the magazine of
July 2011
What’s inside? Notice Board - 2 Letter from the Vicar - 3 Mission News - 4 Meet the Architect - 5 GAFCON - 6 General Synod - 7 Hope’s Place - 8 BSOCS - 8 11am Weekend - 9 8am Service - 9 Walter Dirks - 10 Reviews - 11 The Back Page - 12
belong - grow - go
BELONG
JULY 11
Notices
BOOK OF THE TERM
we will ember 4 -10 g week, Sept in church r m he co ot is Th no d n! an Week has begu ing. Flyers are available s. er ice ay rv Pr se al e es nu en y ev e of th Our an in church ever t to at least on have meetings ll take place. Do try to ge meetings wi
AVAILABLE AT THE BOOKSTALL
hteous, because we are rig u yo of ts es qu re We do not make 9:18 great mercy - Dan but because of your
Rupert Higgins SARA WAD SWORTH Sara flies out to Israel on 24th August for a year. She will be w orking as a houseparent at a boarding school called House of Hope for disa bled children in Be thlehem on the West bank .
SILVER ANNIVERSARIES s to We send our warmest congratulation rate celeb who les coup five Christ Church year, this ies ersar anniv ing wedd silver their Heather and Will Power;(March) Janet and Rob Lee; (March) Jean and John Diwell; (April) Katharine and Richard Hill; (April) and Jacquie & Paul Stevens.(October) Here’s to the next 25 years!
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Our love and support go with Rupert Higgins as he has been appointed Vicar of St Mark’s, Talbot Village near Bournemouth. He will be licensed on September 30th at 7.30pm. Rupert is very excited by the opportunities this parish presents where there are many openings for the gospel.
The diverse membership of the groups means deep relationships don’t always come easily at first - but that’s the point - as we meet and grow together we’re doing something profoundly countercultural. And in a small way we’re beginning to anticipate God’s new creation when the full diversity of his people live with him together.
a typical home group A group of 10 to 15 adults meeting each week in one of their home’s. On the surface, they have little in common little reason to commit to meeting together so regularly. There are people in their twenties through to those well into retirement; single and married; new Christians and those who came to faith long before other members of the group were born.
The aim of our groups at Christ Church is similar. They are places where we can build strong relationships, in a way that is not possible on a Sunday. Together we study and reflect on God’s Word, and support each other as we seek to live by it; we pray for each other and the things God lays on our hearts as a group; we go out to serve God in our neighbourhoods and the world; and, importantly, we have fun groups enjoy meals, social events or weekends away together.
There are approximately 30 home groups in Christ Church, meeting on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evenings in homes across the city. There are also day time groups meeting. Each one has its own style, with many serving together in a particular area of ministry or supporting a specific mission partner or initiative. Most groups have a cross-section of the church membership within them, but there are also groups for international visitors, seniors and morning groups for women. Peter & Helen O’Donnell
If you’d like to know more or join a group, do talk to Cathy or anyone already involved. Any of the groups would welcome newcomers to try them out before joining.
This is a Christ Church home group and - as bizarre as it may seem - it’s at the heart of how we live as God’s Kingdom people. In many ways, the first century church looked much like today’s home groups - diverse groups of people, meeting in each other’s homes and united by their faith in Christ. Often, there would only be one such group in a city - with the next church being a day’s travel away. Yet it was as these groups learnt, prayed and shared their lives with each other, that God’s Spirit worked to build his people and bring the Gospel to the world.
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BELONG
JULY 11
Picture the scene. Someone new to Christ Church asks you about Tuesday Central. How would you reply? Helpfully, the title does indicate two key aspects of Tuesday Central! It meets on a Tuesday, at a central location - in the Christ Church crypt. But would you be able to explain what really happens at Tuesday Central?
In many ways, Tuesday Central is set out to operate in the same way as a home group. We meet together to study the bible in small groups; we support and pray for one another; we are committed to equipping and helping each other to tell non-Christians about the good news of what Jesus has done for each of us through his death and resurrection. There is no doubt that Christ Church can be a big and intimidating place for new people. Despite the great work that
the welcome team does each Sunday, the size of the church can often prevent new people feeling like they can become a valuable part of our church family. Just think back to when you were new to Christ Church! Ultimately, Tuesday Central aims to provide a platform for people predominantly in their 20s and 30s to actively grow in their faith at Christ Church, while also getting to know a group of people who are about the same age and are often at a similar stage of life.
However, what makes Tuesday Central stand out is that it aims to provide all of these things in an alternative, more informal way. Meeting at one location means that each of the six small groups is able to interact with each other week by week. This means that Tuesday Central really is a great place for new people to quickly get to know a lot of other Christians. Whether over coffee at the beginning, or through responding to God through sung worship at the end of the evening, Tuesday Central provides a different environment for people to engage with one another as a part of our church.
tuesday central The hope is that those who come to TC are able to belong, grow and go as part of the Christ Church family. It is important that everyone is given the opportunity to belong through being part of small group, to grow and be equipped by becoming rooted in the truth of God’s Word, and go on to serve God within our church family and the wider community. Matt Shortman
Tuesday Central really is a great place for new people to quickly get to know a lot of other Christians
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tom wright Further Reading by Tom Wright: Christian Origins and Question of God series, especially “New Testament and People of God” and “Jesus and Victory of God” “Surprised by Hope” “The Challenge of Jesus” “Evil and the Justice of God”
Tuesday 11th January
2011
m Lecture begins 7:30p n fto Cli h Christ Churc Entrance fee £5 well known at one The four Gospels are at another. Most level and hardly at all it hard to hold churches have found uration of God’s together Jesus’ inaug in heaven, on the kingdom on earth as ing death on the one hand, with his sav lists seem to think other. Yet the evange e whole truth. they are part of the sam r ears and lives How can we retune ou to their full message? ny Christians it For the Creeds and ma Jesus to have been would be enough for a cross and done born of a virgin, died on n. So why did nothing else in betwee d John bother an Matthew, Mark, Luke middle? Was it with all the stuff in the of the Saviour? Or, just the “back story” s insisted it was if as liberal theology ha as a social project, all about the Kingdom we make sense why the cross? How can r evangelists seem of the fact that the fou er? How, in short, to think it all fits togeth the gospels are can we tune into what actually saying?
After graduating at Oxford University in Greats and Theology, Tom Wright went on to do a DPhil on St Paul. Thereafter, he was: Assistant Professor of New Testament at McGill University 1981- 86; Fellow, Chaplain and Lecturer at Worcester College, Oxford 1986-93; Dean of Lichfield Cathedral 1994-99; Canon of Westminster Abbey 2000-03; and Bishop of Durham 2003-10. He is now resident Professor in New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St Andrews. He has written many books, especially the Christian Origins and Question of God series and the “Everyone’s” series. He also writes in the press and broadcasts. Tom is married to Maggie and has 4 children and 3 grandchildren. He enjoys music and is a bad, but happy golfer! About BSOCS The Bristol School of Christian Studies (BSOCS) provides teaching from a biblical perspective by high calibre teachers on a range of current issues. As an independent body sponsored by a number of Bristol churches and colleges, its meetings are open to all. BSOCS is sponsored by Alma Church, Clifton; Bristol Baptist College; Bristol Christian Fellowship; Cairns Road Baptist Church; Christ Church Clifton; Church of Christ the Rock, Yate; Redland Parish Church; St Mary Magdalene Church Stoke Bishop; Trinity College, Bristol and Woodlands Christian Centre, on behalf of all Christians in the Bristol area and to complement the teaching of the local churches. Future lecture - “Apocalypse Now! The environmental crisis and the Book of Revelation” Simon Woodman on 25 October 2011
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BELONG
JULY 11
Are you reading this at home? Are you sitting comfortably? Sometimes it is easy to take our surroundings for granted. Can you imagine being made redundant, falling behind on your mortgage payments and a family member becoming ill so you need to become their carer? It is a horrible thought, but for some people it is a reality.
People become homeless for a variety of reasons: domestic violence, house fire, illness and political and or social persecution leading to the need to leave a home country, to name a few. The result of being forced to leave their home, move into temporary accommodation and wait to hear about a new home is detrimental to people’s lives and children in particular, in almost every respect. 20 years ago when SPACE was set up, families who became homeless were put into B&Bs for lengths of time. The government aimed to end the use of
this form of accommodation for homeless families with children by March 2004. Most of the families referred to us at SPACE now are from local authority hostels, tenancy support officers, Shelter, Barnardos, supported Housing Associations and NextLink. SPACE really is a link in a chain to enable people re-establish a healthy life. There is not much attraction to returning to an unfamiliar area and a house or flat with no furniture. Once you have the basic items to sleep, cook, eat and study/ work, then you can start to look forward.
There is not much attraction to returning to an unfamiliar area and a house or flat with no furniture. Members of Christ Church, Clifton help make this happen. The charity was founded by members of the church; our longest furniture removal and warehouse volunteers are members of the church and the church helps fund core costs which can be difficult to find funding for from other sources. Many members have also been involved with our Christmas project as well. If you would like to know more about our activities, become a volunteer or donate furniture or private funds, however big or small, please contact the Operations Manager, Ruth Soandro-Jones. Email: ruth@spacetrust.org.uk Tel: 0117 907 5355
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joni eareckson tada a ministry from brokenness Put ‘Joni Eareckson Tada’ or simply ‘Joni Eareckson’ into your internet search engine and it will come up with several thousand hits. She even has her own Wikipedia page! But who is Joni and why am I writing about her in this column?
Her life isn’t just a source of interest for the sick or disabled her quest is to draw closer to God, and she wishes to share this quest with the able-bodied and disabled alike. At every point, step by step, Joni places her faith and trust in God, and is brave enough to share with us her joys and her sorrows, her achievements and her defeats.
Joni Eareckson was an American teenager growing up in the 1960s in a loving Christian family. She was very active, particularly enjoying horse riding. But her life was changed forever one day in 1967 when, as a 17-year-old, she dived into sea which was too shallow. She broke her neck and was completely paralysed. Angry at God, she questioned and wrestled with the truths of the Bible, searching to understand how God had allowed this to happen to her.
Joni’s writing has had a profound effect on my own Christian life; her story was one of the very first books I read on becoming a Christian. I urge you to get reading!
Slowly, she came to a realisation that this was part of God’s plan for her. She learned to draw and paint using her mouth. She published the story of her accident, Joni, and later played herself in the film of the same name. People began to respond to her story and the struggle she was having with accepting suffering in her own life and the life of others, so she wrote another book, A Step Further, in which she quotes from letters she had received from suffering people and discusses the nature of suffering.
http://www.joniandfriendsnews.com/docs/bio_joni.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joni_Eareckson_Tada#References
Alison Capey
Her ministry developed to such an extent that she is now the founder and president of Joni and Friends, an organisation accelerating Christian outreach in the disability community worldwide and has written over 46 books. If you haven’t yet read any of Joni’s books, I would recommend that you start with The God I Love: A Lifetime of Walking with Jesus. This is her autobiography, tracing her life from early childhood to the present day.
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BELONG
JULY 11
family matters Congratulations to Justyn and Lucy McIlhinney on the birth of Sasha, David & Johanna Barton on the birth of Phoebe, Sherif & Mandy Wilson on the birth of Noah, Ian & Gayle Hallett on the birth of Jessi and Matt & Louise Rowland on the birth of Emily
Weddings 13th June - Mike Underwood and Ali Walsh 27th June - Lawal Afuwape and Anna Miles 11th July - Etienne Coetzee and Sarah Lambert 18th July - Peter Skerratt and Alice Gibbs 24th July - David Ashley and Jemma Davies 25th July - Matthew Taylor and Gemma Jones 25th July - Gavin Tufton and Anna Lloyd
WEEK OF PRAYER 14
th - 20th Sept
‘...you will call upon me
and pray to me and I will listen to you..’ Jer 29:12
At Christ Church, from 14-21 September, we are calling the church family to ma ke prayer a priority. Go d invites us to be part of His wo rk on earth through ou r pra yers and we need His guida nce, His help and His power in all we seek to do for Him . There will be various ways of praying, as ind ividuals and as part of our churc h community. The ch urch will be open each day for individuals to pray thr ough creative, interactive Pra yer Stations. There wil l be daily Prayer Gatherings in the evenings, tradition al services at other times, and a prayer walk on Saturda y afternoon. Please pla n to join us.
who to speak to... who to speak to... who to speak to... Christ Church contacts:
Our missions and mission partners here and around the world:
Brownies - Nikki Dermot - 0117 902 3575 Children @ Christ Church - Jane Simpkins - 0117 973 2593 Christ Church Bookstall - Olivia Murray - 0117 973 6524 Christ Church Recordings - Roger Watkins - 0117 969 8735 Christ Church Website - Olivia Murray - 0117 973 6524 Christianity Explored - Dan Clark - 0117 973 2128 Community Centre - Nelly Davis - 0117 973 6524 Discipleship Explored - Rupert Higgins - 0117 973 6524 Evangelism at Christ Church - Dan Clark - 0117 973 2128 Fifty Plus - Joan Grigg - 0117 942 8480 Growing Christians - Rupert Higgins - 0117 973 6524 Home Groups - Cathy Brodie - 0117 973 6524 Marriage Course - Katharine Hill - 0117 973 6524 Monday Fellowship - Nelly Davis - 0117 973 6524 Mosaic/Student Group - Matt Rowland - 0117 973 1591 Music @ Christ Church - Jonathan Bramwell - 0117 973 2011 Mums' Groups - Ginny O’Conor - 0117 962 1981 Newcomers and Welcoming - Cathy Brodie - 0117 973 6524 Pastoral Care Team - Cathy Brodie - 0117 973 6524 PCC - Olivia Murray - 0117 973 6524 Prayer @ Christ Church - Cathy Brodie - 0117 973 6524 Senior Members - Nelly Davis - 0117 973 6524 The Hub (20s & 30s) - Wayne Massey - 0117 973 5220 Tuesday Central - Wayne Massey - 0117 973 5220 Women’s events - Cathy Brodie - 0117 973 6524 Youth @ Christ Church - Neil Hopkins - 0117 973 9640
Aquila - Patricia Holroyd - 07807 058479 BCAN Homeless Forum - Val Moore - 01275 835489 BISC - Bristol International Student Centre - 0117 915 9826 Breakfast Run - Amy Carter - 07769 777097 Bristol Nights - Alison Capey - 0117 950 5506 Bristol Nightstop - 0117 924 4444 Brown Bag Collections - Val Moore - 01275 835489 Business Breakfast - Nick Ball - 01275 373555 CALM - Paul Gibson - 0117 968 5810 Caring@Christmas - 0117 924 4444 Crisis Centre Ministries - Graham Donald - 07980 191933 Easton Families Project - Gill Miles - 0117 955 5877 Falcon Camps - Gill Miles - 0117 955 5877 Filwood Hope - David Redshaw - 0117 963 4566 Hope's Place - Carrie - 0117 968 6303 International Visitors - Philip & Sandy Starke - 0117 330 7415 Julian Trust - Jenny Oates - 01275 852806 King's Kitchen Project - 0117 955 4318 Global Mission Team - Janet Lee - 0117 973 5311 Network Counselling - 0117 950 7271 One25 - 0117 909 8832 Pre School - Jayne Coller - 01275 392786 Soup Run - Nick Ball - 01275 373555 Space - Cathy Rodmell - 0117 907 5355 Sports Evangelism - Neil Perrett - 07715 704956
Christ Church Clifton, 16 Mortimer Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 4EY. Tel: 0117 973 6524 Fax: 0117 904 7065 Website: www.christchurchclifton.org.uk E-mail: info@christchurchclifton.org.uk Contact us If there is anything you would like to contribute to this magazine, either by writing, interviewing, proof reading, photography, or just wanting to be involved do let us know. Either write or e-mail f.a.o. Julia Patterson - thank you.