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WORTH PARISH MAGAZINE
£1.00
Serving Crawley in Worth, Pound Hill, Maidenbower and Forge Wood
February – March 2017 ST BARNABAS’, POUND HILL
ST NICHOLAS’, WORTH
Reg. Charity No. 1131090
CLERGY SERVING THE PARISH Rector VACANT
Priest in Charge VACANT
Assistant Priests Revd Canon Roger Brown 01293 520454
Revd Gordon Parry 07802 432398
Rural Dean Canon Julia Peaty 01342 322386
REGULAR SERVICES
Our regular services are shown below; a calendar on page 31 of this magazine details special services,
groups and events happening throughout the next two months.
St Nicholas’, Worth St Barnabas’, Pound Hil l
Sundays
08.00 Holy Communion
(Book of Common Prayer,
1662)
09.45 Sung Eucharist
(Common Worship)
11.30 Messy Church at St Nicholas’
on 5 and 19 February, 5
and 19 March and 2 April
10.00 1st Sunday - Eucharist
10.00 2nd Sunday - Service with Sunday School
10.00 3rd Sunday - Eucharist
10.00 4th Sunday - Informal Family Service
(non-Eucharist)
Mondays No services No services
Tuesdays No services 10.30 Eucharist
Wednesdays No services 15:00 Messy Church at St Barnabas’
15 February and 22 March 2017
Thursdays 10.30 Eucharist No services
Fridays and
Saturdays No services No services
And why not also join us at:
The Studio Maidenbower Infants School RH10 7RA
8 February, 8 March, 5 April (2nd Wed of the month in term times)
15:15 Messy Church in Maidenbower
St Barnabas‘ Cafe RH10 7DY Mondays (term-times) 14.00-16.00 Pop in for a cake and a drink
Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays 10.30-12.00 Pop in for a cake and a drink
Thursdays 14.00-16.00 Knit and Natter -bring any crafts to do
Fridays 12.30 Lunches - prebook tickets (£5.50)
by calling 01293 883362
Church in the Pub Coaching Halt Maidenbower RH10 7ZJ Last Friday of the month 20:30-late A pint down the pub with friends
Worth Parish Office, St Barnabas’ Church, Worth Road, Crawley, RH10 7DY
0300 111 8150 [email protected] worthparish.org facebook.com/WorthParish
3
CONTENTS CLERGY SERVING THE PARISH ........................................................................................................ 2
REGULAR SERVICES ............................................................................................................................. 2
CONTACT US........................................................................................................................................ 4
NEWS........................................................................................................................................................ 5
NEWS........................................................................................................................................................ 5
REVD CRAIG BARBER ..................................................................................................................... 5
BAPTISMS ............................................................................................................................................ 5
COLLECTING FOR THE CHILDRENS SOCIETY ..................................................................... 5
FAREWELL TO ROSEMARY CORDAN ...................................................................................... 6
MOTHERS’ UNION NEWS ............................................................................................................ 6
CHRISTMAS IN OUR CHURCHES ................................................................................................... 7
CRIB SERVICE AT ST NICHOLAS’ ............................................................................................... 7
GIFTS UNDER THE CHRISTMAS TREES .................................................................................... 7
CRIB SERVICE AT ST BARNABAS’ ............................................................................................... 8
POSADA 2016 ................................................................................................................................... 9
EXCERPTS FROM THE 2016 TRAVELLING DIARIES ................................................................... 9
WHAT ’S HAPPENING IN THE PARISH? ...................................................................................... 10
CLERGY VACANCIES UPDATE .................................................................................................. 10
COMMITTEE ROUND UP ............................................................................................................ 11
THE PARISH PURSE ........................................................................................................................ 13
MESSY CHURCH - LIFE SINCE STEVE AND LIZ ......................................................................... 15
PARISHIONER PROFILE - LINDA ELLS .......................................................................................... 19
VIEW FROM A PEW ........................................................................................................................... 20
BELLRINGERS’ REPORT ..................................................................................................................... 21
MY JOURNEY THROUGH THE DISCERNMENT PROCESS TO BAP ................................... 23
COME HOLY GHOST OUR SOULS INSPIRE .............................................................................. 25
ST NICHOLAS CIRCLE ...................................................................................................................... 28
USEFUL NUMBERS .............................................................................................................................. 30
FEBRUARY–MARCH CALENDAR .................................................................................................. 31
4
CONTACT US If you have a Baptism, Wedding or general
enquiry, you can call the office on 0300 111 8150
or email us on [email protected].
Send articles, photos, information and jokes for
the magazine to [email protected]
You can also find up to date information here:
www.worthparish.org
facebook.com/WorthParish
twitter.com/worthparish
FROM REVD GORDON… Welcome to the
first edition of
our 2017 parish
magazine! I think
the magazine is
symbolic of the
energy and
vitality that is
running through
our parish
despite - or is it
because of - the
interregnum.
What is happening here is most likely a precursor
of that which will happen across the wider church
in the months and years to come - a larger-scale
broadening out of the contributions made by all
members of a parish, rather than a few, to the
benefit of its health and wellbeing. I am
encountering a great deal of faith and hope for the
future, a future that cannot yet be determined
with any accuracy, but one in which faith and
hope, together with love, are the defining
characteristics of all that we do.
The source of all this is God. It is God who is the
ground of our faith and the source of love. It is
the example of his Son that gives us hope. We have seen this in the day to day work of many
parishioners and in the different contexts of
worship. Those who are not regular churchgoers
have been struck by the power of what they have
witnessed, whether at weddings, baptisms or
indeed funerals.
I hope that the magazine will amplify this message
through its detailed accounts of what has and will
be happening in the rhythms of the lives we lead,
the churches that we attend and the faith that
anchors us.
Gordon Parry
ANNUAL PAROCHIAL
CHURCH MEETING Our APCM will be held on Wed 29th
March at 7.00pm in St. Barnabas'.
Please consider now whether you can offer
your services - to sit on the PCC, the Faith,
Hope or Love committees, or perhaps to
read, be a server or sidesperson, read the
intercessions, serve coffee, be a welcomer
or help in the Pastoral Centre.
Thank you!
5
NEWS REVD CRAIG BARBER Craig began his ministry at St Bartholomew's,
Brighton and moved on to St George's,
Kemptown before coming here as Associate
Rector in charge of St Barnabas’ in 2006. He
stayed for over four years before moving on to be
chaplain at London's Metropolitan University - a
position which suited him and which he greatly
enjoyed. His illness led to early retirement and he
and Martin moved to Kent, where Craig sadly died
on January 19th 2017. He was 46.
Craig was a good colleague and we worked well
together - not just religious things, but cooking
men's and ladies' breakfast, and singing and playing
for the Wednesday Fellowship and other groups.
He was ‘line-manager’ of the Pastoral Centre at
Pound Hill, having gained experience in this area at his previous Brighton parish. We collaborated in
Lent Study groups, and made some famous soups
on Fridays at the Rectory and the Vicarage. His
wider responsibilities in the church included being
a vocations advisor for the diocese and he was
involved both in the Society of St Francis and the
Society of Catholic Priests. In addition to the
usual parish commitments, he and Martin were
generous and hospitable hosts at St Barnabas’
Vicarage.
Whilst in his university chaplaincy, Craig was
involved with the parish of St Magnus the Martyr,
London Bridge and also at one of the smaller city
churches. Always a ‘high’ churchman, he knew the
liturgy intimately and could always be relied upon
to ‘get things right’! He was a good friend, a
faithful priest and he will be missed by a number
of people. I was sorry not to be able to attend his
funeral due to engagements here in Cyprus. May
he rest in peace.
Canon Anthony Stidolph
Rector 2005-2010
BAPTISMS Congratulations to those who have been baptised
in our parish since the last magazine was
published, including Asher Michael Hennessy, Leo
Joshua Taylor Chenery, Lonan Tate O'hara, Noah
Smith, George Robert Skeet and Frederick
Nicholas James.
BODY AND SOUL WALKING GROUP The walk is good for the body; the coffee and cake
afterwards are good for the soul!
All walks meet at St Leonard's Church car park at
9.30am on Fridays - 24th February, 24th March
and 21st April. The walks are about 4 miles long
and off road around Turners Hill including the
Worth Way. Due to the nature of the
surrounding countryside, there are hills and stiles.
Well-behaved dogs are welcome and may need to
go on the lead at certain times of year or in
specific fields. All walks are weather-dependent
and we email you the week before with a
reminder and any rain/snow forecast. If you
require any further information or to be added to
the mailing list, please contact
[email protected] or call 07775697033.
Barbara Podbury
COLLECTING FOR THE CHILDRENS SOCIETY Last year, the annual box count from supporters
of the Children’s Society came to £483.57. A
large proportion of this was gift-aided giving a
further £72.83. So effectively the grand total for
2016 was £556.40.
In order to maintain our support for this
important (CofE) charity, it would be wonderful if
we could obtain more donors this year. If you
would like to collect change for this charity over
the year, please call Brenda Booker on 01293
886473 and she will organize a collecting box for
you.
Brenda Booker
–
6
FAREWELL TO ROSEMARY CORDAN December 6 at St Nicholas’ was not only the
Patronal Festival, or the day we were blessed with
our services being led by Fr. Jamie Gater, curate
from Ifield, it was also sadly the day we made a
presentation to Rosemary Cordan prior to her
move to Cambridge.
Rosemary had been in our parish for many years
as a member of the congregation, Mothers’ Union
Treasurer, Churchwarden, Pastoral Assistant,
Pastoral Centre volunteer, a member of the
Disciple and Fellowship Group, Gatwick Detainee
visitor, the list could go on… and not least that
she was a great friend to many in the parish. She
will be greatly missed.
Rosemary was presented with a framed
photograph of St Nicholas’ church, a bunch of
flowers and a cheque to enable her and Ümit to
purchase something for their new home.
We wish them every happiness for their new life
in Cambridge and hope that they will visit us soon!
Joan Tick
MOTHERS’ UNION NEWS Our last update was just before Christmas so it
seemed only fitting to wish you all a happy new
year at the beginning of this brief report. Since
our last Meeting in November we will have only
gathered once before you read this, at our annual
New Year supper in January. Once again this year
we are going to Crawley College to sample the
delights of the trainee chefs, last year was very
good.
In December we said farewell to Rosemary
Cordan, a long standing member of our Branch
and one time Treasurer, we presented her with an engraved plaque of Mary Sumner’s Prayer and a
plant that will hopefully grow to remind her of her
friends her in Worth and Pound Hill Branch; we
will miss you, Rosemary.
We have assisted at a couple of Baptisms since
November and this will continue in the year
ahead. When we meet on February 23, it will be
to hold our AGM, preceded by a Eucharist Service
when a new member will be enrolled. If you
would like to join us for that evening to see and
hear what we do please come along, all are
welcome.
Then the following meetings will be March 23 and
April 27. All branch meetings are 7.30-9.00pm in
the Pastoral Centre with the Eucharist services in
St Barnabas’ itself; all meetings include coffee/tea
and biscuits.
Joan Tick
Mary Sumner's Personal Prayer
All this day, O Lord, let me touch as many lives as possible for thee;
and every life I touch, do thou by thy Spirit quicken,
whether through the word I speak, the prayer I breathe, or the life I live. Amen
7
CHRISTMAS IN OUR CHURCHES
CRIB SERVICE AT ST NICHOLAS’ No clergy? No problem!
Mmm, well perhaps a tad.
Where are last year’s
service sheets? Missing!
OK, so write another
service, print 250 service
books, write the play, try
to find enough children to
make the Christmas story
come to life, have a
nervous breakdown, after
Christmas!!
Knowing that we did not
have a Rector or Curate
could have meant that
fewer people would come
to church on Christmas
Eve; however, as it turned
out, we were blessed with
over 350, including a host
of angels, three Wise Men, a few shepherds and of
course Mary, Joseph and the trusty donkey!
Never had a donkey before but we coped.
It was a joy and a privilege to spread the Good
News to so many, in the hope that a seed will be
sown that will bear fruit and encourage them to
return at other times during the year.
Thank you to all the children who took part, to
Rebecca for being our Play narrator, Chloe for
reading the Old Testament and helping and several mums who helped with the children and joined in
singing Away in a Manger as our finale.
Well done! Joan Tick
GIFTS UNDER THE CHRISTMAS TREES As in previous years, at Christmas we collected
gifts for those less fortunate than ourselves and
we would like to extend a big thank you to
everyone who gave so generously to our chosen
charities.
On Christmas Eve we visited Open House and
unloaded a carful of new clothing, packaged foods
and toiletries, for which they were very grateful.
The many toys collected for the Golden Lions
Children’s Trust were distributed by the charity at
their late Christmas party at the Gatwick Manor
Hotel held on 8 January. A thank you letter from
the Golden Lions Children’s Trust is displayed in
both churches.
Phyl Pennell
Prayers at Chichester Cathedral
Friday March 17, 5.30pm Evensong… …is when our parish will be prayed for
in the Cathedral.
Refreshments available until 5pm in the Cloisters Café.
No need to book, just arrive in time.
If you need a lift please advise the Office on 03001118150 or
Joan Tick (St Nicholas’) and we will try to arrange transport.
8
CRIB SERVICE AT ST BARNABAS’
The crib service at
St Barnabas’ was a
come and join in
service with no
rehearsals, where
children and adults
could dress up and
take part in
forming the
nativity scene.
Thank you to
everyone who
joined in, with a
special thank you
to baby Zara who
played the part of
Jesus so well,
sleeping through
most of her first
starring role!
It was a blessing to
have Jesus played
by a live baby. A
real reminder of
what Christmas is
all about.
Greta Sawyer
BIG CHURCH DAY OUT
Wiston House nr Steyning
May 27th -28th
Fun, music and modern worship
Keep the dates free!
Details nearer the time
9
POSADA 2016
In our Parish during Advent, we have two POSADAs, or
travelling nativity sets, which people can have in their
home for a short while before passing to another.
We had two POSADA sets travelling around the
parish visiting individuals and families; this meant
that a set could be welcomed in to each church
(St Barnabas’ and St Nicholas’) on Christmas Eve
during the Crib Services.
For those of you who have not yet experienced
hosting the POSADA, it is something so simple
yet so rewarding. The history of it goes back 400
years across the water to Mexico; two young
people were chosen to dress up as Mary and
Joseph, they would travel from house to house in
their village telling people about the imminent
arrival of Jesus and asking the residents if they
could give them a room. This continues today!
Posada is a Spanish word meaning ‘inn’ or
‘lodging’.
During Advent, the time of waiting for Christmas,
we prepare ourselves to greet Christ and in doing
so, remember the story, using our wooden
figures, of how Mary and Joseph travelled to
Bethlehem, how they stayed in a stable, where
Jesus was born, with a donkey and oxen for
company. How the shepherds took lambs, the
wise men brought expensive gifts, gold,
frankincense and myrrh, and an angel of the Lord kept watch and told of the Good News.
The Church has adopted the Posada as a way of
encouraging people to celebrate more
meaningfully the season of Advent. We invite
everybody to join with us, as individuals or as
families in order to celebrate, with expectation,
the whole meaning and purpose of Jesus’
incarnation; you also get the opportunity to renew
old friendships and start new ones!
EXCERPTS FROM THE 2016 TRAVELLING DIARIES
“The family arrived at Rosemary and Derek’s with thoughts shared about their family’s newly arrived babies.”
“We were played with a lot during the evening by Jenson and Fay, who put us among their own Nativity set - we loved the Christmas cheer.”
“The family was welcomed with much excitement by Tabitha and Luke. We spent time singing carols to the family -.our favourite is “Silent night”- a good reminder to take a moment to calm down.”
“Another stop at the Sawyer house. Much quieter now, with all Christmas preparations complete and a quiet anticipation descending.”
Joan Tick
10
WHAT ’S HAPPENING IN THE PARISH? CLERGY VACANCIES UPDATE It has been nearly a year since both churches
learned that we would be without clergy for a
while and many of us are wondering about what
progress has been made in the search for a Rector
and a Priest-in-Charge for our parish.
Sadly I am not able to tell you anything positive
about these appointments and I know this will be
frustrating for many.
What has the PCC been doing?
Although Anthony and Steve did all they could to
speed things along, the tradition is that posts
cannot be advertised until the outgoing clergy
have left post. The PCC learned that the Bishop
prefers to have a period of around 3 months
interregnum before taking steps to fill vacancies.
During this time and in the ensuing months we
were informed that the bishop did have a couple
of possible candidates but eventually these people
took posts elsewhere.
The Rural Dean said at our last PCC meeting in
December that it is now time to think about
advertising posts. Role Descriptions were approved by the PCC for forwarding to the
Bishop and Archdeacon Fiona for consideration.
Final wording for advertisements would be
approved by them. The PCC requested that an
advertising campaign be launched in January this
year and Julia Peaty has taken this forward to
Archdeacon Fiona to start a Diocesan campaign.
We are still awaiting news of when our adverts
will appear in the Church Times or on the
Diocese Website. Despite the PCC’s eagerness
to fill our vacancies, we have personally not been
in a position to hurry things along.
What are the problems and why the delay?
There are various reasons for a delay - partly
Diocesan strategy and partly a vast shortage of
applicants looking for posts. It is a fact that among
the few in number looking for posts, the majority
are looking for an evangelical tradition. This is
hopeful for St Barnabas’ but not quite such good
news for St Nicholas’.
This major vacancy problem is to be raised this
month at the Archdeacons’ Annual Conference.
One factor is that to reinforce the problem of
inability to fill vacancies nationally, it was said that
a combined expenditure of around £5,000 spent
by parishes over many months in church
newspapers did not yield results. Therefore the
Diocese needs to consider the wisdom of
spending parish resources in this way.
Conclusion
Simply put, we have no clear picture of how God
will provide two clergy for us. We must continue
to pray that He will send us the right people soon
and at least one urgently please!
Meanwhile thank you to all of us who are working
to keep the Parish alive and kicking.
Dave Parker
St Nicholas’ Churchwarden
Lunches available every Friday at 12.30 at St Barnabas’. A home-cooked main
course, dessert with tea/coffee for £5.50. Call 01293 883362 to book.
11
COMMITTEE ROUND UP PCC UPDATE The PCC last met on 7 December 2016 when the
following issues were discussed:
Finance - It is hoped that our funds will grow
and it is essential that we can pay our running costs. We hope to use savings during the
interregnum to build up funds so that when
clergy are appointed we can then spend on
growth initiatives. The quinquennial
inspection is scheduled for 2017 and we
desperately need improvements to the Hall
toilets.
Volunteers - we do need people to get
involved in various ways. PCC members will
be pleased to hear from anyone willing to
help, for example, we are seeking people to
be involved events, fundraising and overseeing
our charitable giving. Can you help?
Clergy appointments - Julia Peaty circulated two examples of adverts for our
posts to be submitted to the Diocesan
website and the press. These will be
advertised soon.
Remember that copies of past PCC minutes can
be viewed at the Parish Office. The next meeting
of the PCC is scheduled for 8 March 2017.
I’d like to take this opportunity, although it is
mentioned elsewhere in the magazine, to remind
you that the Annual Parochial Church Meeting
(APCM) takes place on Wednesday 29 March at
7.00pm at St Barnabas’. Now is the time to be
thinking about the elections that take place at this
meeting.
Two churchwardens are to be appointed for each
church – there will be vacancies here and these
appointments are done on an annual basis. It is
also likely that there will be one or two vacancies
for each church for members of the PCC.
Deanery Synod members will also be needed.
Please do consider nominating people for these
positions. Each person appointed needs a
nominee and seconder. Who do you want to
represent you and your church?
LOVE COMMITTEE The “Rebranding the Pastoral Centre Group” part
of the Love Committee assigned in the Parish Plan
met recently and reports on this progress:
Noticeboards have been tidied.
We have sourced a shelf unit to be used for
the collection of recycling items –postage
stamps, printer cartridges, glasses, et.c.
The new layout of tables has received positive
feedback, the use of small tables means they are easier to move and offer flexibility.
The children’s corner has been tidied.
We are working to improve signage and
looking to purchase a ‘feather flag’ in the hope
that this will attract people’s attention.
A games afternoon is now on offer in the Pastoral Centre on Monday afternoons - why
not give us a try?
A Book Club now meets once a month -
speak to Liz Gallagher for more details.
Quotes for upgrading the kitchen have been obtained; however this project will have to
wait until the hall toilets refurbishment has
been completed, then we will make grant
applications.
More volunteers are always needed in the Pastoral
Centre - do let us know if you can help- it is a
great way of reaching out to the community and
raising awareness of our church.
If you have any ideas that would raise awareness
in the community of what our Pastoral Centre has
to offer or ways in which it can be used, please
speak to one of our group members.
The Rebrand Group are Liz Gallagher, Glennis
Parker, Phyl Pennell, Sue Walshe and Joyce Watts.
Phyl Pennell
Book Sale 10.00 am – 11.45 am Saturday 25 February
St. Barnabas Pastoral Centre Worth Road, Pound Hill, Crawley, RH10 7DY
in aid of Hall refurbishment Refreshments available Free entry
12
ST BARNABAS’ COMMITTEE The St Barnabas’ committee held a short meeting on Wednesday 25 January. The following were
discussed:
Services and cover during the interregnum -
thanks go to Revd Sue Suddaby and Revd
Roger Combes for their input. We will
welcome Revd David Knight on 12th February
and for some weeks then until Easter. We will
be offering our usual Maundy Thursday
Supper and Eucharist.
Health and Safety - applications for grants
towards funding the refurbishment of the Hall
toilets have been submitted. There is concern
regarding the path leading to the Pastoral
Centre as paving slabs are uneven. Hopefully
we can action this soon.
Events and Fundraising - Planned events
include a book sale on 25th February, Jumble
Sale 11th March, Plant Fair on 13th May, all in
aid of the Hall toilets refurbishment. Do help
at / support these events. We hope to hold a Parish Summer Fair but need a small group
willing to take on the organisation of this. If
you feel you could be a member of this group
please do let us know.
Our next meeting is scheduled for 7.30pm on
Wednesday 26 April.
ST BARNABAS’ REFURBISHMENT In November 2016 the three quotes were
received for the refurbishment of the Hall toilets
and the provision of an easy access (toilet for the
disabled) toilet were discussed by the Love
Committee of the Parish Plan.
A quote was agreed and this was included in a
written report put to the PCC in December.
The PCC agreed that we should try to raise the
money (£19,000) by various means, including
applying for grants.
An application has been submitted to the
Courage-Dyer Trust, the result of which should
be with us by late February 2017.
Hopefully our application to the Lottery Fund
Awards for All will have been submitted by the
time you read this.
A letter was sent to Henry Smith, our local MP,
asking if he could help in any way. Henry replied
with information on other grant funding bodies.
By the time the next magazine is published I hope we will be so much nearer to the necessary
refurbishment.
Phyl Pennell
ST NICHOLAS’ COMMITTEE The St Nicholas’ committee had its most recent
meeting on Tuesday 31 January. Most discussion
concerned the interregnum and how while there
are some wonderful people, both lay and clergy,
supporting us, we cannot reach out pastorally or
grow in the community without a leader. The
committee therefore expressed a unanimous
desire to advertise the post of Rector immediately
in the Church Times, at a cost of £1000. Sit was
pointed out that this would make the post visible
to candidates currently in Europe who are looking to return to the UK.
Three useful points from the meeting were:
At the recommendation of those involved
with Messy Church, we will clarify our
offering to the young, by bringing Nic’s under
the banner of Messy Church.
During the interregnum, it is sensible to streamline events and consequently, there will
be no summer fair at St Nicholas’. Our
efforts should be concentrated on parish
events and to that end, we ask that someone
from St Nicholas’ come forward to help Jane
and Karen with their excellent work on
events. Please consider if you could do this.
Dave Parker, due to medical issues, is
stepping down from the post of St Nicholas’
Churchwarden. Please think if you have a
calling in this area and if so, complete a form
prior to the APCM on Wednesday 29 March.
13
THE PARISH PURSE Twenty four days into the New Year we have
almost all the information available to start
preparing the Annual Accounts for the parish.
Now is the time when we start pulling the figures
to pieces and coming up with the 2016 Annual
Report for the PCC ready for presentation to the
APCM (Annual Parochial Church Meeting) at 7pm
on the 29 March 2017. Other dates you may be
more familiar with are those of Lent, which this
year runs from 1 March to 15 April. The
connection between the two is that Lent is a time
of self-denial and, by connection, a time to give to
others, including the Church. As ever, we need
your money. For where your treasure is, there
your heart will be also Matthew 6:21
The PCC shouldn’t ask for money without explaining what it is for. Some of the key
objectives the PCC have set for 2017 are:
Set aside £6000 to grow our Youth Ministry
Spend wisely during the interregnum to
maintain the cure of souls within the parish
Maintain our Churches ready for the Quinquennial
Maintain our parish Contribution to the
Diocese slightly above 2016 levels to show
our determination in supporting the work of
new clergy
Focus project and restricted fundraising work on the Toilets at St Barnabas’ and
improvements at St Nicholas’
Without your generosity we cannot meet these
goals or continue to provide all the outreach we
do. So please think now and across Lent about
your church giving. Look at increasing it, either
through the parish Giving Scheme (which is a
really good option), your Standing Order or
collection plate donations.
So how much should we give? Leviticus 27:3 says
a mouth-drying 10% of everything you harvest is
holy and belongs to me, whether it grows in your
fields or on your fruit trees. We are also taught
by the Church that this should be split between
5% gift to the Church and a 5% gift to other
Charities. With this comes the difficulty - for
someone who has a relatively high income, 10%
may not affect their lifestyle but the physical
number may look like a lot of money; for
someone of relatively low income, 10% may be a
significant struggle; for someone with lots of
debts, 10% may be completely unachievable as
their outgoings will significantly affect their
disposable income; for people with a high net
worth but low income 10% may be an easier
reach.
The Church of England guide to parish Giving
Officers (there are two vacancies for this post in
our parish) says that Officers should themselves
be ‘happy with their own giving’. Our level of
giving is something we must all individually
examine. In my case I know there is more I can
do. My best efforts have been 2.3% to the Church
and 3.7% to other Charities in one year. We
should not get hung up on the 10%, but we should consider if and how we can do better.
In addition it is so difficult to measure the
generosity of time that people give. In a rough
calculation, I worked out that the time people give
in volunteering in this parish amounts to a
staggering figure that if we had to pay for would
be between £60000 and £140000 per year. Thank
you dear volunteers so much for this, we could
not afford even a small proportion of this.
Our Annual Report for 2015 gave a very
complicated story in relation to the PCC policy on
charitable giving and how much the PCC should
give to other Charities by way of setting an
example. In the absence of any enthusiastic
volunteers to look at this policy, the Rural Dean
suggested at the last PCC meeting, that the
Treasurer enquire and propose a policy to the
PCC. I smiled at this because, in discussions with
the previous incumbent, there was lively debate
about how much unrestricted church money
should be given to other Charities.
Anthony felt that we should lead by example by
giving our 10%. His methods were
encouragement to all (by preaching), enabling
charitable works (such as collections for UNICEF),
offering our non-financial resources to others (for
example, the Easter Team), encouraging giving to
restricted funds (for example, the parish World
Bank), undertaking events to raise money for
other charities (such as the Cabaret evening) and giving of unrestricted funds (especially the
Christmas collection). I agreed with everything
but the last two items.
14
I believed that fundraising events should take place
for other charities, but to a measured degree to
avoid our own fundraising being hit. I felt that
money given directly to the PCC should be spent
on the works of the parish. In particular, I felt
that our message to many people who only
attended at Christmas was ‘please give generously,
but don’t worry about the Church, we obviously
have loads of money because we are giving the
Christmas collection away!’. So the Rural Dean’s
request was a bit like putting the wolf in charge of
baby-sitting the three little pigs!
In the interests of fairness, through this article, I
am asking for your opinions. What do you think?
The policy on the Christmas 2016 service
collections’ money changed. It was split three ways, one third of the collection going to the
parish. At West Moors, Bournemouth, where I
attend the midnight service, they give all their
collection away. What is your view?
The PCC wants more of your money to spend on
God’s work. Please give more, but also give your
opinion. Talk to your PCC representative or
myself if you think we should be spending our
money differently, get involved and attend the
APCM on 29 March at 7pm.
Email responses are preferred, which you can
send to [email protected]. If you
would rather talk in person about your views,
being a Parish Giving Officer, or the Parish Giving
Scheme, call me on 01293 888488.
Max Perry, Treasurer
VOLUNTEER VACANCY
We are looking for a PCC Secretary to help our Parochial Church Council in the
Parish of Worth, Pound Hill, Maidenbower and Forge Wood.
PCC Meetings
Attend 4-6 PCC meetings per year and take notes
Prepare minutes for approval and circulation
Keep full records of minutes, agenda and supporting documents both hard copy and electronic
Prepare agenda for each meeting in conjunction with Clergy and wardens
The above duties also apply to our Annual Meeting (APCM) You may also be asked to fulfil these duties for the meetings of the Standing Committee.
Other Responsibilities, with assistance from office staff as necessary
Manage Charities Commission website keeping details and submissions up to date
Ensure Parish Returns are submitted to Church House, Chichester Diocese
Keep records of PCC membership up to date – especially after elections and APCM
Display recent PCC signed Minutes and Agenda for church to read if required
Have a knowledge of forms required - for PCC Trustees to sign, for PCC nominations etc.
Display an up to date Safeguarding Policy and PCC Safeguarding Officer in all church locations
A Handbook for PCC Secretaries is available online and in the office, as well as a full folder of
procedures to help you fulfil your duties. Contact the Parish Office to express your interest.
15
MESSY CHURCH - LIFE SINCE STEVE AND LIZCopthorne April 2016 - I clearly remember
attending the Vision Day we had for our parish
and one of the key themes was “expanding our
children’s and youth offering”. I was so
encouraged that this was a key area of investment
to ensure our parish would thrive going forward.
Being the mum of two young boys, I was so
looking forward to seeing how they would be able
to grow into a thriving community of kids just like
themselves to realise that church can be a “me
too!” feeling.
Shortly after this came the news Steve and Liz
were leaving. I personally, like so many others,
was absolutely gutted. We had come so far in
such a short space
of time, and we still had so much
to achieve. In the
same way as when
Angela left ahead
of time a couple of
years ago, it felt
like the wrong
time; it didn’t seem
like God’s will...or
maybe it had
actually been his
will all the time?
Was I simply
relying on others
to sort it all out
for me? It seemed
to me like God
was pointing the
way but ‘the way’
was never going to
be the easy
route…
At such a crossroads, you have two choices - you
can either shy away, burying your head in the
sand, or you can keep turning up. When Christ
was preparing to leave after his short time on
earth, he told his disciples to carry on his work, to
spread the good news after he had gone.
Although they felt they were losing their leader,
by leaving, Jesus also made them see they had to stand up and carry on even though he wasn’t
there - the work was never finished; there was
always more to give, more to do.
Maybe having amazing leaders with us for a while
renews our spirit and encourages us to be strong
in faith, even if the reality is they cannot stay
forever. Continuation needs to come from a
greater presence within the body of the church -
the people - us! Someone said to me once that
you cannot rely on clergy alone to run a church.
Also I love the phrase another of my friends
coined, that change is the only constant.. I have
seen over the years that this is so true. To
balance the scales, you need a careful mix of
vision, positivity and leadership from clergy,
coupled with an ‘on the ground’ source of spiritual
gift -giving, hard graft and service from the
congregation to run a church well. When one
element gets out of balance, you have to pull even
more on the resources you have, to allow things
to carry on.
So I decided to keep turning up. I was so keen for
both Messy Church and Nic’s to continue after
Steve and Liz left. With two boys aged 6 and 4,
these services perfect for my family at this stage of our lives. I agreed to help lead the worship songs
and story time along with a few other helpers at
both St Barnabas’ and Maidenbower. I believe
singing is the spiritual gift given to me by God and
16
singing in church has always been such a huge part
of my life. I began in a church choir when I was 7
years old. Now on the brink of 40, and with two
young boys, my Christian journey is a little
different to that which it was.
I love leading the worship songs at Messy Church
and Nic’s - modern, loud, upbeat praise songs with
actions. You get the chance to praise God in an
informal, safe atmosphere, through singing and
dancing - a freedom and joy in children that I love
to see; it lights me up like a beacon when I’m on
the receiving end of it! For someone who grew
up singing Evensong every Sunday evening from
the age of 7 to the age of 18, this is a very
different personal experience to my upbringing,
but every bit as rewarding and spiritually uplifting!
A key part of our youth outreach here in the
parish is Messy Church. We have two amazing
teams of helpers who each come together once a
month to spread the good news to our younger
community and their parents/carers in Pound Hill
and Maidenbower. The children come for a
roughly 90-minute session, which includes craft,
drinks, some singing and story time and then we
finish with sharing some food together - all key
elements of what Messy Church should be about.
It is a very informal atmosphere - something that
parents new to faith are often worried about with
places of worship, so it is a great introduction to
coming to know Jesus.
Messy Church is thriving! We have (according to
the fantastic skills of Stuart Sharpe on the register)
30-40 children coming to St Barnabas’ Messy
Church every month and between 20-30 at
Maidenbower Infants School. Each child comes
with at least one parent/carer so we are at double
those numbers in terms of congregation size. We
cover lots of different topics and our Autumn
term included subjects of Harvest, St Nicholas’
and Christmas.
WHAT HAPPENS AT MESSY CHURCH -A DIARY 2pm Arrive at St Barnabas’ and set up the sound
system in the church. Speak to Janet, Don, Joan,
Pam, Ann and any other helpers who are there
setting up and ask how they are. My son Matthew
normally helps me with the sound system check in
the church - “Too loud, Mummy!” so I adjust it
accordingly…
2:50pm Matthew and I then go and pick
up Joe from Pound Hill Infants and bring him back
across for Messy Church.
3pm Messy Church starts and all the kids and
their carers arrive. It is usually a slow trickle as
parents are often dealing with parking et.c. The
kids immediately find a table and start making
things. I get myself a cuppa and biscuit and talk to
some of the other mums, while trying to help Don
who is on teas and coffees. I usually speak to
Stuart about how the numbers are going on the
register and help with name stickers if it gets busy
at the entrance.
4pm We are usually in the church by now. I try and give a 5 minute warning so the children can
finish the craft they are doing. We often have
children coming from Milton Mount and they
don’t arrive till 3:30pm so it is tricky to manage
the time - allowing enough time but not making
the children bored! We all march into the church
in a line and find a seat. We normally start with
“Our God is a great big God” which has become
kind of our theme tune and represents so much of
what we want to say at Messy Church. All the
kids join in the actions and we sing loud and
proud. We then follow with a Bible story,
something of which normally relates back to the
crafts the children have done. We try and make
this bit as interactive as possible so it is absorbed!
Then we do another song and then finish with a
prayer and line up for tea. We usually shout ‘Rub-
17
a-dub-dub, thank you for this grub!’ which is a
quirky phrase for saying grace that Steve started
which I love using and the kids normally shout it
straight back at me!
4:15pm We go through to tea in the Pastoral
Centre , which has been wonderfully prepared by
Vera and Terry and made up of food donations
from all the team. This year we will trial going
back into the hall after the worship as the
numbers we have coming are getting too big for
the Pastoral Centre (what an amazing predicament
to have)! The food is usually a couple of hot items
like chicken nuggets and then a sandwich tea plus
carrot/cucumber sticks, cheese et.c. While the
kids are eating I try and get around to all the
parents to say hi and invite any new members to join our Facebook group to keep up with
information on family services in the parish (We
currently have 57 parent members on this page
and growing.)
4:30pm Time to say our goodbyes and pick up
all our crafts and head home. I pack up the sound
system, help sweep the floors and collect the
boys’ crafts.
Messy Church and the Nic’s Service can only
continue with enough support from its fabulous
team of volunteers. I’d like to thank here ALL the
volunteers, many of them such unsung heroes,
who give their time to help every month at either
St Barnabas’ or Maidenbower Messy Church. It is
so sincerely appreciated by all the children and
parents/carers who attend. Thanks in particular
to Sue Walshe, Viv Tillyer, Sue Perry, Ann
Phillipson, Stuart Sharpe, Dave and Glennis Parker,
Joan Tick, Pam Newley, Janet and Don
Hewerdine, Val Rudd, Vera and Terry, Rebecca
Turvill, and Julia Peaty whose input has been
invaluable this term in our interregnum.
Change is the only constant if we want to
continuing growing as a church. Who knows what
the future holds for any of us. Things can instantly
take a different course. Maybe we need to
prepare ourselves more to expect and embrace change rather than be despondent about it. I
know God moves to challenge me every day. I
believe this Christian youth outreach is his
challenge for us as a congregation right now in
Worth Parish in 2017. Seeing the happy faces of
the children every month makes every minute of
volunteering worthwhile – that, for me, is God’s
living will in action! Long may it continue to
thrive.
Claire Clarke
CLERGY VACANCY
Priest in Charge of the conventional district of St Barnabas’, Pound Hill and Forgewood
within the parish of Worth, Maidenbower, Pound Hill and Forgewood.
The Bishop of Chichester seeks to appoint a Priest in Charge to this conventional district within the
wider parish situated in the new town of Crawley, West Sussex. The parish has excellent rail and road
links to London and Brighton and the surrounding areas.
We offer:
Supportive and welcoming congregation of 140 members on the electoral role, 40 adults attend the Sunday services
Enthusiastic hardworking congregation
Vicarage (4 bedrooms, near shops and station)
A modern church with large hall and pastoral centre attached
Close links with community schools
We are praying for a Priest who:
Has the ability to encourage people in their spiritual lives and develop and enable lay leadership
Has an inclusive approach to the pastoral needs of all age groups within the church family
Has a heart for outreach and mission in our growing community
Can oversee worship that is traditional, informal and innovative
For full details, see our website –www.worthparish.org/vacancies/
18
19
PARISHIONER PROFILE - LINDA ELLS
Linda was brought up in Mitcham, south of
Tooting, in South London. After time in both the
Royal and Merchant navies, her father was a
docker who, after being made redundant, put in a
substantial amount of effort to better himself and
got into the civil service, winning a bravery award
for foiling an attacker trying to steal the Ministry’s
pay roll! Her mother, even more quick-witted than her husband, resigned herself to a series of
small office jobs, as happened in those days with a
young family to support; Linda had two brothers –
one older, Peter and one younger, Robin.
Her father was religious, having been confirmed in
the Navy, and the children were taken to Sunday
School which Linda hated at first and cried at,
most weeks. She believes that her parents felt
going would help her on the road to
independence before she started school proper.
Despite the tears, she and her brothers were
confirmed and she has always had a strong faith.
After school, she went to the University of
Manchester to study chemistry (although she
actually liked maths best) and after that, teacher
training followed at King’s College, London.
She returned to Mitcham when she began her first
teaching post in Croydon but then rented in
Purley before moving to Shirley, another Croydon
suburb, with her house/mortgage mate Ros. She
remained in her first teaching post for 14 years,
progressing up the teaching ladder to Head of 5th
year and Head of 6th form, Head of Chemistry,
Senior Teacher before becoming the deputy head
of a school in Wimbledon just as her parents
retired from South London to Worthing.
She and Ros moved to Crawley in 1988 as it was
half way between their respective teaching job
locations. They found Worth Church prior to the
move, and since then, became regular attendees of
the 8 o’clock service; traditionally, the service
Linda had attended as a child, with her dad and
more suited in temperament and timing to hectic
teaching lives! Linda comments that she likes a
really old or a really new church building and has a
horror of Victorian Gothic, so Worth Parish was perfect for her!
After 9 years as Deputy Head, she took a career
break and retrained, doing an MA at Northumbria
University in Fine Art Conservation (works on
paper) - it was a two year taught course so she
rented a cottage in Whitley Bay during this time
while still paying the mortgage in Crawley!
A voluntary conservation job at Brighton Pavilion
followed this, and the wolf was kept from the
door by a little private conservation work and a
bit of supply teaching. The following year, Linda
got a fascinating job in Cambridge, conserving
works of art for colleges, local East Anglian
museums and private individuals, so she rented
there during the week returning to Crawley at
weekends.
In 2006, Linda began working for the National
Archives at Kew. She had to sign the Official
Secrets Act, and got to conserve a whole range of
government papers from the letters of King Henry
VIII, through the trial documents of Oscar Wilde,
right up to the Scottish Referendum Act.
As she puts it, having weathered the deaths of her
younger brother, father and mother in 2012, 2013
and 2014 respectively, she had a year’s peace in
2014 following retirement, before joining the
PCC!
She describes a lovely life with nieces and
nephews, whose company she enjoys when she
can get to visit them in Yorkshire, where Peter has just retired from being Head Brewer at
20
Timothy Taylor’s, and a busy social circle based
outside Crawley - such a walking group with ex-
colleagues - and those whom, since retirement,
she has got to know from within the parish.
As well as the PCC, she is involved with the
prayer group and co-runs a home group, attends
the Sunday 8am and the Thursday 11.30 services
as well as the monthly Julian group.
She draws cartoons in her spare time, likes art,
theatre, opera and walking and reads profusely,
including with some friends, all the Booker short
list books which they then discuss and guess the
winner of, over dinner. She also travels to see
interesting things – this year, it’s will be to see
mosaics in Sicily.
Linda jokes that because while working, she put in
long hours, for a long time, leaving and returning
to Crawley under the cover of darkness(!), she
felt like the longest serving “unknown
parishioner”. At quiet days or other church
events, people would kindly ask her if she was
new, and she’d have to say, she’d been here since
1988. Hopefully, with the amount of things she is
now involved in, and this magazine piece, her
anonymity is behind her (though not her
ridiculously spelt name - as she used to tell pupils
“It rhymes with ’smells’!”)
Elizabeth Whyman
VIEW FROM A PEWYes, I’m still writing this article, prompted firstly
by my friends (the two editors of the Parish Mag.)
and secondly by three inspirational weeks at St
Nicholas’. It has been great to have so many
people attending across these weeks, improving
the atmosphere as well as the shared bodily heat
on wintery mornings. My story revolves around
the sermons and a meeting with two visitors to
church which would never have taken place if it
wasn’t for the seeds planted by our former clergy
to encourage us towards being more welcoming.
Two weeks ago Revd Canon Julia Peaty took the
service. I had a lot of things on my mind that day
and as happens when one is in that mood, was not
particularly listening to the sermon until the
words “it is so important to listen to people”
were said. So true! but that was probably the only
thing I got from the sermon. My wife will vouch
for my inability to listen, which is somewhat ironic
as she speaks for hours on the subject to our
friends as we sit around the dining room table.
Of course, my inability to listen puts me at a
massive disadvantage when it comes to being part
of the welcoming team. I forget people’s names, I
have trouble remembering if they came last week
and generally I am in danger of doing more harm
than good! Thankfully for St Nicholas’, I also
struggle in another area - getting up early. Hence
I roll out of bed and arrive (if I am lucky) in time
to beat meeting the choir coming in the other direction down the aisle. This also means I arrive
way behind any newcomers on whom my
welcome could inflict misunderstanding.
At the end of the service, I find it a lot easier to
relax and chat. Looking round on this particular
day, I saw an unfamiliar man sitting alone, so I
went up and welcomed him only to find that he
spoke no English. As my “middle eastern”
languages are also somewhat lacking, we had to
manage with a smile. Just as I was getting to the
point when I was trying to think how to “smile
goodbye” we were rescued by his charming and
smartly dressed daughter. Her English was
somewhat limited, but very impressive considering
they had only been in the country for a few days.
Apparently they wanted a Farsi (Persian) Bible and
thought to visit our Church. I suggested she called me the following Friday by which time I
would be able to get one. Unfortunately she
thought they may have to leave the area in the
21
next two days. Having exchanged phone numbers
I said I would see what I could do and we said
goodbye. Despite contacts through the Bible
Society and the Chaplain at the Gatwick
Detention Centre the quickest way to obtain the
goodbye. Despite contacts through the Bible
Society and the Chaplain at the Gatwick
Detention Centre, the quickest way to obtain the
Bible was though Amazon Prime and it arrived the
next day.
The following week, I turned up at church with
the Bible, hoping for one last chance to pass it
across. The sermon and service were by the Revd
Francis Pole on working together through our
interregnum. I listened more this week but still I
must have drifted since I suddenly felt myself starting at the sentence that he had a good friend
“who was a professional sinner”. A second
thought made me realise that he probably said “a
professional singer”, but I still am not sure.
This week we had a Parish Eucharist with Bishop
Martin. His commanding voice and the fact that
my to-do list had shrunk, made way for a much
more focused Sunday and I enjoyed the service
and sermon without distraction. His sermon was
on one of his pilgrimages to the Middle East and
his boat trip out into the Sea of Galilee. To me
there was an irony - his Pilgrimage was in one
direction through choice and our visitors two
weeks earlier had made the journey in the other
direction, obviously not through free will. The
sermon centred around the disciples who as
either fishermen or fishers of men had to work
with teamwork and harmony as we should do in
both church and other areas of our life.
I didn’t succeed in getting the Bible to its
destination (it’s currently on its way back to
Amazon). But not everything in life succeeds.
Even clergy who despair at the fact that their
congregations do not listen should take solace
from the fact that very often some of it gets through and inspires. To misquote Lincoln “You
can be heard by some of the people all of the
time, all of the people some of the time but you
can’t be heard by all of the people all of the time”.
But now I have a new ambition. I would love to
fade into retirement as a professional sinner with
an irreverent outlook on life. In the meantime I
pray that Farzane and her family find a welcome,
content and settled life soon.
Max Perry
BELLRINGERS’ REPORT The Bellringers held their AGM on 19 January at
which the minutes of the last AGM were
reviewed. Matters arising noted that there had
been no progress on repairs to the tower and that
the emergency lighting still needed checking and
replacing if necessary - ringing in the dark in the
event of a power cut is not ideal and potentially
quite dangerous. The Tower Captain then
presented his report for 2016 as follows:
“2016 will no doubt turn out to be an historic year for
any number of reasons (not necessarily good) and
many of us are glad to see the back of it and hope
that 2017 will be a better year. Fortunately, however,
from a ringing point of view 2016 did not produce any
seismic shocks and life continued much as normal.
Average attendance was still around eight from the
thirteen ringers we nominally have and once again
Martin was the one most often in attendance. We
only failed to ring on one Sunday morning, because of
insufficient numbers, but had some other Sundays off
because there was no service at St Nicholas’. Only two practices had to be cancelled because of
insufficient numbers, although we are generally short
on numbers for practice and it may be worth
considering sharing a practice with another tower.
Once again, we did not have enough ringers to ring the
New Year in. We are still short of ringers (in common
with many towers); we have had two ringers move into
the area, but neither has joined us despite attending
the odd practice. Considerable effort was also put in
to teaching another lady to handle a bell, but she
faded from the scene over the summer for whatever
reason. Toby shows promise, but it will be some years
before he is big enough to ring.
We participated in the Heritage Open Days in an
effort to recruit some ringers and although we had a
number of visitors, none was sufficiently inspired to
take up ringing. Thanks go to Caroline and Lucy for
organising this.
We rang for the 24 weddings that required bells (up
on last year) and, unusually, a funeral, but needed
outside help on some occasions to make up numbers.
We also rang for the wedding preparation days and
provided a talk to the various couples about bellringing.
22
Social gatherings seem to bring out the best
attendance with good turnouts at the AGM, Dinner (at
the Hillside) and Christmas Social (thanks to Judy for
hosting that this year).
The new ropes were finally installed in September and
just need some final adjustment now that they have
‘bedded-in’. There were no other developments
regarding the work needed on the tower and in the
ringing room, although a Risk Assessment was
prepared for the Open Days and a copy passed to the
churchwardens (in the absence of any clergy). This
highlighted some additional measures that would be
beneficial, although no action has yet been taken.
There were only eight quarter peals this year, one of
which was by a visiting band ringing Julie McDonnell
Bob Doubles in the Strike Back Against Blood Cancer
campaign. Caroline rang her first quarter inside (well
done) and we rang a couple of quarters for the
Queen’s 90th birthday. One of the quarters was a
“date touch” of 2016 Cambridge Surprise Minor, a
feat which is unlikely to be possible in 2017 as it is an
unhelpful number (it’s a prime). We have a number
of World War I anniversaries to ring for this year as
we pick up that project again and we sold a quarter
peal at a Promises Auction to Sue’s mother which we
need to fulfil.
Thank you once again for supporting ringing at
Worth.”
Note: Toby is Neil and Jenny’s grandson who is 19 months
old and attends ringing most Sundays with his parents
The Election of Officers then took place with the
existing officers (Captain, Deputy Captain and Secretary/Treasurer) re-elected unanimously.
A long standing agenda item appeared for
probably the last time. We now have our own
branded polo shirts with a logo of the church and
the words “Worth Church Bellringers”
surrounding it. This will help identify us, especially
as we make our way through wedding guests
having photographs taken after the ceremony.
We might even expand our clothing range to
sweatshirts!
Any other business involved making plans for the
coming year including our annual dinner and a
summer barbecue, before the meeting closed and
the socialising continued.
Our next AGM will be on 18 January 2018.
Anyone interested in joining our happy band is
welcome to contact me, on 01293 882939.
Neil Dobson, Tower Captain
CLERGY VACANCY
Rector, St Nicholas’ Worth and Forge Wood with the conventional district of St
Barnabas’ Pound Hill and Maidenbower, in the modern town of Crawley in West Sussex.
We are a busy Parish with two churches each having their own style of worship. St Nicholas’
Worth, is a Grade I listed Saxon building in a country setting (very popular as a wedding venue)
whilst St Barnabas’ Pound Hill is a 1950s new town church with a large Hall, Pastoral Centre and
other facilities located in the neighbourhood hub. Together they serve a growing population of
approximately 25,000 people. There are excellent local facilities and good road and rail connections
to London and the surrounding areas.
The parish is looking for a Rector, who is an experienced Priest to work alongside the priest-in-
charge of the conventional district who:
as a leader, inspires others with their own love of God and will enrich the spiritual life of the
churches
is a creative thinker and strategic planner who will further develop the churches’ community engagement and mission priorities
has experience of leading churches into growth
is a creative liturgist who will honour the choral tradition of St Nicholas’ while helping us to explore new ways of worshipping across the parish
will motivate and nurture others in their gifts and ministries
will embrace the diocesan strategy and play a full part in the deanery
For full details, see our website –www.worthparish.org/vacancies/
23
MY JOURNEY THROUGH THE DISCERNMENT PROCESS TO BAP What is a BAP? Obviously not the bacon roll sort,
but the Bishops Advisory Panel. A panel of
advisors that make recommendations to the
Bishop about your suitability to be trained for
Ordained Ministry. It is a national selection
conference lasting three days. There is an
enormous sense of relief and achievement just to
get to the BAP. The period leading up to the BAP
is called the discernment process - a lengthy
process that allows sufficient time for prayerful
reflection between you and the Diocese as to
whether your call is Obedient, Realistic and
Informed and also whether you are a suitable
person to undertake the demanding role of being
a priest.
The process is different for everyone and also differs between Dioceses. It usually lasts 1-2
years; mine lasted for two years and consisted of:
Two meetings with the Rector
Two interview-like chats with the Diocesan
Director of Ordinands, (an Ordinand is
someone who is training to be a priest)
Nine interview-like chats with the Assistant
Diocesan Director of Ordinands to go over
each of the nine selection criteria; Vocation,
Ministry within the Church of England,
Spirituality, Personality and Character,
Relationships, Leadership and Collaboration,
Faith, Mission and Evangelism, and Quality of
Mind
Three essays - just for fun the ADDO said
A meeting with a different ADDO to check
the paperwork
A meeting with the Bishop! (quite daunting
that one but a rewarding experience)
I also undertook a three month placement at a
different church, visited some potential training colleges and went on a retreat. There were of
course numerous chats with my spiritual director,
family and friends and lots and lots of prayer!
Once that’s out of the way you actually get to
your BAP, mine was at Ely in Cambridgeshire.
You have plenty of time for preparation as the
initial paperwork has to be submitted 12 weeks
beforehand. So what happens at the BAP? Here
follows a list of the tasks with some practical tips
as it could be YOU there one day. To be honest if
I had read that 5 years ago I wouldn’t have thought
that I could ever be in that position either!
Day One begins with some getting to know you exercises followed by a 40 minute written
exercise called a personal inventory. They stress
it’s not a test but it’s timed and you sit there, pen
in hand waiting for them to say ‘you can turn the
paper over now’. It’s been a while since I was at
school but that was very reminiscent of school day
exams.
Tip: Make sure your pen works and you have the
right glasses on.
You are then given the Pastoral Exercise to
complete. This is a 500 word letter in response
to a pastoral situation, to be completed in your
free time (which depends on your timetable of
interviews).
Tips: Take a lead with extra plugs. There was
only one plug in the room and deciding between
light and laptop power can be tricky. If you want
to get any sleep take an eye mask (the security
light stays on all night) and ear plugs (walls are
24
paper thin). Paracetamol for the sleep deprived
headache the following day are also useful!
Day Two starts with the presentations. Each
candidate (usually 8 per group) gives a 5 minute
presentation (pre-prepared on a topic within the
selection criteria) then chairs a 13 minute
discussion on the presentation with 2 minutes to
sum up the discussion.
Tips: Take a glass of water in with you; I had a
coughing fit half way through my presentation so I
was glad I had water with me. Also, drink some
caffeine during the breaks because…
You then participate in 7 other discussions during
which you need to be alert as you are being
assessed on your participation.
The interviews are next, starting in the afternoon and continuing into Day Three. There are three
hour long interviews, one each with the Pastoral
Advisor, Education Advisor and Vocations
Advisor. You will note that I haven’t discussed
the content of the interviews or the tasks. We
didn’t have to sign a confidentiality agreement but
you are expected not to divulge the questions, so
that each candidate comes to them fresh, allowing
a response from the heart and not an answer that
you have had time to think about. The interview
questions are different and devised to fill in any
gaps or clarify anything from all of the substantial
paperwork that the advisors have on you. You
are aware that the advisors are forming a picture
of you throughout the residential, even during
meal times and in the evenings.
Tip: Be outside the dining room before the bell
goes, if not, everyone has to wait for you, as grace
is said before you start.
The only time you are not assessed is during
worship which takes place in the chapel at least
twice a day.
Tip: Take extra layers to wear as the chapel is a
lot colder than anywhere else.
There is a Panel secretary to ensure the process
runs well and independent observers check it is
carried out correctly.
Everyone feels different about their BAP - it can
be exhilarating or exhausting or somewhere in
between. I looked forward to it with ‘joyful apprehension’. I will admit that I found it
challenging - the individual components became
more than the sum of their parts when added into
the residential setting and the realisation (for me
anyway) that this was a ‘life’ interview, not a ‘job’
interview as I felt a yearning to become what I was
meant to be. Others I have spoken to thought it
was enjoyable and fun! The advice given in the last
session is to ‘look after yourself’ for a few days. I
especially liked the advice ‘Now is not the time to
start a diet’ and to be honest I’m still clinging on to
that one now!
The time between leaving the BAP and getting the
result is inexorable. Time seems to stand still and
it’s hard to concentrate. I was fortunate that my
ADDO phoned with the result the day it was
published.
Tip: Don’t get a new phone the day before you’re
expecting an important phone call. The phone
rang and in my moment of excitement I couldn’t
remember how to answer it!
The result…..I have been recommended for
training for Ordained Ministry. Such a huge relief,
but then the realisation sets in that this is only the
beginning. You have answered God’s call and the
Church has said yes. Three years of training await
but only God knows where that will lead!
Thank you everyone for your encouragement,
support and prayers and for ‘keeping an eye on
me’. This is only the start and I value your
continued support.
More details on the discernment process can be
found on the Church of England website for more
details https://www.churchofengland.org/clergy-
office-holders/vocation.aspx
The last but most important tip: If you feel
God calling. Don’t ignore it. Explore it!
Greta Sawyer
Wintershall Open Air Play - The Life of Christ
Will be performed Tues June 20-Sat June 24, at Wintershall, GU5 0LR
Ticket details: Adult: £20 Child (3–18 yrs): £9.50 Concession (65+): £18 Family (2 adult + 2 children) £50
Phone for tickets or more info: 01793 418299
Book here: www.wintershall-estate.com/events/the-life-of-christ/
25
COME HOLY GHOST OUR SOULS INSPIRE Here’s a good game - well, that may be
exaggerating rather, but it may entertain you for a
while. I suppose that it is a Game of Lists, but it
also owes something to Desert Island Discs and its
invention springs partly from my disappointment
at several television series’ that have explored
sacred sites and holy places in the British Isles.
Although interesting, the emphasis was on
archaeology and history, and, in my view, missing
the spiritual aspect of such places.
The game is a variant on which eight things you
would take to a desert island but instead you must
identify the eight places where you have most
powerfully felt a spiritual presence. This is derived
from the Celtic tradition of ‘thin places’ where the
curtain between heaven and earth seems almost transparent. Places only in Great Britain please
(the international variation involves too much
showing off) and St Nicholas’. St Barnabas’ or
anywhere where you or someone close to you
was confirmed, married, buried or ordained is not
allowed. It will still be a very personal list and I
offer the choices below only as a stimulus to get
you interested.
You will find, once you start, that the choice is
really very difficult and while my top eight follow
in reverse order, there were many contenders
that did not quite make the list: the well chapel at
St Clederus, St Clether, Launceston; All Saints,
Margaret Street, Marylebone; the Slipper Chapel
at Little Walsingham; the church at Lullington, East
Sussex; St Helen, Ranworth, Norfolk with its
superb painted screen; the crypt at All Saints,
Wing, Bucks; the Norfolk churches of St Margaret,
Hales and St Mary, Haddiscoe; and various
anchorite cells.
8. Lindisfarne and the Farne Islands -
Lindisfarne or Holy Island is off the coast of
Northumberland and reached over a tidal
causeway. St Aidan arrived in 635 and founded a
monastery destroyed by the Danes in 875. The
present substantial ruins are of a monastic church
refounded in 1083. Recent excavations appear to
have found the site of the original monastery.
Lindisfarne is very much a tourist attraction;
romantic but not very spiritual. A more spiritual
place is on the adjacent Inner Farne where St
Aidan and later St Cuthbert retreated to gain
some solitude from the annoyance of too many
visitors. Although the church is later, a cell was
built on the island by St Cuthbert who died there
in 687. Still too bothered by visitors, St Cuthbert
periodically retreated to the Outer Farne where
there are only seals and seabirds and this, for me,
is a truly spiritual place.
7. St Mary, Thornham Parva, Suffolk -
Thornham Parva is a jewel of a Norman church
set among fields away from any village, in rural
Suffolk. The church is thatched, even the low
tower, but it is not the timeless charm of the
exterior which makes it so exceptional, but what
it contains. Apart from a stunning series of wall
paintings which would be remarkable in
themselves, it is the retable, a folding screen of
panels behind the altar, which sets this place quite
apart. It was painted around 1335, probably for
the Dominican priory at Thetford, and at the
Reformation passed into private hands to secure
its safety, eventually being found in a stable loft
and given to the church in 1927. At the centre is
a Crucifixion with four saints on either side; but
what is remarkable is the colour and the life of
these thin and swaying figures in their deeply
folded drapery. It has been suggested that St
Catherine looks as though she has just come from
dancing in a garden. There are flowers and leaves
and rich patterning with extensive gilding. What is
so remarkable is not only that the retable has
26
survived in such condition, that a remote and
unlocked Suffolk church contains a work fit for the
National Gallery, but that for most of its life it has
been loved and the focus of devotion; we can
connect with the spiritual life of almost 700 years
ago.
6. St Peter-on-the-Wall, Bradwell-on-Sea,
Essex - This tiny church stands alone at the end
of a long flat peninsula where the River Blackwater
runs into the North Sea. Built on a Roman fort
and largely of Roman materials, it was founded by
St Cedd about 654, and is the oldest surviving
church building in Britain. It has barely survived;
only the nave still stands and the building was in
use as a barn until re-consecration in 1920. It is
now in daily use by a religious community. The interior is simple and peaceful, but it is the
remoteness of the site and the open landscape
around it which confer such spiritual power, with
1,500 years of Christian witness.
5. Watts Cemetery Chapel, Compton,
Surrey - Although the passage of time often adds
to the spiritual essence of a place it is not
invariably so. The wife of the symbolist Victorian
painter G F Watts, Mary, designed and created in
1896 a remarkable mortuary chapel in the
cemetery close to their house (now a recently
revitalised gallery of his work) in the village of
Compton. It is an extraordinary building in the
form of a Greek cross combined with a circle and
the exterior is built of terracotta brick
ornamented with Italian Romanesque motifs,
Celtic emblems and elaborate symbolism. If this
were not sufficiently remarkable, the interior is a
startling combination of Art Nouveau seen from
the Celtic Revival. In the writhing decoration of
gold, rich greens and dark reds, elongated angels
hold cameos looped to form a chain with more
angels’ and cherubs’ heads amidst the sinuous
curves. The symbolic interpretation is too
complex to describe here; indeed, the building is
very difficult to describe at all. Not to everyone’s
taste, but to me a powerfully affecting statement
of spiritual forces of which we are dimly aware.
4. St Govan’s Chapel, Bosherston,
Pembrokeshire - St Govan, probably an Irish missionary, is thought to have died in 586; not to
spoil a good story, the chapel is dated to after
1200. It occupies a dramatic location, half way
down a precipitous cliff with the breakers
sounding below. Approached down steep rock-
cut steps, the tiny single chamber had a small
bellcote, stone benches and an altar, with a small cell carved into the cliff face; it is said that St
Govan lived as a hermit within this cell. Whatever
the true history this is an ancient Christian place
of worship and one very effectively removed from
the trivial routines of everyday life.
3. St Mary, West Walton, Norfolk - If age is
no guide to spirituality, then neither is size. St
Mary, West Walton, is an enormous barn of a
church, yet one of the most sumptuous Early
English parish churches, and found in a tiny village
in the flat fenland of North-West Norfolk. There
is a huge detached tower to the South pierced at
ground level by four arches and dated, like most
of the church, to about 1240. The most striking
part of the interior, apart from a high screen
creating a narthex to the west of the nave, is the
width of the aisles; yes there is much interesting
architectural detail but it is the scale of the
building and its apparent simplicity that impress.
That special smell, especially characteristic of
medieval parish churches pervades - of musty
kneelers, candles and the chill of stone. The
church is a statement of great confidence in an age
when it was the entire focus of the lives of all and
where faith dominated the everyday round.
27
2. St Candida, Whitchurch Canonicorum,
Dorset - In a remote village in west Dorset, there
is a remarkable survival - the complete shrine of St
Wite (Candida in Latin). A large single block of
stone is quite undecorated but the upper part
contains the lead coffin and remains of a woman
aged about 40, sealed in the 14th century. There
are three oval openings below the relics into
which the diseased would insert an afflicted body
part or some token to seek the healing aid of St
Wite. No-one is quite sure who St Wite was but
she may have been martyred by the Vikings.
Pilgrims still visit the shrine and pray to St Wite
and the peace of the church and the simplicity of
the shrine are very affecting.
1. St John the Evangelist, Little Gidding, Cambridgeshire - I have no doubts about the
place which above all, for me, positively hums with
spiritual energy. The church at Little Gidding is a
small collegiate chapel created out of a previous
building in about 1630 for the religious community
founded by Nicholas Ferrar. Just as described by
T S Eliot, you approach down a long single track
and end in a farmyard. To the right is a farmhouse
(a modern religious centre) and to the left, the
simple chapel in an orchard. The interior,
although sympathetically restored, is faithfully 17th
century in its panelling and in a monastic tradition
catering for the community. Nicholas Ferrar died
in 1637 and the community limped on until its end
in about 1657. But in this time George Herbert,
the great Christian poet, was a near neighbour in
close touch with the community and Charles I
visited three times. I would urge you to visit if
you haven’t already, and it is worth reading the
last of Eliot’s Four Quartets (Little Gidding) before
you go:
There are other places
Which also are the world’s end …
But this is the nearest, in place and time,
Now and in England.
…
Here, the intersection of the timeless moment
Is England and nowhere. Never and always.
This is a place “where prayer has been valid.”
Here the curtain between heaven and earth barely
exists and the presence of the Holy Spirit seems
completely palpable.
I hope that this may have stimulated you to think
about your own spiritual places, and perhaps to
explore mine if you do not know them. Even
better, draw up your own list and share it with us
through the magazine.
Church Mouse
28
ST NICHOLAS CIRCLE The beginning of December seems a while back.
Nevertheless that was the time of our Christmas
Cheese and Wine party. It’s always difficult
writing about what happened at such an event
without sounding like an edition of “Hello” or
“Marie Claire” (yes, I’ve read them in the
dentists). But suffice to say that all the A-listers
were there. The evening was rounded off with
the usual speed raffle which always surprises me
because the best prizes do not necessarily go in
the order you would expect.
2017 began a new year, our numbers diminished
somewhat by the horrid weather, with a new
programme. I can’t believe this is my third year of
chairing the Circle and my second of arranging the
speakers. I have learnt that you can’t always be sure what you are going to get based simply on
the title or even on talking to the speakers over
the phone in advance.
“Sewer Wise : Stories from under our feet” could
have been a dry (or even wet) talk. It was
brilliant. Stuart Slark and Sharon Holdstock from
Southern Water are the Lucille Ball and Desi
Arnaz of the sewage system. We heard practical
advice, horror stories and great information about
what hides below us in the sewer systems we so
depend on. We were given gunk-pots for our fat
and oil and a funnel to pour used cooking fat
through. The humour, of course, came from the
subject and we were well versed by the end of the
evening with the strict rules about what should go
down your drains (apart from water!). It is the
three Ps – Pee, Poo and Paper. The consequences
of not doing this was graphically shown. A small
tip from me - always hang the toilet roll so it rolls
around the wall, people use less of it!
Sharon and Stuart kept us entertained with their
banter and their attempts to each lead with the
story. The evening finished with an overview of
the large Victorian drainage system of Brighton to which tours can be arranged.
Over the next two months, February 2 sees Al
Cooke talk on “Are you getting your 5-A-Day?”
And on March 2, Susan Purcell will entertain us
with a talk on “The History of Dictionaries”. Do
come along and join us at both talks.
Max Perry
A Lent Course focusing on the
Diocesan “Year of the Bible” during the 6 weeks of Lent will be held in the parish.
Details of dates, venue and the content will be issued via the weekly Pew Sheet, so please keep an eye on it
so that you can join us.
29
USEFUL NUMBERS Administrators (Parish) Glennis Parker
Sue Perry
0300
111
8150
Altar Servers (St Barnabas’) David Anderson
Phyl Pennell Altar Servers (St Nicholas’) Jenny Dobson
Joan Pallett Baptisms Parish Office
Bellringers Neil Dobson
Bookings
(Hall, Pastoral Centre, Church) etc)
Glennis Parker
Sue Perry Buildings and Facilities See Churchwardens
Children’s Society Brenda Booker
Choirs (Worth Church and Festival)
Choir)
Alex Hiam
Christenings Parish Office
Church Cleaning (St Barnabas’) Phyl Pennell
Church Cleaning (St Nicholas’) Jill Freeborn
Churchwardens (St Barnabas’) Phyl Pennell
Sheila Dring
Churchwardens (St Nicholas’) David Parker
Colin Smith
Events (Parish) Jane Stanford
Families, Youth and Children’s Work Parish Office
Fellowship Activities Joan Tick
Festival Choir (occasional) See Choirs
Flower Arranging (St Barnabas’) Jane Stanford
Flower Arranging (St Nicholas’) Noreen Oxlade
Friends of St Nicholas’ Colin Smith
Funerals Parish Office
Giving (regular and one off donations) Mark Chappell
Julian Group (St Barnabas’) Don Hewerdine
Julian Group (St Nicholas’) Gill Gusterson
Knit and Natter Val Rudd
Media
(Magazine/Website/Facebook/Twitter)
Elizabeth Whyman
Messy Church Sue Walshe
Mothers’ Union Mary Fry
Office (Parish) Pastoral Centre PCC Lay Chair Phyl Pennell
PCC Electoral Roll Officer Jane Stanford
PCC Committee Chairs
Faith - Growth in Christ
Hope - Re-imagining Ministry
Love - Seeking the Common Good
St Nicholas’
St Barnabas’
Standing Committee
David Parker
Colin Smith
Phyl Pennell
David Parker
Phyl Pennell
Phyl Pennell
PCC Secretary Glennis Parker PCC Treasurer Sheila Dring
Prayer Group Linda Eells
Safeguarding Officer Viv Tiller
St Nicholas’ Circle Max Perry
Toddlers (Tues/Thurs am) Jenny Dobson
Weddings Parish Office
FEBRUARY–MARCH CALENDAR Please feel free to attend every event listed below. Because we are in an interregnum, it may be wise to
check for any last minute alterations either with the office or online here www.worthparish.org/calendar/
Thursday 2 February 8.00pm Are you getting your 5-A-Day? St Nicholas’ Circle, St Barnabas’
Saturday 4 February 10-11.45am Saturday Market, St Barnabas’
Tuesday 7 February 11.00am Home Communion, Lanehurst Gardens
Wednesday 8 February 2.30-4pm Pastoral Assistants Tea, St Barnabas’
3.15-4.30pm Messy Church, Maidenbower Infants School
Thursday 9 February 2.30-3pm Julian Group, St Nicholas’
Monday 13 February 11-11.30am Julian Group, St Barnabas’
Wednesday 15 February 3.00-4.45m Messy Church, St Barnabas’
Thursday 16 February 7.30pm Parish Prayer Group, St Barnabas’
Thursday 23 February 7.30pm Mothers’ Union AGM, St Barnabas’
Saturday 25 February 10-11.45am Book Sale, St Barnabas’
Sunday 26 February 6.30pm Choral Evensong, St Nicholas’
Monday 29 February 10-3.00pm Family Activities Day Chichester Cathedral
£2.50 per child 3 -12 years old accompanied by an adult.
Wednesday 1 March
12.00pm Eucharist with imposition of ashes, St Barnabas’
8.00pm Eucharist with imposition of ashes, St Nicholas’
Thursday 2 March 8.00pm The History of Dictionaries, St Nicholas’ Circle, St Barnabas’
Saturday 4 March 10-11.45am Saturday Market, St Barnabas’
Tuesday 7 March 11.00am Home Communion, Lanehurst Gardens
12.15pm Lenten Soup Lunch, St Barnabas’
Wednesday 8 March 2.30-4pm Pastoral Assistants Tea, St Barnabas’
7.30pm PCC Meeting, St Barnabas’
Thursday 9 March 2.30-3pm Julian Group, St Nicholas’
Saturday 11 March 9.30-11.00am Jumble Sale, St Barnabas’, 40p entry
Monday 13 March 11-11.30am Julian Group, St Barnabas’
Tuesday 14 March 12.15pm Lenten Soup Lunch, St Barnabas’
Friday 17 March 5.30pm Evensong, Chichester Cathedral, see page 7 for details.
Tuesday 21 March 12.15 Lenten Soup Lunch, St Barnabas’
Thursday 23 March 7.30pm Mothers’ Union Meeting, St Barnabas’
Tuesday 28 March 12.15pm Lenten Soup Lunch, St Barnabas’
Wednesday 29 March 7.00pm Annual Parochial Church Meeting, St. Barnabas'
Saturday 1 April 10-11.45am Saturday Market, St Barnabas’
Sunday 2 April New magazine out today
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