News (May 2009)
He came riding on a donkey...
What better way to start the most holy week in the Church’s year?
Jazz the donkey led a Palm Sunday procession through Ponteland while some 150 worshippers met on a gloriously sunny day at Richard Coates CoE Middle School, and walked together down the road to St Mary's church.
The Revd. Peter Barham, who has been vicar of Ponteland since last September, had organised similar processions while a vicar in Suffolk, and thought his new parishioners might appreciate the chance to live out the symbolic palm-waving ceremonies with a live donkey up front. Churchwarden Rosemary Rhodes made enquiries of the local vets, and found Jazz, who lives just down the road from Ponteland, in Prestwick.
Peter says: “He was willing to be involved, and he was wonderful - especially with the children.”
Palms were blessed at the school, and there was a rousing chorus of "We have a King who rides a donkey" (to the tune of 'Drunken Sailor') before the procession moved off. Half way down Thornhill Road, the Jubilate was said and the hymn "Ride on, ride on in Majesty" sounded out. Then on the green outside church, Psalm 122 ("I was glad when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord") was recited – appropriate as it was one of the psalms that Jesus and his disciples would have used as they walked up to the temple.
Peter says: “For those who had not been able to do the walk, the service in St Mary's had been a quiet and reflective reading of the Passion Narrative, then the walkers joined the service. We celebrated communion together, and ended with "There is a green hill" as the tone changed from the excitement of Palm Sunday to the pain of Holy Week.”
It was, he adds, “just one of the new Vicar's daft ideas” - but he believes it was much enjoyed.
“It was very special, following Jazz, walking together, carrying palms, being watched by the people whose homes we passed, knowing we were walking in Jesus's footsteps. By next year, it will have become a tradition - a very special way of starting Holy Week.”
*Thanks to Harry Barham for our picture which shows Jazz with St. Mary’s parishioners and children.
Back to top
Topping up the oil...
Our picture shows the Diocesan Maundy Thursday service at the Cathedral - and the queue of people waiting to have their oil stocks renewed for the year. At the service the oils of baptism, chrism, and oil for anointing the sick are blessed by the Bishop. Afterwards deacons have the challenging job of distributing the oils into parish stocks. The service is also an opportunity for people of the diocese, clergy and laity alike, to renew their commitment to service in God's name. This year there were more than 250 people present from all over the diocese. Bishop Paul preached the sermon, where he spoke about the importance of building up the Church for engagement in the world.
Follow the Northern Saints
The Revd. John McManner’s pilrimage to the sacred places of the Northern Saints is the highlight of the summer programme at Shepherds Dene .
John and his wife lead five full days of tours to Whithorn, Lindisfarne, Bamburgh, Bewcastle and Rothbury which give pilgrims the opportunity to experience the beauty and inspiration of the major Northumbrian sites of Anglo Saxon and Celtic Christian heritage.
John is Priest in Charge of St Gabriel Bishopwearmouth and has a real passion for ‘The Golden Age’ of Northumbria. He has just published ‘St Cuthbert and the Animals’ an illustrated book which recounts the tales and legends linked with the North’s most greatly loved saint.
The Pilgrimage runs from August 16 to 21, and has a regular rhythm of prayer and worship with plenty of time for talks and relaxation. It does not involve strenuous walking. The cost is £445 which includes full board, travel by executive coach and admission charges.
If you are interested in painting and photography, Shepherds Dene also offers a long weekend from July 17 to 21 with Revd. Paul Judson to ‘get away from it all’ and enjoy being creative without any pressure to achieve. Paul is a freelance artist and will be on hand to advise and encourage participants and says that “it doesn’t matter how good or bad you think you are, the only requirement is that you want to ‘have a go’. The holiday costs £190 for full board.
Shepherds Dene is the Retreat House for the dioceses of Newcastle and Durham and is set in glorious grounds near Riding Mill in the Tyne Valley. It reopens on May 1 after a major refurbishment and now offers some state of the art en-suite rooms but, according to the new Director, George Hepburn, “ the peace and tranquillity and warm welcome will be just the same as ever”. The summer programme also includes traditional retreats led by Revd. Dr. Nick Chamberlain from May 22 to 24 and Revd. Dr. Alison White from Septemebr 14 to 18. Shepherds Dene can be booked by church and community groups for either residential or day time use and is renowned for its traditional home cooking.
For more information ring Shepherds Dene on 01434 682 212 or visit www.shepherdsdene.org.uk.
Back to top
The Fullness of Life - Church Army and the forgotten soldiers
Do you find it hard talking to soldiers?
Professional fighting men are rarely seen as a welcome presence when a country is at peace, and the sacrifices they make are largely forgotten once foreign wars no longer make the news headlines.
So it comes as a shock and a welcome surprise for many of the soldiers of Aldershot to find Christians – and the church – actively approaching them; freely offering friendship, prayer and a listening ear. A surprise to find that God has not forgotten them or the real danger they face.
Church Army has produced an evangelism study guide called "The Fullness of Life" which is now available to everyone. The guide outlines different ways in which Christians can engage in evangelism, using the ministries of seven Church Army Evangelists as examples over a seven week period.
Church Army Evangelists are committed to 'making Jesus famous' all over the UK and Ireland, by living and working amongst those in greatest need of Jesus Christ's love. One of the seven real-life examples in the guide is Church Army's Jonathan Wiggam
In Aldershot, Jonathan, and his colleagues on the Town Centre Pastoral Team, minister to pub regulars and nightclub revellers. Aldershot is the self-designated 'home of the British Army', thus the majority of the people who Jonathan meets are soldiers. In 2009 that means one of two things for the majority of them: they are either waiting to be sent into a war zone, or they have just returned from one.
Anyone who has experienced combat in Iraq or Afghanistan returns home with a huge mental and spiritual burden, in addition to his or her physical traumas. For those waiting to be shipped off to war, the burden can be just as great.
Many soldiers feel that they cannot or should not express feelings of guilt, anger, fear, failure, or relief to family, friends and even colleagues. A time-honoured way for most men to disguise difficult emotions is through alcohol, and soldiers are no different. Jonathan stations the team outside of popular drinking venues precisely because they will reach more people that way. The team stands precisely where Jesus Christ would: in a part of the town most people avoid after dark, actively seeking conversations with those on society's margins.
Consequently, team members find themselves listening to stories that the fighting men of Aldershot have never told a soul. This form of evangelism on the streets combines non-judgemental compassion and understanding with prayer for those who want it. It is a physical demonstration that the fullness of life, as spoken of in John's Gospel, is God's gift for all; including those who have killed and may have to kill again – those who may not have long to live themselves.
A short film of Jonathan and the Pastoral Team in action can be seen at: www.churcharmy.org.uk/pub/MeetOurPeople/JonathanWiggam.asp
Jonathan's chapter of "The Fullness of Life" guide is entitled It's a man's world, which highlights specific approaches towards men's ministry. The study guide is endorsed by the Bishop of Dorking, Rt Revd Ian Brackley:.
Copies of the guide can be obtained by visiting www.churcharmy.org.uk/studyguide or calling Church Army on 020 8309 3519.
Back to top
National Advisor Role for Monkseaton Reader
Sue Hart, a Reader from St. Mary's Monkseaton, has been appointed as Ministry Division’s first National Advisor for Quality in Reader Education.
A Reader for eight years, Sue has spent the last 26 years of her working life at Newcastle College, involved with both higher and further education management systems that have achieved ‘outstanding’ QAA and Grade 1 OFSTED results.
Her new role will see her developing a coherent quality framework and advisory system for Reader education to replace the ‘moderation’ system that has operated for a number of years.
Having served in a lively, 200-strong church congregation at Monkseaton, she believes wholeheartedly in collaborative ministry and developing confidence in lay leadership.
The Rt. Revd. Graham James, Bishop of Norwich and Chair of the Ministry Division, welcomed the appointment, saying: “Readers are becoming more important in strategies for ministry in the Church of England. Sue's post will ensure that their training is well supported and of the highest quality. I wish her well."
Readers are called from all walks of life, theologically trained and licensed by the Church to preach, teach, lead worship and assist in pastoral, evangelistic and liturgical work. The office of Reader is the only lay ministry in the Church of England which is voluntary, nationally accredited, episcopally licensed and governed by canon law, and there are now as many active Readers in the Church of England as there are stipendiary clergy - around 10,000 - with men and women represented almost equally.
The Central Readers’ Council’s Honorary Secretary, Dr Alan Wakely, says: "Maintenance of high standards in Reader education right across the church is vital, especially because Readers are able to transfer from one diocese to another. Sue understands Reader ministry thoroughly, because she is a Reader herself, and her wealth of experience in academic quality control is exactly what is needed."
Sue, who takes up her duties this month, says: "Reader ministry is not only valuable but a great resource. I’m looking forward to my new role and helping to build on all the good work that is already being undertaken within every diocese in the Church of England.”
Back to top
A Holy Week Labyrinth
St Hilda's, Jesmond was cleared of chairs during Holy Week to make space for a labyrinth which was created on the floor of the nave. Using masking tape, a bit of string, and a lot of team work, the clergy of St Hilda's (Christine Crompton, Nicholas Chamberlain, Allison Fenton) created a labyrinth to be used during the evening worship. As the congregation thought about journeying with Christ, they were also invited to consider their own journey , using the labyrinth as an aid to prayer and meditation. Nobody got too dizzy, but several got lost - struggling to find their way out!
Godly Play gift for church primary schools
Thanks to generous funding from the St Gabriel’s Trust, the St Hild and St Bede Trust, and the Board of Education of Durham Diocese, Godly Play North is able to offer free taster sessions to Anglican First and Primary Schools across the two dioceses.
The project will run for two years and will offer schools the opportunity to either host a half-day Godly Play session in one of their own classes, send a class to a central Godly Play classroom, or send staff to observe a session in a neighbouring school.
The sessions will be lead by a Godly Play U.K. trainer assisted by a Godly Play practitioner.
Mary Cooper, Lead practitioner for Godly Play North, says: “This is a wonderful opportunity for the teachers and pupils to experience this creative and imaginative approach to spiritual development, through discovery methods with stories, symbols, and objects. The session will include all elements of Godly Play, circle (community) building, a story,a time for wondering, an open-ended creative response time, and a feast. The high quality, hand crafted materials which are integral to the Godly Play method, will be used and on view”.
Further training will be offered to schools keen to extend their knowledge of Godly Play methods and to make it part of their curriculum. Materials will be made available for loan, and sessions will be held to help teachers to make materials for their own use.
Bookings are now being taken for free school taster sessions. Contact Mary Cooper at cooper.mary@blueyonder.co.uk or tel.01912525707
*Current training courses for Godly Play practitioners: .Also contact Mary for information about:
- May 6 7-9pm; Newcastle Cathedral Session, 1: An Introduction
- May 20 7-9pm : Newcastle Cathedral Session, 2: Get Practical
- June 8, 9,10: 3-day Godly Play Teacher Accreditation at Shepherds Dene
Back to top
Six More for Mothers' Union
Six new Mothers Union members were admitted at St Peter's Monkseaton, on Mothering Sunday, at the 10.00am Family Service. Most of the new members have been meeting every two months in the evening for the past two years. Pam Beattie was also commissioned as Worldwide Links Rep for Tynemouth Deanery. Everyone enjoyed cake with their coffee in the hall after the service. Our picture shows (left to right): Tricia Woollard, Debbie Brown, Emma Doran, Pam Sneddon (Branch Leader), Fiona Ford, Karen Charman, and Karen Blake.
Award for Diocese
Our picture shows Bishop’s Chaplain Audrey Elkington receiving a certificate for the diocese from TA Colonel Arthur W Charlton.
The award followed an ‘Executive Stretch’ exercise in which Audrey and the rector of Hexham Abbey, Graham Usher, participated. The courses run by the TA are designed to hone leadership and team-building skills.
Both Audrey and Graham reported at the time that they found the course stretching, and they benefitted from reflecting on what it’s like to lead, as well as to be on the receiving end of others’ leadership styles. Cultivating a diversity of styles appropriate to context seemed wise, they said. It is hoped that the diocese will be invited to send others on TA courses in future.
There's a moose loose...
A church mouse is directly responsible for a premier musical event to be staged at St. Andrew’s Bolam next month.
St. Andrew’s organist Jim Grant explains: “ A mouse ate through a section of the organ wind bag, which I only discovered when trying to strike up the opening chords one Sunday! It cost us more than £1,000 to repair, and so our friend Kieran Fitzsimmons kindly agreed to donate an evening’s performance towards the bill.”
He adds: “ Since we are a very rural parish, it is a little more difficult to gather the necessary bodies to fill the seats! We hope people from elsewhere in the diocese might like to attend this very special recital.”
The concert, called Four Centuries of Organ Music, will celebrate the history of St. Andrew’s church with pieces by Henry Purcell, Charles Avison, Felix Mendelssohn, and David Willcocks, along with other notable composers.
The recital takes place on Saturday June 6 with refreshments being served from 7.p.,m. Tickets £8 including wine and nibbles in aid of the Friends of St. Andrew’s, Bolam. Available from Jim Grant 01670 772302 .
Back to top
Longhirst celebrates God's Wonderful World
Longhirst Village (which is just north of Morpeth) is holding its third Open Gardens and Church Flower Festival Weekend on June 27 and 28 from 11am to 4pm each day. The theme for the Flower Festival in St. John’s Church is ‘God’s Wonderful World’ with much of the design and decoration being developed from the colours of the rainbow. A very enthusiastic and talented team of volunteers are excited at the prospect of enhancing the church that has been at the centre of Village life for over 130 years. The Mid-Northumberland Chorus will sing ‘Music for a Summer Afternoon’ in the church from 1.30 to 2.00pm each day and the floral displays will be auctioned at 4.30pm on Sunday. Over the weekend 12 gardens will be open in the village and at Longhirst Colliery. Some gardens are small and others are large; some have a formal layout while others have a more natural planting; some have a vegetable plot, a greenhouse or a poly tunnel. There will also be an opportunity to buy some of the plants you see. A vintage bus will take visitors from the church to Straker Terrace at 2.15pm each day to see the gardens there and to learn a little of the history of Longhirst Colliery.
Coffee, and bacon butties will be available in the centre of the village from 11am, then after mid-day light lunches and home-made teas will be served in the village hall. There will also be arts and crafts on display and for sale in the village hall.
Children are very welcome as long as they are supervised at all times. There will be a number of free activities including a bouncy castle, a treasure hunt around the gardens, rope making, colouring sheets and word searches.
All proceeds from the weekend will be used to help with the upkeep of St John’s and the continuing improvement of the village hall. Tickets are £5 per day or £8 for the weekend with accompanied children free. For further information contact Claire Coates on 01670 791088 or e-mail claire@petercoates.plus.com
Back to top
London to Paris - on a bike
There may be quicker ways to get from London to Paris, but none that would raise as much money for Christian Aid! Ken Wynn, pictured here, is taking part in the Christian Aid London to Paris cycle ride this July for the second time, and has the support of many church friends from the Morpeth Deanery. Each participant in the ride is asked to raise a minimum of £1,100, £600 of which must be collected before the end of May. Ken’s father, Chris, says: “The event is something of a highlight of the Christian Aid fundraising year, and we hope others in the diocese will feel able to support Ken.” Anyone wishing to donate can do so at www.justgiving/kenwynn . For more information about the ride visit www.christianaid.org.uk . More than £100,000 was raised for Christian Aid by last year’s event.
More flowers to bloom in award-winning village
A North Tyneside village which has earned high praise for its outdoor flower displays is hoping to attract more visitors in 2009 – this time for blooms inside its famous church.
Earsdon has won several awards in the ‘Northumbria in bloom’ competition and last year won the top prize for the best village in Britain. St. Alban’s Church is hoping some of that success will rub off on its flower festival, which is being held over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend (May 22 – May 25).
The Vicar of St. Alban’s, the Reverend Andrew France said: “Our flower festival is a good opportunity for us to welcome visitors and showcase our lovely village. Earsdon has been described as ‘an oasis off a busy dual carriageway’, and we hope the flower festival will bring out the community spirit which is so evident in the village.”
The flower festival at St. Alban’s will include a concert from Newcastle Male Chorus and a ‘Songs of Praise’ style service. More details on 0191 252 9393.
Working together for Walsingham
The people of Saint Benedict’s Cowpen and Saint Mary’s Blyth and the ‘Walking With’ project in Wallsend will be coming together to hold a coffee morning and Icon Exhibition in Saint Mary’s Church Hall in Blyth on Saturday the May 8 at 10 am. The proceeds from the morning will be to help fund young people from Cowpen and young asylum seekers to share together on the youth pilgrimage to Walsingham in August this year. As well as excellent coffee and cakes which some of the young people will be helping to serve, there will be an exhibition of almost 100 icons in all shapes and sizes
Sri Lanka Appeal
Bishop Martin is urging people in the diocese to support Christian Aid’s latest appeal for those affected by the war in Sri Lanka.
Robin Greenwood, head of Christian Aid’s Asia Middle East region, says: “In recent weeks fighting has intensified between government forces and the Tamil Tiger separatists in north-eastern Sri Lanka.
“The UN estimates that 150-200,000 civilians are caught up in the conflict. Thousands of innocent people have been killed, with an estimated 100 men, women and children dying each day. Many more are wounded or have no access to medical care, clean water or shelter.
“More and more people are managing to flee the conflict – up to 2,000 every day – to transit camps. These camps are not equipped to cope with this sudden influx of people.”
Mr. Greenwood adds: “We urgently need to scale up our work and help people affected by this crisis,” and explains that Christian Aid’s three partner organisations in northern Sri Lanka are responding to this growing humanitarian crisis.
“One of our local partners, OfERR Ceylon, is working in four transit camps in Vavuniya and Mannar, providing food, shelter and medical help to 5,000 people desperately seeking refuge. But it must scale up its work to reach thousands more men, women and children in desperate need.”
He says: “Please send a donation today. A gift of whatever you can afford will make a real difference:
- £33 could provide ten blankets and mosquito nets for families arriving with nothing
- £48 could provide an entire month of specialist medical assistance to injured and sick women and children
- £125 could pay for nutritious, cooked meals for ten families for a week.
“Your donations will be vital as our partners in Sri Lanka continue to do what they can for those affected by the conflict. To bring immediate relief and to help people rebuild their lives we urgently need your help today.Christian Aid condemns the current violence against civilians in the region perpetrated by either side, its priority now being to provide food, shelter and medical help to those most in need.
“”We are grateful for the help you have given us in the past. We know these are difficult times and that many of you may be preparing to help during Christian Aid Week, but we are asking you because the need is so great. Please give whatever you can. We promise your donation will be spent wherever the need is greatest.”
http://www.christianaid.org.uk/emergencies/current/sri-lanka/index.aspx
back to top
Botswana Link helps Una to see how English hospice works
Una Ngwenya was shivering in the chilly North-East air when she met with members of the Botswana Link task group last month – but her welcome was warm, and so were her first-time impressions of England.
Una is the director of the Holy Cross Hospice in Gaborone, which parishioners in the Newcastle Diocese have supported over the past five years of our companion link with Botswana.
She was in the diocese at the invitation of the Link group, who had part-funded her visit to a conference in London on palliative care, and arranged for her to spend some time observing and working with nurses at St. Oswald’s Hospice in Gosforth.
Una looked at the work of the in-patient unit at St. Oswald’s, and also spent three days at the day hospice as well as talking in depth to social workers and other staff.
“It was wonderful to see all the best practices of the palliative care approach in operation,” Una says. “The all-important thing is for family to play a large part in the care of the patient, and this is something we try to do in Botswana too.”
Una was also impressed by the range of complementary therapies on offer at St. Oswald’s and hopes to incorporate some of these ideas in the treatments available at the Holy Cross Hospice when she gets home.
A nurse by training, Una has responsibility for 30 staff at the Gaborone hospice and children’s day-care centre, including two nurses, three social workers, two nurse aids, two teachers, two teaching assistant and other support and catering workers.
The hospice caters for 25 day patients per week and has in addition 10 patients who receive home care. At the day centre, 50 children whose parents have either died or are terminally ill, are cared for each week. Most, but not all, of the hospice patients are suffering from HIV/AIDS.
“Our numbers are far too low given the number of people who need this kind of care,” Una says, “But we do what we can. We are hopeful that we will get our residential hospice eventually, and that then we will be able to help more patients.”
Una had very little time for tourism on her first visit to the UK, but nevertheless enjoyed her stay and believes that the experience will be hugely helpful on her return to Botswana.
“I would like to thank the diocese for making my stay comfortable and memorable,” she says.
Back to top
Relics to visit City
By GERRY LOUGHRAN
The Roman Catholic church in England is making urgent preparations for what it believes will be a major religious event for the country – a visit of relics of St Therese of Lisieux – and Anglicans are warmly invited.
The relics of the young French nun, bone fragments in a sealed casket, will tour 23 places of worship between September 16 and October 16, beginning at Portsmouth and ending in London – and including Newcastle.
The programme for the North includes:
Sept. 30-Oct. 1, St Andrew’s RC Church, Worswick Street, Newcastle upon Tyne ( from 3 pm through the night to 10 am)
Oct. 1, Carmel Convent, Darlington (for three hours after arrival from Newcastle).
Oct.1-2, York Minister
Oct. 2-3, Middlesbrough RC Cathedral.
The liturgy at York will be on an ecumenical basis but believers and non-believers are welcome at all the pilgrim stops. An official announcement extended a hand to “members of all Christian churches, people of other faiths or no particular faith, anyone who is looking for answers to the questions of life.”
Therese experienced a special solidarity with agnostics and atheists during the last 18 months of her life. During this time she went through a period of darkness and doubt in which she understood how atheists felt: “One must have passed through the tunnel to understand how black its darkness is.”
Therese Martin was born in Normandy in 1873 and entered the Carmelite convent at Lisieux as a young teenager. She never left the convent, living in total obscurity, yet became one of the headline saints of the modern world. She was only 24 when she died of tuberculosis in 1897, becoming not only one of the youngest saints but the closest to us in time.
Mother Teresa took her name from Therese; her photo was found on Edith Piaf’s bedside table and Princess Diana was known to light a candle before her statue.
Therese wanted to work as a missionary and in an effort to fulfil this failed desire, her relics have been on a pilgrim’s journey for the last 15 years, visiting such places as Iraq, Russia, Lebanon, Australia and the United States.
Organisers are aware that transporting and venerating relics does not sit comfortably with many in the modern age, particularly northern Europeans, including some Christians. They point out however that the veneration of relics is an ancient tradition, shared by many religions and rooted in a natural instinct to treat with reverence anything connected with a loved one who has died.
Planners at St Andrew’s parish in Newcastle are keen to know how many pilgrims they may expect in the 20 hours the relics are there – mid-afternoon Wednesday to 10 o’clock Thursday morning – and are asking intending visitors to advise how many they will be and when they plan to visit. An email address has been set up for this purpose: st.theresa.visit@hotmail.co.uk
There is also a dedicated page on the parish website,
http://www.st-andrews-worswick.org.uk/therese.htm
Back to top