Crosslincs 36 by Diocese of Lincoln

The remarkable work of a Lincolnbased charity Page 8

New head of Diocesan administration Page 4

Diocese of Lincoln newspaper www.lincoln.anglican.org

Prize crossword Page 24

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No 36 AUTUMN 2012

New Church School to welcome first pupils

Left: Values and mantras on the wall of The Heart. Right: Paul Thompson, Katie McGuire and Selina Witts. PHILIP CRAVEN Philip Craven A brand new purpose-built Church of England school opens this September in the Diocese of Lincoln. In its setting near the Scunthorpe lake with the great chimneys of the famous steelworks nearby, St Peter and St Paul’s CofE Primary School will open its doors at the beginning of September to 90 pupils from the Lakeside Estate, a development of a thousand new houses aimed at first-time buyers. The school will eventually accommodate 210 pupils. Headteacher Katie McGuire, who has been in post since January, is excited about being able to shape the school right from the start: “So far my role has been to stock

the school, to staff it, to oversee some aspects of the build and even to pick everything from taps to paint colours,” she said. “I think it’s really important that the school feels like a place that the children and the community want to come into and that it’s welcoming.” The school will take children from reception through to Year 6 and has been built to a very high standard. There are spacious and practical classrooms each with their own outdoor area, a large hall equipped with lighting and technology for shows and collective worship and a large atriumlike space, affectionately called The Heart, which runs the length of the classroom area of the school.

“The Heart is really important and we hope it will serve as a place for children to come and be quiet, to play, to use the IT, or even just for a different working environment. While St Peter and St Paul’s is a Church of England school Paul Thompson, Deputy Director of Education for the Diocese, is quick to establish that entrance is not discriminatory or based on faith. “It will have that Christian distinctiveness and character, but is an inclusive school, open to children of all faiths and none, designed for local community,” said Paul. Katie, Paul, Selina Witts (Assistant Headteacher) and others have identified the Christian values of truth, justice, generosity, forgiveness, and respect which will

run through the heart – as well as The Heart – of the school in both its education and administration. Katie is keen to get parents involved and has already organised a ceilidh for the second weekend of term. The school will be central to the foundling community and a hub for local groups. The staff and teachers are excited about the new school term and the future: “It’s the beginning of a new team. That feeling of being able to do something new and different here is really motivating for everyone involved” said Katie. “Most importantly for us is that the children don’t just leave us with a good education but also as well-rounded citizens.”

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News

Synod considers justice Advocate encourages conversations to help recovery from serious crime Will Harrison Members of Diocesan Synod heard the harrowing description of the rape of a General Practioner in a Kent multi-storey car park. The account came as part of a discussion on restorative justice held during the July Synod. Claire Chung, a former GP, described how she was attacked by a man who had been released from prison just the day before, where he was being held for similar crimes. Also addressing the Synod was Tim Newell, a Quaker and former prison governor, who has written extensively on the subject of restorative justice. He described the framework under which restorative justice works, and how it is now an important aspect of treatment where both victims and offenders can move on from their experience. Dr Chung detailed how she had met her attacker in prison, and his reaction to her presence and conversation. “One of the most chilling things that he said, when we finally met in the restorative justice meeting, was that he had stalked another woman prior to me,” Dr Chung told the Synod. “He followed her home but she had got through the door before he could get her. “That woman still has no idea how close

Quaker and former prison governor Tim Newell has published several books on the subject of restorative justice. she came to being raped. “The offender said he wanted to commit a rape and that it was his fantasy. He was determined to carry it out that night.” The Record for Lincoln, His Honour Judge Sean Morris, also addressed the Synod,

describing how sentencing has developed for the better over recent years, and he gave his full support for restorative justice programmes, not only as a means to help victims come to terms with their crimes, but also to reduce re-offending.

Bishop’s chaplain brings extensive experience The Bishop of Lincoln’s new chaplain brings wide experience in church and charities administration and social justice work as she begins her new role in September. The Revd Sal McDougall, who comes from the Diocese of Salisbury, begins work in September. Originally from Bute, an island off the west coast of Scotland, Sal studied music at Glasgow University and went on to work for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. It wasn’t long before she was becoming involved in social justice work, however, and she subsequently worked in the Gorbals area of Glasgow where she pioneered the use of music as a tool to bridge the sectarian divide and bring together disparate communities. She was also heavily involved in promoting a new approach to the rehabilitation of persistent young offenders in Scotland. Sal trained for ordained ministry at New

College, Edinburgh and at the Theological Institute of the Scottish Episcopal Church. She is also a qualified teacher. She has extensive experience of the church, both in an administrative capacity and as an ordained priest, having worked in the Scottish Epis-

The Revd Sal McDougall

copal Church, the Church of Scotland and the Church of England in settings as diverse as cathedrals and small congregations in urban priority areas. Sal is married to Griff and has two grownup stepdaughters. In her spare time, she tries to improve her Spanish language skills and her knowledge of Spanish culture. She has just cycled from London to Paris for Christian Aid. Most recently, Sal has been Assistant Curate at St John’s, Studley in Trowbridge in the Diocese of Salisbury. She is delighted about her forthcoming move. “I’m very much looking forward to coming to the Diocese of Lincoln to be Bishop Christopher’s chaplain, exploring the area, getting to know the Diocese and supporting Bishop Christopher in his ministry.” Sal succeeds Canon Michael Silley, who retires at the end of August after seven years in post.

Retired priest goes MAD A former military and Church college chaplain is to Make a Difference in Africa for a London-based charity. Go MAD in Tanzania is an independent charity formed by people from St John the Evangelist Blackheath, London who wanted to give people from other churches the opportunity to get involved in practical projects that ‘make a difference’ to communities in Tanzania. The Revd Stuart Foster said that a number of recent personal challenges have led him to do the two months’ work in Africa. “Since my retirement just over three years ago I have been looking for something that would make a difference to my life,” he said. “The past year has caused me to re-evaluate my life having had bowel problems and been diagnosed with skin cancer, closely followed by two motorStuart Foster bike accidents – the latter from which I am only now recovering. These have changed my life and faith and now I want to help transform the lives of others.” From 3 October to 30 November Stuart will make a difference to some Tanzanian communities near the town of Musoma on the east bank of Lake Victoria. The town sits on the edge of the Serengeti Plain in the Diocese of Mara, which has experienced phenomenal growth over the past ten years and needs help in all manner of ways. “The work I may be involved in will range from building a simple house, water tank and toilet for a rural community, assisting in an orphanage, getting involved in HIV education, through street drama, exploring remote areas of the Mara region and learning about rural development and getting involved in teaching lessons in healthcare to children and adults in isolated villages.” Gifts to support this work may be made payable through clicking the Donate button at www.thewanderingstu.co.uk or by cheque to the Revd Stuart Foster (No2 account): 3 Marigold Close, Lincoln, LN2 4SZ. Ø Read more in Crosslincs 37

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News

Charity better able to help the elderly

Creatures’ comfort Bishop to forego episcopal house for a stable to raise money for two charities

A charity in a Lincolnshire market town has received a grant to help older, isolated people. The Team Parish of Louth has received a £9,960 grant from money raised by HealthComplete through The Health Lottery. The money will enable the parish to deliver a project to reduce the impact of health inequalities, social isolation, poverty and reduced independence by providing companionship, healthy meals, exercise, information and advice. The project will take place over a year between the two most deprived wards in Louth – Trinity and St Margaret’s – but is open to all the local community, and aims to benefit 250 of the older people in the area. Peta Hill, Church Community Worker, said: “This grant will enable us to carry on supporting the local community, and we will use the money for developing the lunch clubs and for other activities to support older people, some of whom spend a lot of time on their own.” Donald Macrae, Director of HealthComplete, said: “As a community focussed lottery we are delighted to support a project that will help older people to remain active in their local community.”

Bishop’s new office The Bishop of Lincoln has moved into a new office adjacent to the Diocesan offices. The Rt Revd Christopher Lowson now works from his new office at The Old Palace, Minster Yard, Lincoln LN2 1PU, supported by his new Personal Assistant, Deborah Mathews. The Bishop’s new office telephone number is 01522 50 40 90.

crosslincs PUBLISHED BY THE DIOCESE OF LINCOLN EDITOR: Will Harrison REPORTER: Philip Craven CIRCULATION: Jennifer Dyke Edward King House, Minster Yard, Lincoln LN2 1PU crosslincs@lincoln.anglican.org 01522 504036 www.lincoln.anglican.org/crosslincs

The Bishop will spend a December night in this stable to raise money for the Nomad Trust and Christian Aid. WILL HARRISON Will Harrison The Bishop of Lincoln will partly recreate the nativity scene as he spends a lonely December night in a stable to raise money for two charities. The Rt Revd Christopher Lowson will sleep in the stable near Harmston, south of Lincoln to support the work of the Nomad Trust – a homeless charity in Lincoln, and Christian Aid’s Favela project in South America. The stable will become the Bishop’s bedroom, and he hopes other people will follow his example and take on the challenge. “The nativity story is often romanticised into something rather charming and magical, and by doing this I hope to discover

some of the harsh realities of the experience of Mary and Joseph – and hundreds of people around the country who have no bed in which to sleep.” With just a sleeping bag and a flask, the Bishop will dispense with all other luxuries for the long night of 20 December, when his bed will be constructed from straw bales. Peter Mottram, of C A Mottram and Sons, which owns the stable, said: “It’s fantastic for us to have the opportunity to support the Bishop in this brave venture. “There’s only so much draught-proofing we can do in a stable, and we can’t guarantee that our straw is particularly soft, but we hope very much that the Bishop will get some rest, especially as he will be doing

this during a very busy season of carol services and his preparations for Christmas.” The Bishop is encouraging other farmers and landowners to ‘rent’ our their stables to people who are willing to brave a December night in the conditions endured by the holy family. “There must be hundreds of stables around the Diocese which could be available to those keen to raise money for these good causes,” said the Bishop. To support the Bishop, and to donate to the Nomad Trust and Christian Aid, visit www.lincoln.anglican.org/stable If you have a stable to offer the project, please contact Jennifer Dyke on 01522 504036 or by e-mail at jennifer.dyke@lincoln.anglican.org

Lincolnshire Co-operative Funeral Services 12 Portland Street, Lincoln, LN5 7JX Telephone 01522 534971

A professional service from people who care

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News

Excellent experience The Interim Diocesan Secretary brings a wealth of expertise Will Harrison Experience in hospitality, agriculture, manufacturing, and more recently parochial ministry and Diocesan management has provided the Interim Diocesan Secretary with the portfolio of expertise demanded by the post. Most recently, the Revd Canon Richard Bowett was Diocesan Secretary to the Diocese of Norwich, and in retirement was asked by the Bishop of Lincoln to chair the recent Central Services Review of the Diocese of Lincoln, stepping up as a consultant to be acting Diocesan Secretary in May. Born in Norfolk, Richard first considered ordination while at prep school, imagining himself preaching from the parish church pulpit, and inspired by the parish priest. Later he worked for a large brewery,

and moved into its hospitality arm before returning to Norfolk to help run the family businesses – in agriculture, car sales (selling 1,500 cars a year), and high-end gear manufacturing. It was during that period that Richard decided it was time to put his long-held vocation to the test. “I knew when I was eight years old that I should be ordained, but it took me many years actually to do anything about it,” he said. Spurred on by his wife, Jane, Richard was selected for ordination, trained on the East Anglia Ministry Training Course and became curate of the very church he had attended as a prep school pupil. As a nonstipendiary minister, he continued with his business interests, and his presidencies of the West Norfolk Institute of Directors, of

Hunstanton Lions, and his volunteer work as a Samaritan before deciding to dedicate himself to the Church full-time and taking up a stipendiary post. After several years, he became Diocesan Secretary for Norwich, leading the Diocese out of financial deficit and creating a fiveyear annual £250,000 mission fund. “The Diocese also had a complete review of its central services, much like we have done for the Diocese of Lincoln,” he said. “I see the role of Diocesan Secretary as leading the office’s service to the parishes so that it can best fulfil the mission and ministry of the Diocese. “I’ve already found the clergy and laity of the Diocese of Lincoln very warm, friendly and welcoming, and I find working with them a great pleasure.” Ø Read more on page 23

Resources for Churches The Diocese of Lincoln’s Church Buildings Department has launched a new Resources Pack to assist parishes across the Diocese maintain, fund and realise the potential of their church buildings. Each aspect of the Resources Pack contains information, guidance and useful links, and associated training is also available. Compiled by the Historic Churches Support Officer and the Open Churches Officer, the pack can be downloaded from the Diocesan website’s historic churches pages at www.lincoln.anglican.org/ historicchurches. The pack will be updated from time to time with new sections. For more details, contact the Historic Churches Support Officer, Becky Burrows at rebecca.burrows@lincoln.anglican.org or on 01522 50 40 48.

The Revd Canon Richard Bowett (pictured, front) is leading the Diocesan staff and administration as Interim Diocesan Secretary. WILL HARRISON

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News

Image shows ‘Christmas Starts with Christ’ A very different image of baby Jesus is due to hit the streets this Christmas, with the new Godbaby poster from ChurchAds.net – the Churches Advertising Network. The striking image of a fictional ‘Godbaby toy’ aims to make the Christmas story appeal to the younger generation, and puts Christ at the centre of conversations. The cute brown-eyed boy doll in a blue baby grow represents the baby Jesus, and plays on the idea of Christmas being a time when everyone is searching for that ‘musthave’ Christmas gift. It carries the slogan – ‘GodBaby - He cries, He wees, He saves the world’ and is the latest advert from the ‘Christmas Starts with Christ…’ campaign. For more information and to download a FREE campaign activation pack and resources, visit: www.churchads.net

The Bishop of Lincoln’s first ordinations since his consecration last year took place in Lincoln Cathedral at Petertide. WILL HARRISON

New ministries

The Rt Revd Christopher Lowson ordained 12 new deacons — seven women and five men ChurchAds.net Trustee, Mike Elms, a former advertising executive, said: “Our campaign places a Christ-focussed message at the heart of the seasonal consumerism: on shopping centre posters; on commercial radio; in the pages of our daily newspapers. This year’s poster features the ‘Godbaby doll’: this year’s ‘must-have’ gift. “It’s a striking, contemporary and very simple way of communicating the nativity message that Christ, fully divine and fully human, came to us for our salvation.”

The Bishop of Lincoln has presided at his first ordinations since his consecration. The Rt Revd Christopher Lowson presided at the Petertide ordinations of deacons in the nave of Lincoln Cathedral, where he ordained seven women and five men. The evening before, the Bishops of Grantham and Grimsby ordained 11 priests, with one further priest being ordained in Edenham Parish Church by the Bishop of Richborough. The ability to admit people to holy orders – in this instance as deacons and priests –

has been the prerogative of bishops for hundreds of years, and the Petertide ordinations were Bishop Christopher’s first opportunity to do so since being made a bishop at Westminster Abbey last September. Speaking after the service, the Bishop of Lincoln said: “Being ordained is the culmination of many years of hard work, training, and personal exploration and development. “The step these people are taking is a great one but it’s also a tough one; their lives change from now on and this week-

end’s services celebrate both their personal commitment to this change and also their public commitment to their new parishes, the people of the Diocese of Lincoln, and to transforming lives through the furtherance of the Gospel.” “I am delighted to be sharing in what is such an important occasion and significant personal step for these new deacons and priests.” Ø More photographs at www.flickr.com/ dioceseoflincoln Ø See gazette, page 23, and page 24

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Children and Young People

Children and Young People 01522 50 40 67 youth@lincoln.anglican.org www.lincoln.anglican.org/youth

Rats and Rubbish Youth research project describes rodents’ effect on duck population

Art focus for Bible festival

Philip Craven Pupils from a Lincolnshire school have run a campaign to raise awareness of the effects of littering at their school, in conjunction with the Diocese’s Youth Projects Worker. The pupils from the Sir John Gleed Boys’ School in Spalding met with the Bishop of Grantham, the Rt Revd Dr Tim Ellis, to present their findings from a research project that had been running in the school. ‘Rats and Rubbish’ looked at the decline of the duck population around the school and it was found that the decline was a direct consequence of litter dropping: it was noted that food and wrappers that were left around had attracted more rats to the area, who in turn ate more of the duck eggs. Following the presentation Bishop Tim discussed the findings with the boys and what they were doing to help the duck population and habitat at the school; the students explained that they were promoting litter collection to their peers and had organised a rota to tidy up any other rubbish and litter around the school. Bishop Tim then awarded the students the Standard Bishop’s Award certificates in recognition of their care for the environment and achievements in the school. “It was great to see the boys rewarded for their hard work and all they’ve accomplished with the project,” said Suzanne Starbuck, Projects Officer for the Diocesan Youth service. “They seemed to enjoy the project and presenting to Bishop Tim, and they really engaged in asking him questions about anything and everything over the celebratory lunch.” Before heading for home the boys were taken on a tour of Lincoln Cathedral by Bishop Tim, who spoke to them about the cathedral’s architecture and history. They were then given a private tour of the Wren Library at the cathedral, where a cathedral volunteer answered questions about the books and manuscripts. Suzanne was effusive with praise for the students’ work and the day in Lincoln: “I am completely thrilled to see the boys engaging with environmental programmes and for them to be able to spend the day out with Bishop Tim in recognition of their hard work and dedication. “I hope other young people in the diocese and in our church schools are inspired to undertake projects of a similar type, to help them to think about the effects of the relationship we have with nature and our surroundings.”

Pupils from Sir John Gleed Boy’s School meet the Bishop of Grantham. SUZANNE STARBUCK

Mission partner’s example Dave Rose A priest in the Democratic Republic of Congo has particular responsibility for training workers, much in line with the work of the Diocese of Lincoln’s Children and Youth team. The Revd Bernard Bisoke Balikenga is a CMS ‘Timothy’ Local Mission Partner in the DRC. A ‘Timothy’ partner is someone who may be employed locally, but relies upon support from the Church Mission Society for some of their living expenses and mission costs. Bisoke is the Provincial Youth Worker for the Congo, which means he is responsible for training & supporting workers, setting up new areas of work. Bisoke covers a whole province (eight dioceses) with a population of more than 52 million (the Diocese of Lincoln has a population of about one million), though most of his face-to-face work is within the DRC. Another difference is conflict. The DRC and surrounding nations have an awful legacy of inter-community strife, with conflict spilling over from one country to another. This means that much of Bisoke’s work will need to start with him acting as peace-maker, bringing reconciliation to communities that have recent histories of violence. It also means that a lot of his work is about picking up the pieces, working to bring stability and hope to children

and young people whose lives have been shattered by war, who have seen parents and loved ones killed. Work in such an environment can often seem like one step forward and three steps backwards as buildings and equipment are damaged or destroyed and key people – trained workers or supportive community leaders – get caught up in the conflict. Bisoke may be on a different continent and works in different countries, but he is part of the same Universal Church as we are, and so his mission is our mission; the mission of the Church. Bisoke and the work that he does is the focus for a new ten credit Church Children’s or Bishop’s Youth Achievement Award. The award will include demonstrating research skills, joint working, and communication skills; planning, fundraising and keeping a prayer diary, though if other skills are demonstrated by the young person, the local Church should make awards in response. As well as gaining important skills and insights, children and young people who undertake it will also be supporting the work of Bisoke in a very practical way – by prayer and fundraising to help him in his work. For further details go to the DoLCYS part of the Diocesan web site, www.lincoln.anglican.org/toolkit and scroll down to the section with work packs linked to CCAA and BYAA awards. While there, check out the Bell Ringing, Fire Safety and Animal Welfare modules.

A southern deanery hosted a schools festival for children from all the schools in the deanery to explore a biblical story through the Arts. Year 4 pupils from the 15 schools in the Elloe East deanery were invited to take part in the exploration of the story of Moses and the escape from Egypt at the Elloe East Schools Festival at Gedney Victory Hall. The festival took place over three days with five schools taking part each day. The mornings were spent with the children enjoying one of four activities, which they were able to pick before the day; there was a choice of music, dance, drama, and art, which were led by professionals from around the county. The Music group used a range of drums and percussive instruments to depict Moses and the Burning Bush, led by members of Acts II, a Spalding-based arts group. The Dance troupe, led by Lincs Dance, showed the escape from Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea. Art was led by local artist Maria Maidment, who guided the children in creating panels that were later stitched together to form altar frontals for use in their local churches. And the children in the Drama group played out a scene from Moses’s childhood and his discovery after being hidden in the bullrushes as a baby. After the morning sessions the children congregated for Rob Little, Headteacher of the Sutterton Fourfields and Swineshead St Mary’s Schools Federation, to weave together the story of Moses from birth to leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Using a wonderful narrative style and magic tricks, Rob engaged with the children and set the stage perfectly for the children to show their classmates the routines and skills they had learnt during the day. The day was organised by the rural dean, the Revd Rosemary Goddard, and the Mary Bass Trust, which is based in Holbeach. The Mary Bass Trust was set up to help churches in the area and for mission work, especially with young people in the area. “We just want the children to enjoy the day and for it to be seen as a gift from the people of the parishes to the children,” said Rosemary. “In that way we hope that the generosity and love of the church is seen and hopefully the seed of faith will be sown. “The children all seem to really enjoy their time with us and the comments board we put up has some wonderful messages on it.” “We’re lucky to have so many talented teachers and leaders.”

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International flavour to a week at the seaside Visitors from Hungary and Italy share parish life A Lincolnshire group of churches has hosted a week of cultural events and a foreign exchange with young people from Italy and Hungary joining the group’s own young people. The Skegness Group of Churches welcomed a group of travel-wearied but excited young people from Hangonay, Hungary and Terni, Italy to Skegness in June, to participate in a week’s activities and cultural exchange. The exchange took place as part of the European Commission’s Youth In Action trilateral-exchange programme, which was supported by Stefan Krause, Skegness Town Centre Manager as well as the Skegness Group. Youth In Action aims to encourage young people to encounter different social and cultural realities and to learn from each other through a range of activities. The first discovery for the Italians and Hungarians came in the form of one of Britain’s culinary eccentricities: after initial scepticism and precise descriptions of what they were and what should be done with them, the mushy peas were accepted as something peculiarly British but worth a try, once. The young people took it in turns to provide entertainment and traditional cuisine from their respective countries for an evening; some re-arranging was necessary following the Italian football team’s success in the European Football Championships. The Olympic Torch relay provided more excitement, where the young people led the cheers as one of the congregation members carried the torch on its final leg in Skegness. The exchange also linked in with Skegness’s SO Festival of Culture and the trip was rounded off with a visit to

Lincoln’s Cathedral and Castle. St Matthew’s Church acted as headquarters for all the young people for the duration of the visit and a photo exhibition of their activities and experiences was built up over the week and put on display in the church. “Many of the visitors were amazed at the flexibility of the church, as they’d never seen churches used for anything other than formal worship,” said the Revd Julie Donn, Curate at St Matthew’s. “The idea of kitchens, popular music, and a place that could be used as a centre for the community was a pleasant surprise for them, and one they said they would take back to their home churches with them.” The final day started with a formal act of worship of confirmation and baptism; the Hungarian contingent were particularly welcomed by the baptism-family who were Hungarian themselves and worked at Butlins. The whole exchange was filmed by a producer for a local Hungarian TV station, and will be shown in a half-hour programme in the near future. “I’ve heard from loads of the young people how much they enjoyed the week – it was a great success,” said Julie. “For me, it was an excellent demonstration of the Gospel message being lived out in our own community and being shared with others to take with them further afield. “At the beginning of the week there were three distinct groups of young people with little in the way of natural communication, but by the end of the week there was just one big group of friends.” St Matthew’s is grateful for the support of the Youth in Action organisation and funding from the European Union.

HOPE for harvest Simon Dean The HOPE initiative has produced a new resource following the success of their resource HOPE for Easter. In line with their focus on harvest and thanksgiving this year HOPE for Harvest provides you with ideas, stories and group studies for this key season in the church year. The book is fuIl of ideas to help individuals and churches make the most of harvest, through thankfulness and generosity, and to explore workplace and community mission.

Split into headings of Thankfulness, Work, Generosity and Stewardship, HOPE Outworked, Youth and Word, this book covers a multitude of topics. Contributors to the book include Rt Revd Paul Bayes, Bishop of Hertford, Mark Greene of The London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, Roy Crowne of HOPE, and Ken Costa of Holy Trinity Brompton. The ideas in the book are suitable for both urban and rural churches giving fresh and new ideas to engage with harvest while also providing a fresh twist on old ideas.

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Committed to the journey A Lincoln-based Christian charity is transforming the lives of young people in an AIDS-ridden part of Uganda

Joseph Hardwick Director Christian Partners in Africa Assembly has already begun. As we walk through the school gates we can hear the children singing the school anthem with pride, 630 children in chorus, “We are women and men of Uganda... together united for a better Uganda.” The fog is clearing from the valley below and the early morning sun is warming the hillside campus of St Paul’s Community Primary School in Rukungiri – southwest Uganda. Established in 2000, St Paul’s School is a non-government primary school for children in the Rukungiri district – an area badly affected by conflict and more recently the HIV/AIDS virus. It was established by a group of friends who, moved by the level of poverty among their neighbours, wanted to provide a source of hope and education in Jesus’ name. In the early days, the school was small and the facilities basic: teaching took place in four classrooms and a tin shack for the nursery children. There was no electricity and few resources, but the teachers were committed and the founders driven by faith and vision. Their motto was, and continues to be, “Godliness with hard work.” It was around that time that CPA was invited to become a partner with the school. The connection came through our good friend, Ephraim Gensi, a man with whom we had worked elsewhere in Uganda and a co-founder of the school. He invited CPA to fund 20 free scholarships for local orphan children – allowing them to attend school with no cost to their families or guardians. This was a big step for us, but we were confident that we could raise the funds, so we agreed. There is a tradition in Uganda that when you leave a place, maybe to walk home, your friends will go with you some of the way. “Let me give you a push,” they will say, so that you share some of the journey together. This is very much how we understand partnership at CPA. St Paul’s School is on its own journey, but we have chosen to walk with them for some of the way in friendship – to give them a push. For us, this means sharing in their

Christian Partners in Africa ρρ Registered as a charity in 1995 ρρ Working with partners in four African countries ρρ Has a sister company producing handmade jewellery: www.whitenilestore.com ρρ Six trustees, local to Lincoln and Hull ρρ Facebook: christianpartnersinafrica ρρ Twitter: @cpafrica1 ρρ Web: www.cpafrica.org.uk

CPA is seeking more support of Komamboga Children’s Home to meet increased running costs. To make a donation, call 01522 544830 or visit www.cpafica.org.uk CPA hopes and vision for the future, not setting the agenda, but walking with them on the path they have chosen. In practical terms, CPA is working with St Paul’s School to help it become a beacon school in the Rukungiri District – not only in terms of academic performance, but also child welfare and social action. There are now 150 children on the scholarship programme and the school has a reputation for upholding and promoting child rights. At the same time, CPA has been helping to develop the school campus, building more classrooms, flushing lavatories, staff houses, and more recently a dedicated Nursery Centre – the old tin shack now being used as a tuck shop. We thank God for the support we have received to make this possible, especially in Lincolnshire. Based in Lincoln, Christian Partners in Africa (CPA) is a registered charity, founded by Chris and Ro-

sey Shelbourne in 1995. Inspired by our Christian faith, our mission is to restore hope and dignity to individuals, families, and communities living in poverty in Africa. For us, this means engaging in meaningful and committed relationships with our African partners to help them serve the poor in their communities, often by addressing the underlying forces that keep people in poverty, such as lack of education or negative attitudes towards children. Over the years, we have worked with some passionate and driven individuals, without whom the projects we support would never have been established. St Paul’s School is a thriving example of this. Komamboga Children’s Home in Kampala, Uganda, is another. On the outskirts of the city, the Elim Church of Uganda provides a safe and loving home for children with nowhere else to go. Some are orphans, while others were abandoned or have come from abusive situations.

Overseen by a Board of Governors (of which CPA is a member), the Home is managed by Julius Ananura – a Ugandan father who gave up a professional career to live and work there with his family. For Julius, investing in the lives of these children and being a father to them is a ministry, carried out in love and inspired by Jesus. CPA has been working with the Home since 1996. In the subsequent years, we have seen children from desperate situations grow up to become teachers, entrepreneurs, craftsmen and artists, among other things. This has been a real privilege for us. Some have even started their own projects to help children from similar backgrounds. Both Moses and Tom have started schools, while Asha (working as a lawyer in Tanzania) has been serving on the Board of Governors for the Home until recently. CPA is able to support the Home through regular donations in the UK. This allows us to cover the

operational expenses – such as food, clothing, medical care and education. However, we also work closely with Julius to help ensure that holistic needs are met. Counselling, play therapy, games, and church activities are therefore a central part of Home life. Alongside this, CPA continues to develop the buildings and garden. Recent additions are a new play park for the children and an extension to the cookhouse, including fuel-efficient wood-burning stoves. We are currently working on a water tower and preparing to take a team from Scotland in October to renovate the main house, painting the walls with bright colours, cartoon characters in bedrooms, and a new library and quiet space. All of this is essential for children’s wellbeing. We are convinced that by nurturing the physical, educational, emotional, and spiritual needs of a child, they will flourish irrespective of which country they are born in. This has been our experience in Uganda – with St Paul’s School and Komamboga Children’s Home – and is why we continue to work with partners there. Although not always an easy journey, we are determined to walk together in friendship – to give each other a push. A friend of ours once described working in partnership as walking along a dusty road. Experience has taught us that as we do this, sharing in the good times and bad times, the joy and tears, we find that the journey brings us closer together with our African friends, and the dust on our feet means that we have something in common. 

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Comment and letters

Letters to the Editor, Crosslincs, Edward King House, Minster Yard, Lincoln LN2 1PU crosslincs@lincoln.anglican.org A name, address and telephone number must be supplied with every letter and e-mail Letters may be edited for style and length

Godly play From the Revd Richard Thornton I read with interest the Bishop of Grantham’s thoughts on football (Wednesday’s Child, Crosslincs 35). May I recommend to Bishop Tim and other football enthusiasts Peter Lupson’s book Thank God for Football! (SPCK 2006)? This is a detailed, academic study of 12 of the original 38 clubs in the newly founded FA Premier League in the 1992-3 season. These twelve clubs were all founded by clergymen or church groups of one kind or another, for example the Young Men’s Bible Class at Aston Villa Wesleyan Chapel (1872), or Revd Tiverton Preedy, a former student at Lincoln Theological College, who founded Barnsley St Peter’s football club. Small Heath Alliance football club, now Birmingham City, was founded by choristers of Holy Trinity Church. In his slum parish, Bishop Samuel Wilberforce’s son Revd Basil Wilberforce helped to found the St Mary’s Young Men’s Association Football Club – now Southampton FC and still called ‘The Saints’. This instructive book is a window into the social history and leisure activities of late 19th Century town churches. You will learn how Tottenham Hotspur FC gained that name and how Manchester City emerged from its origins as St Mark’s (West Gorton) Football Club. Unfortunately, Sheffield Wednesday doesn’t warrant one mention – but neither do the Blades, for that matter. Richard Thornton Nettleham

Comment The topic of Sunday trading cannot escape being emotive as it affects peoples’ lives in so many different ways. It goes against the start of creation on which God says, “on the seventh day man shall rest”. Do we really want to go down the track of having our supermarkets, shopping centres and corner shops open for longer on Sundays? The Government may have changed the law to cover the Olympics, but that is no prerequisite for this shortterm change to be made permanent. It is interesting to note from the recent newspaper articles that, while Asda are all for extending Sunday trading, others, like Justin King, CEO of Sainsbury, are against the idea. Vince Cable seems to sit in the middle of the debate within the coalition, originally being vehemently opposed to extending Sunday trade, he is now prepared to discuss it. The Conservative Party will be pleased to hear that, but his own Liberal Democrats will find this hard to take, their policy being not to extend hours. Many Conservative back-benchers are in favour of a change, yet do they, or we, know or understand at what cost that might happen? In the commercial instance, no company has been able to confirm that extended hours will have a positive effect on their overall trading position. Is it necessary? Are the public so desperate to shop all day and half the night on

There’s a wideness yet another day of the week? This could well have an awful impact on families with very tight budgets, where money for extras is scarce. How would this affect the family life of shop staff? One of Justin King’s arguments is that a change would affect the social life of families. He also argues that maintaining Sunday’s special status has great merit and relaxing Sunday trading laws is certainly not a magic end to economic regeneration. The Right Revd John Pritchard, the Bishop of Oxford, has recently signed a letter with the Chair of Shop, Distribution and Allied Workers, and the Association of Convenience Stores, describing as “alarming” any suggestion of relaxing Sunday trading laws after the Olympics. The letter also argues that longer Sunday trading would undermine shops and family life, and bring little economic benefit. Bishop Pritchard said in the House of Lords, “The damage is that we run in a 24/7 shopping society where the natural rhythms of life are gradually obliterated.” The tradition of the Church of England opposes such changes, because it wants to uphold what, through life’s experience, has been good. But some would say the Church needs to change, as it seems to promote for itself that Sunday is a day of worship, and we should stick to it for the benefit of family social life. If Sunday trading laws were relaxed, what would your response be?

From Mr David Redrobe What an amazing letter from the Revd Martyn Taylor (Gratitude for history, Letters, Crosslincs 35). I haven’t come across such a certain, doubtless testimony of personal faith for a long time. There are those, of course, who would accuse such a testimony as arrogant, because it reads without doubts and undergirded with a wealth of predictable phraseology. My pastoral concern for the correspondent is that he will be able to live at such a high, self-confident, spiritual level, even in his most challenging – and maybe threatening – future experiences of life. I have to admit that I cannot live with such certainty. That is why one of my favourite hymns is There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, and particularly two verses of that hymn: For the love of God is broader than the measures of man’s mind.... But we make his love too narrow by false limits of our own; And we magnify his strictness with a zeal he will not own. Good old Church of England! We share faith together under a hugely embracing, multi-coloured golfing umbrella! David Redrobe Kirton-in-Lindsey

The Comment is written by a different anonymous author each edition, with the intention of provoking thought and debate, and is not necessarily the view of the Diocese of Lincoln. Letters are welcomed on any subject.

To be a Pilgrim From the Revd Liz Brown At the beginning of the summer holidays a group of young people from St Mary's, Barton-on-Humber took part in the national Youth Pilgrimage to the shrine of our Lady of Walsingham. They were accompanied by their Youth Leaders, our Vicar, Fr David Rowett and yours truly, a female priest, very firmly in the Catholic tradition but not able to exercise my ministry in Walsingham which doesn't recognise women's priestly role. I understand why Walsingham is awkward territory for women in ministry, and I did wonder if it would be awkward for me too, but in fact there was very little discomfort and what little there was was worth it for the benefits experienced by all our bunch of pilgrims. For a start, I have to pay tribute both to the young people on the pilgrimage and to the organisers. The focus of the pilgrimage was God, not politics, and the gender issue was never raised. What was raised was the

absolute centrality of the Eucharist in worship. The prayer tent, where the Blessed Sacrament was reserved, was at the heart of the camp, and that point of focus was part of every act of worship, whether a Mass in the Big Top worship tent or the barefoot mile walk from the Slipper Chapel to the Shrine, culminating in a service of Benediction in which 600 young people knelt in absolute silence and adoration in the presence of God. Let nobody tell you that young people don't know how to be quiet! However, going camping with a group of teenagers is never likely to be a solemn affair. In addition to the worship, prayer, Bible study, late night vigil etc., they rocked and partied with the best. (I also have to say that we dined in style. Fr David's idea of simple camping fare runs to starters, stuffed peppers and hissy fits if he can't find an aubergine). All of which is fine, you may say, but what about the elephant in the room? What about the refusal to recognise women's priestly role? Well, yes, there were times when it was painful. When all the concelebrants

processed in and there was no way I could be part of that I can't deny that it made me rather sad, but even so I'm glad I went because Walsingham, like all other other holy places, is about more than the feelings of the people who go there. Places of pilgrimage are places of encounter with God and it's in those places of encounter that tensions like these can be recognised, including the pain that goes with them, and in being recognised can be discussed and maybe eventually healed. We do nobody any favours by walking away from them and pretending they're not there. Not to be able to celebrate the Eucharist there was painful, but the overwhelming emotion I felt during the pilgrimage was gratitude for the privilege of being there with so many other people who in all other respects shared my faith and spirituality. Despite wearing clerical black all week, I encountered nothing but courtesy and friendliness from organisers and pilgrims alike, and to me that says it all. I felt no need to pretend to be anything other than what I am (even though I recog-

nise that many people there couldn't accept that) and nobody there felt that they had to establish their “credentials” by expressing disapproval. As far as I can see, that's a pretty good and courteous model for approaching the various issues which bedevil the Church at present. The youngest member of our party was an 11-year-old from an unchurched background who had attended a Eucharist for the first time half an hour before we set off. When asked if she'd enjoyed herself her reply was “It's great. I can be myself here”. Says it all really. We'll be taking a party to the Youth Pilgrimage again next year and if anybody feels like joining us they'd be very welcome. The mornings may be a bit chilly, the late night Prayer Vigil is tiring, but the joy and reverence in the place has to be experienced to be believed. And nothing tastes quite as good as a bacon sandwich at 5.30am. Trust me! Liz Brown Barton-on-Humber

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Church Schools

Diocesan Education Centre 01522 50 40 10 www.lincoln.anglican.org/churchschools

A friend to the school Jacqueline Waters-Dewhurst John 6.9: One small boy, one small lunch pack, one moment of willingness, trust and obedience, one child’s acceptance that anything is possible. And thousands were fed. And what if that small boy had never seen God’s love, never seen faith in action, never been shown the impossible? How can our children know God if noone shows them? How can other people’s children know God if we don’t go out and meet them where they are? At the heart of the churches mission to the nation lie its church schools. In Lincoln’s 141 schools there are approximately 25,000 children learning, playing, thinking, hurting, laughing and trying to make sense of the world which they inhabit and of themselves; and you can help them. The Church of England has a long and successful history of involvement in education, and still retains a significant contribution to the education of our young people. The family of Church Schools in the Diocese of Lincoln offers a distinctive opportunity for everyone in the school community to discover the possibility of God. Church schools are one of the tangible expressions of Christian concern for the education of children and young people. They are also a practical expression of the partnership between the Church, the school and the community. Within the Diocese there are 141 Church Schools, and six of these are in the secondary phase of education. Our schools each encapsulate a set of Christian Values within their work, their relationships and their vision but they need support in order to continue effectively to show pupils the love of God and give them opportunities to explore faith. We need to ensure that each school is supported by Christians willing to serve God by ‘being Christ in that place’ not preaching, definitely not proselytising, but quietly being a physical sign of God’s love and care. One of the ways in which this diocese accomplishes this is through its Bishop’s Visitors. Bishop’s Visitors are a friend to the school and a listening ear, and a link with the Bishop of Lincoln and the Diocesan Education Team. They are a Christian presence supporting and enhancing the distinctive nature of the school through sharing the Bishop’s letter each term with the whole school community, attending and supporting worship in school or church and offering individual skills and talents to enrich the life of the school. Each visitor has individual strengths and skills through which, in close cooperation with the school, they will develop their own valued contribution to school life.

Jacqueline Waters-Dewhurst began work in the Diocese of Lincoln’s education department in the summer. PHILIP CRAVEN

A new direction

The new Diocesan Director of Education, Jacqueline Waters-Dewhurst, introduces herself Kenneth Graham’s Mole in The Wind in the Willows was a bundle of industrious activity; whitewash, dust, brooms, stepladders, chairs (no doubt wobbly) and “aching back and weary arms” – when there was a change it was uncalled-for, unplanned, unexpected. “Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below and around him, penetrating even his dark and lowly little house with its spirit of divine discontent and longing.” We all know the result. He flung down all of his cleaning equipment and uttered those well-known words: “‘Bother!’ and ‘O blow!’ and also ‘Hang spring-cleaning!’ and bolted out of the house without even waiting to put on his coat. Something up above was calling him imperiously.” Now I am in no way suggesting that the Diocese of Bristol, where I was Diocesan Director of Education for four very happy years was a dark and lowly little house! It was a place where I was offered the chance

to ‘learn my trade’ and put it into practise. Just like Mole in his little home it was a place where I was very happy, where I enjoyed being extremely busy and where, the challenges of the job although not covering me in splashes of whitewash, inevitably led to a certain amount of satisfying weariness. So why did I leave? ‘It was time’ sounds simplistic. ‘I needed a change’ hardly steadfast and somewhat disloyal. ‘It was part of my career plan’ an outrageous fib! Career plans have never been how I’ve really worked. Returning to education to do a BEd (Hons) when my daughters were small I then completed 15 years of teaching in a variety of primary schools: church, community, affluent, deprived, large and urban, tiny and rural – not one move was planned by me. Following this I became Schools Adviser for the Diocese of Bath and Wells. Again this was not part of a well thought out career strategy! Finding myself in Bris-

tol as Diocesan Director of Education was probably more of a surprise to me than it was for anyone else. So why, did I move and how do I find myself in Lincolnshire? I think like Mole I felt a ‘spirit of divine discontent and longing.’ Like him something was calling and like him I bolted out of the house. Unlike him I managed to grab my coat (and a few bits of furniture). And unlike him I left behind three grown up children, a dog and, most importantly, a brand new grandson. But among the sadness of leaving things behind I have a sense that Lincoln will be a good place to settle, to put down roots and to grow; in the job, in faith and as a person. I know that the Diocese of Lincoln, like the river of the Water Rat, is going to offer me wonderful new experiences, difficult challenges, joy, frustrations and new friendships. And in it all the ‘Divine spirit’ that in reality is God.

Bishop’s Visitors recognise that building a successful relationship with a school takes time, commitment and negotiation, and they can be instrumental in developing links with the local church and clergy and strengthening further the school’s links with the community. We provide a framework of support for Bishop’s Visitors which includes the co-ordinator, Judy Dickin, who organises a programme of support and is available to offer individual support and advice; three newsletters a year where we share news and keep Bishop’s Visitors informed of events in the diocese; an annual conference, with

contributions from the Bishop of Lincoln and the Diocesan Director of Education; and three regional meetings held within the Diocese in the spring term. These meetings are shared with the Diocesan Director of Education, members of the Diocesan Education Centre team and the coordinator for Bishop’s Visitors. This is a time to get to know each other better and share expertise and experiences. In the summer a further training and social event is arranged, which is at the individual visitor’s expense. This year saw guided visits to Gainsborough Old Hall, St Mary’s Stow and St Edith’s Coates.

Bishop’s Visitors need not be educationalists, youth workers, young, or retired or any particular age. They just need to have a sense that maybe God is calling them to do something in schools to enable children to learn something about Him.  For more information find the Bishop’s Visitors Handbook on the website at www.lincoln.anglican.org/churchschools or contact Judy Dickin by e-mail at judith.dickin@ntlworld.com. For an application pack please contact Sally Doughty at sally.doughty@lincoln. anglican.org or by calling 01522 504015.

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The Church on the edge The church is alive and well in the Middle East, writes the former Dean of Bahrain

St Christopher’s Cathedral, Bahrain, sits within a complex of churches of various denominations. ALAN HAYDAY

Alan Hayday Dean of Bahrain (2002-2009) Archdeacon in the Gulf (2006-2009) The usual response I received when people knew that I was Dean of St Christopher’s Cathedral, Bahrain, was: “I didn’t know there were any Christian churches in the Middle East; it’s all Muslim isn’t it?” Contrary to popular misconception the Church, including the Anglican Church, is alive and well in the Middle East, but is very much a church on the edge. If you were dumped in the middle of the Bahrain Souk area, on the edge of which St Christopher’s Cathedral is situated, you would be forgiven for thinking you were somewhere in the middle of Mumbai or New Delhi. The milling crowd would be largely from the Indian subcontinent, predominantly male, and with few recognisable Arabs. The fact is, east really does meet west here at the cultural crossroads of the world, but there is little evidence of the west in the souk apart from the occasional tourist tempted into buying a fake Rolex watch. Cross the road to the twin glass towers of the Bahrain Financial Harbour or to where the green glass spikes of the World Trade Centre soar into the sky and there you become acutely aware of the influence of the west, supported by Bahraini money,

built using the labour of thousands of migrant workers. East meeting west is dramatically evident too in church life. St Christopher’s Cathedral compound hosts 5-6,000 worshippers each week in six worship rooms or halls each throbbing with vibrant worship every night of the week, with more than 40 separate congregations represented. These range from Indian Pentecostal, Ethiopian Orthodox, Church of South India to Tamil and Urdu speakers, and three Anglican congregations. The role of the Dean often descends to the practical concerns of a car park attendant as the first round of the evening’s congregations give way to the next. On Friday (Islam’s Sunday) the situation extends to most of the day. Each congregation has its high powered PA system in order to be heard above the congregation going full pelt next door. In this atmosphere it is tempting to develop the theology of a ‘Deaf God’ – he will hear us! When the word ‘cathedral’ is mentioned people in the Diocese of Lincoln immediately think of our own great cathedral standing nobly and proudly on its hill. St Christopher’s Cathedral is humble by comparison. Holding only 170 (at a push), boasting no great architecture and only three Persian stained glass windows, it serves no less important a function. It nestles unobtrusively in the middle of the Bahrain Ministry of the Interior and bustling Manama city, one of the most densely populated city areas in the world. It truly provides an oasis of calm (for most of the day) in a noisy frantic world clogged up with gridlocked hooting traffic and surrounded by

at least 25 mosques from which the call to prayer can begin at 4.30am. The Anglican congregations too are a genuine mix of cultures and nationalities from every part of the globe. They bring with them rich experiences of their churches ‘back home’ plus a willingness to learn from, and mix and mingle with, Christians from very different backgrounds. The Friday and Saturday services are not only racially and culturally mixed but are also full of children and young people. There are few if any expat OAPs in Bahrain. Only those with legitimate jobs are issued work permits and allowed to live on the island. Contracts are generally quite short, two to three years, and so apart from those few westerners who have made Bahrain their home the congregations are transient. The main Sunday evening congregation is predominantly western expats, many of whom provide the managerial, financial and technical expertise enabling Bahrain to consider itself the financial hub of the Middle East. Anglicanism is very open, providing hospitality and home for Christians of many denominations including Roman Catholics, despite the fact that the Sacred Heart

Church, 500 meters down the road, is four times the size of St Christopher’s. The Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf, where St Christopher’s Cathedral Bahrain is one of two cathedrals (the other is St Paul’s Nicosia, Cyprus), is right on the edge of not only the First and Third Worlds, but also the fault line between Global South and Global North. The Gulf part of the diocese stretches from Baghdad to Aden where, in both instances, the Anglican Church is engaged in truly heroic, inspirational and sacrificial ministry to the local indigenous population in the most unimaginable and sometimes horrific circumstances. The current situation in Iraq needs no introduction and the plight of many thousands of refugees in an already poverty stricken Yemen is simply appalling. In Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emerits (Dubai and Abu Dhabi), Oman and the Yemen, Anglican congregations faithfully worship and function day by day, week by week on the edge in a predominantly Muslim culture. Christian churches are given hospitality in these countries by the benevolence of the local rulers. Bahrain only had an Anglican Church established in the early 1950s. The Church of the Epiphany in Qatar was given permission to exist only in the last 10 years or so and is still in the process of building its church facilities as finance permits. These Anglican churches are totally self-supporting and the clergy of each chaplaincy work in comparative isolation from their fellow clergy, who are very often a plane journey away. The local Muslim community have always been open and welcoming and keen to share in dialogue but it is always clear that we are visitors and here by invitation. 

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Resources for worship Andy Wright considers some arguments for and against the more expensive facets of church life

Andy Wright Director of Resources Consultancy According to the oft-misquoted verse from St Paul’s first letter to Timothy, “the love of money is the root of all evil”. Some translations use the phrase “all kinds of evil” which acknowledges that there are some kinds of evil which are not directly related to money. Money is not evil in itself but is the source of many kinds of it. So what makes the difference between “good” use of money and a use that leads to evil? The answer lies in its stewardship,

Clergy or the way in which we use it for God’s purposes. Money used by a true steward of God’s kingdom is a blessing and we can all probably tell of good works done in God’s name through generosity and wise use of financial resources. However, discerning how we should best use our money and other resources can lead to endless debate, disagreement and schism. Here are some of the issues that we have to face in our Church and the extremes in the debate of each.

Do you agree? Write to: Crosslincs, Edward King House, Minster Yard, Lincoln LN2 1PU or at crosslincs@lincoln.anglican.org

For: Without priests we have no Church. The sacramental role of the priest includes the responsibility to celebrate the Eucharist in and for the community in remembrance of Christ’s death for us. Additionally, it is vital that the gospel is preached and that the Church is led by those who have been trained and ordained by those with the experience and authority to ensure apostolic succession. Our clergy are our most important asset and provide a dedicated oversight of the Church’s mission.

Against: As with any organisation, people are our most expensive resource and, for the Church, this largely means clergy. Increasing numbers of our parishes are being led by experienced lay people whose vocation is no less valid than that of the clergy. With fewer people coming forward for ordination and with costs increasing, we should concentrate our resources on the future Church which will, largely, be lay-led. In any case, priesthood does not have to be stipendiary. Better value could be obtained by developing nonstipendiary priesthood supported by a network of lay volunteers.

Land and Property

For: The generosity of Christian people both now and in generations past has allowed the church to maintain its infrastructure, promote the Gospel and be largely independent of outside support and influence. The income generated by invested funds, rent from surplus housing, land and farms, means that we do not have to find the full cost of providing mission and ministry. Selling off the family silver would rob us of this income and burden us with a cost that we cannot meet. Keeping hold of our inheritance gives us flexibility and security. In any case, most of our “wealth” is in a form that cannot easily be accessed for diverse purposes.

Against: The Church’s image as a rich landowner does us no favours. It diminishes our argument that we need more funds. Our opponents criticise us for having huge assets in the form of houses, palaces, land and investments while trying to minister to the poor, the homeless and those in need. How can we justify sitting on such wealth when many of our parishes are also struggling and we have to reduce the numbers of parish priests?

Pomp, Ceremony & Procession

For: The liturgical procession is an important part of our tradition and heritage. Its inclusion within our worship establishes us as a catholic reformed tradition and has set us apart from Protestantism in general since its reintroduction by the Oxford Movement. It preserves the authority of both priest and gospel, is led by the cross of Christ crucified and gives context and solemnity to our worship. The music and vestments add to this mystery and give shape to the liturgy itself.

Church Buildings

For: In generations past generous Christians sought to establish a presence in each and every community, one that would speak of God’s glory and last for generations to come. It is our inherited responsibility to preserve and maintain this heritage so that the story of our collective faith can be told to all for many more years. They stand as a testament to our identity as a Christian nation. That such beauty was built to glorify God is a reminder of the efforts to which we must also aspire in our life-long discipleship.

Against: The maintenance of crumbling and poorly-used buildings such as these is a massive drain on the Church’s resources. The vast amounts of money spent on ensuring their survival for the use of a dwindling few could be put to much better use if spent directly on mission, education and ministry. These are impractical white elephants that are irrelevant to a modern church and which hinder our progress.

Church Music

Against: As well as distancing worshippers from the liturgy and the sacraments, extended processions are simply irrelevant in today’s church and portray us as an out-of-date, medieval outfit more concerned with dressing up and maintaining authority than with helping people to get closer to God. The cost of such elaborate vestments alone should prohibit such unnecessary expenditure and we would be best served by developing a less opulent image.

For: The quality of traditional music across our churches and cathedrals is a source of pride to many in the Church of England. It continues a tradition of excellence handed down since medieval times and brings many people to faith, sustaining their spiritual hunger. Traditional sacred music can reach out to people of all ages and backgrounds in a way that modern music cannot. Its appeal is broad, its style respectful and its theology more than skin deep. Its use within the liturgy allows space for contemplation and prayer.

Against: Church organs are large, inflexible instruments which cannot easily adapt to more modern styles of hymn and song. Contrary to what many believe, they are not ancient and are mostly a Victorian affectation. Maintaining and servicing them is an incredibly expensive business and can only be done by specialists. Keeping a robed choir can also be costly, its music outdated and can turn worship into a performance. Traditional church music can mean the payment of wages and fees when most other lay ministries are gladly performed by volunteers.

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Give us this day

A Christian charity in North East Lincolnshire helps to find accommodation, furniture and food for the needy Jeffrey Heskins Director of Ordinands and Vocations There is an ancient Christian tradition that speaks of how each of us has a song to sing, a message to deliver, or a gift of love to bestow – each one of us is called by God in different and unique ways to deliver our gift. It’s all about what God is calling us to, not whether God is calling us because God calls every Christian to follow him, but what exactly will that call look like? I recently spoke with Sarah Taylor who thought she was coming to see me simply to talk about the work of the Charity organisation she runs called CARE, but in so doing found herself talking about the work that she does as something that God has called out of her. Her song, her message, her gift is all bound up in the day to day work she does, but Sarah speaks of it not so much as a job but as an expression of her Christian calling. Christian Action and Resource Enterprise, or CARE, is a Christian charity which aims to relieve poverty, hardship and distress in North East Lincolnshire through a number of projects such as assistance with finding affordable rented accommodation, the provision of furniture and other essential items free of charge, and co-ordinating a significant food larder for those in need. For Sarah, the organisation embodies a practical example of Christian living that has been a characteristic of her own faith journey. Always a questioning child and teenager, she remembers finding herself at the end of her teen years at a low point and one of self-examination: “I had begun to question what life and its purpose was all about and what was out there,” she said. “There had to be more than what I was doing; and then I met Paul.” And it was she and Paul who helped each other find the wood from the trees. Paul was the son of a Pentecostal pastor in Grimsby, but while Paul did believe in God he did not go to church anymore – Sarah remembers being intrigued by this. How could you have the one without the other? For a while they didn’t ‘go to church’ together, but began to find meaning and purpose in faith through a local social outreach project in which the church was involved; that got Sarah started. She discovered CARE through Elim Pentecostal Church in Grimsby, which supported the project; read for a degree in Health and Social Care, and joined the CARE team first as a PA to the General Manager, then as a support worker and now as the new General Manager. “The experience of meeting people in their homes highlighted the complexity of so many lives,” she said. “It showed me why I wanted to be part of this organisation – to try to make a difference.” Now as General Manager she is responsible for the day-to-day running of the

Sarah Taylor is General Manager of CARE PHILIP CRAVEN organisation and maintaining its Christian ethos – not always easy in a world of political correctness. She is very conscious to uphold the charity’s vision, which is to provide a place of sanctuary for people in desperate need and to reflect the love of God. I asked Sarah what changes she has noticed in recent years: “We now see that there’s never just a single issue or problem when we meet people: we have to face things like parenting issues, housing, debt, and various issues of abuse, which means that we have to work very closely with Social Services and other statutory agencies,” she said. The organisation is beginning to see the knock-on effects of national fiscal policies: there is increased unemployment and changes in benefits through government cuts, and in the last four years distribution from the food larder has risen by 32%. “I think we will give out as much in the next six months as we did in the whole of last year, and we’ve noticed that many of those needing food are new people, people we have not seen before. Previously the largest group were single people, but increasingly it is families who come to us, having used up their incomes on things like utilities.” Sarah went on to explain how the larder works: CARE operates the food larder in partnership with North East Lincolnshire Churches Together. There are more than 40 churches that donate over the calendar year to the charity, each agreeing a calendar month for their donations to be collected. These are then stored at a central point and distributed by referral from other agencies – a system is in place so that they know each application is a genuine request and need. “The Churches are fabulously supportive, particularly around Harvest Festival time, but we’re always looking for more supplies

and new support to meet the growing need in these particularly difficult economic times,” said Sarah She spoke of the Bible’s portrayal of God as one who longs to feed his people and ensure that there is enough for everyone because we are all of value to Him. There is

a verse from St Matthew’s Gospel on CARE’s charity shop’s wall in Cleethorpes, which reads: “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. The birds of the air do not worry... are you not more valuable than they?” (Extract from Matthew 6:25-26) “We want people to know they are of value and CARE works to express that sense of God valuing his creation through a practical expression of love,” said Sarah. “When Jesus feeds the 5,000 in John’s Gospel he does it first of all out of practical care – so those who have gathered to see him won’t faint on the way home! We are sort of trying to do the same thing in changing times.” I found myself thinking that if this was Sarah’s song, her message, her gift to bestow on the rest of us in a context of economic belt-tightening, then it had something pretty important to say about the practical playing out of Christian values in a climate always dancing on the edge of moral starvation.  If you are a church in North East Lincolnshire not yet involved with CARE or you live further afield and would like to make a donation contact the charity on 01472 232310.

PATRICK HAWES

SONG OF SONGS CONCERT

FEATURING SOPRANO ELIN MANAHAN THOMAS

AN EVENING OF SUBLIME MUSIC CONDUCTED BY PATRICK HAWES ALSO FEATURING: THE RAVEN QUARTET THE ST BOTOLPH’S SINGERS

TICKETS £10 AVAILABLE FROM EDENHAM REGIONAL HOUSE (01778 591358) ALL PROCEEDS IN AID OF THE EDENHAM REGIONAL HOUSE

ST MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS CHURCH, EDENHAM FRIDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 2012 CONCERT STARTS 7PM

Giving cause to pause

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Interim guidlines for the professional conduct of Readers, Authorised Lay Ministers and volunteer Pastoral Assistants in the Diocese of Lincoln have been introduced Peter Gorton Reader, St Mary and St Nicolas, Spalding As we move on in this twenty-first century we are seeing an ever-increasing diversity in Christian ministry. More and more volunteer ministers are being recruited, particularly among the laity. Does that mean that we can expect a decline in standards among our ministers? Emphatically no! Those being cared for by the church should expect high-quality, well-trained ministers be they lay or ordained, stipendiary or not. Their behaviour must be professional, appropriate, and beyond reproach. We live in times which are increasingly complex, and for some – the very people we seek to minister to in the Lord’s name – dangerous. It is perhaps a sad reflection of our age that it has been necessary to produce a code of conduct document for our ministers. The interim Diocese of Lincoln version for lay workers is ready now; a revised national edition for clergy will follow shortly. The code for lay ministers was considered carefully by the Readers’ Governing Body and approved back in January. Much of its

contents is common sense, but some of the material might give us cause to pause and reflect. The Bishop of Lincoln, the Rt Revd Christopher Lowson, writes of these guidelines in his foreword: “They set the standards for our approach and make them transparent. “The term professional not only recognises the special competences required of those who minister in the name of the Church, but also the need for a high standard of professional ethics, behaviour and work activities which often require the interest of those we serve to be put ahead of our own.” Interim Guidelines for the professional conduct of Readers, Authorised Lay Ministers and volunteer Pastoral Assistants in the Diocese of Lincoln has been ably drawn together by Simon Payne, the diocesan Safeguarding Adviser. Simon has drawn upon a number of sources, principally the codes of practice for the caring professions – those engaged in pastoral work – but by its very nature, it needs to be an interim document. Government legislation in the whole area of the protection of the vulnerable – both children and adults – frequently changes in the light of experience, often sadly in the

light of the harrowing cases of neglect and abuse which all too often hit the headlines. More locally, we need to be able to react to changed circumstances in our own diocese; we also need to be able to react to developments in modern technology. Members of the Christian Church may be slow to catch on to the possibilities presented by Facebook and Twitter but there can be no doubt that these recent developments call us to be increasingly consistent in our behaviour – particularly when we are well-away from church. One ill-judged moment at a private party might lead to serious embarrassment among those to whom we seek to minster. The real importance of the guidelines is that they seek to support the lay worker in their work with members of the public. As the opening paragraph of the guidelines has it: “A professional relationship between a Reader, Authorised Lay Minister or volunteer Pastoral Assistant and a member of the public is very different from that of friends or family members. It can lead to misunderstanding and confusion if the Reader, Authorised Lay Minister or volunteer Pastoral Assistant and the other person are not clear as to their respective roles. This may be compounded by the fact that boundaries are less clear in church work than in some other settings. “If boundaries are not adhered to it leaves a Reader, Authorised Lay Minister or volunteer Pastoral Assistant open to allegations of inappropriate conduct and abuse. The object of this guidance is to protect church

workers and members of the public and help them to feel more secure by making it clear what church workers can and cannot do as well as making it clear to those to whom they minister what standards they should expect.” In short, these guidelines are there as much to support the lay minster as to support the public. It is for this reason that I believe these guidelines are to be welcomed as we seek to enhance and develop the work of lay ministry in this diocese. But there is more. As part of the guidelines policy it is envisaged that appropriate training in safeguarding be made available to all lay ministers: Readers, Authorised Lay Ministers and Pastoral Assistants. The training programme will be announced in the autumn this year. It is likely that this training will be linked to future reregistration requirements which will mean that only those who have undergone the training will continue to be licensed or authorised. Clearly training in these matters is essential to enable lay ministers to cope with the demands of ministry in the world of today. To quote Bishop Christopher once again: “Pastoral ministry is demanding. The guidelines will not make this ministry any less demanding, but they will help the Reader, Authorised Lay Minister or volunteer Pastoral Assistant to use their time and talents wisely and efficiently and to the best advantage of those for whom they care”. A copy of the guidelines can be found at lincoln.anglican.org/professionalconduct 

Bishop’s charity bid to support the vulnerable Local charity Lincolnshire Home Improvement Agency (LHIA) has launched a strong focus on helping vulnerable people in the area through a series of events with the Bishop of Lincoln, aimed at creating a more diverse support network for the elderly and disabled. The focus comes during an important time for those at risk nationwide with a White Paper on social care having been released recently, and promising significant changes in the way authorities delegate the distribution of social care. The abolition of Primary Care Trusts next March is also a concern and local authorities and care providers want to ensure the change does not negatively affect residents. The Rt Revd Christoper Lowson, who recently agreed to be President of LHIA, said that he was thrilled to be able to reinvigorate social care county-wide by bridging collective support for the elderly, disabled and

mobility-impaired residents of Lincolnshire through his collaboration with the charity, who promote independent living through specialist home improvements and adaptations. “Renewed support for vulnerable people is essential,” said the Bishop. “We have a moral obligation to protect the needy and those disadvantaged by their circumstances. Since my appointment, I have discovered many things about Lincolnshire, including the size of our needy, older and disabled populations and the fact that we have a local, county-wide charity set up to support independent living. “I’m thrilled to be able to explore how we can work together to deepen, broaden and, most importantly, connect out collective support for vulnerable people to enable them to live independently in the home of their choice.”

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Prosperity and charity

The imperatives – both Biblical and social – directing how Christians should spend their money are plentiful and diverse

Heather Tomlinson

There’s a fair bit of variety in Christendom when it comes to views on economics and how we should spend our pennies. On the one hand there are the teachers of the prosperity gospel (one is rather aptly named, ‘Creflo Dollar’). They preach that God will financially bless you if you live a righteous life and give your money to Christian ministries. This seems a bit more like an investment scheme, because, according to this doctrine, you’ll get all the cash back with interest. Often its teachers appear to demonstrate the evidence of this approach in their own lives, owning private jets and million dollar mansions. The implication is that those who do not have wealth bear the blame. It’s a doctrine that has become quite popular in Africa, to the concern of the theologians in the Lausanne Movement, who said it is ‘distorting’ the Bible. Then on the other hand are the puritanically impoverished, who almost seem to say that to have money is to sin. In times gone by, the most devout Christians went to monasteries and usually took vows of poverty, limiting themselves to a very small number of possessions. St Francis of Assisi was one example, a rich man who became disillusioned with his prosperous lifestyle and abandoned his wealth to serve the poor and follow Christ. Such extremes of poverty are not really fashionable any more. However the interest in shedding material things has made something of a comeback, admittedly in a more modern guise, and sometimes dubbed ‘New Monasticism’. The success of Shane Claiborne’s challenging book The Irresistible Revolution shows that there is a hunger among Western Christians to get rid of the baggage from their materialistic, money orientated culture, and instead live in simple community with the poor. Claiborne’s dreadlocked image and his experiences with Mother Theresa make him a Saint of this new movement, al-

though there are many others who are taking a similar line. Eugene Peterson, the writer of ‘The Message’ Bible, warns of the ‘demonic power of money’ which has a ‘conspiracy to blind us’ in his foreword to the ‘God’s economy’ by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove. Criticisms of the wealth gospel come from mainstream Christians too. The Purpose Driven Life author Rick Warren, who reportedly gives 90% of his wealth away, dismisses prosperity theology. “This idea that God wants everybody to be wealthy?” he told Time magazine in 2006. “There is a word for that: baloney. It’s creating a false idol. You don’t measure your self-worth by your net worth. I can show you millions of faithful followers of Christ who live in poverty. Why isn’t everyone in the church a millionaire?” The battle between the wealth-seekers and the wealth-avoiders is not just one of recent history. Ronald Sider’s 1978 book Rich Christians in an age of hunger was very influential, calling for Christians to cast aside wealth and give to the poor in a radically sacrificial way. However, he has been angrily criticised in some quarters for supporting a left-wing agenda rather than a Biblical one. When people talk money, politics often gets entwined. There is plenty in the Bible on the subject. The Poverty and Justice Bible, published by the Bible Society, highlights all the verses in Scripture on these topics. There are more than 2,000 of them, particularly in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke and the Old Testament prophets. A concern

for the poor and a challenge to the oppressing rich runs right through the Bible. Nonetheless it is not as simple as signing up to the political left and leaving it there. The early Christian communities ‘met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.’ (Acts 2:44-45). But this simple life of generosity and selflessness seems to have not been without its problems, and early church leaders commanded, ‘Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.’ (2 Thes 3:10). Generosity can breed dependency and lethargy. It is an issue faced by anyone working in aid and development; so much so that some emergency aid given is now in a ‘work for food’ scheme where food is not given for nothing, but instead only as a trade for work. Nothing is simple in God’s economy, it would seem. Some think it is an economy of prosperity and wealth. Others think it is an economy of poverty and charity. Jesus himself did not make it as easy as a simple set of rules. He told the rich young ruler, ‘If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven,’ in Matthew 19:21. But when his disciples sanctimoniously admonished a girl who poured expensive perfume over Jesus’ feet, telling her she could have given the

money to the poor, he told them off for criticising her and said, ‘you will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me,’ (Matt 26:11). Jesus showed a certain disregard for money, as if it is not even important in God’s economy. He advises us, ‘Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal,’ (Matt 6:19) and said of Roman coins that they are Caesar’s rather than God’s (Matt 22:21). But we know he was financially supported during his ministry (Luke 8:3). It is almost as if there is a disregard for money and lack of interest in it, but the trust that what is needed will be provided. And he promises his followers the same: ‘Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.’ (Matt 6:33) I wonder if the popularity of the ‘new monasticism’ and anti-consumer movements within Christian circles at present is due to more than just an interest in the poor and a distrust of ‘prosperity’ theology. We suspect that if we obeyed Jesus and sold all our possessions, there would be a great reward: the sense of freedom from the desire for more technology, the mortgage and the credit cards, the iPods and the hire purchase agreements, the cars and the HD TVs. To leave the rat race, and follow Christ instead, is the dream. The treasures in heaven seem much more dazzling than the trinkets on Earth. 

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Unchaining the library A historic library in a Lincolnshire market town church is opening its doors for a week in September Brian Stagg The Diocese of Lincoln is fortunate in having such a remarkable legacy of beautiful and historic medieval churches. Among the greatest of these is St Wulfram’s Church in Grantham, with its magnificent 14th century spire. It draws in thousands of visitors each year from across the world, and there is much to interest them. But perhaps the most significant attraction is its Tudor chained library, founded by Francis Trigge in 1598. The chaining of books to prevent loan or theft was a common practice in libraries from the 14th century onwards. The majority of the books in the Trigge Library were formerly attached to the shelves in this way, and today 83 of the 356 separate items still retain the original chains made by a local blacksmith. There are only four chained libraries in the UK, the others being in Wimborne Minster, the Royal Grammar School in Guildford, and Hereford Cathedral. However, in September this year the church will be unchaining a small selection of the books and putting them on display in the church. This exhibition, entitled Pages from the Past and organised jointly by St Wulfram’s and the British Library, will be held between 21 and 29 September. Francis Trigge, whose name the library bears, was born in Lincolnshire, but neither the date nor the place of his birth is certain. One source gives a date of 1544, while another suggests 1547; and he may have been born in or near Grantham, as he not only established his library in its parish church but also left a substantial bequest in his will to provide assistance to the poor of the borough. He was educated at University College, Oxford, from which he matriculated with an MA degree in 1572. Trigge was subsequently ordained and some time before 1589 he was appointed the rector of the parish of St Chad’s, Welbourn. Trigge was an ardent puritan, and devoted much of his time to social issues affecting the rural economy. In particular, he was vehemently opposed to the practice of enclosure by which arable land was converted into pasture by wealthy landowners. Among the works attributed to him is the text of a highly political sermon on this subject, preached in St Wulfram’s Church in 1592. In 1598, Trigge decided to establish a library in St Wulfram’s Church for ‘…the better encreasinge of learnings and knowledge in divintie & other liberall sciences & learning by such of the cleargie & others as well as beinge inhabitantes in or near Grantham & the soake thereof as in other places in the said Countie’. It is obvious from this statement in the indenture that was drawn up by Trigge that he intended this to be a ‘public’ library, open to anyone who would benefit from having access to the books. It was certainly

The Trigge Library is open between 21 and 29 September. BRIAN STAGG the first library in England to be endowed under a civic authority and not the Church. However, in practice it was only the clergy who appeared to have used the library, being those with a sufficient degree of literacy and familiarity with Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Those charged with the care of the Library were the (then) two vicars of the parish of Grantham and the master of the Edward VI Grammar School (now the King’s School), who all signed an oath to that effect. They, in turn, were answerable to the Alderman of the borough. The Library was to be housed in a room over the south porch of St Wulfram’s Church, which prior to the Reformation had been occupied by one of the vicars of Grantham whose responsibility was to guard the church when it was closed. Permission for its use as a library was given in a document signed by the Bishop of Lincoln, Thomas Chaderton, in November 1598. All of the documents relating to the foundation of the Library are now kept in the Lincolnshire Archives. The room has a fireplace, a large piscina for washing and an oriel window which gives a good view of the church interior. But it may not have been the most comfortable of places to study, and in the Grantham Hall Book for 1642 it is noted that Edward Skipworth (or Skipwith) gave fifty shillings ‘to find a fire in the librarie’. It was given by him ‘out of his love and well wishing to learning, the better to inable and encourage the

vicars of Grantham in the winter and cold tyme of the yeare to follow their studdies’. For a considerable period it was widely accepted that the books in the Library had come from Trigge’s own collection in Welbourn. However, closer investigation showed that this was not the case. It appears that Trigge sent an agent to Cambridge with a purse containing ‘one hundred poundes or thereabouts’ (equivalent to about £20,000 in today’s money) for the purchase of books, but the man – whoever he was – does not seem to have been given very clear instructions. It is true that there are many books on theology and Church history, Bible commentaries and collections of sermons in the Library, some of which reflect the great upheaval in the Church resulting from the Reformation in Europe, but there are also books on philosophy, law, medicine, herbalism, biology, cosmology, among others, of which a number are considered to be very rare. A number of the books were old when they were first purchased, dating from the earliest days of printing using moveable type. The oldest is Lanfranc de Oriano’s Repetitiones, printed in 1472 on the first press set up in Venice by Vindelanus de Spira. It is a collection of reports of legal cases heard in the courts of Northern Italy in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. Quite what use this book would have had in a Lincolnshire wool town in the last years of Elizabeth I is hard to imagine, but its real

value lies in the fact that it was printed just 16 years after the publication of the Gutenberg Bible and four years before William Caxton printed the first book in England. Such books, printed before 1500, are termed incunabulae, and there several examples in the Library. Among these early books is a copy of Imago Mundi, originally written as a manuscript in 1410 by Pierre d’Ailly (1351-1420), a cardinal and Bishop of Cambrai. He had many interests and produced numerous works, including this book on cosmology in which he set out calculations of the mass of the earth. Significantly, he believed that between the furthest habitable point in the east and the furthest habitable point in the west ‘there is little sea’. The manuscript was printed in about 1483 by Johannes de Westfalia whose press was located in Louvain. Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the explorer and navigator, acquired a copy of the printed book and became convinced that he could establish a new trade route to the orient by sailing westwards from Europe. His famous voyage in 1492 led to the discovery of the New World, although Columbus never admitted that he had found a continent unknown to the Europeans of his time. Ultimately he died a very wealthy but disappointed man. Columbus’s copy of d’Ailly’s book can be seen in the Biblioteca Columbina, part of the library of Seville Cathedral, complete with his own handwritten marginal notes. D’Ailly’s contribution to the early science of astronomy has been recognised by naming one of the craters of the Moon, Aliacensis, after him. Perhaps the most popular book in the Library is Historia Animalium by Conrad Gesner (1516-1565). It is arguably the first attempt to write a systematic encyclopaedia of zoology in which all animals known at that time were described. This great work was published in four volumes (covering quadrupeds, birds and fishes) in Zürich between 1551 and 1558, and printed by Christopher Froschaver. A fifth volume covering snakes and scorpions was added in 1587, after Gesner’s death. The first descriptions in Europe of the brown rat and the guinea pig are to be found in Gesner’s book. The work is copiously illustrated with woodcuts, the majority of which can be attributed to Lucas Schan from Strasbourg, but Gesner used material by other artists including the famous German painter and engraver Albrecht Dürer. The illustrations were the first real attempt to represent animals in their natural environment. Gesner’s book was also the first to include pictures of fossils. There are, of course, many other interesting books in the Trigge Library and those described above, which will be among those on display in September, give just an indication of what can be found. Browsing through the books in this wonderful Library has been a most enjoyable experience. 

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New life for church Ben Stoker Open Churches Officer St Swithin’s elegant steeple is visible from across Lincoln, and is a familiar sight to all who call the city home; and it surely stays long in the memory of any visitor to this most beautiful of cities. The church, situated in the heart of the city, next to the Central Library, was built in three stages by James Fowler between 1869 and 1887. St Swithin’s is widely considered to be one of the finest – if not the finest – of the innumerable churches designed or altered by his prolific hand. It is curious to consider that such a recognisable and revered building could be so little-known; for it is feasible to contend that while the church’s steeple is instantly recognisable, its interior remains largely a mystery to many; although this should not be the case for much longer. St Swithin’s has regularly opened its doors for Sunday and weekday services, as well as coffee mornings on Thursdays and Fridays. However, a new chapter in the life of the church is beginning. St Swithin’s priest, the Revd David Edgar, and its PCC are determined to invite as many people through the doors as possible, as regu-

larly as possible. David said: “The church is huge with a capacity to seat hundreds of people, yet, like many similarly situated churches in other towns and cities, we don’t actually have a great number of people living in the parish; but we do have an enormous number of people who pass by the church every day. “We want to make sure that everyone who lives or works in Lincoln, and every person who visits our city, is assured of a warm welcome at St Swithin’s.” To this end the church is putting together a Welcome Team to ensure its doors can be opened more regularly, and its hospitality extended beyond the established coffee mornings. St Swithin’s is also making use of its fantastic location, interior space, acoustics and atmosphere by organising and hosting a range of arts events. Events staged so far include an exhibition by artist Rosaline de Thélin entitled Light Beings as part of Lincoln’s 2011 digital art Frequency Festival; more recently, the church organised a highly enjoyable and informative day entitled Olympian Tennyson in celebration of the selection of Lincolnshire poet Alfred Tennyson’s line ‘To strive, to seek, to find and

not to yield’ as the words bestplaced to inspire athletes competing in the London Olympics; and the church has hosted a series of lunchtime concerts, featuring a range of exceptional musicians and singers, including members of Lincoln Cathedral Choir. Helen Vincent, who sings in the cathedral choir and who opened the series in July with a recital of folk songs set to music by Benjamin Britten, said: “It was a real pleasure to perform at St Swithin’s. It’s a great church, and it’s fantastic that more people

Helen Vincent performed folk songs in July. JOSHUA POTTER/THE LINCOLNITE

100 years ago

From the Lincoln Diocesan Magazine, July and August 1912

The King’s visit to Immingham On Monday, July 22nd, the King and Queen paid their first visit to North Lincolnshire, in order formally to open the new docks at Immingham. There was a great concourse of people, and the whole scene was brilliant and joyous as the sun shone on the bright colours of the flags. After a short visit to Grimsby, their Majesties came by train to Immingham, and went on board the steamer “Killingholme,” which had been painted white and specially fitted up for the occasion. The steamer entered the dock gates about half-past two, made a circuit of the basin, and then drew to the side of the quay, where the King and Queen landed amid the loud cheers of the crowd. The Bishop of the Diocese was then presented to His Majesty. After some other presentations had been made a short service was held. The hymn, which was accompanied by the band of the Ist Life Guards, was sung by a choir made up of members of various Church choirs in the neighbourhood. Then the lesser Litany and the Lord’s Prayer were said, and the Bishop prayed for God’s bless-

will be able to experience it thanks to events such as these concerts.’” Of course, like many churches across the Diocese of Lincoln, St Swithin’s is not only determined to welcome people into the building, but is also determined to keep the building safe and secure. Currently, the church has received a grant from English Heritage to enable it to carry out investigative works and begin to address the repair of the church roof, structural timbers and rainwater goods; however more funding is needed to ensure

ing on the enterprise, and that he would “so direct it to good and useful ends, that it may promote peace, commerce and brotherhood between nation and nation.” Sir Alexander Henderson made a short statement, and requested the King to open the Dock. His Majesty then stepped forward and formally declared the Dock open, naming it “The King’s Dock,” amid renewed cheers.

Letter: the Ven Archdeacon Bond Sir, — I have just read the delightful and most true appreciation of Archdeacon Bond by the Bishop and one of the City papers. May I venture to add a word as one that, from special circumstances, has been in the past brought into touch with the Archdeacon under various conditions. It is rather pathetic, is it not, to feel that for twenty-four years such a man, with such special gifts, should be left to the labour of a little village like Anderby. He loved the place, and the people at any rate knew (however imperfectly) that a great and good man was amongst them. “Is it not

all the necessary repairs are carried out. The Revd David Edgar sees that what the church is doing to welcome people and how it is going about repairing the church is linked. “The cost of the repairs to the church totals around £123,000, and we’re about £28,000 short; that’s a lot of money,” he said. “We want to raise and spend that money on the church for all the people we currently welcome in church, and all those people we will welcome in the future, through opening the church doors more regularly, involving volunteers in the life of the church, hosting concerts and other arts events, and whatever else we can think of doing!” So the future at St Swithin’s will be one dedicated to serving residents of and visitors to Lincoln, while ensuring the church remains standing proud, with its refined and instantly recognisable steeple rising above the city, as it has done for over a hundred years. For information about St Swithin’s, or to join the Welcome Team please contact Revd David Edgar on 01522 528199, or at david.edgar1@tesco. com

Compiled by Lizzi Hewitt strange,” said one of them, “that a little village like Anderby should contain two such men as me and Canon Bond!” He knew Lincolnshire folk through and through, and I do so wish that he had been able to put together some of his impressions and some of his stories, which would have interested and helped many both in the Diocese and out of it. He told me once that, in talking to Dean Butler, he had said that if he were ever laid by through some accident which kept him to his bed, but did not prevent a little work, he would write a little book about Lincolnshire and its people; and Dean Butler at once said, “Bond, I hope you will break your leg to-morrow.” The story is characteristic of both men, and quite delightful. Have any of the clergy any remembrance, as I very imperfectly have, of some of his storied and recollections, if so, can anything be done to preserve them? Thinking of the Archdeacon as a man, a brother, and a friend, the Diocese has cause indeed to regret this loss. No one could have been more helpful, more tenderhearted, or more bracing in the right way.

Long before he was Archdeacon he was the consoler and he strengthener of many a man who was in trouble or in sin. And now he “rests from his labours,” but we cannot doubt that “his works do follow him.” Once Lincolnshire

Mablethorpe A large congregation assembled at the parish church on Sunday morning, July 14th, when the Lord Bishop of the Diocese preached an eloquent sermon. The choir entered by the north door, the precession being brought up by the church-wardens, Mr. J. W. Malkinson and Mr. H. J. Joyce, the Rector, and lastly the Bishop. Mr. A. Andrews presided at the organ, and Mr. H. Wood, as usual, read the lessons. Before beginning his sermon, the Bishop uttered some wise remarks on the moral and spiritual effects of the visitors, who so largely made up the congregation, on the permanent residents, and exhorted the visitors, in conclusion, to be quite innocent in all their amusements.

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Music renaissance As the Diocese of Lincoln’s Music Development project heads into its fifth year, Rosemary Field considers its impact It was four years ago that Music Development was established in the Diocese of Lincoln to assist parishes in their worship. Music is fine if you can get musicians, but in many places there is no-one and the church is impoverished by the lack of singing and incidental music to illustrate and express its worship. That said, everyone can sing (whether in tune or out!) and there are many hidden talents among congregations or their immediate families. Finding them, bringing them into the frame and giving people the tools with which to conduct their missionary task has been the thrust of this project. Sustainability is the keyword. There is no point in creating a summer of blossom which doesn’t yield an autumn of seeds and a spring of green blades rising from the buried grain. There is now a volunteer Promoter in the north of the diocese, ensuring that people are aware of the support available, and during the last seven months Music Development has benefitted from the work of Steven Maxson, who undertook a raft of work in the same area; Linda Wass helps with administrative tasks. Responding to the fact that the village and hamlet churches are the hardest hit by shortages, I have assembled nine seasonal acts of worship to sing without instrument or choir. They draw spiritual parallels between the church/natural year and the eternal truths, and are big on using local produce and simple symbols to remind us of our receiving from God and giving back to God in service, worship, and life.

Andrew Ballard Volunteer Promoter “I act as a Volunteer Promoter in the Northern half of the Diocese for Rosemary and Steven’s work. I’m a relative newcomer to Lincolnshire, having retired here three years ago. My last post was as an Archdeacon in the Diocese of Manchester and before then I was a parish priest for many years. I am also a keen organist and sing in two choirs. The Diocese of Lincoln is perhaps unique in the many opportunities which are there for our parishes for the development of music in worship. I am looking forward to finding opportunities to meet people and make these opportunities more widely known. I am currently visiting a number of Deanery Chapters and Synods and would welcome invitations to individual churches to spread the good news.”

Pipeline Scholar Amy Baker sits at the organ of Louth Parish Church, with the parish Director of Music Lisa Taylor. These are all print-ready and come with recorded memos (Steven’s work) of how the tunes go, for anyone to use. Training classes to learn the music and experience the worship are also being run, and apart from a couple of hymns all the materials are free to use because the Diocese has paid the copyrights for parishes to have them. The Village Services are also downloadable from www.singouthosanna.org (and Oxford Diocese has asked for the link – we are not alone!) A recorded CD set, with books, supplying singing lessons and 15-minute services for children aged nine to 11 for parishes to use is also available. It is designed to start at Michaelmas and run to the end of the following July, tracing the school year in shape but the church year in content. There are many ways parishes could use this for after-school outreach work, or for a bright Sunday-School class, or dare I say it some adults also like the course and enjoy singing along. The lead voice and accompaniment ensure that the worship music will “happen” whether the live class has learnt it or not, and in the course of the 36 weeks it runs parishes will have sung contemporary worship songs, plainsong, classical anthems, carols, and six standard hymn-tunes. All the materials are assembled for parishes to use without the need for reference to other books.

For the non-singing supervisor this is just a matter of looking after a group of children and pressing start and stop on the CD player, while being the visual focus for them and keeping eye contact as they work and you all listen together. There is a taster video and the starter DVD for Sing Out Hosanna may be viewed at the website www.singouthosanna.org Three years ago, I was asked to provide a valid response to a Swedish choir of ladies who were visiting as a diocesan twin. Sharing good ideas seemed the right response, rather than just sending a good Lincoln choir over there on tour, so the Diocesan Ladies’ Choir here was formed on the same lines as La Chorale, the visitors. Their brief is to spread knowledge of the faith through music, to have fun and friendship, and to visit their twins (La Chorale of Harnosand) when established. This group offers parish support: they sing in worship, or offer an Advent or Lent “Experience” which is a fusion between worship and presentation. A screen showing artwork, text, or concepts backs the choir who sing the “best bits” of the relevant music; minimal action (lighting candles on the Advent wreath or handing out palms/flowers during the Lent version) breaks up the otherwise static presentation, and Scripture readings and prayers are included. This is a gentle way in for non-churchgoers

“All Saints at Winterton currently lacks a choir or permanent organist. The intention of the PCC was to address the shortage of organists by training young people who had piano skills. We tried to get several teenagers interested and ended up with one very talented student. She has had fortnightly lessons subsidised by the PCC and volunteers have opened the church for her to practice several times each week as needed. We were delighted that in November 2011 she passed the ABRSM Grade 3 Organ exam with a Distinction.” Robin Shawyer Winterton

as well as a compressed reminder for regulars. It can be taken anywhere such as a village or school hall. For best effect, the Advent Experience calls for a harpist. This puts the cost up but is worth it for the lift it gives. Follow that with some Stollen and good coffee one Advent Saturday afternoon and you have the makings of some mission in an attractive format. The choir is only 12 in number, strong in voice and low on fuss. They do not charge but request a donation towards their Swedish trip in 2013, and parishes need to book them several months in advance. The Diocese of Lincoln Men’s Voices are about to start singing (worship only) with a choral Evensong, on 12 September at Uffington. Their brief is to bring high-quality choral music to churches in this Diocese which would like a festival or special service “staffed”, and to reach a wider public by singing worship at venues which are open to visitors but not in use as working parishes. The purpose of both these choirs is to inspire by high-quality singing; think of them as a flying-squad to support your efforts, and draw upon them for that. They are all volunteers and given the distances they drive, and the time given to preparation, this certainly counts as vocational service. All the singers would be glad of being deployed for good, widely. Both choirs can be booked by contacting linda.music@lincoln.anglican.org or on 01522 504018 on Thursday mornings. For would-be organists, there are Organ Study Groups running at Spilsby, Winterton and Dunston. Roughly once a month they club together to hire a tutor, and in the interim some meet to work in groups. Other groups will be set up if there is demand. Bands are invited to gather this autumn to establish a network of mutual support and interest, to share good music and to study arrangement-making for varied groups. For the longer-term future there is the Parish Music Scholarship scheme, which offers a teenager a structure for training as a future leader, either as organist or bandmaster. This system has yielded very good results in other dioceses, and four young players have been through the scheme – at Grantham, Spridlington, Louth (twice), and a fifth on a similar initiative in the parish of Winterton. New parishes are now offering this scheme and one has secured the promise of sponsorship from a local arts festival. The scheme is not dependent on a musician being in post at the host church, as tuition is arranged. When Fr Paul Noble of Skirbeck asked the MDO to suggest a tutor for the Ecumenical Plainsong Group he was about to establish, a new venture began which flourishes in the south of the diocese. The “schola” has taken Vespers or Compline to Crowland, Boston Stump, Spalding, Spilsby RC and offers this to any church which would welcome it. 

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Music Development: a summary

Hidden gems

Areas of work supported:

The Church Buildings team takes a closer look at three more treasures of the Diocese of Lincoln

Churches without music leadership/instruments ρρ Village Services – nine illustrative seasonal services for any size of group. ρρ Meon Mass – unison, unaccompanied setting of Common Worship words

Swaton, St Michael

Older children’s work (age 9+) ρρ Sing Out Hosanna – a year’s recorded lessons and short services for children as a bridge into mainstream Christian worship, teaching and music. This is a missionary venture with potential for any church to use as no skill is required. Teenage leader-training ρρ Parish Music Scholarship scheme – a structure to allow parishes with or without musicians, to support the training of a young musician in specifically church music. Organ or Band curricula co-exist. Music for churches with small/informal choirs ρρ Parish Choirbook – a versatile resource for the choir/singing group. ρρ Responsorial Psalms – choir or cantor, congregation and accompaniment. ρρ Meon Mass – the unison setting expanded for choir and instruments. Organist-training for pianists and others ρρ Organ study groups – Dunston, Winterton, Spilsby, Caistor Diocesan [all-adult] voluntary choirs for missionary outreach ρρ Diocesan Ladies’ Choir – part of the Harnosand Diocesan link (12 voices) ρρ Diocesan Men’s Choir (eight voices – Lincolnshire only) Parish initiatives supported ρρ Skirbeck (near Boston) ecumenical Plainsong Group ρρ Winterton – secondary schoolorganist training /adult organ school Courses/individual training ρρ Singing the Office (jointly with cathedral) ρρ Singing the Exsultet (a short Lent course) ρρ Continuing Ministerial Education as required ρρ Individual lessons on request – clergy, leaders, Readers, laity. Advisory work ρρ Copyright, materials available, good practice etc.

Keith Halliday Swaton lies half a mile from the A52, near Heckington, close to the forgotten hamlet of Spanby. This impressive cruciform church, dedicated to St Michael, is one of many that dominate the fen landscape. There is much to admire without and within. The chancel, with separate lancet windows and the crossing tower are the earliest part of the church dating from the 13th century. The nave and embattled aisles have impressive reticulated tracery throughout and date from about 1320 (Decorated period). On entering the church one is amazed

at the lofty spacious nave with bays of Cathedral proportions. There is evidence of an earlier church in the form of Norman chevron moulding to the east end of the north arcade. The nave is twice the length of the chancel and the width of the nave is exactly half its length. In the south west corner is an effigy of a lady with a dog at her feet. This is thought to be Nicholaa, daughter of Richard de la Haye, constable of Lincoln Castle and wife of Gerald de Camville. She died, aged 60, in 1230. On the opening to the transepts in the south aisle is medieval paint work. It comprises two circles with red borders between spokes of a large containing wheel and is

considered to be a Wheel of Life or the Ages of Man. Against the west wall, under the impressive reticulated tracery of the west window are displayed a set of medieval pew ends. The font is also from the Decorated period with ball flowers at its base and enriched with four-leafed flowers in the nine panels. In Lincolnshire Churches Revisted, Henry Thorold describes this church as “One of the lesser-known marvels of Lincolnshire”. It also features in Simon Jenkins’ England’s Thousand Best Churches. Maybe you could visit while attending Swaton Vintage Day and the World Egg Throwing Competition, held each June. 

Howell, St Oswald

electricity has never cropped up and the architecture is just as historical. The doorway to the south is Norman and the church has Early English and Decorative details including the bellcote and curving semi-circular arcade. The beauty of this secluded church lies in its quiet charm and in its detail. The head of a Norman beast with a scaly snout can be seen above the pulpit and a monument to a lady and child of the fourteenth century draws your attention in the chapel. Just don’t forget to look to the west where a tiny lancet window is hiding, containing the image of the long disregarded Saint Oswald. 

Bag Enderby, St Margaret Ben Stoker The sweep of rolling Lincolnshire wolds inspired Alfred Tennyson’s earliest childhood versifications through to the poetical patriarchy of his Laureateship. How Tennyson came to be born to such a landscape was due to his father’s not alltogether welcome role of Lincolnshire clergyman. George Clayton Tennyson – priest, pontificator, drunkard, sufferer of a malady of afflictions – was rector of both Somersby and Bag Enderby churches. Although Somersby, as the birthplace of the bard enjoys more fame than Bag Enderby, the latter church boasts many an inspiring feature, beyond its illustrious association. Its building was thanks to a donation made by Albinus de Enderby, who died in 1407. It contains a font with a remarkable Pietà, a medieval south door on which is mounted what is believed to be an ancient Danish shield boss, and a carved wall-tablet monument dedicated to the Andrew and Dorothy Gedney bearing the date 1591. George, Alfred and his multitude of siblings often made the short journey between Somersby and Bag Enderby, reciting verse as they walked. To follow in their footsteps is sure to yield great reward. 

Becky Burrows Saint Oswald was evidently one of the less fashionable saints. Out of the 631 churches in the Diocese, only eight are dedicated to this King of Northumbria, who for eight years from 634 AD was the most powerful ruler in Britain. Similarly, the hamlet of Howell has been for the most part, overlooked. Those driving along the A17 between Sleaford and Heckington have little idea that a mile to the north sits a tiny church, nestled among the cows and farms, that has managed to resist the onslaught of time. The need to replace the candles with

World Summit’s impact

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The Environmental Chaplain, Terry Miller, looks at the recent World Summit in Rio and what it could mean for our future as a world community, as a First World society, and within our own small parishes.

World representatives met recently at the UN World Summit on Environment and Development in Rio in what has long been billed as a last chance for the world powers to get serious about the critical state our environment is in. Previous summits at Rio and Johannesburg (Rio+10) 20 and 10 years ago were received, at the time, with great hope and optimism; however, the general feeling since the most recent summit, unlike the general feelings of well-being and bon homie following the Olympics, has been one of dismay at the lack of progress, both since the last summits and at this one, so much so that it has been nicknamed Rio-20 (Rio-minus-twenty). I attended the Rio+10 summit on sustainable development in South Africa in 2002 and while the feeling was that the summit wasn’t quite as effective as Rio in 1992, we had nonetheless continued the dialogue and sustained our arguments in the face of the bullish policies of the economists and politicians who believed in the prevalence of an untouchable and ever-growing economy. We got discussions going about the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which have since made good progress towards alleviating poverty and improving health, education, and women’s participation by 2015. Part of the focus at Rio this time was to look at the future beyond 2015 and this included the conception of the ‘Sustainable

Development Goals’ (SDGs) initiative, a bold set of policies that build on the MDGs with the hope of addressing the world’s wealth inequality. While not new ideas by any means - the Bruntland Report Our Common Future published in 1987 addressed many of the same issues – it was hoped that the SDGs would promote the vision of a much fairer, more equal world - a vision that many people of faith can readily identify with. The idea of ‘Sustainable Development’ isn’t about unbridled development, though it recognizes the need for poor nations to develop, rather, it focuses a fairer system of wealth accumulation where wealth isn’t just shared but also redefined. This is becoming ever more critical as, since 1992, the gap between the world’s poor and wealthy nations has become ever more disparate, resulting in a vicious cycle that impairs the ability of many poor nations to develop, especially those in Africa. This inequality is due to the hoarding of financial wealth by relatively few of the world’s population, less than 1%, and “enormous” wealth by just 0.1%. Little thought is given to spreading wealth around and putting it to good use – a result of a historical economy driven by elitism and division. This widening of the poor gap can be attributed in part to the ineffectiveness of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in reaching a conclusion to the Doha Development Round, which commenced in November 2001: the developing countries, led by the

likes of China, India, and Brazil, are still at loggerheads with the already developed countries, led by the EU and USA, over a number of issues – including free trade, agriculture, industrial tariffs and non-tariff barriers among other things. Unfortunately, the SDGs were met with a similar lack of enthusiasm from the developed countries at Rio; however, one sideeffect of this has been the development of an international extra-state movement – a movement operating outside the traditional bodies of countries and governments – and a new approach to the problem, as demonstrated in the drawing up of the “People’s Sustainability Manifesto”. In it, the signatories agreed that following Rio+20 individuals should “refuse to sit idly by in the face of another failure of governments to provide hope for a sustainable future for all”, believing that a better world is achievable in spite of governments’ ineffectiveness. One of the core problems that has been identified in the state-led approach to environmental sustainability is highlighted in the Rio+20 official text: ‘Principle 10’ emphasises the “environmental democracy principle” – the idea that there are certain groups which have a particularly important interest in environmental issues – which demonstrates a certain arrogance and mistaken assumption that working towards environmental health will adversely affect the world economy. And so it is clear that governments haven’t

got the will to act to save our world for ours and future generations; it is down to us. How can we do this? The answer is that we can do it by the daily choices we make – by buying ethically-sourced products, by our actions to reduce our carbon footprint, by using the services of ethical banks, by joining local organisations such as the Transition Towns movements, and so on. Churches are an ideal base from which to work and spread this message within our communities, and St Clement’s Church in the Skegness Group is just one such church which is doing its part for our planet. The church has recently had solar panels installed on the roof of its hall with the help and support of Freewatt, a renewable energy consultancy; not only has this resulted in the hall being supplied with clean energy but the church is now selling green energy back to the national grid. Furthermore, there is a meter in the hall which shows the amount of carbon dioxide which they are saving from being pumped into the atmosphere. Of course the parish will save and even make money from the panels, but more importantly is the contribution they are making to the global effort. If millions of other communities around the world could also take action, in whatever way possible, then we will be a long way down the road to sustainability and maybe then governments will set aside self-interest and be compelled to act. 

I believe in God

The Chancellor of Lincoln, Dr Mark Hocknull continues his exploration of the Apostles’ Creed: The Holy Catholic Church and the Communion of Saints

Cyprian of Carthage, in the third century wrote “you cannot have God as your Father if you no longer have the Church as your mother.” Many in the contemporary world find such a sentiment difficult for it seems to demand conformity to an institution, which to them seems out of touch with the real world. The Church has undoubtedly been a controlling, dominating institution in its past, and like the church of Dostoyevsky’s Grand Inquisitor it has felt the need to deny

freedom for the sake of salvation. But this is not the church at its best or as it should be. Cyprian’s point is that as a mother nurtures her children, so the Church, the community of the faithful, nurtures the faith of its members, encouraging them to grow and flourish. A frequent designation of members of the Church in the New Testament is ‘saints.’ In Greek the word is hagioi, which means those set apart by or for God: ‘holy ones.’ What is striking about the use of this word by the New Testament authors is that it is always plural. Of the 63 appearances of the word in the New Testament, only one of them is singular – saint rather than saints – in Philippians 4:21. Even here though the phrase used is ‘every single saint,’ so the meaning is once again plural – saints rather than saint. Believers belong together; they are a community, made holy through baptism. Tertullian, around the second century named four gifts of baptism: forgiveness of

sins, deliverance from death, regeneration and the gift of the Holy Spirit. The common belief of the early theologians was that baptism marked the separation of believers from their old life. The baptised are rooted in God’s life and are holy. The Church is the community of men and women set apart by God and for God. The members of this community need one another if they are to maintain their faith in the face of an unbelieving world and to add to their number. If the first mark of the Church is its holiness, or ‘set-apartness’ for God, the second mark of the Church is its catholicity; its all embracing nature. There is nothing – and no one potentially outside – the scope and care of the Church. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul remarks that there is no such thing as Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female. In Christ all divisions of race, gender, and social class are rendered irrelevant. All that matters is baptism and faith in Christ. All may enter, and find a home in the Church.

If we press the meaning of Paul’s text further, it implies that within the Church the only thing that is relevant in considering someone for a particular role in the Church is their baptism and their faith: all other factors, race, gender and social background are irrelevant. It is easy to make too bold a claim for the Church. Theologians are apt to idealise the church and to speak of it in ultimate terms, forgetting its earthly reality. Church leaders can be prone to seeing the church as an institution and of seeking to use institutional power to control church members and church activity. No Church embodies either the holiness or the catholicity to which the Church universal is called. These are still attributes that the Church is striving for. It is possible to say too much and talk too much about Church. Let us rather simply strive to be Church: a community of faithful believers bearing witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ to our society. 

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Advertise your event in the Deanery Diary for free Visit www.lincoln.anglican.org/yourevent

Deanery Diary

19 October 2012 South Yorkshire Police Male Voice Choir Concert: All Saints Church, Winterton. Their second concert for Winterton. Tickets £8 to include refreshment, U16s free. For more information 01724 732268 or see lincoln.ourchurchweb.org.uk/winterton 17 November 2012 The Mighty Burgage Band Concert: All Saints Church, Winterton. Tickets £8 to include refreshments, U16s free. For more information 01724 732268 or see lincoln.ourchurchweb.org.uk/winterton 21 September 2012 Da Capo Folk Music Group: St Peter & St Paul Church, Tetney. Da Capo Folk Music Group with instruments; audience participation welcome. For more information see lincoln.ourchurchweb.org.uk/tetney 19 - 21 October 2012 Flower Festival: St Peter & St Paul Church, Tetney. Flower Festival – What the Dickens. Arrangers from Cleethorpes Flower Club with paper sculptures by Martyn Pidgen. Refreshments available. Friday 19 October preview night with £5 admission, flower festival on Saturday and Sunday with admission at £2.50 and accompanied children free. For more information see lincoln.ourchurchweb.org.uk/tetney 21 September 2012 London Mozart Players – String Quartets: St Mary’s Church, Marshchapel. These accomplished musicians return to the ‘Cathedral of the Marshes’ for another high quality concert. For more information see www.marshchapelarts.co.uk or contact 01472 389874. 12 October 2012 Burden of Paradise: St Mary’s Church, Marshchapel. Jazz with Snake Davis, one of the finest saxophonists in the land. For more information contact 01472 389874 or see www.marshchapelarts.co.uk 12 – 14 October 2012 Belchford Pumpkin Festival: St Peter & St Paul Church, Belchford, nr Horncastle. To celebrate everything pumpkin to include carved pumpkin display in Church – anyone can enter a carved pumpkin in the competition. Craft demonstrators and classes include cake decorating, ceramic, café, knitting and craft stalls on Saturday and Sunday. For more information contact 01507 533734/01507 533703 or see www.belchfordpumpkinfestival.btck.co.uk 14 September 2012 Concert: St Peter & St Paul, Langton by Spilsby. Melia Ensemble (flute, violin, viola) play works by Bach, Mozart, Reger, Debussy, Telemann and Beethoven in this most unique candlelit Georgian church. Followed by drinks and canapés included in cost of donation £12.50 in advance (£14.00 on the door). For more information contact 01790 753649 or david@douglases.net 6 – 7 October 2012 Harvest of Skills: All Saints Parish Church, Branston. A celebration of the harvest of the land and skills of the hand. Traditional harvest displays and the work of local and other craft workers. It will end with Harvest Evensong at 4pm. For information contact 01522 822620 or see branstonallsaints.co.uk 20 – 23 September 2012 All Saints’ Holbeach Arts Festival: All Saints’ Church, Holbeach. Festival to include daily organ recitals with arts and craft displays, demonstrations and workshops for flower arranging and cooking. There will be the opportunity to enter competitions. Concerts to take place in the evenings. For information visit www.allsaintsholbeach.org.uk 11 October 2012 Together We Sing: St Mary & St Nicolas Church, Spalding. South Holland Singers and Mozartchor from Speyer, Germany. A night of music to include Elgar’s From the Bavarian Highlands, Handel’s Zadok the Priest, English and German folk songs and others. The conductors are Robin Carter and Dieter Hauss. Tickets £8 from Bookmark, Spalding; Hawkin Hardware, Holbeach; on the door. For more information contact 01775 761106 22 – 23 September 2012 Scarecrow Festival Weekend: St Peter’s Church and Dunstan Village Garage Sales. Fun for all the family – scarecrow spotting while walking around the village taking part in a quiz as you go. Craft stalls and refreshments available. Evening worship on Sunday 23 September at 6pm with Cathedral Consort Choir at St Peter’s Church. 20 September 2012 Messy Church Forum Day: New Life Church, Mareham Lane, Sleaford. Are you interested in setting up a Messy Church? Would you like to meet others to share stories and ideas? Teas and coffee provided but please provide your own lunch. Cost per delegate will be £5; payable when booking. For more information e-mail messychurch@gosberton.org

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Dropping in Once the greatest monastery in the Fens, Philip Craven drops in to the abbey in the far south of the Diocese

Philip Craven Arriving at Crowland Abbey, one is immediately struck by the beauty, grandeur, and history of place: its west end and tower dominate the surrounding fenland and the statues of saints and angels, sadly so scarce in post-Reformation England, stare down from the now-ruined nave and compel gasps of awe and amazement. Thankfully, the churchwardens, guides, and the Revd Charles Brown (who’s just as friendly as his illustrated namesake) are on hand calmly to welcome the onlookers into the still-magnificent church, the former north aisle of the monastery. The Church of St Guthlac and St Bartholomew, more commonly known as Crowland Abbey, has as rich a heritage as its exterior would suggest; with a history dating back to 699AD, when St Guthlac chose it as the site to live out his hermit’s life, it has been a place of pilgrimage and holiness for well over a thousand years. Following his time in exile with St Guthlac and the saint’s Macbethean prophecy of his future-kingship, Ethelbald, later king of Wessex, gave the money to endow a monastery on Crowland and its palacial proportions reflect the status of its benefactor. The monks that came to live and worship at Crowland over the following centuries were pioneers of farming and money-

making, building the famous Trinity Bridge (a triangular bridge with three ends) and draining the fenland to create unsurpassed arable land, as well as the usual racketeering associated with the monasteries of the time. In 1539 the monastery was one of the few to acquiesce willingly to Henry VIII’s Reformation but this act was still unable to stop the stripping of the former abbey’s assets and buildings. All that was left usable after the Reformation and the later Civil War was the north aisle of the monastery, since it was the place of worship for the people of Crowland; fortunately, the ruins and impressions of the monastery are still plain to see and exciting to explore. And Crowland Abbey still continues to be the place of worship for people of Crowland; I got a clear sense of the passion and loyalty of its worshippers when meeting them in July. “There’s nowhere quite like Crowland. It’s one of England’s best kept secrets,” said Ron Cook, a long-time congregation member and church historian. “The Guthlac Scroll is one of the most important documents of its type in the country and is kept at the British Museum, though we have illustrations here. The Trinity Bridge is unique and was built by the monks, probably as a toll bridge for herding geese from Norfolk and Lincolnshire to London.” While history is obviously important to Crowland, there is also an interesting story being written by its current congregation and parish priest, Father Charles Brown. Ecumenism flourishes in conjunction with the Methodist church and Salvation Army branch in the village; there are joint Lent courses, remembrance services, and joint all-age services, which are held each month in one of the three worshipvenues to allow the young (and older) members of congregations to experience different forms of worship. Father Charles also works closely with schools in the area, though they are not Church schools, leading assemblies and

Ron Cooke, Valerie Heil, Lorna McFarland, David Searle, Margaret Beardshaw, Val Capes (churchwarden), Beryl Morton (churchwarden and lay minister), Charles Brown (priest) at Crowland Abbey. PHILIP CRAVEN

chaplaincy drop-ins in the primary and secondary schools respectively. The schools celebrate Christmas at the Abbey, which is transformed into a picture-perfect church, and the primary school also comes for a Harvest Festival service. Tourism is one of the Abbey’s primary sources of visitors but it is clear that there is more to it than just the bricks, mortar and history: “A tremendous amount [of visitors] have talked to me about a presence in here,” said David Searle, a former churchwarden and guide. “They have come into the Abbey troubled – they haven’t come because of that but as tourists to see it as a place of interest – and they have suddenly found their troubles have been lessened and they’ve found peace here.” It is this special atmosphere and the sense of peace visitors take away with them that Father Charles would like to offer to more people and congregations from around the Diocese. “It would be great if some of the churches from the Diocese would like to come for an Away Day here at Crowland. We have a group of monks who come every year, generally in June, for a noontide Eucharist, a picnic lunch in the ruins, and Vespers. We’re experienced in organising the day for them and can tailor away days to visitors’ needs and wishes.” Often one visit is enough to make people

stay and join the congregation; Lorna McFarland now comes to the Eucharist every week from nearby Spalding after having taught RE with Father Charles for some time at a nearby school. “Everyone was so kind and welcoming,” said Lorna, “and Crowland is just such a lovely place to be and to worship. It was the atmosphere and people here that attracted me, and since I joined the congregation I have been investigating my own faith further and have been confirmed.” The church community is active in a great number of areas: flower, arts, and crafts festivals take up the bank holiday weekends from spring to Advent; there is a popular church choir which sings the mass every Sunday and a fledgling plainchant group; there are regular concerts covering everything from classical through to popular music; and the monthly coffee mornings are beginning to pick up steam. Father Charles noted how there is real support and affection for the Abbey from non-churchgoers in the village, and the social and events teams are always looking for new ways to bring the community, and especially young people, into the church. It is impossible to explain the uniqueness of Crowland and its history in so few words so I would encourage anyone to go and explore it themselves or arrange an away day with a church or group. 

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I don’t believe it!

The Interim Diocesan Secretary, the Revd Canon Richard Bowett, has confidence in the future of the Diocese’s administration. It’s happened again. Another utilities company has hiked its bills. Scottish and Southern Gas have announced a nine percent increase in the cost of gas and electricity. How long will it be before other large suppliers follow suit? It seems that at the end of Summer each year, as we begin to prepare for the Winter, we receive news of price increases. There is much said these days about budgeting our personal income and expenditure each year. In fact, there are budget forms downloadable from the Internet to help with this process. It is also important for us to build into our personal budget a contingency to cover such an event as this latest announcement on utility prices. In cash terms, it will mean an increase of more than £100 per year for the average household. With all the good intentions made by government to control the debt situation.

the country finds it difficult too. Tax receipts from some sectors of industry and commerce are down on what was predicted, and therefore the Government has had to borrow more – about £600 million – to get through this problem. And whenever these situations arise, we tend to take the opinion that things will come right in the end. But will they? I cannot predict whether or not it will, but there are things in this

Diocese I can tell you about, now I have been the Interim Diocesan Secretary for three months. First, this is a great Diocese where much is going on that is very good. In being responsible for the administration and finance of the Diocese day-to-day, I can tell you that we are working extremely hard at the Diocesan offices. Our aim is to deliver a service that is of benefit to the ministry and mission of the Diocese. I see the role of the Diocesan office as similar to that of Deacon – we are here to serve our Bishops, Archdeacons, clergy and parishes, in no particular order. By doing that, we hope we will make a difference that will have

real benefits at a local level. I want the quality of the work of the Diocesan office to demonstrate the proactive attitude of its staff, delivering an excellent quality of service which reflects the way the staff are motivated. The Diocesan office belongs to the parishes – it is not some kind of secret black hole which absorbs money and red tape. We have excellent staff who want to do a good job and enhance the mission of the Church in all Lincolnshire. I do believe the Diocesan offices and the parishes have a fantastic opportunity to work together to do this, and I hope parishes will find things getting better all the time. We are all determined to improve the quality of services to the parishes of the Diocese. Why not visit the Diocesan offices sometime? My door is always open. 

Appointments

Contact

Georgina Machell Ruskington Group Nicholas Nawrockyi Grimsby St Mary and St James Team Paul Slater Boston – Skirbeck Priscilla Smith Horncastle Group Mark Thomson Market Deeping Darlene Elizabeth Weston Carr Dyke

The Revd Peter Lilley, Team Rector in the Bottesford with Ashby team ministry, to be Community Chaplain in the benefices of Mablethorpe and Sutton le Marsh.

The Bishop of Lincoln The Rt Revd Christopher Lowson 01522 50 40 90 bishop.lincoln@lincoln.anglican.org

The Revd Michael Rose, assistant Curate in the parishes of the Boultham Benefice in the Christianity Deanery, to be vicar of the Carr Dyke Group of Parishes in the Lafford Deanery.

The Bishop of Grimsby The Rt Revd David Rossdale 01472 371715 bishop.grimsby@lincoln.anglican.org

The Revd Rosamund Seal, Priest in Charge of Moulton Chapel and Weston and Rural Dean of Elloe East and Elloe West, to be vicar of Holbeach (remaining Rural Dean).

The Bishop of Grantham The Rt Revd Dr Tim Ellis 01400 283344 bishop.grantham@lincoln.anglican.org

The Revd Robert Barrett Alford Group The Revd Nichola Bates Frieston, Butterwick w Bennington and Leverton, Old Leake w Wrangle and Friskney The Revd Frances Clarke Skellingthorpe St Lawrence w Doddington The Revd Sheena Cleaton Bourne St Peter and St Paul The Revd Martin Faulkner Spilsby Group The Revd Valerie Greene Kirkby La Thorpe

The Revd Steven Holt Grimsby St Mary and St James Team The Revd David Pickett Edenham w Witham on the Hill The Revd David Swannack Scunthorpe, Frodingham St Lawrence The Revd Janet Tompkins Mablethorpe, Trusthorpe and Sutton on Sea The Revd Sally Turnbull Spring Line Parish and Owmby Group The Revd Joan Vickers Saxilby and Stow in Lindsey Groups

The Revd David Shenton, Team Vicar of St Mary & St James Great Grimsby, to be Priest in Charge of Grantham St Anne, New Somerby & St John Spitalgate and The Epiphany, Earlesfield.

The Interim Diocesan Secretary The Revd Canon Richard Bowett 01522 50 40 30 diocesan.secretary@lincoln.anglican.org

Retirements

Death

The Revd Canon Michael Silley, chaplain to the Bishop of Lincoln, retired on 31 August 2012. The Revd Jane Calderin, Assistant Curate of Christ Church Stamford, retired on 31 August 2012.

Canon John Rhodes, Curate Sheffield, 1959-66, Industrial Chaplain Diocese of Lincoln 1966-98, Rural Dean Grimsby and Cleethorpes 1976-83, Canon of Lincoln Cathedral 1977-98, Chaplain Franklin College 1992-98, MBE 1981, retired 1998, died on 18 July 2012.

The Revd Stephen Jones, Vicar of St Augustine Grimsby, to retire.

The Revd Leslie Salt, formerly parish priest of Torksey, died on 28 July 2012.

Gazette Ordained Deacon at Petertide Pamela Beattie Lincoln Ermine Patrick Cooke Winterton Julia Hepburn Spring Line and Owmby Group Michelle Houldershaw Sibsey and Brothertoft Kay Jones Old Clee Franklin On Yip Lee Spalding

Ordained Priest at Petertide

Resignations The Revd Anne Jablonski, Assistant Curate of the parish of St Wulfram, Grantham, to be vicar of St Peter & St Paul, Bromey, Kent (Diocese of Rochester). The Revd Michelle Massey, Priest in Charge of the West Loveden Group of Parishes and Chaplain to the Bishop of Grantham, has become Priest in Charge of the Benefice of Broadway with Wickhamford (Diocese of Worcester). The Revd Ellen Wakeham, Assistant Curate in the parish of St Laurence, Frodingham, has become chaplain to St Gabriel’s College, and assistant curate at St John the Divine, Kennington.

The Archdeacon of Stow and Lindsey The Ven Jane Sinclair 01673 849896 archdeacon.stow@lincoln.anglican.org The Archdeacon of Lincoln The Ven Tim Barker 01529 304348 archdeacon.lincoln@lincoln.anglican.org The Diocesan Offices Edward King House, Minster Yard, Lincoln LN2 1PU 01522 50 40 50 Fax: 01522 50 40 51 reception@lincoln.anglican.org www.lincoln.anglican.org www.facebook.com/dioceselincoln @CofELincoln www.flickr.com/dioceseoflincoln

crosslincs

The Bishop of Lincoln ordained 12 deacons in Lincoln Cathedral at Petertide. WILL HARRISON

Curates from around the Diocese were ordained priest by the Bishops of Grimbsy and Grantham. WILL HARRISON 1

Prize crossword The first correct entry to crossword 33 to be opened on 16 November 2012 will win £25. Send to: Crossword, Crosslincs, Edward King House, Minster Yard, Lincoln LN2 1PU

The editor’s decision if final. Photocopies acceptable. One entry per person. Entries from consortiums are not eligible. 11

Across

5 Edition edited with nothing removed to

1 Rachel’s lad gaudily clad (6)

4 Copper swallowed in chip fragments causing

6 Implement used to expose worms? (3,6)

7 Ruler served by 12a (7)

spasm (6)

compose (6)

9 Competent (seaman) (4)

8 Radical instruction not followed on French

10 Denizen of the granite city (10)

11 South poles not level (6)

14 Influenced deeply by the gang (9)

12 The wife of this boss locked up one across (8)

16 Hangs about underwear that is off south (7)

13 The location of ones pigtail (6,3)

18 Dives perhaps (7)

15 Move slowly but not far (4)

19 Saucy and cowardy (7)

16 Read by the deaf (4)

20 Bands not necessarily musical (6)

17 Does shrew pick Hesperus for destruction (9)

23 Father of 1a (5)

routes (4,2,3,4)

21 Train leg for functions (8) by Kettlebird 22 Fella on whom less rain falls (6) 24 A tasty obscurity? (3,4,3)

number 33

solution number 32

25 Used to make Tandoor (4) 26 Hides a distinctly cruel person (6) 27 Investigated when, unlike 1a, quietly dressed (6) Scribble pad

crosslincs

is published by the Diocese of Lincoln. The views of contributors and sponsors do not necessarily reflect those held by the Diocese. Deadline for the next edition: 16 November 2012 Editor: Will Harrison Reporter: Philip Craven Telephone: 01522 50 40 36 crosslincs@lincoln.anglican.org Printed by Mortons Print Ltd, Horncastle, Lincolnshire

Down 1 1977 2002 2012 (7) 2 In custody of 1a’s brothers (5) 3 Quietly uplifted when commended (7)

Congratulations to Mrs L M Milne of Upton, Gainsborough, the winner of crossword 32

S I T U A T E

N O U H R F T A T T H E C H R U C A B K A O R C L O D O N

WD O N P O A H OW R E A R R S N Y R A T E T E R I L L E V A I S T E N S U T E R O F F R P R H E S T R A C E M A T E D E

E N I P P P E D G O U T A S A T E N D

N I N E D N O I N T O R X T R A I T T E N E O D A Y D I D Y K E B L R E A D A E U R E D