| START THE WEEK | 5th May 2008 | Download | Email to a Friend |
BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY - 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
THE SPIRITUAL AND THE RELIGIOUS
In his lecture entitled “The Spiritual and the Religious: is the territory changing?”, Dr Rowan Williams pointed to the likes of Bono who epitomise the growing trend across Britain and large parts of Europe of individuals choosing to identify themselves as ‘spiritual but not religious’. He argued, however, that traditional religious commitment goes beyond an experience of the spiritual and is able to furnish society with the resources it needs to be just.
The text of the lecture is available online at http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/1301
NEW HOUSES ETC.
Tim Sledge, the outgoing Missioner in Peterborough Diocese writes:
Here are two resources that we produced in my last month in the Peterborough Diocese. One is about helping churches address new housing - particularly geared to those with smaller housing developments, from 5 to 500 houses and one which we worked on with our "Enabling Elderly Group" about evangelism and outreach among the elderly. None are exactly pioneering but handy helpful starters for churches wishing to get on the first rung of the ladder of both these evangelistic opportunities. The links are as follows below.
http://www.peterborough-diocese.org.uk/downloads/newcommunities.pdf
http://www.peterborough-diocese.org.uk/downloads/waitingforgod.pdf
SHARE IN THE VISION
Tim Hollingdale of the Well Christian Healing Centre writes:
On Saturday 26th April The Well Christian Healing Centre is running a day for friends and supporters in Priory House. We have been offered this opportunity by the current owners of the house. We are looking to find £1.5 million to buy Priory House, prepare it for use as a Healing Centre and staff it for two years. We are opening the house in the morning and afternoon and offering mini tours to show how we intend to use the house. There are events going on through the day. Full details on our website at www.wellhealing.org or contact The Well office on 01926 888003. Please come.
SUPPORT THE SOVEREIGN
A couple of years ago, Paul and Jo Freemantle took over the old Half Sovereign pub on Charter Avenue in Canley. The pub once had a reputation for being used by drug dealers and unsavoury characters but Paul and Jo, members of St John’s Church Westwood, have worked tirelessly to turn it around. They have been involved in the community in many ways and have also hosted a number of Christian groups in the function room of the now renamed Sovereign. Sadly, the last few months have been hard, takings are down and the bank has declined their request for an overdraft. Paul and Jo need to take an extra thousand pounds a week in order to break even.
Paul and Jo need prayer, practical support and customers if they are to realise their vision of the pub being instrumental in extending God’s Kingdom in Canley.
If you would like to receive emails with updates and prayer requests then email Jo at jofreemantle@yahoo.co.uk and she will add you to the list.
You can find more details about the pub at http://www.thesovereign.org.uk/ and www.myspace.com/thesovereignpub
LEAMINGTON PEACE FESTIVAL
Helpers are needed for some imaginative outreach at the Leamington Peace Festival on Sunday 15th June.
Revd. Christopher Wilson writes:
A celebration of the Christian mystical tradition planned as an outreach to people attracted to the Leamington Peace Festival. It will be called 'Peace of the Mystics Celebration' and will take place in All Saints Church. Participants already include Simon Small (contemplative prayer), Elizabeth Vooght (Desert Mothers & Fathers), Adrian Smith (meditations) and Chris McKenna (Marylebone healing centre). Other components will include a labyrinth, ministry of healing, creative activities, etc. We will set up immediately after the normal 8.00am Communion service, open at the same time as the Festival, and close with a slightly unusual Eucharist at 4.30pm.
We need open-minded, welcoming and mature Christian people to assist on the day: running the labyrinth; running creative workshops (creative writing, clay, etc); and assisting more generally. Yes, it's a Sunday, but that happens to be the outreach opportunity. Also, on both Saturday and Sunday, we need leafletters to advertise the event around the Pump Room gardens, which may involve engaging people in conversation.
For further information or to offer help (or even sponsorship!) please contact Christopher Wilson at vicar@allsaintsleamington.org or on 01926 424016. Thank you very much.
WALKING WITH STRANGERS
The annual conference of the Churches Refugee Network comes to Central Birmingham (Carrs Lane Church) this year on Saturday 17 May from 11.00am - 4 15pm. A fascinating opportunity to hear how churches up and down the country are working with refugees - and to bring ideas back to Coventry. Speakers include the Chair of the Refugee Council and the Bishop of Stafford. More information from Tim Brooke, secretary of Churches Together with Refugees in Coventry (CTRIC) on 024 7667 9126 or Wendy Cooper on 020 7916 8632 or wendy.cooper@urc.org.uk
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SCHOOLS WORK!
Well, perhaps not ALL you need to know! But the Schools Work website has been revamped and as well as offering resources for assemblies and RE, it has a community of schools workers willing to give advice and point you in the direction of ideas which might help. You can have a look at what's on offer at http://www.schoolswork.co.uk/.
CREATIVE PRAYER IDEAS
If you're looking for new ways to help children (and adults!) to pray, this site has lots of suggestions, including teaspoon prayers, five finger prayers, praying with sand and getting rid of rubbish. Go to http://www.prayerrequests.co.uk/CreativePrayer.html
NUNEATON & BEDWORTH FIRST CHRISTIAN AID WEEK SPONSORED WALK
The Nuneaton & Bedworth Christian Aid Team are organising the very first Sponsored Walk in Nuneaton to raise funds and highlight the forthcoming Christian Aid Week.(11-18 May).
The Sponsored Walk takes place on Saturday 3rd May and begins at 2pm from Riversley Park in the centre of Nuneaton. It is a 3 mile walk suitable for all including wheelchairs and pushchairs.
The Christian Aid Team hope local Churches will each send 12 disciples to walk, sponsored by other members of their Church. (In today's world when less and less want to do house to house collecting, here is a wonderful alternative for Parishes to join in!!)
However the walk is also open to individuals - so please come along and support.
Sponsor forms and more details are with local Churches - but just in case your Vicar has misplaced them!! - give Anne Vincent a ring on 7635 0737
NOT SAID BY JESUS
See this excellent thread in Paul Cat’s blog at http://aliveandyoung.blogspot.com/search/label/Not%20Said
You can also download a Widget for the Not Said By Jesus Sunday posts at http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/not-said-by-jesus-sunday
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