In Shape by Diocese of Leicester

shape in

News and Stories For Healthy Churches

Summer: Issue 1

Healthy Churches in Leicestershire

Celebrating Together

For the past six years the Diocese of Leicester has been inspired by a long term vision called Shaped by God. This vision is of flourishing mission in each of the three hundred Anglican churches of the county and city. Shaped by God includes nine ‘marks’ (listed right) which help define mission to all and for all in our churches.This magazine ‘In Shape’ offers news and stories on these themes and on the latest events around the Diocese. In Shape is edited by: Liz Hudson-Oliff Keith Cousins Mike Harrison Barry Hill Kate Szejnmann Andy Rhoades To contact the team that collates In Shape or for contributions: e-mail: inshape@leccofe.org tel: 0116 261 5200

lives and communities transformed worship in a way that renews and inspires self-giving service to the community being rooted in prayer confident and sensitive evangelism lifelong Christian nurture the welcome of newcomers becoming child friendly celebration of people and places

In This Issue 3. Bishop’s Letter 4. Celebrations in Swithland and Burbage 5. Transforming lives - St Martins House 6. Music and Worship 7. Framland Prayer Revival

Diary Dates should be sent to diomail@leccofe.org or entered at www.leicester.anglican.org/events

8. My First Quiet Day - Launde Abbey

All items for inclusion in the Autumn edition must be received before 1st August 2011. Inclusion is dependent on space available.

10. Leading Your Church into Growth

Commercial advertisers are invited to call for current rates. The inclusion of an advertisement in this publication does not constitute any endorsement of a product or service by either the editors or the Diocese of Leicester

9. The Interview - Andy Reed 11. Self Giving Service to the Community 12. Back to Church Sunday 13. Summer Holiday Club Ideas 14. Confirmation: the ultimate ‘own faith’ experience 15. leicester.anglican.org/announcements 16. leicester.anglican.org/events 2

Bishop’s Letter Christianity can be exhausting! After 12 years as Bishop of this Diocese I find that the diary continues to be over full. If hard work and effort were the way to God then we would all be saints by now. But the title of this new publication “in shape” ought to suggest something else to us. Because the way we keep in shape for God and are shaped by God is not through our effort, our planning, our energy or our willpower. It happens in a different way. We keep “in shape” mainly by attending to what God is saying to us in prayer and worship and study of the Scriptures.

time as Bishop I become more certain that it is “in returning and in rest that we shall be saved”. God longs to shape us if only we will let him. So let us celebrate the rededication of Launde Abbey and the opening of St Martins House this summer by getting ourselves properly into shape for God. And I hope that this new publication which I welcome will encourage us all to go deeper into

our faith and to take the risk of letting God come closer to each one of us. He is the shaper, we are the clay and what He will make with us is infinitely more beautiful than anything we can make of ourselves.

So this magazine gives us the opportunity to tell each other our stories of how God is working in our lives. Let’s be as generous with the Good News as possible and not keep it to ourselves. And let’s share “in shape” with others in our communities who may not yet be aware of who we are and what we stand for. With each passing year of my

Lighting the Easter fire at dawn on Easter Sunday at Leicester Cathedral.

Your Church and the 2012 Games Whether we watch or play lots of sport or none at all, the Olympic and Para-Olympic games represent a significant opportunity for the Church ñ for we are at our best missionally when we go to where people are at and engage with what is in their hearts and on their minds. The 2012 games will be firmly in hearts and minds! An ecumenical team in Leicestershire is working with More than Gold (a national body comprising of the nine main

Christian denominations plus a host of partner organisations). Our hope is that every church in Leicestershire and Leicester appoint at least one More than Gold (Gold Champion) who will receive details by e-mail around once a month (and hopefully pass on to the relevant people within their church) and be invited to a special roadshow in Leicester on 22nd June this year. There is no charge to being a Gold Champion. Who is the More than Gold Champion for your church? If no one, could it be you! ? Register as a Gold Champion at go to

www.morethangold.org.uk and click on Your Church then What Your Church can do then Church representatives or by calling Barry Hill (chair of the ecumenical group) on 0116 261 5335. Places for the More Than Gold tour on 22nd June (7 for 7:30pm at St Martinís House, Leicester) can be booked with Barry or at http://www.morethangold.org. uk/your-church/on-your-marks-tour.html Other resources and ideas are available on the diocesan website special 2012 section (under Faith and Life events at www.leicester.anglican.org)

celebration of people and places

Band Strikes Up in The Bluebells The Swithland Bluebell Service welcomed well over a hundred people to Swithland Woods, by the ‘Great Pit’, for the annual celebration of the cycle and beauty of nature. Welbeck College band accompanying the hymns, the deputy mayor of Charnwood came too, joining all ages in the trek through the wood, this year in beautiful sunshine! The service has been going since 1927 and the reading was given by Mrs Gweneth Gimson, (pictured right) 98 years of age who has attended every single one.

Bears Jump from Church Tower Many teddy bears fully equipped with parachutes brought their owners, all from local schools, to St Catherine’s Church, Burbage (pictured on the cover) ready to be taken up the tower and be cast off. Each bear hoped to be the one that won the prize for the longest time in the air! In addition hundreds of people came to the annual May Fayre for raffles, plants, teas and a BBQ. The local community all come for the fun, and to support fundraising for a new heating and lighting system in the church.

lives and communities transformed

Outreach or Reach Out? The name of Lewis Donaldson has been given to the most visible part of the new St Martins House - the part where the logo of the welcoming Christ, with the outstretched arms, beckons to the city of Leicester. Why? Lewis Donaldson was a Leicester vicar. In June 1905 he was in Town Hall Square, where thousands of unemployed men were gathered, ready to march on London with their grievances. Donaldson was already well known for his fiery sermons in favour of the working classes and he came to bless them on their way. Then the voices rose up – “Come with us, Padre”. So he did. All the way to London, on Leicester’s own March of the Unemployed. He walked with them all the way to the gates of the Archbishop of Canterbury – who refused to see them! And all the way back. The Donaldson Centre is now the place where the outreach of St Martins House finds particular focus. Already we are supporting the work of two key groups in the city working with asylum seekers – the Welcome Project and Leicester City of Sanctuary. And every Friday and Saturday night city centre Street Pastors gather here, and then go out to work with, befriend and support young people out for a good time – and sometimes finding the opposite! And that’s not the only outreach work we support. The principle of giving an opportunity to those in need runs right through all that St Martins house stands for. Leicester College have supplied our caterers, Hotel Maiyango, with several apprentices in their kitchens – and Emma Cottis (pictured right) is who we hope will be our first apprentice of many, supporting our own hospitality work. Then there’s the work of Tomorrow Together, the social enterprise that provides our cleaning services – and in the process gives work and dignity to some people whom life has treated very harshly in the past. This project is the run by Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan, herself a refugee from the conflict in Sri Lanka, who works to support women and men through and beyond abuse and homelessness.

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All of this has been made financially possible by the generous giving of two latter-day benefactors, Sir David Samworth and Canon David Wilson, and the help given by Kingdom Bank, who have advanced a crucial bridging loan whilst we await receipt of the proceeds from the sale of the former Cathedral Centre. It’s still early days - but in so many ways we can see that Lewis Donaldson would be proud of the new centre that bears his name, as a key part of the outreach of St Martins House.

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worship in a way that renews and inspires

Music and Worship

“One of the keys of worship is that lifts us into the presence of God, and that can happen in a myriad of different ways”

took me to Germany to experience a very classical choral tradition…Prior to taking up my post in Leicester I was Choral Director in the Roman Catholic Diocese Three people, three ways of thinking, can of Leeds where I was heavily involved in they find common ground in worship? the school singing programme, which at the time when I started, was focussed on Stuart Burns (Head of School for Bradford and the bulk of my work was Ministry) gathered together Bishop teaching singing in the Catholic primary Christopher, Chris Johns, Director of schools in Bradford. Music at Leicester Cathedral and Emily Emily: I began as a choir girl in a parish Walker who is the Resident Musician at choir a long time ago and then moved into Launde Abbey for a conversation praise and worship bands and then went to Iona for the first time as a volunteer Stuart: To help us kick off the when I was 18, and that opened up a whole conversation around worship and music, new horizon to me of the different kinds just give us something of your background of ways of worshipping, then I studied and how you have been involved in music music at Birmingham and worked in a and worship. retreat centre in the Lake District as well. Then I went to work in Iona as a musician, Bishop Christopher: I served in the which was one of the best jobs in the Diocese of Birmingham all my ministries, world I think. 17 of those years as parish priest where you’re actively engaged week by week and Stuart: Those are all complete contrasts. day by day in a whole range of worship, Do you have to be able to sing to worship? so that was a really important grounding experience and challenge, and then being Chris: One of my favourite quotes is elected as a Bishop in Malawi in central St Augustine who says ‘He who sings Africa and experiencing a completely well, prays twice’. I think music plays a different culture, different style of tremendously important part in worship worship, a different energy and dynamic and I think it’s important for everybody which has fed my own worship and my to be able to experience that at whatever own sense of the mystery and wonder of level they can. God. Bishop Christopher: Singing is an Chris: I was a chorister of Derby important dimension isn’t it? It engages Cathedral and I sang there for six years the heart and the mind and body. There’s as a treble and four years on the back row something holistic about it, when we before I went off to University as a choral engage in it in however we do that. scholar at Jesus College, Cambridge. I Chris: Your voice is the one instrument was studying modern languages and that that is actually part of you. As a singer, it is

part of you, you can’t get away from that, so the feeling and sensation of singing will be there and it’s something that people respond to very quickly. Bishop Christopher: As a parish priest, I regularly had congregational rehearsals. People didn’t always like it but it was really important for the quality of the singing in worship! They should also rehearse the readings. Chris: I think singing sometimes takes people out of their comfort zone, particularly if they are the kind of person that was told by the school to stand at the back and mime. Our faith is all about being taken out of our comfort zones and going places. Stuart: It strikes me that there’s also a tension in rehearsing for worship and liturgy. We should encounter something in worship. Does rehearsing remove some of the encounter that we should have in worship? Emily: No, absolutely not. I think that if you’re enabling somebody to participate as fully as they can, we must be able to introduce new material in as easy way as possible so that they feel that they’re part of the process. I don’t think that then becomes a performance, I think it’s just about enabling everyone to give their best really. Bishop Christopher: Every act of worship has the potential to be an encounter with God. Really we are meant to be lifted into God’s presence and that’s key for me. Both from the issue of preaching and also leading worship, I try to do it with

being rooted in prayer an intensity that this will be the first and the last time I do this. One of the keys of worship is that lifts us into the presence of God, and that can happen in a myriad of different ways. Stuart: Some of our churches have quite small congregations, so the question of resource and who do you have that can either lead or can read, or is confident to take part in services is a constant battle. What advice would you have for smaller congregations that are seeking worship that renews and inspires and encounters? Bishop Christopher: Don’t be afraid to have a go. I would think lots of people would probably do a lot more if they were shown what was possible. Chris: Don’t be afraid to experiment and don’t be afraid to admit, after you’ve tried something, that it hasn’t worked. Emily: And get a small team together. There are people who will want to be part of a worship group and give it time, and rehearse and practice stuff. Chris: I think there is a danger with trying to do over-complicated stuff and there’s a beauty in simplicity, particularly if it’s done well. Bishop Christopher: I think one of the keys for me is for worship to be intentional and so therefore people come with a sense of purpose, a sense of expectancy, a sense of hoping and looking and praying for the potential encounter with God and with each other. Emily: I think we’ve always got to be asking ourselves how we are approaching our worship because these things do require deep thought and intention. Communication within a team is also actually essential. If you have a musician in a church, an organist or whatever, talk to them! Stuart: Thank you very much- I think your passion for worship and music and encounter and engagement has come through very much in our conversation. Thank you very much for your time and your conversation this morning. If you would like to listen to the whole conversation it can we heard at www.ShapedByGod.co.uk

The Great Framland Prayer Revival! Round the Clock Prayer in Framland? Have you tried to pray 24-7? That was exactly what the 62 churches of the Framland Mission Partnership decided to do . . . for the whole of Lent. Sue Paterson tells the story: “We embarked on a series of prayer rooms, and there was a huge sense both of anticipation and anxiety! All those hours – how would we fill them? The decision to have a prayer room that moved from church to church has meant that both Anglicans and Methodists have been able to host the event, and Christians of all denominations have taken part. Our reckless commitment has been more than justified though: once people have realised what a 24-7 prayer room offers, they have signed up again. And again. And again. An hour is too short a time, they say – this from people who previously thought 10 minutes of prayer was 9 minutes wasted! Each prayer room contains as many aids to prayer as you can imagine: from Bibles and books on prayer, to art materials, writing equipment, CDs of reflective music, prayer boards, instructions on

how to write a prayer journal, comfy chairs, prayer stools, incense, tea and coffee… You name it, we have provided it! A 24-7 prayer room is an oasis of peacefulness and holiness in a rushed and noisy world. The best hours are the night ones, because of the special atmosphere of candles and serenity. But equally, if you want, during your uninterrupted, private hour, to sing a loud song to the Lord, there is nothing to stop you! At the end of each week, the art, writing and other offerings cover the walls, ready to move on to the next prayer room, a treasure trove of ways to approach God and open up channels of prayer. To read more, see our website: www. framlandmissionpartnership.com – or speak to Richard King and Sue Paterson, the convenors. Look forward to hearing from you!”

being rooted in prayer

My First Quiet Day peace and clarity(!) and this course seemed the perfect opportunity to explore new ways of communicating with God.

At home and want to find some peace to pray?

The weekend was rich in different and creative prayer approaches. The course came at a time when I was earnestly seeking God’s guidance about two particular life events. The peace and tranquillity of Launde, coupled with personal spiritual direction, helped me to hear from God and gain peace about the situation. I returned home feeling refreshed and ready to tackle whatever life might throw at me!

Sarah writes, “My first experience of retreat was last November at Launde Abbey. At the time, I attended a church that was full of energy and noise but what I craved was a little peace. As a foster carer for a disabled child, I run a busy house. A friend told me she found Launde a wonderful place to find peace. So when I was offered a weekend there for my birthday, I jumped at the chance. I wanted to reach God on a deeper level and felt that joining a prayer basics course was probably a good place to begin. I found new ways of finding God in nature, silence, repetition and guided meditation. I enjoyed the beautiful grounds and quality Since that initial retreat I’ve returned to time in the stunning chapel…I had finally Launde several times, because it’s a place found my little bit of peace. where I know I will find peace, a warm welcome and a lemon cheesecake that is I have been back several times since – in second to none!” fact I go when ever I can! Launde is a wonderful place for reflecting, refreshing There are now Quiet Days being held and recharging. Every time I go I discover across the diocese – so you don’t even something new about the place, about have to get to Launde Abbey (although myself and about my relationship with it is heartily recommended! Ed.) You can God.” invite Tim Blewett, Warden of Launde Abbey, to run a day in you area. Tel 01572 Becky writes, “In the past, I’d visited 717254. Launde Abbey for a day and knew it to be a place where I could find peace and There will also be a series of events called clarity. I attended the prayer basics “Stepping Stones to Prayer” coming soon, course because I was well overdue some again Tim Blewett will be able to help.

God wants you to pray – to enter into a deeper relationship with Him. Unfortunately, sometimes we make prayer so complicated – made worse by thinking that others are so much better at it than we are. But prayer is really simple – all it requires is for us to give ourselves to God and in doing so we will start to find meaning and purpose in life. Try sitting down comfortably, light a candle, and try one of these forms of prayer. Read a passage from the Bible. Try and picture the scene from the Bible story and become part of it. Have a conversation with Jesus and see what he says to you. Or you could try reading the Bible and let a word or a phrase jump out at you –then repeat it in your mind over and over again. Let it fill you so that you are only aware of God. Another form of prayer which might help is to play back your day as if you are watching it on TV and then play it back again and see where God was (and was not) in your day. Then watch the pictures of what your coming day might bring and ask yourself where God will be and how you can allow God in to more of your day. Three ways of praying – its not difficult. Give it a go and let me know how it went at tim@launde.org.uk

future, rather than at most four or five people in a job interview. But although there are difficult times generally I found the House of Commons very friendly, especially amongst Christian MPs.

The Interview: Andy Reed Former MP for Loughborough, Chair of Inspire Leicester (which is the response of the city and county council to the 2012 games), Quorn resident, and the first member of the government to resign over the war in Iraq, Andy Reed… Some say that politics and Christianity are like oil and water, they cannot mix. I prefer the view of Abraham Kuyper, the dutch theologian and Prime Minister, who said, “There is not a square inch of domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign of all, doesn’t cry ‘it is mine!”. Politics is the way we organise society so it is absolutely imperative that those of us that believe this is God’s Kingdom on earth have a part to play in establishing the common good. This is how I saw my calling. It is unacceptable to say as Christians, here is one sphere of public life with which we don’t engage. When difficult decisions have to be made it my faith helps me put things in perspective. I carry around a prayer that reminds us we are just a very small piece in God’s plan, so not to over emphasise your own importance but to lay things before God. I’ve always argued that on individual policy issues there are different ways of achieving the same ends and that’s why we are called to different political parties. If anyone can show me in the Bible where God’s integrated transport system is laid out in detail, I’d love to see it! We have broad principles on which we base our decision making, and I believe they were

the ones laid on me by God and in prayer. The really difficult decisions, like deciding to resign from the government over Iraq was reasonably straightforward in one sense as there is that higher calling. And once you’ve taken yourself through the theological arguments – I recall having a forty-five minute theological discussion one on one with Tony Blair about the theology of just war in the build up to Iraq - a lot of these so-called stressful decisions can be very easy. The difficult ones are the more technical issues we had to deal with on a day to day basis. One of the most significant moments related to the decision to go into Iraq when a majority of people at the time were in favour, even though there were many people who took to the streets, the focus groups and the polling told a different story. At that point I was getting a lot of abusive messages from people saying I was a coward and against British troops. And yet in the Sermon on the Mount, one of the most radical pieces of literature, even for those who aren’t Christians, God calls us not just to be anti-war but peacemakers. So knowing my decision was in God’s hands gave me the faith to see through the difficult days. Without a faith perspective it could have been have been harder. Politics is only brutal in that it is a very public sacking, and not being re-elected - having 70,000 people deciding your

A key moment for me was when I was touted to be Sports Minister by many backbenchers and the media, but it didn’t happen. It felt strange because I was quite grateful I wasn’t. I sort of wanted to do the job, but didn’t want to give up more time with family, working even longer days. But when it was announced that Jerry Sutcliffe had become Sports Minister and I hadn’t I went into a deep depression for about twenty four hours. Re-reading Richard Foster’s book, The Freedom of Simplicity, I saw the only reason I was depressed and fed up in not being appointed was that other people would think I was a failure. And that freedom of simplicity from understanding our identity is with God and what He calls us to do, frees up the rest of your life as well. Many of us spend our time looking for status and things that express our status and trying to prove who we are to other people. When you are released from that everything else becomes a lot easier. And that was what it was like coming off the back of an election. The Olympics is a wonderful opportunity – even if you don’t like sport! - It’s another example of Christians needing to be involved in the culture in which they find themselves. It’s not just about doing more of the same things and hoping people will come to us. The group leading the churches response is called ‘More than Gold’, and talks about outreach beyond the churches walls, offering generous hospitality, and putting love into action through service. It’s a golden opportunity! Sign up to be a More than Gold Champion [see page 3 for more details]. Just Politics, a book with contributions from Andy and a host of other current or former MPs, from a range of parties, sharing about their Christian faith and politics is available now from Christian Resources (0116 261 5222) and it’s reduced from £5.99 to £1.99 (limited stock) (published by Authentic Media) To read more about what Andy is doing now within the charity and faith sector visit his website, www.sajeimpact.net

confident and sensitive evangelism

Leading Your Church into Growth “How can our churches grow?” It’s a question asked regularly these days and one course which has bags of ideas and possibilities for growth is the aptly named ‘Leading Your Church into Growth’ course. Over 120 people from dozens of churches and Mission Partnerships have taken part in the four day residential course, which ran in Leicester Diocese last year, again recently and will run again next March. Some common values and themes are evident throughout the course, they are: being positive; using what we have rather than what we haven’t; prioritisation – doing less but doing it better; recapturing our vocation; small, gradual growth; vision, direction, planning; practical and confident faith sharing; hunger and desire for growth; prayer, presence, proclamation and persuasion; focusing on searching out those seeking – looking for those who are looking for God. Feedback from both four day courses and the follow up days has been very encouraging thus far. The general consensus is that it is a highly practical, empowering course, which helps participants to recognise how church growth might increasingly happen in their situations, releasing energy to turn theory into practise. One of themain outcomes has been the energy created by Mission Action Groups attending together, helping them to critically move from talking about mission

#Mini-Reviews Evangelism for ‘Normal People’ by John Bowen

“Probably the most helpful book I’ve ever read on evangelism. A simple and fresh ‘how to’ for those of us that want to share our faith but find it daunting!” Review by Barry Hill (sometimes hard to get but available second hand from amazon.co.uk or to borrow from the Mission and Ministry Team).

book reviews in brief

to resourcing and doing it! If a team from your Mission Partnership or church is interested in places on the 2012 course please contact: mike.harrison@leccofe.org or 0116 261 5328

“…one of the most encouraging courses I have ever been on. It equips us very well to translate the course contents into our parish life and to celebrate each and every (small) step as we pray and work for growth in our churches.”

“What really impressed me was the common factor running through it: coming from a great variety of backgrounds, the lay folk and clergy all showed a high level of commitment and vision … the whole event has done a great deal to strengthen bonds of shared vision and engagement and energy in our common life and mission”

#Mini-Reviews One touch from the King changes everything by Mark Stibbe This quite short book is a real ‘faith builder.’ Filled with real-life accounts of how Jesus transforms lives. Lives that were changed not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually. Backed up with the appropriate and inspiring word of God. The passionate, eloquent writing of Mark Stibbe encourages and challenges us to believe that ‘one touch from the King DOES change everything!’He allows us to feel a little of when ‘heaven comes to earth.’ Step out in faith, trust the King! Available from Christian Resources, Leicester 0116 261 5222 reduced to just £4.99

Review byKate Szejnmann book reviews in brief

Leicester Grammar Junior School and Leicester Grammar School are now located together on one 75 acre site in Great Glen, offering independent, co-education based upon Christian principles for pupils aged 3 to 18. OPEN DAY 5th November 2011 9am to 1.30pm For more details contact

0116 2591900 [senior school] or 0116 2591950 [junior school] London Road, Great Glen, Leics. LE8 9FL 10

“I had a dream…”

Two years ago I had a dream. The words ‘Isaiah 58’ from the Bible stood out, starkly.” What’s in Isaiah, chapter 58?” I ask. Husband Richard says the obvious: “Read it, pray it and listen for God.” I still read it and pray it over and over and find

Margaret Gillespie writes …. If you were near St. Paul’s, Leicester at about 6 o’clock on a Sunday evening during January, unusually you would have seen people arriving! But they weren’t arriving for a church service, instead for some service. They were unloading cars – with air beds, black sacks of bedding, massive saucepans of food and other gifts and donations. We were preparing to open a shelter, with the Bridge charity, for 8 homeless people. They would receive a 3 course meal, a place to sleep, and a light breakfast in warm surroundings before going out into the winter weather once more. We were part of a scheme running through January where seven city centre churches provided a night’s shelter on a rota basis. It was an ecumenical project with volunteers from many denominations helping in all sorts of ways. Apart from making a church building available, different volunteers prepared and served the food, did the washing up, donated treats and clothing, slept overnight to be on hand in case of emergency, and drove

self giving service to the community new things. One year ago I watched a Christian Aid video set in a Nairobi slum, people living ten to a room, sleeping in shifts, with sewage flooding the house in the rainy season. With tears in my eyes I insist “This is unacceptable! There are even people here in England without homes, there must be something we can do.” I wanted to go into the street and put up a sign saying ‘If you’re in need, come and help yourself, we’ve got too much’. The idea takes shape. Then I think of our student house in Derby, and it’s clear. “What do you think?” I ask Richard. “Let’s do it!” he replies…. And so I pray “God, if you want this don’t let any students take the rooms.” For three years we have filled all the rooms with ease. This year not one room is taken. So I start my research: I read the Derby 2010 Homelessness Report on the web. I note who’s involved and start making phone calls, sending emails. I meet some amazing people, especially the folk at Jericho House, a drug rehab centre run by ex-addicts under the auspices of the

Benedictines. Their holistic approach has extraordinary results, 76% still drug free one year on. We approach the Council, Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), need a licence. We go down so many blind alleys, until at last I say to God. “If you want us to have no return on this house, so be it.” At that point Action Housing, who have previously felt unable to help, suddenly decide they can do it – and we still get a 6% return! Seven of the 500 homeless people in Derby have a room in our house. There are still 4,000 empty homes in Derby! Maybe you have a suitable house. Look on their website for more information on how you could help to put a roof over someone’s head.” Monica King lives in Wymondham and is married to Richard who is Priest in Charge of the Benefice of South Framland. A longer version of this account can be read at www.ShapedByGod.co.uk

Shelter and Service equipment between the churches.

others in need in Jesus name. And thank you, too, from our guests, who enjoyed the food and appreciated that it was specially Our guests had many stories to tell, but prepared, the sort of food we might serve they did appreciate the warmth of the building, and the warmth of the welcome. to guests in our own homes. I for one had never tried a ‘Jamie Oliver’ chicken And helpers found it an uplifting and sometimes thought provoking experience. casserole recipe, but that was on one of As we heard some of their stories, we the menus! realised how easy it can be to fall on ‘hard A very practical way of offering shelter, as times’, and find yourself with nowhere to Jesus taught. call home. It is hoped to run this scheme again So thank you to all who helped in any for the first part of 2012. Margaret is way with the shelter, whichever church Co-Convenor of West Leicester Mission fellowship you belong to. This is an Partnership example of churches together serving

the welcome of newcomers

The Road to Back to Church Sunday Back to Church Sunday is on Sunday 25th September ‘Back to Church Sunday’ has become a national and internationally recognised opportunity for Christians to invite their friends and neighbours to come to church with them, one person inviting one other. The success has been phenomenal, and although it is not the only day – every day is ‘come to church Sunday’ – many have come, and stayed because of the welcome they’ve received on B2CS. Examples of how it was planned from two churches in Leicester Diocese.

Judith Wells, Reader, Belvoir Team Benefice writes: “In order to involve the whole of our congregation we showed the ‘Everybody Welcome’ course DVD after morning worship on the first three Sundays in September. Some of us had done the whole course in the previous Lent! We encouraged people to personally invite lapsed or ‘occasional’ church attendees they knew to ‘Come as you are’ and to sample what the church has to offer today. We also included an invitation in our quarterly newsletter which is delivered to every household in the village. The attendance at the service was really encouraging and everyone received a warm welcome – and an invitation to ‘come back’ the following week to our

Harvest Festival. As a result, a number of people have come back and have become involved in the life of St Mary’s. Note from Editor: and a little birdie tells us that Judith standing by the door afterwards with a tin of celebration chocolates inviting people to stay for coffee or giving them some sweets for their journey was a great success!’

From Revd Alan Pyke, St Wilfrid’s, Kibworth: “I was especially inspired at a Mission Partnership briefing on the materials developed for last year’s event. St. Wilfrid’s has made full use of ‘Back to Church’ in the past and this year our newly formed Outreach Team were given the job of organising it. We struggled with a very important question faced …. Are we going to plan for a normal service? Or are we to plan one that first time visitors to church

may be more comfortable with? We took a deep breath and plumped for the latter. In the Sundays leading up to the day we used video clips in our services, distributed the prayer/invitation cards and made sure of the publicity. Not having fixed pews in the Church is a great advantage so we set part of the church out with tables with cloths and flowers in café style and served coffee and croissants and Danish Pastries before the service. Our young people took great delight in serving everybody. The atmosphere that this created was immensely positive with families sitting round the tables with children able to relax and crayon. The ‘Father’s Love’ was the theme of the service which was led by our band. The congregation was a third larger due to the work and prayer of our people. Did the visitors all come back on the next Sunday? No, but some did and have stayed. What was more important was that we broke new ground and the lessons we learnt then are being applied on the third Sunday of the month on an experimental basis.”

The closing date to register and order resources is 30th June. For more information contact barry. hill@leccofe.org or 0116 261 5335

Welcoming: our experience Following a four session course on welcoming organised by the Loughborough Anglican Mission Partnership, a small group set themselves a challenge (picture of the leaders right). Sarah Parr picks up the story… I recently attended the Everybody Welcome course along with some members of my church community. We wanted fresh ideas on how to make people feel welcomed into our church. One of the subjects discussed was the need to talk to people! Sounds obvious, but in a church with a large congregation like ours (usually about 150 people at a service) it’s very easy to get trapped into the habit of talking to the same few people every week. There are many people you don’t really know and you’re never quite sure if someone is new or

you’ve just never met them before. This causes some people to worry that they might offend a regular member by asking ‘are you new?’. We needed to break out of our comfort zone. We wanted to get to know more people who were part of our congregation and open up our opportunities to speak to newcomers and welcome them into the church. We were not going to be able to do this if we spent our coffee time talking to each other. We set our selves a target of not talking to each other for the first 10 minutes after the service challenging ourselves to go and speak to someone we didn’t know, it didn’t matter if they were new or not, the idea was to meet more people and get to know more names.

For the less out going members of the group (me!) it was a little daunting at first, but knowing my friends were all doing the same thing spurred me on to make the effort. As the weeks have passed I now find we naturally start looking for anyone new to talk to before we get together over coffee. We have learned many more names and met many new people inviting them to join our small group. Our confidence is growing…

becoming child friendly

#Mini-Reviews

Missional Map-Making by Alan Roxburgh

“Old maps of attractional church won’t work now. We need leaders to shape habits and practices which witness to and question culture in changing times – vital stuff.” Review by Mike Harrison Buy from Christian Resources and it’s reduced to just £14.99.0116 261 5222 book reviews in brief

• Everyone can be involved in advance: contributing yoghurt pots, baking biscuits, making coloured tabards for the leaders, praying for a named leader, being on registration, doing the shopping, sending out updates for A Baker’s Dozen of Top Tips! prayer, etc... • Use all skills teenagers, pensioners, • Don’t just think about it, do it! parents including the whole community • Get a core team together, divide up the • Be clear about roles and CRB load, and get as many church members clearance BEFORE the start of the club involved as possible • Personal invitation always works best. • Be as creative as possible about • Visit and leaflet drop local schools, who might get involved - not just the and talk to parents at the school gate usual ‘church children’s helpers’ ( if • Plan material well in advance and have you have any) origami, keep fit, drama, more than you need decorations, refreshment, first aid . . . Bored kids? Local action needed? Five holiday club leaders in a range of different city, town and village locations around the diocese share their top tips for running a children’s holiday club.

Presence Festival The grounds of Launde Abbey are the setting for the second annual Presence Festival from Friday 10th June to Sunday 12th June 2011. Presence is a fresh expression of church in central Leicester for for people who don’t do church or go there, never did, don’t anymore, don’t think they ?t in,

doubters, sceptics, seekers, and the spiritually curious. This is a DIY mini festival based around the way weíre exploring church; based on friendships and fun; something that embraces all of life and can be found anywhere. We’re adopting a grass roots approach where you can come as you are and enjoy a mini Greenbelt or Glastonbury, make friends, and feel part of a unique community that gathers over the weekend.

Weíll have live music, shared feasts and BBQ, sports, arts, workshops and practical spirituality and offers an opportunity to get outdoors, party and be fully alive. There will be space to entertain others with your talents and be entertained or to join in workshops or simply to chill or take peaceful walks

• Have follow up events and materials prepared • Be creative: Don’t rely on worksheets, children learn in different ways • The ratio of 1:8 leaders to children must be maintained • Be sure to thank everyone afterwards, and keep them in touch with other activities – email is great! Louise Corke, Bradgate Team John Fryer, The Martyrs, Leicester Leonie Dryden, St Mary’s, Sileby Shuna George, Ironstone Villages Family of Churches Alex Scott, Holy Trinity Leicester

in the countryside. Being a festival youíll need a tent. Presence Festival aims to have a family feel and thereís activities for people of all ages. Weíll have sports and games, a camp fire, discussions, worship installations, a labyrinth, shared worship experience and much more. You can experience a snapshot of the Festival at the Celebration of Launde Day on Monday 30th May. Presence will be in the Orchard field, at the car boot and around site with activities and installations for all to enjoy. Price: Tickets for the weekend including camping are £30 for all ages [free for under 5ís]. Day passes with entrances to feasts are also available. Booking forms from www.presence-church.com or Facebook: Presence Leicester

lifelong Christian nurture

Confirmation:

The ultimate ‘own faith’ experience! What support would be helpful? Joe: To have get-togethers after meetings/services to discuss topics and ask each other questions Caitlin: I think we should have a monthly youth service to grow our faith Nathaniel: People to answer questions What’s important to you about your – eg really good to discuss resurrection faith? Joe: How Christianity affects our everyday with someone recently. What led you to getting confirmed? Joe: To explore what other people thought life...its philosophy. What inspires you? and how Christianity works and its Caitlin: In my opinion, Holy Communion Joe: Sharing of ideas and knowledge - I aspects. services are very important to me feel I can learn to be a better person by Caitlin: To have a deeper understanding Nathaniel: How much we can learn from learning from other people’s rights and it – eg that an eye for an eye makes the about Christianity. wrongs. whole world blind. Nathaniel: I wanted to own my faith Caitlin: The wonderful miracles of God on earth and in heaven How are you looking to grow in faith What was the preparation like? Any Nathaniel: The stories of other people and now? particular highlight? Any ‘chewy’ bit? how they lived their faith. Joe: Varied - conversations streched from Joe: To stay close to the community (“love thy neighbour”)...this could mean how humans had a tailbone to what our With thanks to Joe, Caitlin and favourite biscuits were. The highlight was attending church meetings and events Nathaniel! the away day at Rev’d Fred’s house where Caitlin: To inspire non believers by the strengths of Christianity I learnt a lot. No “chewy bit”. Nathaniel: Read and reflect more on stuff Caitlin: Highlight was the away day and the hard thing was not getting distracted. like Christian ethics Nathaniel: It was really creative – lots of activities etc and also good to have such a wide age range taking part. In early May, Bishop Tim and Bishop Christopher spent a morning with those from across the diocese, young and old, who have been confirmed recently. Three of the young people, Joseph (14) and Caitlin (10), Nathaniel (12) spoke with Mike Harrison about why they’d done it.

enjoy it and loved getting dressed up in smart clothes. Nathaniel: Really memorable moment was holding our confirmation candles up at the end and taking out the light of Christ.

#Mini-Reviews

And how was the service? Joe: Overwhelming at first but as it went on, it felt more comfortable. My family being there meant a lot and Bishop Christopher’s sermon was very inspiring. Caitlin: I was very nervous before but I did

Virtue Reborn by Tom Wright

“Practise Christian virtues to form Christian ‘character’. The Christian life doesn’t just happen! Read this to help you grow as a Christian.” Review by Chris Oxley (longer review available on www.ShapedByGod.co.uk). Buy from Christian Resources and it’s reduced to just £10.99 book reviews in brief

leicester.anglican.org/

/events cont... Evensong, St Wistan’s Wistow Sunday 26th June - 6.30 p.m. With the choirs of St Mary’s Knighton and St Guthlac’s. Special invitation to Prayer Book Society members. Lubenham Annual Open Gardens Sunday 26th June - For the 20th successive year, gardens and allotments including Thorpe Lubenham Hall, from 11.00am until 5pm. Holy Communion and Patronal Festival, Wednesday 29th June - 7.30 p.m. St Peter’s, Market Place, Mountsorrel, followed by refreshments. Special invitation to PBS members.

announcements

Revd John Bird New Appointment: NSM Assistant Curate in the Benefice of Shepshed and Oaks in Charnwood in the Akeley East Deanery Previous Appointment: Associate Minister in the Benefice of Whitwick, Thringstone and Swannington

West Leicester Mission Partnership The Bishop announces the appointment of The Revd Pip Berry, parish Priest of the Holy Apostlesí Leicester and Mrs Margaret Gillespie as Co-convenors of the West Leicester Mission Partnership for a period of 3 years.

Revd Peter Collins New Appointment: Priest in Charge of the Parish of the Upper Wreake in the Framland Deanery Previous Appointment: Curate, South Lawres Benefice in the Diocese of Lincoln Revd Phil White The Bishop announces that the Revd Phil White, Associate Vicar at Holy Trinity with St John the Divine, Leicester has resigned.

Flower Festival at St Mary the Virgin Church Thorpe Arnold. Friday 1st July - 1st to 3rd July 11am to 4pm every day. Croft Village Open Gardens Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd July - 11am - 6pm. £5 Adults, children free. Contact 01455 283801 or visit croftopengardens@gmail.com Coffee Morning, St Margarets Leicester Saturday 2nd July - 10am - 12 noon. Stalls, raffle and refreshments. Admission free.

Independent Careers Advice Ltd

Choral Evensong on the Second Sunday after Trinity. Sunday 3rd July - 18:30 at St. Andrew’s Church, Old Church St. Aylestone LE2 8ND Lunchtime Recital St. Margaret’s Leicester. Thursday 14th July - 1pm - 1.30 pm (approx). Ron Berry - Organ

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Coffee Morning St. Margaret’s Leicester Saturday 6th August - 10am - 12 noon. Many stalls, raffle and refreshments. Admission free. Lunchtime Recital St. Margaret’s Leicester. Thursday 11th August - 1pm - 1.30 pm (approx). Geoffrey Carter - Organ. Evensong, St Thomas Becket Church Skeffington. Saturday 13th August - A Prayer Book Society event, 3pm

A careers service offering: Career Guidance - Student and Adult Psychometric Profiling Course Search and Match UCAS and Personal Statement Advice Interview Skills, Application Forms and CV Service Fully qualified and experienced staff

Lunchtime Recital St. Margaret’s Leicester. Thursday 25th August - 12.30pm - 1pm. Ben Carr and John Bence - Recorder and Harpsichord

Email whichcareer@aol.com Tel 01509 881929 http://www.icacareers.co.uk

Flower Festival & Craft Fayre. Saturday 27th August - St Peter’s Church, Bardon Hill. 10am-5pm. www.stpeterbardon.co.uk. Evensong at St Wistan’s Wistow. Sunday 28th August Evensong at St Wistan’s Wistow, with the choir of St Mary de Castro 6pm

leicester.anglican.org/events Soil, Soul and Society – The Quiet Garden Movement’s Annual Gathering Saturday 4 June - Polesworth Abbey, Warwickshire Cost: £10. info@ quietgarden.org or tel 01494 434873

Hungarton Country Gardens Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th June 11am – 5pm. Admission £3.00. Plant & cake stalls, country crafts. Home made refreshments.

Car Boot Sale. Saturday 4th June - Copt Oak Memorial Hall Field (LE67 9QB) 9am to 1pm. Cars £5, Vans and Trailers £7,

Flower and Arts Festival, South Wigston Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th June St Thomas the Apostle. For more visit our website. www.wigstonchoir.org.uk

Coffee Morning, St. Margaret’s Saturday 4th June - 10am - 12 noon. Many stalls, raffle and refreshments. Free

The Bible in Voice and Verse Sunday 12th June - 7pm. St Peter’s Church, Oadby. A special concert celebrating the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. Entry free (retiring collection).

St. Cuthbert’s Church, Great Glen, Fete Saturday 4th June - 11am-2pm. Variety of stalls in and around the church. Ploughman’s lunches will also be available. Pentecost in the Park Sunday 12th June - St Denys Church We’ll Meet Again 1940’s Sing Along Evington celebrate at Evington Park from Saturday 4th June - Concert & Afternoon 11.30am to 3pm. Speaker Revd Peter Tea. St. Mary Magdalen Church Parish Hobson and music for the worship will Centre, Leicester Saturday 4th June 3pm be provided by Goodwood Evangelical to 6pm. Tickets £5.00 on 0116 2219604 Church. Open Gardens Frisby. Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th June 11am to 5pm. 16 interesting gardens, Art Exhibition, lunch in the village hall,various stalls. Entry £4 All Saints Church Kimcote Open Church Sunday 5th June - Open Church 2pm.-5pm. Tea/ Coffee Home Made cakes. Book and Bric a Brac Stalls.

Quiet Days near Swithland Wood Monday 13th June - 10am-4pm at Fig Tree Cottage Roecliffe Rd Cropston. Bring own lunch - drinks provided. Call 01162355237 or email: jstwoolmer@googlemail.com. Also Wednesday 20th July

A Century of Weddings display Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th June. St Martin’s church, Desford. Also Open Choral Evensong . Sunday 5th June - 18:30- Gardens weekend in the village. Open: 19:30 at St Andrew’s Church, Aylestone Saturday 11am - 6pm, Sunday 12 noon LE2 8ND 6pm. Admission £2. Leicester Sing for Water. Sunday 5th June If you want to join in, take a look at www.leicestersingforwater.org.uk. CD and music packs are available.

Garden Fete, St Mary’s, Ashby Folville Saturday 18th June - Cricket Field Ashby Folville opening at 2pm featuring family dog show, tombola, arts and crafts

Lunchtime Recital St. Margaret’s Leicester. Thursday 9th June - 1pm 1.30pm (approx.) Motje Wolf (mezzo soprano) and Simon Headley - Piano.

Civil War - Living History and Scarecrow Weekend. Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th June. St Michael & All Angels, Diseworth. Exhibition and refreshments in church Church Parade and service Sunday 10.30am

“The Diseworth Area in the Civil War” by Professor Martyn Bennett. Thursday 9th June - 7.30pm Diseworth Heritage Centre Entry £3 Cathy Thorpe on ‘Healing Timeline’ Friday 10th and Saturday 11th June - Friday 7.30pm to 9.30pm Saturday 9.30am to 5.30pm at St Wilfrids Church Hall, Kibworth Beauchamp, LE8 0NB. paul_ niven@sky.com for more.details.

Markfield Open Gardens. Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th June - 20 Gardens open around the village. Contact 01530 244229 Knossington Country Gardens Sunday 19th June - Open from 1.30 – 5pm. Stalls and crafts. Entrance is £4.00 for adults with special group rates. Children free. More details 01664 454267 St Peter’s Summer Festival Friday 24th June - 24-26 June – “Music in Braunstone”. All events free. Visit our parish website at www.stpetersbraunstone.org.uk for programme and details. Strawberry Extravaganza Friday 24th June - 6pm. Bring and Buy and Giant Raffle in aid of the Prayer Book Society. Fleckney Grange Farm, Kilby Road, Fleckney (Tel. 0116 240 2225). Evensong, St James’ Burton Lazars Saturday 25th June - 3.00 pm. Followed by a guided tour of the medieval site of a leper colony. Refreshments afterwards. All welcome. A Prayer Book Society event. Cecilian Singers concert Saturday 25th June - 7.30pm St Peter’s Church, Oadby. Tickets £10 from the Parish Office, St Peter’s Centre, Oadby, LE2 5QE Love is in the ‘Air’ The City Of Leicester Singers. Saturday 25th June - 7.30pm. St James The Greater Church, London Road, Leicester.Tickets£9 (£8 concessions) under 16 free from boxoffice@ cityofleicestersingers.co.uk The Magic of Gilbert and Sullivan, Hallaton Saturday 25th June - 7pm. Songs and Scenes from the Comic Operas performed by The Wandering Minstrels. St. Michael and All Angels Church. Tickets £20. Tel 01858 555602