Happy New Year
January 2015
Andy Writes... Dear Friends, I want to first say a huge thank you for all those who have supported Allana, Hope and I whilst I have been off work, thank you for your cards, love and prayers which we are extremely grateful for and have been sustaining. I cannot begin to put into words how tough this has been, and probably the writing has been on the wall that sadly this was probably inevitable, I do realise that those who have had the love and courage to say something to me, I owe an apology for not listening to you or heeding your advice. I also realise that at times I was trying to spin too many plates at the same time, and if you felt as though your particular plate wasn't getting the 'spin' it deserved then I want to also apologies to you too. Although I have been off for a few weeks, I have been on anti-depressants for nearly two years, and the dose was increased around last September. Yet despite how we feel and the struggles we face nothing changes the truth that 'underneath (our circumstances) are the everlasting arms of love'. Time off work has been tough, I'm a doer, more of a Martha than a Mary (from the famous story in Luke 10) and yet this has forced me to come back and sit at Jesus feet. Maybe some of us need to do this afresh this new year, re-connect with Jesus? Perhaps you need to sit at his feet, listen to his voice and be changed by him? Interestingly I believe that it was the sitting at Jesus feet that enabled Mary to bravely stand by his cross -in spite of the risks- when everyone else had deserted him and in cried at his tomb was the first person to meet the resurrected Saviour. Deep prayer leads to action, whilst activity on its own does not neccessarily lead to prayer. I've thought a lot about the famous passage about allowing God to pruning us (John 13) cutting off the branches that bare no fruit, but also prunes those that do bare fruit so he can get a greater harvest. Basically if you love
Jesus and want to follow him, you're gonna get pruned! Pruning is painful, but pruning allows fruit to develop and flourish. Also, the image of God as the potter has been incredibly helpful, a time for God to work in my life, I think we often find the idea of God working THROUGH us easier than the thought of God working IN us. Yet actually unlike many human employers God cares more about WHO we are than WHAT we do. So, I'll close, with a couple of thoughts, does God have your attention at the moment, or does he have to grab your attention as you're too busy doing something else. Are you prepared to sit and listen to him speak to you, not rushing around and being distracted just as Martha did, but as Mary did, sat at her Lord's feet, attentive to what he said, hearing his voice, not just taking in the words, but letting those words he has spoken actually change you? Allowing God to cut away the dead branches, and even cutting the fruitful ones to enable more fruit to grow, it's tough and painful but are we going to submit to the gardener and allow him to prune away. Allowing the potter to mould, shape, form and even break us for his glory, trusting the potter with our lives knowing that he is the only one who is ultimately faithful and trust-worthy. God bless, Andy
"The heart of church life is our exploration and expression of what it means to know God". (Robert Warren)
Your Kingdom
come, on this bit of earth at this point in time…
(From Bristol Diocesan News)
Rev Jo Vickery, Vicar of Christ Church Downend, reports on a recent event for church leaders in Bristol, exploring how we can be disciples in the ‘whole of life’.
As church leaders gathered at Muller House in Bristol on 23 October to pray for the city, one question united us. It was the question God asked of Moses: What have you got in your hand? What is it that each of the different churches has that can reveal something of the glory of God in the city of Bristol? Neil Hudson from the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity (LICC) came to Bristol to share the core discoveries of LICC’s Imagine Project, which has worked with all kinds of churches throughout the UK during the last decade. The challenge was not about how do we do church better, but how can we reach the UK? Inherited forms of mission and evangelism appear to have had limited impact in changing the culture of the nation and seeing people come to faith. One of the key reasons for this, LICC had found, was the tendency for Christians to see church as the primary con-
text for mission. What happened in the lives of God’s people in all the hours that weren’t being spent doing ‘churchy stuff’ was somehow of secondary significance.
Living well on the frontline
Neil made the very obvious point that God’s mission is going on every day in every part of life, and the true vocation to which Christ calls each Christian is to be a disciple in the whole of life. Their context for mission is wherever God has placed them, whether that be in a school, an office, a hospital, a pub or a gym. The task of the church then becomes one of encouraging and equipping one another to live well on the ‘frontline’ as disciples of Jesus Christ in the whole of life. The big question then of course was how? Neil went on to introduce an incredibly useful framework for describing different ways that God is at work in us and through us, wher-
ever we are and whatever we are ture disciples, but to grow the kind doing – the Six Ms. of disciples who see making new disciples as an integral and natural part of their discipleship.
The Six Ms
We are being fruitful on our frontlines when we are: • Making good work – just doing a great job of installing a central heating system, balancing the accounts, teaching a class of 6-year-olds and so on. God delights in good work! • Modelling godly character – living by the values of the Kingdom. • Ministering grace and love – seen in everyday acts of kindness, service and compassion. • Moulding culture – not so much changing the world but rather changing the part of the world we are in. • Mouthpiece for truth and justice – having the courage and sensitivity to say and do the things that challenge and confront that which undermines and distorts. • Messenger of the Gospel – taking opportunities that can be part of a person’s journey to faith in Christ. These are expanded and applied in one of many highly practical resources LICC have produced that enable churches who are committed to forming whole life disciples to be more fully equipped not only to nur-
Christ Church Downend has been moving in this direction for a number of years now, and Anita Dobson and I were asked to come and share some of the ways that was being worked out in our context in a suburban parish of 28,000 on the edge of Bristol.
It’s
about life, not about church
Fundamental to our vision are Christ’s words in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and life in all its fullness.” We wanted to say in everything – it’s about LIFE, it’s not about church! So the form of words we now use to describe our purpose is ‘Learning to Live the Life’. This is everywhere at Christ Church and people have got it, and are going with it. One of the sharpest ideas that LICC offer in their ‘tool box’ of resources is TTT (This Time Tomorrow). We interview all sorts of people in our congregations and simply ask them to tell us what they will be doing on Monday, what is going to be challenging, and how could we pray for them, all in three minutes. Then we pray. This had an instant impact of enabling others to know what their
‘out-of-church’ life looked like, and es in Bristol; we would love to see began to open eyes to see God at them full on Sundays. But we were work on people’s frontlines. reminded us that the church is gathered AND scattered. ‘The church’ is Anita, who oversees ministry with in the city, in the suburbs, in the rufamilies, shared how her mindset ral communities every day of every has shifted from thinking less about week. involving people in church-based stuff and more to making contact It may sound obvious, but the one with them in the week, texting them, thing that all the churches have that praying for them and celebrating the can reveal the glory of God in Bristol amazing things that they are doing is very simple – people. And as the every day. churches envision, encourage and equip God’s people to see themselves as disciples in the whole of life, the potential for Gathered and scattered God’s kingdom to be seen on this part As I reflect on the significance of of earth will be released in ways beyond this day together, I believe the Lord anything we can ask or even imagine! was offering us fresh way of seeing. There are around 500 church-
“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given, than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.” - Muhammad Ali
Sam
Mentoring Sam for two years and seeing him fly through his vicar interviews to become an Ordinand was a real privilege, -as it was to preside at his wedding to the lovely Rachel- seeing him grow and develop as a man of God. And it was with moist eyes we waved him goodbye as he set off for Rippon College Cuddesdon (Oxford, where Midsummer Murders is filmed) for formation as a Priest in the Church of England (our first Ordinand since Mark Beaton and Teresa Taylor). Sam has settled in well to college life, Rachel too seems to be really happy there.
ban Priority neighbourhood in Oxford, and quite challenging. Alongside this he is also having to do a chaplaincy at the local hospital, and also work at the college with helping to run the bar (they didn't have a bar at my college). He seems to have taken to the academic stuff well, and has found plenty of things challenging and stretching. Theological College can be a challenging place, and so do keep Sam and Rachel in your prayers in this key formative time.
Sam is working in a placement Church with a Priest, Skye Denno, who trained at the same theological college as me (St. John's Nottingham) although I left a couple of years before her. The Parish is on the Cowely Road, which is the Ur-
The most dangerous phrase in the english language is “We’ve always done it this way.” Rear Admiral Grace Hopper
WWJD: What Would Jesus Do? Do You Really Want to Know? -Anon. Once upon a time, a mother made her son a wristband. On it was written: WWJD?This, of course stood for: "What Would Jesus Do?" She instructed her son to look at the wristband before making decisions on how to live his Christian life. A week later she was shocked to see that her son had become friends with prostitutes, was hanging out with 'sinners' -- even buying people who were already drunk yet another round of beers!
testers: "You who are without sin, throw the first stone!" The mother was very distressed, but fortunately she found a solution to this terrible problem. She made another wristband, this time it read: WWAPD? This, she explained to her son, stood for: "What Would A Pharisee Do?" She took the oldWWJD? wristband and burned it. Since her son has been wearing the new wristband, looking at it to help him make his decisions, he has become a dedicated tither, a public prayer warrior, an active condemner of 'sinners,' a passionate defender of the Old Covenant law, and has a great reputation as a godly young man amongst other religious people.
Worse still, he had walked into their church the previous Sunday and tore down the book store, overturned the tables and threw the cash register through the window, he then made a whip and chased the pastor out of the building, declaring he was turning God's house into a den of thieves. Needless to say, the mother is very happy now. She only wishes Most shocking was what hap- Jesus would take notice and folpened when his mother went to low her son's good example. picket the local abortion clinic. To her embarrassment, her son was also there, but he was standing with the women who just had an abortion, and yelled at the pro-
those who feel like the 'black sheep' of society. Others are more familiar but in unfamiliar settings - church in a café, pub, school, gym or a sports club. A fresh expression is a form of church for our changing culture established primarily for the benefit of people who are not yet members of any church - those who have never been or have stopped going and are It is a way of describing the creation not willing to go back to what they of new congregations or churches experienced before. which vary in ethos and style from the church which starts them. This It will come into being through prinis because they are designed to ciples of listening, service, incarreach a different group of people national mission and making discithan those already attending the ples. It will also have the potential original church. to become a mature expression of The term 'fresh expressions of church' comes from the Church of England reportMission-shaped Church in 2004.
There is no single model to copy but the emphasis is on planting something which is appropriate to its context, rather than cloning something which works elsewhere.
church shaped by the gospel and the enduring marks of the church and for its cultural context - but maturity will not mean they become like the churches which planted them.
A fresh expression is a church plant A fresh expression of church serves or a new congregation. It is not: those outside the church, listens • a new way to reach people and to people and enters their culture, add them to an existing congremakes discipleship a priority and gation forms church. • an old outreach with a new name ('rebranded' or 'freshened up') Some fresh expressions are very dif- • * a half-way house, a bridge projferent from church as we are used to ect, which people belong to for it in the UK - there is the Tubestation a while, on their way into Chrissurfer church on Polzeath beach, tian faith, before crossing over to Cornwall; a youth congregation 'proper' church based in an Essex skate park, and The Order of the Black Sheep for
Fresh expressions of church are not meant to replace existing forms of church, and they are certainly not in competition with them. We use the expression 'the mixed econo-
my church' as a way of saying that the one economy of God's church needs both our inherited approaches and fresh ones.
A great blog from Rev. Kevin Lewis, Vicar, who trained with Andy at St. John's Nottingham. but for the dubious. But. The parable of the talents. At first glance it seems to corroborate the exam paradigm. But it doesn’t. Jesus is talking about people who have been entrusted with something of great value. A ‘talent’ was a huge amount of money, maybe 15 years salary for a labourer, so roughly £187,000 on the minimum wage. Two servants take a risk, one doesn’t. He was scared of falling foul of the master, so instead of doing something productive with the money, he went for damage limitation. He buried it. The Holy Invigilator stares at the class, pacing, watching, eager to make the eternal boredom of heaven worth it by catching someone cheating, or not letting them go to the loo, quietly chuckling at their terrified expressions as the clock slowly… ticks… tocks… ticks… then the bell goes, out comes the red pen, and the fun of marking their pitiful lives truly begins. This is basically how many see God. Life is an exam and being a Christian is the art of avoiding getting in trouble with God, appeasing him with good behaviour, keeping our heads down. Which is weird, as Jesus was the exact opposite. He even said I didn’t come for the goody-goodies,
Jesus is saying that the Pharisees have been entrusted with the treasure of God, but have been so scared of losing it they’ve buried it in the ground. It is not lost, it is preserved, but nobody benefits from it. At least you don’t get into trouble for losing it, right? Wrong. When we meet Jesus and follow him, we are entrusted with a great treasure. What are we going to do with it. Bury it, for fear of losing it or getting it wrong, or take a risk with it? It’s like any sort of training – running, cooking, discipleship. Practice, and you get better. But if you just sit around, you will not. We
may have been given faith, but if we don’t practice it by actively living it out, it will not grow. To those who have, more will be given. Bury it, and you’ll lose it.
God help us, but that’s what it can seem like sometimes.
Church is where we gather to say ‘look at the risk I took and the mistake I made and the blessings I disThe point of this parable is not that covered’. Church is an encouragewe must work hard to avoid being ment not to be lazy, but to grow in told off by the Great Invigilator in the our confidence, and to see the treasky. The point is there is far more to sure grow and grow and grow. our faith and this life than we can ask or imagine, but if we bury the Don’t bury yourself in the ground. treasure in the ground we will not discover it. Church is not meant Take a risk. to be the place we celebrate damage limitation by showing off the Dare you. dusty treasure we buried that hasn’t changed in years.
Another challenging article from Kevin Lewis. I have come to replace you
I have come to replace you. That is what babies are really saying when looking adoringly into your eyes. And, of course, where’s my lunch? Though perhaps then it’s not the eyes they are looking at.
I have come to replace you. As we get older we often fear change more. As Christians, who follow a God of change, who journeys with his people through desert and sea via occupation and liberation and ending in resurrection, we do not I have come to replace you. When need to fear change. put like that, it sounds like a scifi film. But it is reality. We will not I have come to replace you. Whatevlive forever. This is not our world to er position you hold in your church, clutch hold of tightly like an angry look at those who will replace you. toddler. Instead we are guardians They may be much younger than you of it, like parents, tending, caring, now. Don’t fear them. But consider nurturing, but the whole point is we how you can nurture them, encourthen let go. age them, and how you can shape the world they will take over from I have some to replace you. Here’s you. Why? So that when they do, the nub. Are we brave enough to they will be grateful to you. That’s embrace and nurture those who will dangerous thinking for grown-ups change everything? Because that’s who like to clutch church like angry what we do with babies. They will toddlers, rather than letting the real take our jobs, our money, and yes, toddlers in. our church. Yet it is our responsibility to nurture them. So, do we make I have come to replace you. Yes, it easy, or make it hard? and you are most welcome
From Mark Rich about TIME.. When I was young, (and I still do) I enjoyed doing spot the difference exercises. You know the ones, where you have 2 pictures and you have to spot the differences between the 2. One picture may have an item the other doesn't or the item maybe a different shape or colour. Harmless fun.
ow often, and I reckon I enjoy them more than the kids :) What I'd like to do today is a "spiritual" spot the difference. Below are 2 passages, one is Psalm 23 and the other is NOT Psalm 23, you have to spot the difference! Easy enough, well I hope.
(We get the kids to do them at af- So which is which? ter schools club at the Kingsmead-
Passage 1
The clock is my dictator, I shall not rest, It maketh me lie down only when exhausted. It leads me to deep depression, It hounds my soul. It leads me in circles of frenzy For activity’s sake. Even though I run frantically from task to task, I will never get it all done. For my ‘ideal’ is with me, Deadlines and my need for approval, they drive me. They demand performance from me, beyond the limits of my schedule. They anoint my head with migraines, my in-tray overfloweth. Surely fatigue and time pressure shall follow me all the days, hours and minutes of my life, And I dwell in the bonds of frustration forever.
Passage 2
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Pretty easy I hear you say, however my burden is light." how many of our experiences, even as Christians, is passage 1, (which Jesus was never in a hurry or flusis NOT Psalm 23 just in case). tered, never is this more apparent, then when Jesus hears that Lazarus If passage 1 is your experience is sick in John 11. then can I advise you to stop, take your foot off the throttle, find a quiet What does Jesus do? Get stressed place, spend some time with Jesus, and start running around trying to the lover of your soul. Seek His face, rearrange everything. No. He stays His counsel, as there are things in where He is for 2 more days! your week that are not of Him. I'm glad He did, that Jesus was alToo many Christians experience ways in prayer and keeping in step maximum weariness with minimum with His Father, for if He had been effectiveness, whereas Jesus wants in a rush, we may have only had the us to experience maximum effec- record in John 11 of Jesus healing tiveness with minimum weariness. Lazarus, however because He was A place where we rely on the work in no rush, we have the record of of The Holy Spirit, where we are Him raising Lazarus from the dead, faithful to the task He has called us an even greater miracle, and Jesus to but we leave the results down to declaring that wonderful truth, "I, I The Holy Spirit. AM The Resurrection and The Life. He who believes in me will live, even Jesus went to the cross and rose though he dies; and whoever lives again to set us free, to bring us and believes in me will never die." peace, and He wants our experience to be Psalm 23. Be at rest, remember "IT IS FINISHED!" Jesus said in Matthew 11 v 29-30: "Take my yoke upon you and learn God bless from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for Mark your souls. For my yoke is easy and “It’s the church’s duty to go to the lost, not the unbeliever’s duty to come to the church”. -Jonny Hunt
Bishop Mike addressed the Diocesan Synod on 6 December 2014 about the need to think differently about mission in our various localities.
-Bishop Mike out with Kingswood Street Pastors. The Christian faith, quite literally, is an earthy faith: that God becomes flesh and blood and makes his home amongst us on earth. It’s about a God who, in Christ, becomes like us in order that we might become like Him. And he comes because He loves us.
The world is fast changing. I think that is self-evident. Probably baby boomers like me have observed more change than just about any other generation that has ever inhabited the planet. It is attractive to think of the Church as a haven of ‘no-change’ in a world which is constantly subject to consistent and The Hebrew word for grace is chen step change. But surely this would which comes from a root word make the Church’s mission imposchanan. This word literally means to sible for we would lose our rootedbend or stoop in kindness to anoth- ness, our earthiness; for parish miner. The Incarnation is about a God istry is about the called out people who stoops to our level. who dwell alongside.
Here’s the truth I want you to think and pray about. Because the Church is a living body, which means we will change whether we like it or not, we need to decide whether we want to influence that change or just let the natural outcomes of a no change mentality flood over us. We are a Church with an untypical demographic in most localities which is a polite way of saying that the average churchgoer is middle aged or elderly and female – nothing wrong with that: eldership is something we should value. But I think the harsh truth is that there is a massive cultural gap between what we do in our churches and the subcultures amongst whom we dwell. The net result is this. We believe, I hope we believe, in an amazing idea called the Kingdom of God. I think much of our difficulty is that what we do in our churches is done in the context of a cultural ambience that makes it very hard for people to actually get what we are talking about.
I like to walk. Walking on one of our perimeter estates recently I was left with this question: would what is precious to many of us who attend our churches ever touch the lives of those who live on the estate? I concluded with a heavy heart that it probably would be a very long shot! This might mean starting a new congregation. Messy Church is a good example of a pre-evangelistic tool that at least creates a fringe of younger families. Starting a new congregation targeted at a particular group would be another way or, if you have the resources locally, a church plant or a church graft.
Let me just test one or two assumptions here. If you ask anyone who has the basics of the Christian faith for whom the Gospel is for, they will enthusiastically tell you that it’s for everybody. This is self-evidently true, but it creates a mindset where we think that our services must somehow have appeal everybody. We spend a lot of time discussing This is such a hard thing to pull off. resources, maybe rightly so, but of course there comes a point when In the local church I served, we had discussing how you will resource seven worship services nearly every activity can be a wonderful diver- Sunday. My instinct was to say that sion from having to examine what we needed to get everyone together it is you are doing, and whether periodically for one big celebration what you are doing is truly rooted, of the Eucharist to celebrate our earthed and grounded amongst the unity. So…we tried it and it failed people to whom you minister. spectacularly. Why?
which keeps lots of people locked in and even more locked out!” I came to see that those people were unsafe to get together liturgically, but loved to get it on together socially and within that context we could do what the Church is called to do and share bread and wine.
Because the BCP congregations didn’t want to sing, “if I were a wiggly worm,” now passé, but then a favourite of our Family Focus congregation. The young people didn’t want hymns from A & M and the few people who showed up out of a sense of duty all went home hating what they had just experienced. Here’s my point. No-one on this planet would today try and produce I learnt that the only way I could goods and services that were demake this work was to hold huge signed to be for everybody. They social events, which would involve would recognize that markets are some home made entertainment naturally segregated and would of(ideal for wannabee rock stars), fer people some choice. I think we food and drink, and which ended have to think more about this and with us sharing the 1 Corinthians 11 see where it goes. My observation institution of Holy Communion nar- would be that a number of churchrative and sharing bread and wine es have capacity on a Sunday or together. weekday evenings or afternoons that could be leveraged. This was brilliant, but having been to theological college and studied But this is where I think we need to liturgy and having been brought up get data. Much of the kind of data in my early years as a Christian on we need can be obtained and will old revivalist hymns, I felt bad and tell us about the kinds of people we found it hard to justify and validate are ministering too in our parishes what we were doing – basically a and benefices. Some data can be party with the shortest form of Holy gleaned in other ways. From obserCommunion since the last supper. vation, it sees to me that very often No Gloria, no creed, no Prayer of churches seem to be ministering to Humble Access – this couldn’t be the demography of their churches, right! which existed forty years ago. Not all, but most parishes are diverse, I voiced this anxiety with my staff yet so many churches only reprecolleagues who put me right. “The sent one part of that diversity. Kingdom of God is like a party”, they said, “and not like a prison I think we need data so that we can
really know what’s going on in the world around our churches, not simply assume that we know. I quickly learnt at PCC’s when discussing decline, that when that moment came when the more forthright members of the Council started a sentence by saying, “I think what they want…” all they were about to tell me was what they wanted! Facts are our friends. They can nudge us towards vital behaviours. Fantasies may entertain us but will largely leave us untouched, which I think is probably what some members would like. Of the back of our consultations, this Synod has decided that the continuity of our strategy going forward will be to remain focused on the growth programme. I think it becomes clearer to me that we have to start thinking differently about what we are doing.
One final thought. I think you cannot address the subject of growth without thinking of the Church’s witness beyond the four walls of church. I read the following quote recently from Philip Yancey. “Interestingly, you find nothing in the Bible about cleaning up Roman society, not a word about gladiator games or the abandonment of infants. Instead, the early Christians showed a different way to live. They organized platoons of wet nurses to nourish those abandoned babies. When Roman citizens fled towns afflicted by the plague, the Christians stayed behind to nurse the sick, endangering their own lives. They refused to abandon their faith despite persecution. As people noted such behavior, they saw a stark contrast to their own empty lives. They wanted a different way to live, and Christians showed them how.”
Friends, we are not there to do religion to people, we are their to accompany them on a journey to Heaven. We of all people, to quote “They wanted a different way to live, Stephen Covey, “begin with the end and Christians showed them how.” in mind.” I think this is an area of church life What we do in our churches and that requires some renewed fothat is really not unimportant or triv- cus. I refer to discipleship. I think ial. Whilst we continue with what we we can’t believe that our churches do, we shall send out the message, can be places where people can sit “this is what we do. If you like it well semi-conscious for forty years and and good and if you don’t that’s remain unchanged. your problem.”
In a lecture on the challenges of global warming given by former US Vice President Al Gore he stated that we need to find another way to live on this planet that won’t poison it or so deprive it that future generations would find it inhabitable.
national local mission alongside a global vision for the Kingdom of God. That will be only achievable by a people who live a life of counter-cultural discipleship that truly offers our broken world a different way of living and being.
The message of the Gospel needs Let me close with some further to be lived out by a people whose words from Philip Yancey: lives bear witness to the power of the Gospel to transform. “Hang tough. Be faithful. Don’t fall for the illusions of a popular, celebThe next phase of our growth strate- rity-based culture. Show the world gy can only, in my view, be achieved a different way.” by a re-commitment to truly incar-
life and disciple-making and Missional Communities planted in peoples front-line places of life. This is interdenominational and is exciting working with Christians from across the denominations (and even our next door neighbour Vicar with Jordan Lings from St. Michael's Two Mile Hill being on the team). If you are interested, M.S.M will be running one evening a month for a year, with a two full Saturdays and On the 3rd October 2015 we will one weekend away. It is for anyone be launching the Mission Shaped who wants to see the people around Ministry Course for Bristol, a course them come to know Jesus (probably which has been running all over the running in Bradley Stoke). country, and has seen many Fresh Expressions of Church risen up If you'd be interested in finding out (if you are asking 'what is a fresh more about this I'd love to chat to expression?' -see other article), you. where God's people have respond to God's call and seen the King- Andy dom of God break into everyday
Parish Update
cal teenagers who came regularly to SOUL2 after our All Souls' Service, which we hope continue this term. And great to welcome guests to come and share a meal with us with the Sunday Supper each term.
Alongside this work, Mark Rich has carried on the fabulous work the Sam Sheppard pioneered with helping to run the after school club on the Kingsmeadow Estate which has Continues to meet regularly and build relationships with many local have had some wonderful services people and families. I've continued and some fantastic local preach- to work with the Kingswood Bus ers, most recently with Mark Rich Project again building crucial relapreaching about God and Money. tionships locally. We also had a great light party (with I do feel incredibly excited about a superheroes theme), welcoming in what God is doing in this area of the many local young families to a great parish. free party but also with a gospel message. The Christmas Puppet show was a real hit, and great to see children and their families really enjoying it and a massive thank you to the Open Air Campaigners for coming and sharing this with us. Alongside this it has been really good to get to know some of the lo-
Parish Update
choices we spend our money on.
We have had another good term at Elevenses, been great making contact and building relationships with those who might not normally come along to our Churches. This term we have been looking at “CARE”, “SHARE”, “FAIR” and “DARE”. In September it was a really privileged to be join (at our pet service) by Emma Thompson who is a local (Christian) environmentalist to help us think about being good stewards of the planet God gave us. In the talk we thought about the word “CREATION” being an anagram of “I CARE NOT”, but gave us the challenge of saying to God “I CARE”. The October we looked at being 'SHARE' and we welcomed Lydia Nash from FAIRTRADE and challenged us all to think about what we buy and the global ethics that effect the poorest in the world by the
In November (a remembrance day special) we thought of “FAIR” and in December it was all themed around the “Light of the World stepping down into darkness” and DARING us to live as lights in a 'crooked and dark world”. ...and are excited about the new year with some exciting themes starting off in January with the story of Jonah!
Parish Update
wedding or Christening (unsurprisingly he was a natural evangelist!)
Street Pastors is now in its 5th year and has become something of a regular feature in the night time economy, being part of this has opened up numerous doors which has enabled us as the local Church to be able to speak into all sorts of areas of community life, where normally the Church is voiceless. We have been paying Mark Rich to work in the community to develop our work and outreach, this was something of a massive step of faith, but God has been incredibly faithful and we have managed to always have enough money for his salary. We have a number of Street Pastors going through training which is really exciting, and hope to run our own training course again in the new year. We were delighted to welcome Archbishop Justin on his visit to Bristol, and he had some fantastic chats about Jesus with local young people who would normally not step into our Churches other than for a
Recently we have felt that our efforts with Street Pastors need branching out to work with the numerous young people who hang around the parks, street corners and bus stops (which was something I highlighted within my initial mission audit back in 2009 -and despite many efforts we couldn't get this off the ground)... Street Pastors have launched a new initiative called School Pastors, which works both within local schools as well as doing detached youth work in the areas where young people hang out. In September we had a really fruitful meeting where we invited Daniel Stone who is the national Co-ordinator from School Pastors... We have had some fruitful work within Han-
Parish Update
ham Woods High School, Hanham Abbots School, Mark and a youthworkers from Re:Sound Church and Christ Church Downend were invited into John Cabot to take a 'Sex and Relationships' lesson, and we had a really fruitful lesson with Forest Edge School. So hoping that in the new year we will see this new wing advancing and impacting our community positively for Christ. -If you would be interested in finding out more about this, do chat to me (Andy).
of 'follow up' meeting in a local pub where people can come and join us for a drink and chat in an environment they feel comfortable which hopefully will develop into a missional and discipleship community.
Recently Street Pastors have produced a wonderful user-friendly Bible (ÂŁ7.99) which we are keen to give out as many as possible (the number of testimonies I have heard of people finding a Bible and read- Hoping to have our first event in the ing it and discovering Jesus). new year, with an 'any questions' session called 'Pints of View'. We are also hoping to do some form God bless, Andy
Parish Update
(Son on the'Phone to his Dad):- "There is a huge fight in Kingswood!" Dad: - Well just stay out of it Son... Son:- I can't Nan's in the middle of it, breaking it up! -This was a story told at Shirley's funeral, Shirley was one our original Street Pastors who has been out with us for five years, and spoke to literally thousands of people on the streets, showing God's love in practical way -a bottle of water, a pair of flip flops, a listening ear a shoulder to cry on. Sadly Shirley was taken from us at 75 -Kingswood's oldest Street Pastor, and the only Street Pastor from St. Stephen's. It was so sad to loose someone with such a love for people and heart for the Kingdom, tragically there are too few Shirley types in our Churches. People often say "I'm too old to be a street pastor" but its simply not true, the 'grandparent thing' works so well on the streets where young people just seem to open up them in such a beautiful way... Anyway Shirley you'll be missed by us all and thank you for all you did for to advance the Kingdom in Kingswood. When we read Matthew 25, we read of realise that upon the Streets Shirley will have served Christ when she blessed the vulnerable, hurting and broken. I expect she'll be greeted with the wonderful words from her Saviour, "Well done good and faithful servant". It was great working with Regan, who is the newest Licenced Lay Minister based in Hanham, licenced by Bishop Lee last term, pictured with Peter. A great preacher who really loves the Lord, do hold him in your prayers.
Parish Update
on, an opportunity to offer to pray for people. For me this is what it means to BE Church, doing the stuff that I believe is on God's heart.
After-all Matthew 25 says "what you do for the least of these you do for me, for I was hungry and you fed The Foodbank celebrates a year an- me, I was thirsty and you gave me niversary, thank you so much for all something to drink, I was cold and those who give food regularly, every you clothed me". tin makes a difference. Mother Teresa said "In the poor we Each week we hear a wide variety see Jesus in his most distressing of stories of real peoples lives where disguises". poverty hits, often I think we forget that most of us are in the situation A big thank you to Kate, Betty, Mary of 'there by the grace of God go any Whyatt and Sam who are blessing of us'. these guys from our Church, do hold them in your prayers. Yet its not just food we give out, but its a listening ear, a shoulder to cry Andy On Christmas Eve I bumped into a guy I know, who had just received a Christmas hamper, and was really grateful, this is thanks to Mary and Bob Whyatt and her family and some of the fantastic volunteers at the foodbank meant that some families who were struggling were able to not only have some food over Christmas but also some of the nice extras we probably take for granted such as crackers and chocolate. Sadly I wasn't involved much with this as was off sick, but so delighted to see and hear the positive response from its beneficiaries. -Thanks so much for all who made this happen. God bless, Andy
Parish Update
budgets well and live within their means. We are also hoping to be one of the first places in the country to run a CAP release group, basically dealing with some of the root causes of Debt (I don't know if anyone saw the Church time article we featured in recently about this subject?)
At the heart of our Town Centre Chaplaincy think is actually being out in the community meeting real people, building bridges and reaching out with the love of Christ, displayed in practical ways. When we chat to people locally the rise in debt is all around us, many of foodbank users are crippled by debts, Kingswood High Street shows the reality of the rich exploiting the poor with cash converters, modern-day pawn brokers and gambling establishments thriving on our High Street. Nationally 1 in 4 households are in debt. I wonder what the statistic is for Kingswood, I suspect it may be higher than the national average. What's the Churches response to this? Following our God and Money Series, we are launching in the new year both a Christian Against Poverty(C.A.P.) Money Course (in partnership with Christ Church Downend), helping manage their
Eventually, we hope to launch CAP job club, which helps people get back into work, or into work for the first time. Again this something we have come across when doing SOUL2 chatting to local young people on the skate park, some of whom aren't in education, employment or training but actually really want to be. If you are interested in finding out more do chat to Mark Rich. God bless, Andy
Parish Update
ful Oasis in the week. Why not come along and join us? We meet in Trinity from 6:00-7:00 on a Wednesday evening, we have 45 mins of silent reflection followed by a short service, perhaps a celtic liturgy, lectio devina or a Eucharist.
My prayer for us as a Parish, is that we become a Missional Community We continue to meet up regularly on which is sustained by a deep hearta Wednesday night, and for those beat of prayer central to everything who come along it is a real prayer- we do.
Billy Graham preached @ All Souls' (twice!). For Billy Graham's 93rd Birthday he released a DVD called 'The Cross', featuring clips of his preaching over his amazing ministry, inter spliced with two incredibly powerful testimonies, it was incredibly moving. Certainly at the end of both showings of the DVD there was barely a dry eye in the house. If you would like to see the DVD we would willingly lend you a copy. The E-Prayer Network continues to grow and get new members, amazing that Sam's idea to get a few folk praying has mushroomed now to being over 70 people praying each day for God's Kingdom to come locally. If you believe in the power of prayer and long to see God move in Kingswood and use the internet why not join up? Just drop up us an email to E-prayernetwork@live.co.uk.
Do pray for our Children’s, Family and Youth work here as a parish as in 2015 we continue to push forward to do what we can to see the next generation reached for Christ.
'In covenant with God I am no longer my own but yours. Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will; put me to doing, put me to suffering; let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you, exalted for you, or brought low for you; let me be full, let me be empty, let me have all things, let me have nothing: I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things to your pleasure and disposal. And now, glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you are mine and I am yours. So be it. And the covenant now made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.'