SUMMER 2015
A tribute to Peter‌
When I was exploring ordination I heard a talk from Nigel MacCulloch the former bishop of both Manchester and the missionary diocese of Wakefield (as it was called then). He said that a good priest needs two things, to be approachable and to have integrity. Peter exhibits both as a minister, being very approachable, but also with integrity.
He has plenty of skills as a peace keeper, I reckon if he gives up on retirement he could always find a job in NATO as sadly sometimes Christians don't always behave like Christians, he once joked that the primary job of ministry as a vicar meant stopping people killing each other! His quick wit and deadpan face has been a regular feature of most meetings often with Jane as the butt of the joke, and yet somehow he manages to live to tell the tale. Peter is great at equipping young leaders and was great with Mark when he did his placement with us, and really blessed Sam whilst he was with us you. Who else could, have got away with calling the esteemed Cannon Huzzey ‘the Huzz’? Peter is a fantastic teacher, and although we are rarely in the same service at the same time, I have always enjoyed and listening to his sermons and learned a lot, his words are at there most powerful as they are backed by a Christ like life. I have yet to meet anyone who doesn't like Peter, which is quite an achievement! I have really enjoyed working alongside Peter, a truly lovely guy, who I will miss both as a colleague and as a friend. Allana, Hope and I will miss both him and Jane, and wish them a very hap-
Andy
Most of us are three pay cheques away from visiting a foodbank. We all have had those months when maybe we have had to fork out some money for the kids school trip and maybe something has gone wrong with the car and the month is really tight? It is easy to get judgemental about people who use foodbanks, but I feel it is often a case of "there by the grace of God am I". Most of the people who come aren't shirkers trying to blag the system, but ordinary people like you and me trying to feed themselves and their families. I remember one of our first Mondays opening, two young mums came in and their shame and embarrassment at having to use a foodbank was palpable, and heart breaking. We do try everything we can to make it as pleasant an experience for people coming in as possible, always get a warm welcome, a cup of tea/coffee and often a biscuit or a bit of cake, whilst we process their voucher. Everyone who comes has to have a voucher from some professional agency, hopefully to ensure they are plugged into the system and get the statutory help they ought to be entitled too. We give people food such as Pasta or rice, tinned tomatoes, Soups, UHT milk, breakfast cereals and that kind of non perishable stuff, but we also give out a few luxuries try to put in their bags such a pack of biscuits (ideally chocolate). We also give out non food items like toilet rolls, women's hygiene products, tooth paste and deodorant (imaging going a day without any of those items?) Yet alongside this, which is -I think- almost more important than the food,
is we listen to people, talk with them, sometimes pray for them, and just taking those few moments to make a person feel like a person, giving them time, love, dignity and worth, sometimes (and maybe this is my imagination) people walk out of a foodbank looking a bit taller because they feel a bit loved and blessed. It is a bit of a massive operations with admin teams behind the scenes processing paper work and linking up with various secular agencies, the back of house team weighing food in and out -marking it out in date orderand the front of house team meeting and welcoming people as they come in. We are a very mixed group from a wide group of Churches all pulling together to bless people in Jesus' name. In my last parish in Salisbury we shared offices with the head office of the Trussell Trust who run the national franchise, and became friends with the founder, Paddy Henderson, an ex army major... who started a national franchise (feeding over a million people a year) from a shed in his garden and the back of a local ministers Church. The Bible says "do not despise the day of small things" as from a small act of compassion many were fed and a government called to account. Christians are at the forefront of making a difference to the most vulnerable in our community many of who children of parents who are struggling. Perhaps when you are shopping this week and see a 'buy one get one free' offer you could give the free tin to the foodbank, every tin makes a difference. Or perhaps you might want to buy something really nice to put into the foodbank, rather than an economy brand, you might want to treat a family having a tough time to quality brand? I'll leave you with a verse I always find incredibly challenging... "If a rich person (and we are probably all rich compared to many in this world) sees his brother or sister in need and, yet closes their heart to them, how can they say they love God? My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love which shows itself in action". 1 John 3:17-18.
Street Pastors continues to go out fortnightly, although we are now trying to push to go out three times in a month, with the eventual aim of being out as a Kingdom presence every week. I am always encouraged when people come up to us and thank us for looking after a friend, giving them a bottle of ater, a pair of flip flops, listening to their problems or whatever it is. I’m often reminded of these words from 1 John; “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth”. I believe by showing love to our community and blessing them we win the right to talk to them. We are about to embark on a new venture which is “School Pastors” which does a similar thing to Street Pastors but after school 3:00-5:00 and also within the School Life. Also my friend, Rev. Chris Spencer, and myself regularly visit the local business in Kingswood and Hanham, giving out chocolates, but also being a presence and a listening ear to these people. We are keen also to grow the team to be ordinary Christians rather than a couple of clergy (the old joke of clergy are paid to be good whereas the laity are good for nothing (joke), is true as seeing ordinary Christian people genuinely caring about our community for no other reason that their love for Christ and for people is an extremely powerful witness. But maybe you are feeling that this is all a bit too much for you? Maybe your health isn’t so good, or perhaps you are older? Then why not become a prayer pastor, supporting the work happening on the Streets with something truly incredibly and powerful, prayer. When I think of our fantastic Prayer Pastors I am reminded of the powerful story of Moses praying for Joshua fighting bellow, when Moses’ arms began to tire the battle turned against the Israelites, and so Caleb and Ur held Moses’ arms up in prayer until victory was won.
Street Pastors Continued…
It was fantastic to commission four street pastors, Chris Evans, Paul Mundy, Annette Hodges and Angela Glover and great to have a further 5 or 6 in the pipeline going through the training course at the moment. Great to see Christians not only going deeper in their faith but seeing it out worked in practical ways to see Gods Kingdom advanced locally. As sadly to many courses fill up Christian heads but leave their hearts, churches and wider communities unaffected.
ON THE LOOK OUT.
David Vaughton
May 2015
A clergyman has to be on the look out. Looking out for his flock – which may include a staff team – and looking out for his family and himself, particularly with regard to their well being in relation to the Lord who has redeemed us and whom we serve. This is no small task, and I write as someone who was a member of Peter’s team and Christ’s family in Kingswood and Mount Hill, for five years; and I still appreciate the blessing of having been part of the whole. The body of Christ exists at many levels: the Church worldwide, the Church local and even within church teams. My contention is, Peter, that you enabled a team to develop and function, and I wish to acknowledge here my appreciation of that, especially with regard to my standing as one from a “non-Conformist” trained background. I never felt like an outsider as I participated in Sunday worship, staff meetings, weekly Offices or with members of the congregations in outreach, evangelism and the every day interactions of parish life. So, Peter, I write with thanks and warm memories of the time from 1999 – 2004 when I had the privilege of working with you, the team and the congregations of Holy Trinity and The Ascension. May the living Lord Jesus whom we serve, continue to bless those congregations with whom you have worked for fifteen years; but, of course, also you and Jane in what is termed ‘retirement’.
Unexpectedly Political Values | Resurrection
Kevin Lewis The resurrection is massively political; there can be no greater political statement than the Christian belief in the physical and bodily resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God. Somehow though this has become de-politicized, neutered, made insipid; somehow the resurrection has become like an afterthought, a happy ending tacked on to make the story better that we can ignore if we prefer. Some of that is from fear. We can talk confidently and politically about Jesus life and ministry, his words about love and peace and justice and money, even about kingdoms; and we can talk of his death, his sacrifice. But his resurrection provokes accusations of insanity, of one step too far;
bringing personal irrationally-held beliefs into the public sphere. So it becomes a metaphor. His death becomes just solidarity with suffering; the resurrection just a symbol of hope – the power of ideas – triumphing over adversity. Which is not wrong. But it’s like saying winning the Champions League was a good chance to make the stadium grass look nice. It may be true, but isn’t the point. The resurrection, as early Christians understood it, means that God cares
deeply about creation, his creation, which includes humans and plants and animals and guilt and death and sweat and zero hours contracts and laughter and banking. The resurrection was God re-creating, making new; taking the stuff that makes life stink, symbolised in Adam and the creation/fall story, and putting it to death, killing it dead, full stop; then re-birthing, re-newing; Jesus Christ as the first-fruit of the new world in which humans and plants and animals and all that are made whole, holy; death defeated, the stink gone, the new come. We live in that world. The resurrection of Jesus shows sin cannot win. It also shows the pagan Roman empire it cannot win. Jesus is Lord, not Caesar or Herod or capitalism or the economy or ISIS. They can defeat humans, but they cannot defeat the creator and new-creator. When I place my hope in the risen Jesus of Nazareth, I am not embracing a philosophy of kindness, a nice way of life; I am embracing a politics in which local politics comes second-place to God. There’s a challenge. Here’s another. The resurrection is political because Jesus first appeared to the society’s little people: women, working men, nobody’s. He wasn’t mistaken for a king, but a labourer. Placed at the centre of God’s plan to shake up the powerful are the very people the powerful would ignore. So the Christian politic has to place them at the centre. It cannot be a politics of dominance, but a politics that embraces prostitutes and adulterers and tax-evaders and wealthy land-owners and poor zero-hours workers and sees the same darkness in all of us, no matter what our status; and promises the same resurrection to all of us, no matter what our status. The resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is an historical truth, not a metaphor; it is deeply political event, not just a happy ending; it is about God transforming this world, not us escaping from it; if we truly understand it, we cannot help but be changed.
Mission Shaped Ministry Course “It is not enough to get mission on the agenda but on the lips of Christians” –Leslie Newbegin. The book of Romans asks “how will they hear without someone to tell them?” We are going to be running a course starting in October at Holy Trinity Bradley Stoke, exploring how we imagine Church for those who we don't currently reach. We have domed static speakers lined up, including Bishop Lee and Archdeacon Christine. On June 16th at 2:00 and 7:00 we will running a taster day (same session run twice), do come along and explore further what I think us the biggest challenging facing the Church in the future. Come and join the journey (see attached for the time table).
Andy Writes
I read pretty extensively about Church growth, but my current thinking is ‘are we are asking the wrong question?. Rather than chasing growth, I believe we should be investing in health. After all healthy things grow, whereas unhealthy thing give stunted growth. Rather than talking about growth a better question is to ask about Christ-likeness. Unhealthy things that are prone to infection and disease, where all sorts of undesired things latch on cause damage, whereas healthy things fight off disease and decay that sin/the world/the devil throws at us to thwart our fruitfulness, and enable us to overcome and become more Christ-like. To often we think of growth as in bums on pews, ‘in Church’, where as the Bible talks of a bigger call to be ‘in Christ’, not just believing him in but following him. So let's not just chase growth, but chase the higher and more costly prize of becoming disciples of Christ, him in us, and we in him.
Interestingly Mike Breen said much the same thing “we often try and produce Church in the hope that we will get disciples, but we have discovered than when we make disciples we produce Church”. So, what does a healthy Church look like, one that prays and serves together, acts lovingly towards each other –‘friendly fire’ is sinful and has no place in the Christian Community-, reaches out to the hurting, marginalised, ostracised and disenfranchised financially, practically and relationally, seeks to be Christ like, is shaped by corporate study together if scripture… Ideally Church should show the world what Jesus is like. This is the goal we should be aiming for. Is this a goal you are prepared to sign up too?
Mission Shaped Ministry Course Outline DATE
VENUE
SESSION Introduction to the course
Saturday October 3rd
Holy Trinity, Bradley Stoke
Tuesday October 6th
Holy Trinity, Bradley Stoke
What is church?
Tuesday November 3rd
Holy Trinity, Bradley Stoke
Missional values
Tuesday December 1st
Holy Trinity, Bradley Stoke
Engaging with your community
Mission and the mixed economy The Mission of God
DATE
VENUE
SESSION Vision and call Prayer for mission Spirituality for mission Evangelism strategies (double session)
Jan 8th to 10th Residential
Handling opposition, setbacks and failure Venue to be Worship and sacraments confirmed Personal evangelism Extras over the weekend to include: possible outreach to night time economy, Saturday evening entertainment, contemplative prayer session, and ending with communion, prayer and commissioning
Holy Trinity, Tuesday Bradley February 9th Stoke Tuesday March 8th
Holy Trinity, Bradley Stoke
Gospel and culture Listening for mission Morning mixed sessions (options): Children and all age Fresh expressions for youth
Saturday April 9th
Holy Trinity, Bradley Stoke
Church on new housing estates Small group church Strategic finance for mission Afternoon Discipleship Leadership matters
Tuesday May 10th
Holy Trinity, Bradley Stoke
Healthy relationships, quality community
DATE
VENUE
SESSION
Tuesday June 7th
Holy Trinity, Bradley Stoke
Saturday July 9th
Holy Trinity, Bradley Stoke
Sunday July 17th
Venue to be Reflecting back and sending out confirmed Commissioning service
Team roles and behaviour Lessons from weakness Starting something new Growing a fresh expression to maturity
NEWS
A massive thank you!
To the Mothers Union who have been giving really generously to the Kingsmeadow Flat things like toothbrushes and deodorants for many of the kids there that don’t get these fairly basic items. It is such a beautiful and positive witness to this community of a Church that cares and shows love in practical ways. “Jesus said ‘what you do for the least of these you did for me’” Matthew 25. At All Souls Southey we have seen Mark Rich working incredibly hard with Christians Against Poverty, running one of the first CAP release groups in the country, we even got an article written about us in the Church Times! The Release Groups help people live free from life controlling issues which cause then to either get into poverty, or stay there. Five people, went through the course, three of whom hadn't come from a churchy background, and all five moved on significantly as a result of the course. Mark is about to embark on some money management courses, helping people manage their money better again to help people out of poverty, or to stay out of poverty. Christians Against Poverty does exactly what it says on the tin, overtly Christian and finding real and practical ways of tackling poverty head on.
Helping the Homeless
I was really encouraged when Shannon came to me and said she was keen to do something to support the homeless people in Bristol, so after Sunday Supper one week a few of the young people went down into the City Centre with Karen Lloyd and I and gave out our left over food and some things like socks, deodorants and tooth brushes to the homeless people we met. We were able to chat to a good number of homeless people, and even got to pray for a couple of them, which was fantastic. I was incredibly proud of how compassionate and gracious our young people were, and how energized they were by doing something practical that made a difference, giving to people directly, eye to eye not in some anonymous bucket or plate. One of them said “This is what Church ought to be doing all the time!” I agreed, yet too often we get so het up around as the Archbishop putting it “being gloomy custodians of building”. I was reminded of these verses from Ezekiel about the way the people of God should be… “They do not oppress anyone or require a pledge for a loan. They do not commit robbery, but gives their food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. 17T they withhold their hand from ill-treating the poor and takes no interest or profit from them. They keep my laws and follows my decrees”. (Ezekiel 18:18)
Kids work coming together.
Last term we had to amalgamate the Pathfinder group with our children's work on a Sunday morning due to shortage of helpers, with a fun and interactive all age service in the hall, but what we have found is we have seen the number of young families attending increase and the teenagers have done such a wonderful job of looking after the little ones it had been truly wonderful to see. We were worried however were the teenagers getting enough spiritual input, so we have had fortnightly meetings around our home (the weeks we don't run home group) with food and fun, but also some pretty heavy duty studying of the Bible too.
“Love justice, Do mercy and walk humbly”
We had a wonderful event, our first new monastic event, in Hanham at Fannys Coffee shop (wonderful venue, I married one of the partners at Holy Trinity a couple of years ago). We had guest speaker Rev. Dr. Simon Cartwright, who has been part of my prayer triplet for over ten years since we were St theological college together, more recently I credit people like Simon for the fact that I'm still in ministry. Simon is a community priest, in Normanton in Derby (a neighbouring parish from Barnies were I did my year long college placement) which is a deprived multicultural area, where they have amalgamated 4 parishes into two/three worship centres. He has recently had a book published on “food distribution and mission” (by Grove) and is looking at having his PhD published too. He spoke movingly mixing theology, social understanding and biblical models of food distribution from the book of the Acts of the Apostles, with some great small group work too, asking how this could work in our context. Great to see representatives from the Foodbank thinking how we can do more for the most vulnerable in our society, and since then Christ Church and St. George Hanham have really tried to step up their contribution to the local Foodbank, and Hanham Baptist Church are keen to have someone from the Foodbank to speak to their members. As we explore new monasticism together over the next weeks, months and years (hoping to meet up bi monthly), looking at things such as justice, deep spiritual practices and rules of life to see how we can be as the body of Christ in this local area effective in being ‘light and salty’ for faithfully for Christ where he has placed us.
By your fruits you shall know them… faith without works is dead.
As some of what we have been studying in both our home group and also at All Souls and also with the guys from Hanham is about being Church in Action, living out our faith, seeking not just to speak good news but actually be good news. To quote Shane Claiborne, “the world is longing to see the Church look a bit more like Jesus”… “So let's stop moaning about the Church we have and start working to become the Church we dream of” –or better still the Church that God dreams of. Jesus said “by this all people will know that you are my disciples that you love one another”, how the Holy Spirit must be grieved when he witnesses some of the nastiness that sometimes contaminates our Churches. Recently I was incredibly proud of some of the guys from Café Tots and All Souls who pulled together to help weed an overgrown garden of a family with some health problems, it felt so good as this felt like it was BEING church so much more than silly meeting with people squabbling about trifles. My house group recently went into the city centre and gave out clothes, wash stuff and food to the homeless, all a bit nervous, but such an beautiful sense of the presence of God with us that was heart warming, reminding me once again of that beautiful promise that when we bless the marginalised we are somehow are blessing Christ.
It is a real joy to be part of our cafĂŠ tots group, where we see many families come along and is great building relationships and getting to know them, many I'd call friends. Over this year there have been many big issues faced by various members of the group and has felt like it is a family pulling together, ironically sometimes feels like they have more of an instinctive idea of what it means to be Church that some of those who have been in the pews for decades. More recently Fiona and her team have begun to eat a meal together which has been a wonderful time of fellowship and of sharing lives together, and Jane has continued to run Footsteps a discussion group with a spiritual edge, and seen many people who might not call themselves Christians studying and wrestling with scripture, which is something that really excites me. It has been great to see the e-prayer network in its third year one of the many lasting legacies from Sam Shepard, we now have over 70 names from local churches on the network who receive a message and some prayer prompts each day interceding for this local area. Reminds me of a great verse from Chronicles “if my people who are called by my name will repent of their sins, humble themselves and pray then will I hear from heaven and heal their landâ€?. A massive thank you to Mollie, Margaret and their team for all their hard work with fetes, meals and flower festivals as they step down (although as of this moment of going to print, it looks like they might be doing one last flower festival). Many hours of hard work has gone into organising these events over the years and they have worked really hard.
High Street, Kingswood, Bristol, BS15 4AD ​01179673627