| START THE WEEK | 14th Apr 2008 | Download | Email to a Friend |
EVERYONE IS A VIP!
BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY works by getting the members of your congregation to personally invite someone they know to church. The resources this year (based on the ‘VIP’ theme) have been produced in order to help people invite someone, pray for the person they have invited and also, following their visit, obtain some feedback from them.
Register now for BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY - CLICK HERE.
Churches need to register before the beginning of May so that they can order resource packs (you will only be able to order resources through Roger Morris and not directly from the website).
See http://backtochurch.co.uk/ for more details.
Download a copy of the resources order form at www.coventrydiocese.org/upload/file/BTCS Order form08.doc. Please note that completed order forms need to be sent to Ruth Wagstaffe at Coventry Cathedral and Diocesan Offices, 1 Hill Top, Coventry, CV1 5AB or by email at ruth.wagstaffe@covcofe.org.
For further information or to see a sample invite, contact Roger Morris on 024 7652 1326 or email him at roger.morris@covcofe.org
BISHOP JOHN GIBBS
The Bishop of Warwick and the Dean and Chapter of Coventry Cathedral have issued an invitation for people wishing to attend a Celebration of the Eucharist in thanksgiving for the lives of the Right Reverend John Gibbs, Lord Bishop of Coventry 1976-1985, and Mrs Marion Gibbs on Saturday 26th April 2008 at Noon.
Refreshments will be served after the service, which follows a private ceremony of the Burial of Ashes of Bishop John and Marion Gibbs in the Cathedral Churchyard.
RSVP Mrs Kerry Vanston-Rumney, PA to The Bishop of Warwick, Warwick House, 139 Kenilworth Road, Coventry CV4 7AP. Telephone 024 7641 2627 or email Kerry.Rumney@CovCofE.org
WRITING BETTER STATEMENTS OF SIGNIFICANCE
'Writing Better Statements of Significance' is a practical, informative evening with opportunities to ask questions directly to Ray Anderton, DAC Secretary.
There will be someone, somewhere, in your parish, who will be tasked with writing a Statement of Significance. For some this might be a daunting prospect - Where do I start? What do I need to say? How do I say it? Why do I have to go through this painful exercise in the first place?
Rest assured that it doesn't need to be an angst ridden task. Come along to this evening session to find out how to enjoy it!!
Thursday the 15th of May at St. John Baptist, Church Lane, Berkswell from 7pm to 9.30ish.
Divine Inspiration training is FREE and open to anyone in the Diocese.
To book a place call Helen MGowan on 024 7652 1346 or Janet Sewell on 024 7652 1306.
You can also reserve a place by e-mail on helen.mcgowan@divine-inspiration.org.uk
GROVE BOOKS
The following Grove Booklets have just been published:
WORSHIP Series: W 194 How to Plan and Lead All-Age Worship - Chris and John Leach
All-Age worship is back on the agenda. At its best, it connects with young people, welcomes newcomers, and makes creative use of flexible liturgy. But how can it be done well? After looking at key questions, this practical guide explores the whole process, from gathering a team, through the process of planning, to exploring all the elements—including eight ways to read the Bible creatively. This booklet could actually make all-age worship something you look forward to!
SPIRITUALITY Series: S 104 The Road to Growth Less Travelled: Spiritual Paths in a Missionary Church - David Runcorn
In the face of declining church attendance, the call to mission can become nothing more than pressure to perform. Under this pressure, we are losing a quality our age most needs—depth. How can we avoid become a restless, rootless church in a restless, rootless world? By engaging afresh in a contemplative spirituality which moves from anxiety to love, from coercion to community, and from a pre-occupation with church to a love for God and his world.
EVANGELISM Series: EV 81 Home Visiting: Opening Doors to Children's Evangelism - Nick White
In response to a widespread decline in the number of children attending church, many churches have sought to reach out to children in a host of different ways, including regular home visiting. But how effective is it? Using principles of evangelism drawn from Jesus’ ministry as a benchmark, and looking at a detailed case-study, this booklet seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of regular home visiting. It concludes that, although home visiting has limitations, if well practised it can be a significant part of a wider strategy for sharing with children the good news of Jesus.
RENEWAL Series: R 31 Real Men, Real God, Real Spirit - Carl Beech
For a long time the church has been like the lifeboats on a sinking ship—women and children first. What is it that makes the church so unattractive to men? Without getting sidetracked into theoretical debates about men and masculinity, this intensely practical study looks at the key reasons, and what in practice we can do to make church a welcoming place for men and their discipleship.
You can order these titles online www.grovebooks.co.uk or by email sales@grovebooks.co.uk from Susanne. Titles, normally 28 pages, cost £2.95 post-free in the UK.
FRESH EXPRESSIONS – SHARE WEBSITE
Share helps a church have a breakthrough More and more people are finding Share useful as a guide to fresh expressions (www.sharetheguide.org). One rural church printed off the page, ‘Fresh expressions and a mixed economy church’ (www.sharetheguide.org/section1/1/mixedeconomy), circulated it to its leadership who were struggling to reach a common mind about starting a fresh expression, and experienced a breakthrough.
The Guide part of Share will eventually have five sections: (1) What are fresh expressions all about? This includes pages on the theology of, and rationale for new forms of church. (www.sharetheguide.org/section1); (2) How might we start a fresh expression? This contains a checklist of things that might be worth thinking about in different contexts. (www.sharetheguide.org/section2); (3) How might we develop our fresh expression? They are currently working up pages on discipleship, evangelism and worship, all three of which will contain resource material; (4) How might we sustain our fresh expression? We have just posted an introductory page and are inviting suggestions for what issues this section should address. (www.sharetheguide.org/section4) and (5) How might we support fresh expressions? In due course, this will contain material on how local churches and denominational structures can support fresh expressions.
COVENTRY PEACE HOUSE NIGHT SHELTER
For over three years Coventry Peace House in Stoney Stanton Road has offered accommodation every night of the year to asylum seekers who are destitute. It opens each evening at 9 30pm with a hot meal and users leave by 8 00am after breakfast. It is entirely staffed by volunteers.
Penny Walker who runs the Night Shelter writes: 'It’s not a good time to ask for volunteers. But we need some. A lot of the Warwick students who volunteer are now leaving as exams approach. The shelter is very busy with between 14 and 18 staying most nights and we need help.'
If you know of anyone who might be able to volunteer once a month, ask them to contact Penny on 024 7666 4616 or by email: info@covpeacehouse.org.uk
CHRISTIAN AID WEEK
Christian Aid Week is from 11-17 May 2008. The Archbishop of Canterbury is encouraging all parishes to support Christian Aid Week, which this year, for the first time falls at Pentecost. He invites us to celebrate Pentecost by making Christian Aid Week part of it. Please see their website by clicking on the following link: http://www.caweek.org
MISSION TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
An exciting programme of Mission preaching and teaching opportunities will take place at the Cathedral beginning Sunday 13 April, to help train and enable Christians to engage in Mission during this year of HOPE08. With special guest speakers such as Steven Croft, Sharon Stone and John Drane these are opportunities not to be missed!
For more details, go to: http://www.hope08coventry.com/CMS/uploads/842/documents/Mission%20Training%20Spring%2008%20small.pdf
SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORT
There will be a special Rogation Sunday Service at 4.00pm on 27th April in Lower Shuckburgh Parish Church - “Solidarity & Support” is a special service for the farming community to which farmers; their families and friends from around are warmly invited. Please take this opportunity to show solidarity with and support for our local farming community. Please pray for them and their crops and livestock as they face the challenges of the coming months. Those taking part include the Revd Barbara Clutton (Rural Life Officer for Coventry Diocese) who lives and farms at Grandborough and is also Priest in Charge of the Stretton-on-Dunsmore group of rural parishes. Refreshments will be served after the service.
COUNSELLING BOOKS FOR FREE
Denise Hiscox is offering the following books on counselling free to anyone who can make use of them:
Pete Sanders - First Steps in Counselling
Pete Sanders - Step in to Study Counselling
Alan Frankland & Pete Sanders - Next Steps in Counselling
Dorothy Stock Whitaker - Using Groups to Help People
Gerard Egan - The Skilled Helper
John McLeod - An Introduction to Counselling
Carl Rogers - A Therapist’s view of Psychotherapy
Windy Dryden - Handbook of Individual Therapy
David L Rennie - Person Centred Counselling
Ian Stewart & Vann Joines - T.A. Today
Dorothy Rowe - Beyond Fear
David D Burns - The Feeling Good Handbook
Contact Denise Hiscox on 024 7641 8157 or by email at denise@dhiscox.co.uk
SOUTH AFRICAN VISIT
In June the Revds Vernon Light and Ayanda Jacobs from the Bible Institute Eastern Cape (BIEC) Port Elizabeth are visiting Crosslinks, Wycliffe Hall, Oak Hill and a number of supporting churches, including Claverdon. Any church which would like these experienced speakers to inspire an evening or daytime group on 18 or 19 June about resourcing growing churches in South Africa, please contact Phil Hanson at philip_hanson@btinternet.com
THE CELLO, THE CHURCH AND MR CHOWDHURY
Because of the generous terms of Sankar's visa, this Concert is also available to other churches (on a ticket sale basis) in the second half of May or the first half of July. Ring the number below for details. In the meantime come and hear it this Friday (18th) at St Peter's Wootton Wawen at 7.30pm. International cellist James Barralet together with maestro tabla player Sankar Chowdhury are playing Bhajans by Bhimsen Joshi and folk tunes by Rabindranath Tagore interspersed with pieces by western composers inspired by Indian culture. Tickets at £7.00 are available in advance on 01564 792659.
RATTLE AND HUM
The Warwick Team Ministry is organising a U2charist (a communion service using the music of the Irish band U2) in St Mary’s Church, Warwick on Thursday 24th April at 8pm. All welcome!
PENTECOST
St Mark’s Leamington are having a guest preacher at their evening service on Pentecost Sunday, which will be a joint service with other churches in Leamington . Mark Russell is CEO of Church Army and a member of the Archbishops' Council. He is coming to fire people up in this year of Hope 08 about the need for the church to engage with our communities and show God's love in word and action.
Further details from Paul Manuel on 01926 421004. See the church’s website at www.st-marks.net
SHIP OF FOOLS
With the Lord, a thousand years is but a day – which means that the past 10 years have burnt up 14 minutes 24 seconds of His time. It's gone quite quickly for these satirical Christians too. Click your way through the highlights of their first online decade at sea.
http://ship-of-fools.com/features/2008/all_at_sea.html
APOLOGETICS GOES BANANAS
See http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QGMuIyBK5P4!
Have a great week!
With best wishes
Roger Morris
Revd. Roger Morris
Director of the Forum for Parish Development and Evangelism
Tel: 024 7652 1326 Mobile: 07798 813178
The Coventry Diocesan Board of Finance is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England No 319482
and Charity Registered No 247828. Registered Office 1 HillTop Coventry CV1 5AB