South Western Synod e-newsletter

JUN

E 2

01

8

Next issue of the e-newsletter will be produced on July 1st. Copy deadline for articles, adverts, good news stories etc is 27th June Please email Synod Clerk

Please keep the Synod

Office informed of any change of contact details for

your church:

Synod office email

Tel: 01823 275470

Hundreds inspired at four-day Ministers'

Gathering

It took a team of eight more than two years to organise the United Reformed Church's first Ministers' Gathering, which took place between 30 April and 3 May. More than 340 Ministers and Church Related Community Workers attended the event at Yarnfield Park Training and Conference Centre, in Staffordshire, and gained the opportunity to reflect on their own roles as disciples of Jesus and to consider what it meant to serve in a Church that seeks to empower everyone in their call to and participation in missional discipleship. A range of images from the event are available to view and use for free. Please attribute copyright to the URC. Read the full Ministers' Gathering round-up here.

General Assembly

General Assembly is the biennial assembly of the United Reformed Church, meeting every two years to celebrate, discuss and make decisions on the life and work of the denomination.

General Assembly will next meet in East Midlands Synod at The Albert Hall,

Nottingham, from 6 to 9 July 2018.

If you would like more information go to

https://www.urc.org.uk/general-assembly-archive.html

The Walking the Way team is delighted that every synod, in some shape or form, is responding to the call of missional discipleship.

Some are promoting and using Holy Habits as a means of encouraging people to deepen their discipleship, and others are developing their own programmes and resources. Some have

even hired staff and established Special Category Ministry (SCM) posts to support churches in developing their engagement with Walking the Way. All of these efforts are vital in supporting people on their journey of faith in differing contexts and communities. To this end, the Walking the Way Steering Group continues to work with synods, exploring how to develop these links further.

To find out what our synod is doing, talk to your Synod Pastoral Advisor - see link on Synod website http://www.urcsouthwest.org.uk/contact-us/synod-pastoral-advisors/ and attend meetings of Synod.

MESSAGE FROM THE MODERATOR

South Western Synod

Prayer cycle for 2018

Annual list of churches and people to

include in your prayers now available

on the website [previously included

month by month]

http://www.urcsouthwest.org.uk/

communications/synod-prayer-guide/

Inspiration in your inbox Every morning at 6am the United Reformed Church sends out a daily devotion – a reading, reflection and prayer – to more than 1,700 people.

With hundreds more following online and through the dedicated Facebook page, the devotions emphasise the importance of biblical reflection and prayer as a practice of discipleship, and are part of the Walking the Way: Living the life of Jesus today initiative.

To find out more here http://www.urc.org.uk/latest-news/2491-inspiration-in-your-inbox.html If you haven’t already, you can sign-up to receive the Walking the Way Daily Devotions, or find them on Facebook.

Sisters and brothers in Christ,

The reaction of people from our local churches to this Spring’s “Property Roadshows” was very positive: I think we’re very fortunate to have, in Raoul Hewitt and Kathryn Hemensley, two very helpful and knowledgeable members of staff.

Even so, I think we are all at risk of feeling a bit overwhelmed by the demands of GDPR, Fire safety, Safeguarding, Asbestos surveys and so on. What has all this ‘compliance’ to do with the kingdom of God or with following Jesus?

One of the shortest of Jesus’ parables is found in Mark’s gospel (Ch 4: v 26-29):

Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”.

We want to serve God’s kingdom, but so much of what we do as Christians is peripheral, it seems, to God’s work. As we follow the law of the land, and are concerned with health and safety and the like, I believe we are ensuring that the conditions are favourable for God’s seed to grow. When people can know they are secure and cared for in our churches, then they might be able to respond to the good news of God’s love for them.

Jesus tells us that our task sometimes is to wait and search for the signs of God’s love in our world, wait for the seed to produce a harvest. In the meantime, with the help of those at the Synod Office, I hope that our churches can take care of all the pieces of legislation which we have to follow. God’s love in Christ is surely known in administration done with care, so long as we keep concern for others at the heart of what we do.

Once we have those things sorted out and put to one side, we can, as faithful followers of Jesus Christ, turn our attention back to seeing which seeds of love are growing, and where God is at work among us.

Jesus reminds us ‘we do not know how’ God’s kingdom comes, but we can still be part of God’s work as we share the life and love of Jesus and walk in his way by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Yours in Christ,

Ruth

PROPERTY MATTERS

GDPR

We hope you all had a lovely Bank Holiday weekend, during which of course the 25th May finally arrived,

and with it the new General Data Protection Regulations. Hopefully you are aware that it’s a must for your

Church to now have in place a Privacy Notice. We strongly recommend putting this on your Church’s

website, as well as having paper versions available should anyone request a copy. If for any reason you

haven’t completed your Privacy Notice, you should consider this your number one GDPR priority. Don’t

forget, there’s help available for you in the form of a standard Privacy Notice on the Church House

website, in the GDPR section. You can download the Notice and adapt it to suit your Church.

The second thing you should now have completed is the Data mapping exercise, which is designed for

your Church to compile a summary of all personal data held by the various people involved in the day-to-

day running of your Church. This will then enable your Church to review your data processing activities

and make changes to improve security if you identify any weak systems. You’ll find a blank copy of the

audit form on our Synod website in the Property section (information sheet 16.1), or you can follow this

link:- http://www.urcsouthwest.org.uk/property-information-sheets/

GDPR-compliance and Praying for others - Reassurance from the ICO (The Information

Commissioner’s Office)

You may heard an interview on Radio 4 or read reports in the newspapers over the weekend about the

ICO’s statement to reassure charities not to panic in the face of the new regulations. The clear message

direct from the ‘horse’s mouth’ was ‘Small businesses and charities should not panic…We are not looking

for perfection’.

The issue of praying for people was also raised, which has been a common query among our Churches.

The latest official guidance reassures Churches that it’s fine to carry on praying publically for people

whose names are in prayer books or on prayer lists. Written consent is however needed if an individual’s

details are shared in any way, such as in newsletters, on social media, in minutes of meetings etc.

Hiring Church Premises – getting your delegated authority.

A fair few weeks have gone by now since our round of Property Roadshows, where one of the hot topics

was changes to the hiring out of URC premises. Those of you who attended will remember that as a

result of legal guidance local Churches now need a formal delegated authority from the Synod to hire out

any part of Church premises. As with most things, there’s a small amount of paperwork we need before

Trust Officers can grant your Church the authority you need to continue hiring out your premises. So we’d

like to use this opportunity to remind you please to let us have these two forms as soon as possible,

which are:-

Hiring Checklist (form 7.2)

Church Meeting Resolution (form 7.3)

You’ll find all the information you need about hiring out Church Premises, including blank copies of these

forms, as well as completed examples to help you fill out the forms for your Church in section 7 of the

Property Information sheets on our website. You can access these using this link:-

http://www.urcsouthwest.org.uk/property-information-sheets/

Remember, if you have any queries or concerns on GDPR, hiring premises, or any other property matter,

you can contact us (Raoul Hewitt and Kathryn Hemensley) in the property team at the Synod Office,

where we’ll always be pleased to help:-

Tel: 01823 275470 or Email: property@urcsouthwest.org.uk

Safeguarding Training Days 2018 Adults at Risk

with The Geese Theatre

This will not be the usual sort of training day. It will enlighten, and challenge, you – in a good way! The Geese Theatre will do a variety of drama productions, using masks, and there will be an opportunity to ask them questions both in, and out, of role. It will also enable you to gain a deeper understanding of the responsibilities that we all have in safeguarding adults at risk, particularly around the area of recruiting volunteers and paid staff, and how our own values, attitudes and experiences contribute to our approaches to safeguarding. 28th June - Immanuel, Upham Road, Swindon, Wiltshire SN3 1DH – there will be a 15 minute tea/coffee break in the morning and afternoon, with biscuits and cakes. Lunch is also provided. Other essentials Booking via Dinah Firmin at Synod Office secretary@urcsouthwest.org.uk A grant has been obtained for these days so there will be no charge. Places will be limited owing to size of venue so please book as soon as you know you are able to attend

TRAINING

ELDERS’ TRAINING Westminster College

United Reformed Church elders can grab the opportunity to resource and refresh the important role they

play by attending Westminster College's 'Eldership on the Frontline' course. The programme takes

place between 6-8, and 11-13 July. Places cost £125 and include accommodation, resources, and

refreshments The closing date for booking is 25 June. To make sure you grab your space book here!

LINE MANAGEMENT TRAINING

Are you a United Reformed Church volunteer or a staff member with line management responsibilities?

If so, the 'Line Management Training' course, delivered by Jane Baird, Deputy General Secretary

(Administration and Resources), and Helen Bird, Human Resources Officer, is designed for you! You will

be provided with the opportunity to learn about the tools and skills needed to manage others. The two-

day training course will next take place at Church House, in London, on 8 October and 22 November

and in Manchester on 17-18 September at Luther King House. If you would like to attend any of these

training sessions email Deepti Upadhyaya for London and Rita Griffiths for Manchester.

Could you give an hour a week to change someone’s life?

If you are prepared to listen, be patient, and have your faith put to work then there are people with

criminal convictions who need a mentor like you to support them to reach their goals and change their life.

We offer training to enable individuals from churches to do this.

Training Sessions (all sessions must be attended if you wish to be considered as a mentor)

Saturday 30th June 9.30 am to 3 pm Mondays 2nd, 9th & 16th July 6.45 pm for 7.00 pm—9.30 pm

St Agnes Church, Thomas Street, Bristol. BS2 9LL

www.sixty-one.org MentorMe is a project of SixtyOne Tel: 0117 403 7905

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Singing Day: Music from the Iona, Taizé and Global Church Communities: A day of singing from the Iona Community, Taizé Community and the Global Church community

Saturday 23 June 10.00 - 4.00pm Contact Alison Ogden for all booking enquiries aogden@sarum.ac.uk | 01722 424826 | 01722 424800 (main reception) Worship, Art and Architecture The space in which Christian worship takes place is influenced by the culture of the age and place as well as ecclesiology.

Mon 18 June, 2:00 pm to Thu 21 June, 2:00 pm Contact Rosemary Nicklen for all booking enquiries rnicklen@sarum.ac.uk | 01722 424827 | 01722 424800 (main reception)

Roughshod, is a branch from Riding Lights Christian theatre company based in York. They will be performing, ‘Roughshod Deliver’ in on Sat 9th June at 7:30 at St Mary’s, Bitton, South Glos. A link to more information on the performance and booking details can be found below. https://ridinglights.org/deliver/ In an anxious world of mixed messages it can be hard to find truth among the headlines. Join our five performers for an energetic, entertaining show about faith, hope and everything in between.

Touring 11th March – 28th July 2018 - to churches, schools, arts centres, prisons and other

communities round the UK.

Designed to perform just about anywhere, annually Roughshod reaches a live audience of around 20,000 adults and children. It has been acclaimed from Belfast to Brixton for creating powerful new pieces of theatre. Could Roughshod be perfect for your community in 2018?

Box Office: 01904 613000 You can book tickets for shows at Friargate Theatre or our touring productions by calling the box office on 01904 613000 or online.

Tinhay Retreats, Lifton, Devon PL16 0EL

Tuesday 3rd July - Walk and Talk

A day retreat from 10am until 3pm begins with a short time of worship on the theme of journeys. Walk in the morning followed by lunch and then opportunity for a second walk or remain at the retreat centre to relax.

Wednesday 1st August - Create or Make Retreat - A day retreat from 10am until 3pm for any budding artists or writers. Time of reflection on the theme plus opportunity to use the eight acres of grounds or sit inside and paint or write or relax in quiet.

A day retreat at Tinhay Retreats includes use of the ground floor of our house, the garden and all eight acres of the grounds. Further details on our website tinhayretreats.com or phone us on 01566 784990

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

It’s that time of year again when we start to look forward to the Greenbelt Festival being held over the Bank Holiday weekend of the 24th - 27th August 2018. This year, there’s an exciting opportunity for our youngsters and indeed, any of our congregation who enjoy turning their hand to some craft making. As one of the key partners, the URC will be pitching a large tent within the festival grounds at Boughton House in Northamptonshire.

This year’s theme is Pilgrimagination, taking something from Greenbelt’s 2018 theme of ‘acts of the imagination’ together with Pilot’s pilgrimage and Walking the Way. We will explore how we, as people on a journey: learn from one another – giving, receiving, sharing and encouraging. The takeaway tent area will be a garden, with a path through it, and this is where we need your help. We want to cover the walls and fill flower beds with flowers. These can be knitted, crocheted, or made from felt/materials/paper. Ideally these should be at least 6cm x 4cm and they will need a loop attaching to the back to secure them.

These are just a few felt ones made by Emmanuel URC junior church members on Sunday morning. We’re not the most creative, so if we can manage to make these, anyone can! Websites, with free patterns, are below. You can also find many books on this subject: Crochet flower patterns: https://www.thespruce.com/easy-crochet-flower-patterns-978611 https://www.thespruce.com/flat-flower-applique-pattern-978604 https://www.skiptomylou.org/free-easy-rose-crochet-pattern/ http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/triple-layer-flower.html%20 http://scrapbookandcardstodaymag.typepad.com/scrapbook_cards_today_blo/2010/07/designer-challenge-crochet-a-5petal-flower.html

Knitted flowers: http://intheloopknitting.com/free-flower-knitting-patterns/ http://dianne-jones.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/knitted-flowers-free-pattern.html http://mackandmabel.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/knitted-flower-tutorial.html https://misscraftyfingers.wordpress.com/2010/11/25/a-knitted-flower-with-pattern/ https://mariannaslazydaisydays.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/knitted-summer-flowers.html

Material flower: http://icandy-handmade.com/2011/03/tutorial-box-fold-felt-flower-tutorial.html http://mommylikewhoa.com/2014/02/felt-poppy-flower-tutorial/

MICHELLE HOWARD; Church Development Worker - ADVANCE NOTICE:

I am in the process of exploring the opportunity to take a coach trip to Greenbelt Festival being held this year at Boughton House in Northamptonshire over the August Bank Holiday weekend. I am looking at the Sunday - 26th August as this would enable us to take part in the main collective worship of the weekend.

The coach, in all probability, would start from Bristol and would pick up from within Bristol and Swindon. This would not preclude others travelling up to Bristol to join the coach from there. I am looking into applying for a grant to fund the coach, together with applying for some concession tickets. At present therefore, I’m not able to let you know the likely cost of such a trip. I’m just asking for a rough indication of numbers who might be interested so that I can go ahead and see whether an outing is going to be feasible, or not.

Greenbelt has grown over the years, to become second in size only to Glastonbury and there are activities throughout the weekend for youngsters, individuals and families alike. This year’s theme is Pilgrimagination, taking something from Greenbelt’s 2018 theme of ‘acts of the imagination’ together with Pilot’s pilgrimage and Walking the Way. We will explore how we, as people on a journey: learn from one another – giving, receiving, sharing and encouraging. If I could have tentative numbers of adults and youngsters by the 15th June, at the very latest, I’d be extremely grateful. Michelle Howard, Church Development Worker cdw@urcsouthwest.org.uk www.greenbelt.org.uk for lots more information.

TRANSFORMING FAITH, TRANSFORMING LIFE

A thanksgiving service for Training for Learning and Serving (TLS)

at The Church at Carrs Lane, Birmingham

on 23rd June 2018

Worship will begin at 11.30 a.m. Preacher: Revd John Proctor, URC General Secretary

Drinks will be available from 10.30 a.m. and a buffet lunch will be served from 1 p.m.

The event is free and no tickets are required but it will be helpful for catering numbers if you could indicate your intention to attend by

e-mail to stanley.jackson@urc.org.uk by Friday 1st June 2018

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

The next issue of the e-newsletter will be produced on

July 1st.

Copy deadline for articles, adverts, good news stories etc is 27th June Please email Synod Clerk

Save the date:

Festival of Preaching returns in 2019 - we're getting ready for the next Festival of Preaching, which will be back at Christ Church, Oxford, 8th-10th September 2019.

Speakers Announcement We're delighted to announce that our keynote speaker for the 2019 Festival of Preaching will be

Brian McLaren. You can also look forward to sessions including:

Rachel Mann: Sermons Seldom Heard

Margaret Whipp: Preaching as Pastoral Care;

Ally Barrett: All-age Preaching;

And Mark Oakley; and Malcolm Guite Tickets will be released later this year - watch this space!

6th October 2018

Regional Day Conference, Cinderford, Gloucestershire.

Based on the theme of ‘reaching your community’ the four

sessions take you through Where are we? Where is every-

body? Where is God? Where next?

Find out more and book at www.ruralministries.org.uk

Vacancies Finance Administrator, London - Full time Salary: £30,027

Are you an efficient Finance Administrator who can initiate, process and manage financial transactions

within the regulatory framework of the charity sector?

If you are interested in working for us and can meet the above requirements, please contact us/see our

website for an application form (noting that we do not accept CVs):

Human Resources, the United Reformed Church, 86 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RT

T: 020 7691 9871 E: recruitment@urc.org.uk W: www.urc.org.uk/vacancies

Closing date for applications: 12 noon, Monday 4 June 2018

Interview date: Friday 15 June 2018

Programme Manager - Full Time, Home based.

Salary: £38,180 to £40,458 per annum or Minister’s

stipend

Are you an animator, organiser and coordinator with a commitment to encouraging whole church learning

that deepens discipleship? Do you enjoy team working as much as taking the lead on significant projects?

Can you maintain momentum over the long term?

If you are interested in working for us and can meet the above requirements please see

our website for an application form (noting that we do not accept CVs):

Human Resources Office, the United Reformed Church, 86 Tavistock Place, London

WC1H 9RT

T: 0207 691 9871 E: recruitment@urc.org.uk W: www.urc.org.uk/vacancies

Closing date for applications: 12 noon, Monday 11 June 2018 Interview date: Monday 25

June 2018

Programme Assistant London 21 hours per week

Salary: £15,167

You will be competent in administration as well as having excellent communication and interpersonal

skills. Experience of supporting training programmes and online learning environments would be a

distinct advantage.

If you are interested in working for us and can meet the above requirements

please see our website for an application form (noting that we do not accept

CVs):

Human Resources Office, the United Reformed Church, 86 Tavistock Place,

London WC1H 9RT

T: 0207 691 9871 E: recruitment@urc.org.uk W: www.urc.org.uk/vacancies

Closing date for applications: 12 noon, Monday 11 June 2018 Interview date: Tuesday 19 June

2018