Christmas starts with Christingle
October 2016
N E E D TO K N OW
I S T O R I E S I A R E A U P D AT E S I E V E N T S N E A R Y O U
Arc hdeacon’s View By VEN JOHN PERUMBALATH, Archdeacon of Barking MOST of us want to feel, to sound, to be credible. And it is imperative that the Church is credible in the society we live in. Without credibility, speech is mere rhetoric and writing is pure literature. For the word to reflect the person, for the speech to be life and for the writing to be testimony, there must be authenticity, sincerity and credibility. Credibility is power: it is the essential force that makes people believe a particular person or a group. Credibility does not mean that others should believe and agree with what we say; rather they must see that we believe in what we say. It has to do with honesty and integrity. Credibility comes from transparency. When we are transparent we are ourselves; when we are ourselves we are credible. Our lack of transparency reveals to us the dark spots in us that we are afraid others may find out, because we ourselves fear them and avoid them. In so far as we are not transparent, we are opaque. And to be opaque is not to be. There is harshness, insensitivity and CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
Salt shakers Bring the kids to light a candle for Christ’s birthday
Self-confessed 'scruffy' christmasstarts.com Manchester lad reveals the reasons for sharing good ideas around the diocese: Pages 6-7
www.chelmsford.anglican.org
Why was popular character actress Sheila Hancock cutting a ribbon?
Is Silver End the only thatched parish church in the diocese?
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Prayer Diary: Page II-III
■ Meet the Sermon of the Year winner Natalie: Page 5 ■ What's on this autumn: Page IV