The Magazine, November 2005 (Section 1)
Magazine Production Team
Deadline for December/January magazine: 15th November
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Team News
A lot has been happening in recent weeks and many of us feel God is calling us
to meet new challenges. To some this will be exciting and meeting some profound
needs. Others will feel disturbed and hurt by the proposals to offer ministry
and worship in different ways.
Fresh Expressions
In the last few months, the Bishop of Reading has challenged the
Bracknell Team Ministry to make proposals for a Fresh Expressions ministry. On
October 19th we reported to the PCC and they accepted the idea of Fresh
Expressions ministry in principle. They took note of the proposals but no vote
was taken because much discussion was needed. These proposals were sent to the
Bishop as a description of where we have got to. He will now reflect and pray
about those ideas and then further discussions will take place.
In the meantime, there is an eight page book produced by the Archbishop's
Fresh Expressions officer, the Revd Stephen Croft, who came to the parish
and met the consulting group. This consulting group consists of representatives
from all three churches, and we have also consulted St Paul's United Reformed
Church, Easthampstead Anglican Parish, the Methodist Church and Warfield Parish.
The group are unanimous in wanting fresh expressions of church, but there are
different ways of achieving that and different time scales. However, it will
mean substantial changes to our current ministry and once the Bishop has looked
at all the possibilities he will discuss them with us in detail. However, here
is an extract from the introduction....
- The Bishop of Reading has challenged the Bracknell Team Ministry to start a new ministry for mission in Bracknell to reach out to those who do not or cannot attend ‘traditional’ church. Currently this is thought to be in excess of 60% of the population contained within the boundaries of the BTM.
- The BTM felt trying to start new ministries was a tough challenge within the existing roles and responsibilities of the clergy team, due to their current commitments to the traditional church and occasional offices such as funerals but they felt God was calling them to look hard at finding a sustainable and securely funded mission plan.
- After thought and consideration the BTM discussed the possibility of:
- building a team of lay ministers to help with funerals (completed October 2005)
- reorganising ministry roles and responsibilities so that one stipend and one house within the BTM could be used for a full time post for a ‘Fresh expressions’ ministry.
The post was advertised in September and we have some good applications on paper to consider. I am meeting the Bishop on 31st October to shortlist and the interviews will be on Tuesday and Wednesday 15th and 16th November. At this stage, it is not possible to predict when any one will come to Bracknell, only that in my experience, the time scale is always longer than one expects! Because of the Fresh Expressions initiative, it is hoped that representatives from St Paul's and Holy Trinity will be involved in the process: the new priest will be a parish priest of the Bracknell Team Ministry having duties that he/she will exercise right across the parish. The Archdeacon reminds us that if this appointment were to a country parish, the new priest could well be looking after two or three churches.
Pastoral Ministers
The PCC approved the appointment of three lay pastoral ministers who will share in the taking of funerals. Sue Divall, Tracey Williams and Suzanne Ackford have all undergone a period of training by Peter Bestley, which included the theological and liturgical aspects of funerals and bereavement, as well as time spent at the Crematorium and the funeral directors. This is a ministry which though being an unwelcome topic of conversation, is nevertheless an important one which in Bracknell takes up a lot of clergy time: I am delighted that these people are willing to share with the clergy this important ministry, they will be much valued and bring many gifts.
On the evening of 27th November, during the Advent Evensong in Holy Trinity, we shall formally license them as pastoral ministers for this task and we hope that many people will come along to support them and pray for them.
Remembrance Sunday
The Civic Service of Remembrance will be on Sunday 13th November at 10.50am in Holy Trinity and the Royal British Legion will be taking the lead in that service. The Mayor of Bracknell Forest Borough, Councillor Jaqui Ryder and our MP the Rt Hon Andrew MacKay will be present. We shall be using the new order of service produced by Churches Together of Britain and Ireland. During the previous week I will be undertaking the first of my duties as a chaplain to Westminster Abbey and this will include the actual day of Remembrance, 11th November.
David
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News from Holy Trinity
Thank you
Thank you to Debbie Dimmock for her leading of the Tea House sale
last month. We raised over £250 and this will go to the roof appeal. To all who
brought things in, again many thanks.
Harvest Festival
The Harvest Festival was a great success and we enjoyed the lunch
instead of a supper - we might try this again as one or two were not able to be
there.
Wine Quiz Evening
The next date for your diary is FRIDAY 25th NOVEMBER. This is the
wine quiz evening and will begin at 7.30pm in the Langley Hall. Tickets will
include a light supper and will be on sale shortly.
DCC
The DCC met last month and among the topics discussed was the quote
for the re-roofing of the Church, probably about £750.000, a review of the
ordinary time service and a regular but infrequent evensong. We decided that the
Family Service should be three times a year at Mothering Sunday, Harvest and one
other instead of the present six and explore a fuller use of the 11.30am service
on the third Sunday. We also looked at the problem of the organ blower, (now
resolved), the relaying of the footpath on the north side, a new kitchen for the
Langley Hall, and the use of the alarms and doors in both the church and hall.
Remembrance Sunday
As mentioned in the Team News, Remembrance Sunday is on 13th November
when the Civic Service will be at 10.50am. Our own service will be at 9.30am
that morning when we shall have our normal holy communion service.
Advent Service
On Sunday November 27th there is a special evening service to mark
the beginning of Advent at 6.30pm. The service 'From Darkness to Light' is a
beautiful one and we hope that many people will share it with us.
December Dates
Other dates to note in December are
December 11th Nativity Play
December 18th Nine lessons and carols at 4.00pm
December 24th Crib Service at 4.00pm
Midnight Service at 11.30pm
December 25th 8am and 10am services for Christmas Day which is a Sunday
Congratulations
Congratulations to Sue Divall and Steve Halls on their engagement.
The wedding is planned for Easter Saturday next year.
David
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News from St Andrew's
Harvest
Our Harvest Thanksgiving service took a slightly different form this
year but the changes were well received. The children in our Sunday School had a
special part to play in the service and at the Eucharist we welcomed them into
the sanctuary so that they could see more closely and feel more involved. In our
choir, Jessica, aged 11, sang a solo with skill and confidence.
Our harvest gifts were distributed to some of our older folk who cannot get out
easily and several of them have said that they were touched that we remembered
them in this way.
Harvest Supper
We also joined our friends at Shepherds Lane Methodist Church for the
annual harvest supper. This is always an enjoyable occasion and we are very
grateful to all who prepared the food; also to Brian Davies and his friend for
providing the music during the meal and to Meryl Lay for organising the Quiz.
Civic Service
This year the annual Civic Service was held at St. Andrew's for the
first time that I can remember. The Church was packed and it was great to feel
that we were being hosts to the town and community.
Church Building and Grounds
Our quinquennial (5-yearly) inspection report this year was generally
favourable. However, the report emphasised the need to take urgent action to cut
back the vegetation growing up the walls of the Church. We are therefore taking
steps to have the necessary work done soon.
Jocks Lane Train Rides
This year we raised about £138 from the train rides on the miniature
railway in Jocks Lane Recreation Ground. Over the years this event has proved to
be a happy social occasion as well as a chance to raise funds. Bracknell Railway
Society freely and generously give up an afternoon of their time each year to
run the trains for us and we are very grateful to them.
Cameo Singers
The Cameo Singers are a small group who perform to a high standard.
They will be giving a concert in St. Andrew's on Saturday 12th November at 7.30
pm. All are warmly welcomed and encouraged to come.
(See page 20 for further details)
Pastoral Matters
We are especially grateful to Peter for his loving and prayerful
ministry at this time. In our prayers we remember all who are offering
themselves for the position of Team Vicar at St. Andrew's; and seek the guidance
of the Holy Spirit in making the right appointment.
Simon Sellick
District Warden
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News from St Paul's
Parade Service
September 9th was our Autumn parade service. The uniformed
organisations from our local area packed into the church to celebrate harvest
and parade their colours.
Nick Parish, our Area Dean, led the service along with Ncompass our music group
and Nick said,
‘The service was absolutely brilliant - great music, great theme, great
participation.’
It is just so lovely to see the church packed full of parents as well as
children. All we can say is a big thank you to all who got involved, to Claire,
Anne and Rachel, the Uniformed Organisations leaders, the children and the
parents as well as to Nick and the music group.
Our next parade will be at Holy Trinity at the beginning of December for a
Christingle style service.
Send a Cow
The theme for our harvest was ‘Send a Cow’. This is a charity who are
based in Africa which enables poor farmers in Africa to become self-reliant by
providing them with livestock, training and advice. They work with some of the
most vulnerable groups in Africa, including children orphaned by war, families
affected by AIDS, and disabled people.
So far St Paul’s have managed to raise over £1,000 for this charity and once all
our envelopes are counted we hope to send a healthy cheque to Send a Cow.
The parade service was based around the Send a Cow theme and Simon Belcher from
the music group even wrote a jingle to sing throughout the service. It might not
be the most poetic song around but it sure helped the service go with a swing,
‘Send a Cow, Send a Cow,
If you don’t know what to do we’ll tell you how.
Send a Cow, Send a Cow,
Please don’t worry, send it NOW…’
Shared Services
November brings two shared services, our Remembrance Service and our
‘Plan for Partnership’ Anniversary service.
In the meantime don’t forget:
‘Small Time’ – our preschool group who meet on Thursday Mornings
Coffee and Cakes – first Saturday in the month
Wednesday Communion – a time for friends and laughter on a Wednesday at
10.00am
You are welcome to share worship with us at any time
Catherine Blundell
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Parish Register
Please remember them all in your prayers
Baptisms
We welcome into the God's family
Holy Trinity
James Charles Bacon
Liam Jamie Cluer
Sophie Megan Baxter-CockbillSt Paul's
Chloe Elizabeth Rance
Funerals
We commit to God's care
Holy Trinity
Grace Ford (Gwen)
Aged 87
Winifred Burgess (Win)
Aged 83
Ian Young
Aged 54
St Paul's
Olive Mary Ifould
Aged 91
Joan Dawson Jefford
Aged 79
Peter James Fairbairn
Aged 63
James Daniel Walton (Jim)
Aged 60
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November Diary
This can be found in For your Diary...
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November Prayer Diary
This can be found in Prayer Diary
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Taizé Meditation
These meditations are meant as a way of seeking God in silence and prayer
in the midst of our daily life. During the course of a day, take a moment to read the Bible
Passage with this short commentary and reflect on the questions which follow.
Mark 3:31-35
In this passage, Christ uses a small incident as a starting-point to express
something important about what it means to be close to him. His family, worried
by the unexpected course his life is taking, come looking for him. When their
arrival is announced, he responds with a startling question: Who are my mother
and my brothers?
In the silence that follows, he looks around at the crowd about him, letting his
words sink in.
Our family, our near relatives. What does this really mean? It suggests those
who are close to us, and who carry the same family likeness. It implies those
who have the right of access to us at any time, without any preliminary
introductions or appointment-making. It also means those who have a claim on our
help. And this is not by any kind of artificial arrangement, but simply by being
who they are: the relationship is an organic one.
Who is it that really stands in this sort of relation to Christ?
By his answer, Christ does not intend to reject his own family, but to point out
that there are people who are much more truly close to him than his natural
relatives are: it is those who are there, listening to him; it is whoever “does
God’s will”.
“Doing God’s will” or “putting God’s will into practice” does not mean following
an arbitrary set of rules or submitting to orders that first have to be
deciphered and then carried out. It implies a dynamic of trust. If we come to
understand, however tentatively, that God loves us, little by little it becomes
clear that God’s will for us is his love, and nothing else. Trust in this leads
to a desire to do what pleases him, a desire that can take root spontaneously
and naturally. And what pleases him is nothing other than to love in our turn.
It is by entering this dynamic of trust, even if we understand it only a very
little, that we find ourselves counted by Christ as his brothers, sisters, and
mothers.
- Why are “those who do God’s will” more important to Christ even than his
own family?
- What does “doing God’s will” mean for me?
- What could it mean for me to be Christ’s brother or sister or mother?
Take time at the end to pray, thanking God for his presence, asking for
what you need for yourself, and for those things close to your heart.
Further information on Taizé can be obtained from the Community's website.
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