Bromley & Sheppards College 350th anniversary celebrations; Thurs. 13 October 7 pm ‘Behind the Walls’ history play/pageantFri.14 October 7 pm ‘Big Band spectacular’, Bromley Youth Music Trust Sat. 15 October 1-5pm Display by the ‘Sealed Knot’, Hog Roast, demonstrationsSun. 16 October 5pm - ‘The Magic of Kentish Opera’, For details contact the College Offi ce 9.30 – 12pm weekdays 020 8460 4712 or visit www.bromley andsheppardscolleges.com

Ongoing✽ CATERHAM - Guided

Tours of the Ancient Church of St Lawrence on 4 & 18 September at 3pm. Adults £3 Children free.

✽ CHALDON - Church is open for Sunday teas until 23 October. (3 to 4.30pm)

✝ ELTHAM - Playful Pilgrims. Prayer, friendship and play at Holy Trinity Church. Thursday mornings, 10 – 11am, during term time for pre-school children and their carers. For information contact: [email protected]

✝ HACKBRIDGE - Taizé at All Saints at 7pm on the fi rst Sunday every month. 40 minutes of prayer through singing and silence, followed by coffee/tea and discussion.

✝ JAPANESE ANGLICAN CHURCH (South East London) meets Sundays at 3.30 pm on 25 September and 27 November at St Hugh’s Church, Crosby Row, Bermondsey. Contact: [email protected]

✽ LAMBETH PALACE GARDENS OPEN DAYS 2016. First Friday of the month from April to October 12 noon - 3pm. Entry £5 for adults, children free.

✽ TATSFIELD - Teas served every Sunday 3-5 pm at St Mary’s Church until end September

✽ WARLINGHAM – Water Aid lunches in St Ambrose Church Hall -12-1pm fi rst Wednesday each month

✝ WESTMINSTER - Cathedral Interfaith Group. 4 to 5pm, third Wednesday of the month in the Hinsley Room. All welcome.

✝ ZIMBABWE ANGLICAN COMMUNITY in Southwark meets monthly at St Mary, Newington – Shona Mass Second Sunday at 2pm. Mothers’ Union last Saturday 2pm

Wendnesday 7 September✽ HONOR OAK - Launch

of weekly Café Gallery 11am at St Augustine’s with coffee, tea, cake and works by local artists. Proceeds to St Christopher’s Hospice

Friday 9 September✝ SOUTHWARK – St

George the Martyr mark the centenary of the death of Christopher Hughes (former bellringer) in WW1. Peal of bells, display about Rifl eman Hughes and refreshments. 5.30-9pm All are welcome.

Saturday 10 September

REIGATE - “Sounds and Sweet Airs…” -words and music at St Mark’s Church, with Nicola and Alexandra Bibby and Carol Boyd (Lynda Snell in ‘The Archers’). 6 – 8pm. Tickets - £10 (u/18s £1) Tel 07719 391179 or on the door

✽ OXTED - St Mary’s Church Open Day 9am - 6pm, as part of the Heritage weekend. Displays of registers, and photos; church tower tours; activities for youngsters; 2pm – poetry & music by the Revd Andrew Rumsey; 4pm - bell-ringing demonstration. Refreshments available – entrance free. More details from the Parish Offi ce 01883 714263

Sunday 11 September✽ DULWICH - St Clement

with St Peter Summer Fayre – 11.30 - 2pm. Stalls, BBQ, refreshments, bouncy castle, coconut shy, face painting, raffl e and more. Live summer music by Opal Flutes.

Wed 14 September HONOR OAK Lunch-

time Organ recital by Marilyn Harper. 1pm at St Augustine’s.You are welcome to bring your lunch! Admission by donation.

Saturday 17 September✽ BATTERSEA – St Mary’s

Church Fair – 12noon-4pm. Dog show, bbq, stalls, children’s games, church tour, ‘have a go at bellringing’ and much more. www.stmarysfair.co.uk

FOREST HILL - Southwark and South London Society of Organists: Harpsichord Recital 2pm at St Augustine’s, One Tree Hill, Honor Oak Park

Saturdays 17 & 24 September DULWICH -. Organ

recitals by Richard Pilliner (St John‘s, Shirley) at St. John’s, East Dulwich Road at 11.00am. The six trio Sonatas of J S Bach. All welcome! Tea and coffee afterwards. Retiring collection

Saturday 24 SeptemberBEDDINGTON - Jazz

and Popular Music from 20s & 30s - Hugh Crozier (piano and vocals) 7pm at St Mary’s Church, Church Road, Wallington. Tickets £7 (£6 concs,) Interval refreshments. Enquiries 020 8688 520 4

Thursday 29 September✝ CITY OF LONDON -

dramatic recital of St Marks Gospel at St Michael’s Church, Chester Square in aid of development charity, Send a Cow. Tickets £10 inc. refreshments from www.sendacow.org/ or 01225 874 222.

Friday 30 September SOUTHWARK – Welcare

Annual meeting and Volunteer Awards. 11am – 2pm at the Blue Fin Venue, 100 Southwark Street. RSVP [email protected] or 020 7820 7910

Sunday 1 October✽ COULSDON - St.

Andrew's Church Autumn Fair 11 am - 3pm. Admission 50p. Disabled access.

✽ PURLEY – St Swithun’s Autumn Fair,10am-2pm. Bric-a-brac, toys, games, stalls, children’s activities and refreshments.

Sunday 1 OctoberBETCHWORTH – Organ

Recital by Andrew Cantrill at St Michael’s Church. 4pm. Adm. £12 (u/14s £8) inc glass of wine/soft drink from 01737 843498 – or at the door.

Tuesday 4 October

STREATHAM – Recital at St Peter’s Church - 7.30pm. Richard Mackenzie (Lute). Retiring collection in aid of the organ fund

Saturday 8 October

SHIRLEY - Southwark and S London Society of Organists: Workshop on Improvisation 2-4pm at St John the Evangelist

Monday 10 OctoberSOUTHWARK - Book

launch at Trinity House 6pm - New books bythe Revd Malcolm Torry - Mediating Institutions (Creating relationships between religion and an urban world) and Citizen’s Basic Income (A Christian social policy). All welcome RSVP: [email protected].

Thursday 13 OcoberUPPER NORWOOD –

Organ Concert at St John the Evangelist 7.30pm. Paul Hale - Southwell Minster. Free with retiring collection. Refreshments

Friday 28 October CITY OF LONDON

- ‘The Language of Music ... the Music of Language’. Third St Michael’s Colloquium at St Michael Cornhill 10am-4.30pm. Cost £18 (£12 concs) to inc. lunch and wine reception in evening. Details and to book: [email protected]

Sunday 30 October✝ ROTHERHITHE -

Council of Lutheran Churches Service for Reformation Day and to celebrate for 20 years of Anglican-Lutheran collaboration. 7pm at St Olav Norwegian Church, 1 Albion Street, London SE16. Presiding Minister - the Revd Torbjørn Holt; Sermon - Bishop Christopher. Everyone welcome - refreshments after the service

Tuesday 15 NovemberSTREATHAM – Recital

at St Peter’s Church - 7.30pm. Katie Collin (clarinet) and Philip Collin (piano). Free with a retiring collection

September

Sundays in SeptemberCompline by Candlelight at St Mary’s Church, Farleigh @ 8.00pm “More people of Faith”4th Sept - Margery

Kempe - Mediaeval mystic and author - Revd Col. Peter Hewlett-Smith

11th- Friedrich Schleiermacher - Theologian and author - Rev James Percival

18th - Dame Cicely Saunders - Founder of St Christopher’s Hospice - Revd David Butlin

25th - Simone Weil - French philosopher and mystic - Revd Michelle Edmonds

Thursdays in SeptemberREDHILL - Lunchtime Music 1.10 pm at St Matthew’s (Refreshments from 12.45). £3 donation towards costs invited.1st Sept: “Faronel”

Medieval & Renaissance Music - Michael Withers with Ruth & David Force

8th: Clarinet Recital - Stephanie Godwin

15th: Chamber Music Recital - The Dunn family

22nd: Oboe Recital - Chloe Barnes

29th: Violin Recital - Ellen Dunn

Monday 5 September✝ CAMBERWELL - ‘Love Southwark’

Mission with Archbishop Justin Welby. At the 2,000 seat Lighthouse Theatre, Camberwell, featuring music, celebrity interviews and a presentation of the Good News by Archbishop Justin Welby with the opportunity for people to respond.

FREE - ALL WELCOME

Wednesday 21 September;WATERLOO - Faith for the Climate Symposium at St John’s

Church, Waterloo Road, SE1. 5pm - 9pm. How should people of faith be praying, protecting, working and campaigning

for this earth that is given to us in sacred trust? Speakers include Sir David King, the former UK Special Representative for Climate Change, Dr Husna Ahmad, the Chief Executive of Global One and author of The Green Guide to Hajj, George Marshall of Climate Outreach and the Bishop of Salisbury, the lead Church of England bishop on climate change. Come along, learn and listen and contribute to the conversation. Book tickets (£5) via http://www.stjohnswaterloo.org/

October

Thursdays in OctoberREDHILL - Lunchtime Music 1.10 pm at St Matthew’s (Refreshments from 12.45). £3 donation towards costs invited.6th Oct - Reigate

Grammar School 13th - Godfrey Searle

Choir 20th - River City Saxes 27th- Violin Recital -

David Way NovemberREDHILL - Lunchtime Music at St Matthew’s Thursdays at 1.10 pm (Refreshments from 12.45). £3 donation towards costs invited.November3rd Nov.: Violin Recital -

Judith Wolpe10th: Dunottar

Chamber Choir 17th: The Renaissance

Recorder Group 24th: Oboe Recital -

Chloe Barnes 29th: Piano Recital -

Maureen Galea


Celebrating Lammastide in a Surrey barnPeople from Windmill United Benefi ce (Burstow, Horne and Outwood) came together on 31 July at the Outwood farm of James and Carol Wells for a picnic tea and a celebration of Lammastide in their barn.

Lammastide festival goes back to Old Testament times when the Hebrew people celebrated the fi rst fruits of the grain harvest.

In the Saxon church the festival was named hlaf-maesse, meaning loaf mass, which later became Lammas and in recent years the Church of England has breathed new life into old agricultural festivals such as this, particularly in rural areas.

Traditionally it was the day when the fi rst new grain

was milled and baked into small loaves of bread, which were offered on the altar as thanksgiving for the fi rst fruits of the harvest.

At the Windmill celebration, James brought a pot of his grains of wheat to the altar, and a loaf made from these grains by Carol was also brought up to be consecrated and distributed at communion – moving symbols of the link between our faith and the land on which our lives depend.

They included the Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales, the Under-Sheriff, the Recorders of Southwark and Westminster, Circuit and District judges and in the procession were joined by members of the Bar, the Guidable Manor and the Southwark Borough Police Commander.

The service in the presence of the Mayor of Southwark Cllr Kath Whittam and the Representative Deputy Lieutenant for Southwark. Lt Col Simon Duckworth, was Common Worship Evening Prayer.

Welcoming everyone and introducing the confession the Dean, the Very Revd Andrew Nunn reminded the civic leaders and those associated with the administration of justice in Southwark, that “we meet in God’s name” and “stand before the Judge of all”.

The fi rst reading, read by Lord Justice Fulford, Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales, was from Micah ending with the exhortation ‘to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God’. The prayers for the Queen, for

all those working in the law, the civic authorities and the prison services were led by Amy Oliver, who will be called to the bar at Gray’s Inn later this month, and Kevin Gordon who gained pupillage last year.

In his sermon Bishop Christopher said that “In this act of worship we have come together to acknowledge the place of Justice and the Rule of Law in a Borough in which there are three busy Crown Courts (Inner London, Blackfriars and Southwark) running 33 criminal courts a day, trying everything from murder, through serious fraud to more minor offences as well as one of the busiest Magistrates’ Courts in the country (Camberwell Green), and a Coroner’s Court”.

“The prophet Micah reminds us that to do justice, we need also to love kindness (mercy). The importance of justice can never be underestimated. In the Church we are also working for justice and this means that as well as challenging injustice we are called to minister to all those who come to us for help with the love that is seen in the way

the (Good) Samaritan cared for the injured man.

He went on to cite examples including foodbanks, luncheon clubs or cafes and homelessness projects. “Each and every one of these activities is a refl ection of doing justice and offering loving kindness and being good neighbours,” he said.

“Justice rightly holds us all to account for our actions, but it needs always to be tempered with mercy and equity; and when it is administered by those who seek to ‘do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with the Lord our God’, it is truly serving the greatest common good and the well being of the whole community in Southwark and wherever the Rule of Law prevails.

“Let us never lose sight of a vision for justice which embraces this ancient wisdom, so essential for human fl ourishing, the Lord being our helper,” he concluded.

The service ended with a blessing from the Bishop and the singing of the National Anthem and was followed by a reception in the Retrochoir.

First ever Southwark Legal Service

Inset: Lord Justice Fulford, Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales

London’s leading judges gathered at Southwark Cathedral on Tuesday 12 July for the first ever Southwark Legal Service.

St Jamesfest in Merton Bishop Carlos Lozano Lopez of the Spanish Episcopal Church was guest of honour when St James Merton held a St JamesFest on the weekend of the Patronal Feast in July.

Bishop Christopher was the Principal Celebrant of the main Mass on Saturday 13 August with 12 con-celebrants, including Fr Alan Moses of All Saints, Margaret Street, who preached at Benediction. A new hymn written by the Priest in Charge

(Fr Jim Rosenthal) with music by parishioner Beckie Sturge, a student at Selwyn College Cambridge was sung. Marion Marples and members of the UK Confraternity of St James were also present and did a mini Camino.

Sunday was compared with a ‘mini Walsingham’. Bishop Carlos blessed those gathered at an early morning Mass followed by a Spanish breakfast. Later young and old, gathered for Mass on

the grass followed by a BBQ Picnic.

Bishop Carlos who met with the Archbishop of Canterbury during his visit, has a vision for a non-Roman Catholic Centre in Santiago de Compostela which with the help of Trinity Church, Wall Street (USA), seems to be off to a good start.

Fr Jim Rosenthal is an Honorary Canon of Madrid Cathedral, hopes that this will be an annual event.

Documents

THE BRIDGE Hearts on Fire - Anglican Diocese of Southwark Bridge/September 2016.pdf · Hearts on Fire The Diocese of Southwark Cathedral funeral ... by great-grandchildren. Having