| PRIEST-IN-CHARGE FOR THE PARISHES OF ST LUKE AND ST JOHN AND OF ST MICHAEL, CHELTENHAM |
| We are looking for a person: |
| with a lively personal faith and wide vision, able to think and plan creatively and strategically, who will work collaboratively with these two different churches and to help them relate to one another. |
| who is committed to mission, outreach and engagement with the local community. |
| who will minister with enthusiasm and integrity in two rather different liturgical traditions. |
| So reads the advertisement for our new priest in charge (you can read the opening paragraphs overleaf). |
| Now we must wait patiently and pray. We must pray that the right person sees the advertisement, is willing and able to apply and, ultimately, is selected for the position. There is little else that can be done. We must pray for our parish representatives, Peter Ralphs and June Cox, the Archdeacon of Cheltenham, Hedley Ringrose, and all who will be involved in the selection process. And we must remain patient, for even when the interviews have taken place on 3 July it may be some time before an announcement can be made. |
| Archdeacon Hedley preached at the shared Ascension Day service at St Michael's and was able to report an encouraging degree of interest. We must pray that this initial interest is converted into substantive applications. |
| Simon Barton |
| Bishop's Visitation |
| Each year churchwardens attend a special service to be sworn in. Normally this is an "Archdeacon's Visitation" in various deaneries, but every four years it is led by the Bishop and on 23 May we attended the Bishop's Visitation in Gloucester Cathedral. As part of the service Bishop Michael delivered his "Charge", the things he wants to know or do. |
| Churchwardens are "officers of the Bishop". Bishop Michael accepts that this relationship can be given significance if churchwardens lead him formally into church when he visits, but he does not want this to be done if it is just seen as a bit of "episcopal grandeur". |
| Bishop Michael raised four key issues in relation to church buildings: making them genuinely buildings for the community, making them fit for worship in the 21st century, making them places of daily prayer and making them places of welcome and hospitality. Not millstones around our necks, but key resources in our mission. |
| We should be creative and imaginative about the use of our churches. Historically, churches have not been used exclusively for worship and we need to make the church a real resource to the local community. This may mean some reordering, including the removal of pews. There is a new willingness to explore options and to approve daring adventurous schemes and there is sometimes unexpected funding if the result will be a church better equipped for community use. We need both fresh thinking at diocesan and parish level. |
| We should think more creatively about the reordering of churches for worship. Churches have always been adapted to meet the changing liturgical requirements of different generations. This speaks powerfully both of our changing understanding of the nature of God and also of a living and dynamic changing Church. Fonts and altars are designed for the people of God to gather around them. The liturgy is for seeing and doing. We need holy space, not unholy clutter. |
| In 2005 there was an initiative calling upon every parish to ensure that there were prayers offered in every church each day in Lent, and this was repeated in 2006 (although the St Luke's churchwardens may not have received the call!). How do we make this part of the rhythm of our church life? Locked churches are a nonsense; unprayed in churches stand in condemnation over us. But an open, prayed in church is a delight to enter. We should consider how can we make our church a daily house of prayer. If we can get this right, other exciting and unexpected things will follow. |
| Churchwardens and sidesmen and women should take seriously their role in relation to the hospitality. We are better than we used to be, but we may be bad at continuing to look after new people. Established members talk to their friends. Churchwardens have a particular responsibility for this ministry of hospitality. Ensuring good hospitality should take priority over counting the collection (and other ?business?). |
| Bishop Michael has asked us to encourage the PCC to send a special person to the Cathedral on Sunday 25 June at 3pm when he will preach about vocations to ordained ministry, stipendiary and non-stipendiary. The parish representative will be given a Pastoral Letter to be read in church on Vocations Sunday, 2 July. He wants to raise the level of interest and concern for vocations. We need to find someone who will see the importance of this initiative and be enthusiastic and articulate about it. |
| There is to a "Celebrate Easter" initiative, to help us be more proactive in inviting people to share in Easter worship, and more imaginative about the way we publicise what we are doing at Easter. Sometimes it looks as if our Holy Week and Easter worship is one of our best-kept secrets. We should use every means at our disposal to invite people and to make the invitation sound attractive, even irresistible. "Come back to church at Easter 2007" ought to catch the imagination and become a campaign that makes a difference. |
| Bishop Michael ended by reflecting that we may sometimes feel that we live in a Holy Week Church, where desertion, denial and death can dominate. We need to face reality. But what God most wants of us is that we should know ourselves to be an Easter people, who know God's love and his power. The Church is the body of the Risen Christ. The Risen Lord breathed on his disciples and gave them a share of his Spirit. And the God who raised Jesus renews within us also the same gift of his Spirit, which is all the resource we need for the ministry laid upon us and for which we seek God's blessing. |
| ST LUKE'S CHURCH HALL |
| St Luke's Church Hall is a busy place. Whether you need to book it for a church-related activity or for your own private use, you would do well to get in touch with David and Jane Johnson, the Hall Coordinators, well in advance. They can be contacted on 527310 between 9am-5pm, Monday-Saturday. The Main Hall and the Small Hall can usually be booked separately, as required, or even the Committee Room. |
| This table gives you a rough idea of when our regular users are using one or other of the Halls, but of course there are many other major users who come in at different times of the year, such as Everyman Theatre, Performance Workshop, Theatre Studio, etc - not forgetting Cheltenham Open Door at Christmas. The Hall is also very popular for children's parties and other family celebrations. |
| If you need to get in touch with any of these organisations - please contact them direct. You may be able to find contact information at the Hall or on St Luke's Church website - www.stlukes-church.org.uk. Regular Users |
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| ST JOHN'S CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL |
| Another exciting month has passed in School. I took the Country Dance Club to Shurdington Primary School the other evening for a Festival of Country and Maypole dancing. We had a fantastic time despite it being rather chilly for a Summer's evening! Ten Schools took part in total and it is lovely to see so many children having such a great time joining in such a 'traditional' event. |
| The Drama Club run by Miss Vukic performed their show of 'The Boy King' to the School and their parents. The story was about Tutankhamun and featured dancing, solos and some wonderful acting. |
| We celebrated 'Walk to School week' with an Assembly from Amy Webber who is the Travel Officer. All of the Junior School were invited to Rowanfield Junior School to watch a theatre production encouraging children to walk to School which highlighted the health benefits. |
| A representative from the Barnardo's charity spoke to the children about disadvantaged children and how they could help. All of the children were given a beanstalk challenge. The winner of the tallest beanstalk will win 'Barney the Barnardo's teddy. The children were also given a donation envelope to raise vital funds. |
| The Year 6 children have taken their cycling proficiency test. The Safety Officers marked out a mock roadway in the playground and the children are taught proper signals and manoeuvres in preparation for many of them to cycle to their new Secondary Schools in September! They are also looking forward to Duncan Thacker, an ex pupil who will be giving them a maths and science presentation on Space. |
| Fiona Hadden (Reception Class Teacher) |
| Fairtrade Diocese |
| In the Diocesan Synod meeting on Saturday March 12, the unanimous decision was taken that the Diocese of Gloucester should work towards becoming a Fairtrade Diocese in 2006, which means that at least two thirds of our churches are using Fairtrade tea and coffee, promoting the use of other Fairtrade products, and actively encouraging their members to select fairly traded goods while doing their own shopping. |
| Ten good reasons to buy Fairtrade products: |
| 1. It's so easy - just look for the FAIRTRADE Mark on a range of great tasting food |
| 2. It tackles poverty by opening up markets to marginalised producers |
| 3. The Fairtrade price covers the producers' costs, with an added premium to invest in their business and the community. |
| 4. Workers and farmers decide democratically how to invest the Fairtrade premium |
| 5. It empowers producer and worker groups in the supply chain and increases their knowledge of international trade |
| 6. Fairtrade farmers are encouraged to protect their environment or go organic |
| 7. Consumers show they care about producers and not just about prices |
| 8. It challenges all companies to move away from unsustainably low commodity prices and unethical sourcing |
| 9. Fairtrade sends loud messages to governments that the public wants justice in all trade |
| 10. It's trustworthy. Look for the FAIRTRADE Mark to guarantee that producers in developing countries are getting a better deal |
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