The DOOR, June 1993
Page 3
NEWS
COME TO CHURCH NEXT CHRISTMAS The 1992 Christmas advertising campaign run by the Oxford Diocese on behalf of the Churches Advertising Network increased church attendance by up to 16.35 per cent over those churches which did not use it said Richard Thomas, the Oxford Diocesan Communications Officer. As a result, plans for the Christmas 1993 campaign are already underway. The 'Come to Church' theme will be continued but it will focus on families and family values. The campaign was used by Churches of all denominations across one third of England. Its message, "Christmas; it's enough to bring anyone to their knees. Remember what it's all about: come to church this Christmas," was designed to reach people who had at least some link with the Church. To assess the success of the campaign a questionnaire was sent out to 150 clergy in the Oxford Diocese. The results
were then compared with a control area where the campaign was not used. Both dioceses showed an overall decline in Christmas attendance of about 9.5 per cent. However, those churches using the campaign saw an average increase of 3.3 per cent over that baseline of 9.5 per cent giving a real increase of 13.2 per cent. Clergy were also asked to report their attitude to the campaign. Those who were postive towards it showed an above average increase in attendance up to 4.45 per cent - whereas those who were non-commital showed an above average decrease of 11.9 per cent. So the difference in reported average attendance between those churches with a very postive attitude to the campaign and those where clergy were noncominital was 16.35 per cent. Nearly half those questioned made constructive suggestions for improvements in the cam-
Churchyard birds and bees Over 80 people from all over the Diocese went to Iffley Churchyard on Friday, May 14 to discover more about birds, bees, butterflies and whether to mow or not to mow. The Churchyard Care and Wildlife Conservation Project run jointly by BBONT and the Diocese, was launched by the author of God's Acre, Francesca Greenoak, the Director of BBONT, Martin Spray and the Bishop of Oxford, in the pouring rain. Churchwardens and clergy and grasscutters and graveminders picnicked together before being conducted round the
churchyard, sometimes in the sunshine, by various specialists who encourage the conservation of wildlife in the beautiful and peaceful settings of many of our churchyards. Those who were unable to attend the day can receive information about the project by contacting Roy Maycock do BBONT, Haydon Mill, Rabans Lane, Aylesbury, Bucks LIP 19, tel: 0296 433222 or the Diocesan Rural Chaplain, Canon Peter Bugg at Brill Vicarage, Aylesbury, Bucks HP18 9ST, tel 0844 238325. See also pages 12 and 13 of the May DOOR.
paign .There were a number of requests for advertising material to be designed so that individual churches could include their own service details. Finally clergy were asked to choose their priority for advertising in the future. Nearly one third wanted to switch from Christmas to Easter, 52 per cent put Christmas 1993 as their first priority and 55 per cent put Easter 1994 as their second priority. "This is the second year that we have used a Christmas advertising campaign, and the results from each research poll show that where parishes use the campaign, they achieve an overall increase in attendance above the norm for the year. Some of these increases are pretty spectacular. One church reported a 53.2 percent increase on fairly large numbers. A clear pattern is beginning to emerge over the two years," Richard Thomas said.
Rocking for Jesus Mark Green, an ordinand at Wycliffe Hall, will be leading a rock worship band in Oxford's South Park on Sunday, June 13. He will be just one of many Christian entertainers taking part in 'Together for You', a celebration of faith organised by the Oxford Interdenominational March for Jesus committee. The programmestarts at 2pm and, besides Mark's band,will include the East Oxford Gospel Choir, a Christian drama group, children's events, exhibitions balloon rides, juggling and even karaoke.
New Partnership in education In contrast to the competition which is being encouraged in education, a new type of partnership has been developed between Oxfordshire County Council and the Oxford Diocese. At the same time as it delegates to schools the money and responsibility to purchase advice and services from the LEA or elsewhere, Oxfordshire is matching pound for pound the contributions of Church of England Aided Schools towards an expanded Diocesan Advisory Service. Recent legislation has increased the responsibility of the Diocesan Board of Education towards its 84 church schools with its staff of only one director/buildings officer and two advisers. The Diocese, hit by reduced income from the Church Commissioners cannot provide' more staff for the Board of Education; the Bishop's Council therefore suggested that the Board offer services to schools for payment.
In the middle of the Board's discussion with Aided Schools, Oxfordshire's Chief Education Officer, Mrs Jo Stephens, suggested the partnership idea. Oxfordshire had offered its schools a scheme which meets their needs for advice by direct provision, or by enabling schools to buy in assistance from elsewhere at a discounted rate, for example management training provided by Oxford Brooks University. Under this last heading Oxfordshire agreed that Church Aided schools need some assistance from the Diocesan Board and so offered to pay half the £5 per pupil cost of the Diocesan scheme using Oxfordshire Quality Schools Association funds as part of the external consultancy arrangements within that scheme. The Diocese have always recognised the importance of the partnership with its LEAs and were assured that this scheme would in no way undermine the Board's independence.
It seems likely that most of the 37 Aided Schools in Oxfordshire will join the scheme, enabling an extra schools adviser to be engaged to work with them. It is hoped that the Diocesan Synod in June will accept this scheme so that it can start with Oxfordshire's new extended delegation to schools in September; preparations are going ahead in the hope that this will happen. Tony Williamson Diocesan Director of Education (Schools)
Harry Carpenter The Right Revd Harry Carpenter, Bishop of Oxford from 1955. to 1970, died at St John's Home, Oxford on May 24. The Reqiuem Mass will be at St John'sonJune7at llam.The celebrant will be Dr Robert Runcie, the former Archbishop of Canterbury. There will be a full appreciation in July.
News in brief
The Bishop of Reading enjoys his visit to the Berkshire Archdeaconry Children's Gift Day at St George's Church, Wash Common. Money raised supported children with hearing impairment and the Oxford Deaf Choir led the celebrations. More of Frank Blackwell 's photographs on page 15.
Theological colleges Canon Vincent Strudwick, Principal of the Oxford Ministry Course and Dr Geoffrey Rowell, Chaplain and Fellow of Keble College, are amongst the members of a group set up by the house of Bishops to assess the future of the Church's theological colleges and training courses. The move follows criticism of the House of Bishops report Theological Colleges, the Way Ahead which recommended the closure of Mirfield, Oak Hill and Salisbury and Wells colleges. It also made suggestions for the clustering of colleges and courses and for introducing economies into the Church's method of theological training. Our own Oxford Ministry Course has already been caught up in the changes through closer links with St Stephen's House, Wycliffe Hall and Ripon College, Cuddesdon in the Oxford Partnership in Theological Education and Training (OPTET) and plans to unite with St Albans Ministry Course by Autumn 1994. The Bishop's Assessment Group will report to the House of Bishops with its futher suggestions for the future in June.
• Some 80 people took part in a silent march through Oxford city centre on May 8 to mark the 25th anniversary of the passing of the Abortion Act. "The 1967 Abortion Act came into force on April 27 1968. In the 25 years since, approximately four million pregnancies have been terminated in the UK under the terms of the Act," said a spokesperson from the organisers, the Oxford LIFE group. • Twenty six Czech people spent Easter in Great Chesham as guests of Emmanuel Church. The visitors joined with other churches in the annual march of witness on Good Friday and Easter Sunday before going to Spring Harvest in Skegness. The church has had a formal twinning with Sbor Cirkve Bratske (Unity of Czech Brethren) for over two years. • The celebrated detective story writer and Christian apologist, Dorothy L. Sayers, was born in Oxford on June 13 1893 when her father was headmaster at the Christ Church Choir School and Chaplain and Precentor at the Cathedral. To celebrate the centenary of her birth, a Commemoration Service will be held in the Cathedral on June 13 at 2.30pm. • Every day ships are caught in storms and every week, about two to three are lost. Sea Sunday on July 11 is organised jointly by the Roman Catholic Apostleship of the Sea and the British Sailors Society which is based in the Free Churches. It is the day set aside each year to remember seafarers and their families and the Church' s ministry to them.The Sea Sunday pack 'Making Waves' is available from The Missions to Seamen, St Michael Paternoster Royal, College Hill, London EC4R
Matthew Fox controversy The controversial Dominican, Matthew Fox, is lecturing in the University Church Oxford on Thursday, July 1 at 8pm. His subjects is' The Cosmic Christ: Wisdom and Suffering'. His visit has been welcomed by Canon Christopher Hall: "Matthew's most famous book is Original Blessing in which he seeks to restore the place ofCreation in orthodox Trinitarian teaching, which was distorted by St Augustine, "he says. Matthew Fox's visit has been questioned by other clergy including the Revd Roger Beckwith, Warden of Latimer House, Oxford who says: "I am as concerned about the environment as the next person. However, it seems to me that his views only pay lip service to Christianity and that what he really believes in is a kind of pantheism." Tickets for the lecture are £5 (3 concessions) from Roger Bromley, 2 Chestnut Close, Witney OX8 6PD.
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