LEMnAID 156 Local Evangelism & Mission Network Aid
Helping each other to resource evangelism and mission in the local church
Get this in its best format at; www.lichfield.anglican.org/chadnet/lemnaid
This week:-
- Barrett’s Burblings
- RESOURCES AND OTHER IDEAS
- CHRISTMAS THINGS
· Bishop Mark’s Christmas Letter
- Just God, Simply Christmas
- ‘More to Life’ DVD Offer
· Youth and Children’s Bulletin
· Amos Trust News
- Christmas Pantomime
- NON-CHRISTMAS THINGS
· Healing and Deliverance Conference – Update
- Alpha News
- MSM Wolverhampton Update
- Discipleship
· HOPE Latest Updates
· MORE THAN GOLD: Double Friends
- HAY-ULP: Rugeley Schools Work
· New Grove Book: Updating your ministry status
· D: Sign
· York Courses: New Lent course for 2012
· Urban Issues: Social Housing
· What About Love?
· Faithfulness Matters
- Cartoon ‘Fun’
- Saints and Birthdays
- Calendar
- WIDER CHURCH RESOURCES
· The Small Print
Barrett’s Burblings
Hello everyone. You’ll see from the long list of things above that this week is not so much a ‘Diet’ LEMnAID as a full-fat one. I’m not going to try to pick out many highlights as there are simply too many to mention, but I personally really liked the contributions from a couple of ‘Mark’s in the Bishop of Shrewsbury and the Youth and Children’s Adviser; Rylands and Hatcher respectively.
CHRISTMAS THINGS
Bishop Mark’s Christmas Letter
Bishop Mark of Shrewsbury has written a challenging piece on our concept of Christmas, that personally I found brilliant, and I really do think is well worth a read; www.lichfield.anglican.org/news&newsID=848
I think that his closing paragraph sums it up most neatly;
The child in the manger came to his own and his own received him not. He was born an outsider in a world that would kill him; he was recognised by nobody except vagrant shepherds and foreign wizards. He came not merely to rescue, but to disturb us.
Just God, Simply Christmas
An offering from Revd David Primrose of Transforming Communities;
ALTERnativity began in the churches. Its aim is to recapture some of the values of the first Christmas despite the commercialisation of the season. There is a growing yearning for something different and a dis-ease with what’s on offer. Many people comment on the greed which surrounds Christmas, the pressures to conform, the overindulgence in food and alcohol. Christmas can appear to be a relentless marketing exercise.
The story of the Nativity offers some markers for a Christmas with integrity:
· It was a simple occasion
· Many of the characters were poor — the powerful didn’t come out of it too well
· The message of peace was loud and clear
ALTERnativity offers a range of resources enabling you to reflect on the real meanings of Christmas well into the New Year. This year find ways of doing it more simply!
Information at www.alternativity.org.uk
‘More to Life’ DVD Offer
Revd Lynn McKeon, the Curate of Christ Church Gentleshaw (near Lichfield), has made the following offer;
Free to good home - 100 copies of "More to Life", a 13 minute evangelistic DVD, of real life stories of people who have found more to life through faith in Jesus. Each of the stories on the DVD are true, All of the people you will see have discovered something that is so good they want to share it with others. The one thing they have in common, is that they have all found out for themselves that there really is more to life.
The DVDs have a Christmas Cover (can be removed) so they are ideal for distribution during Christmas Services.
Contact the Rev'd Martin Butt on 01543 684329 if interested.
Youth and Children’s Bulletin
Mark Hatcher, the Diocesan Youth and Children’s Adviser, has produced his latest offering, which is chock-full of all sorts of Christmas Resources, with lots of short videos; hopefully you may like at least one of them; http://bit.ly/uNU1SX
Amos Trust News
George has passed on the latest Amos Trust mailing and it includes a 'Bethlehem Pack' with all sorts of resources to use at Christmas.
Please follow the link to read the online version; http://bit.ly/sifROi .
Christmas Pantomime
A plug from Revd Pam Daniel in West Bromwich;
A Pantomime on Christmas Eve for all the family. Come and watch this amazing performance of Cinderella in Rhyme, performed by children of West Bromwich on Christmas Eve, at St Philip’s Church, West Bromwich. The show features Cinderella in an Urban contemporary situation. The show starts at 5.00 pm; costs £3.00 per adult, free entry for children under five. It is really worth seeing - full of humour and fun.
For tickets and further information, please contact Revd Pam Daniel on 0121 525 6190.
NON-CHRISTMAS THINGS
Healing and Deliverance Conference - Update
After requesting your prayers last week, it seems only fair to give you a little update on what happened last week. Thank you to all those of you who I know were praying for us last week, we genuinely do appreciate it. At times I think it was hard work for all the team, but between us and through God’s good grace I think we delivered what I genuinely consider a successful conference.
Specifically we asked we also asked you to pray for the mother of one of our original speakers in Jeff Leonardi. On my return from Swanwick, I found the following message from Jeff under the title ‘prayers answered’
Thanks for your LEMnAID invitation to pray for my Mum.
I heard from the hospital yesterday that, having had a good and comfortable day, my mother gently passed away from this life at tea time. I had been there with my family on Monday and was fully expecting to be there to see her again today (Wednesday 30th – RB). I had feared a painful time for her before the end and this has been a mercy, however sudden and therefore shocking for us. The funeral is to be next Friday, 9th December.
Can I therefore again ask you to remember Jeff and his family this Friday?
Alpha News
A few hopefully helpful snippets;
1. Run an Alpha Course and you can have a free banner when you register your Alpha course. – go to the Alpha website at www.alpha.org or phone 0845 758 1278.
2. Did you know that a recent Mori Poll reveals that 25% of British Adults recognise the Alpha Course?
3. Alpha has new DVD parenting courses, one for parenting children and one for parenting teenagers. See the Alpha website at: http://relationshipcentral.org/
MSM Wolverhampton Update
An update from local msm leadership team;
After much deliberation the msm Wolverhampton Leadership Team have decided to postpone the msm course to a September start date rather than 28th January 2012 as planned.
This decision has not been taken lightly but is believed to be the right one in order to allow us to raise the profile of mission shaped ministry in the Wolverhampton area and to make msm Wolverhampton the best one ever! A Fresh Expressions Day which will be an excellent ‘msm Taster’ day will be held at Trinity Methodist Church on either Saturday 21st April 2012 or Saturday 12th May 2012 and we would like to invite you to come along and support us.
The new msm Wolverhampton launch date will be on Saturday 22nd September 2012 at Trinity Methodist Church, Histons Hill, Codsall, Wolverhampton, WV8 2ER.
The remaining course dates that are now set through to 2013 will be:-
· Weds 17th Oct 2012 (7.30pm)
· Friday 16th – Sunday 18th Nov 2012 (7.00pm Fri / 9.00am Sat through to 5.00pm / 9.00am Sun through to 4.30pm)
· Weds 5th Dec 2012 (7.30pm)
· Weds 16th Jan 2013 (7.30pm)
· Weds 13th Feb 2013 (7.30pm)
· Sat 16th March 2013 (9.00am through to 5.00pm)
· Weds 17th April 2013 (7.30pm)
· Weds 15th May 2013 (7.30pm)
· Saturday 15th June 2013 (9.00am through to 5.00pm)
More details will follow. In the meantime if you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact Anne Riddle on 01782 769532 or 07974 197806 or by e-mail at anne.riddle1@ntlworld.com.
We thank you for your support of mission shaped ministry in the Lichfield Diocese.
Yours in Christ,
Revd Ian Heath, Leader msm Wolverhampton 2012; Revd Arun Arora, Leader msm Wolverhampton 2012; Mr Mark Berry, Leader msm Wolverhampton 2012; Andrew Roberts, Director of Training Fresh Expressions; Revd Jeff Reynolds, Superintendent Minister, Stafford District & Chaplain Stafford HMP; Revd George Fisher, Director of Mission, Lichfield Diocese; Mrs Anne Riddle, msm Administrator (West Midlands).
Discipleship
George advises that; the December 2011 edition of Witness6.7 is an eight page thematic edition on Discipleship, brings together discipleship stories and resources from a variety of different countries and contexts. It is now available to download or read online at www.anglicancommunion.org/ministry/mission/ecgi/newsletters/index.cfm
HOPE Latest Updates
George advises that you can read the latest HOPE update and see their resources and find out what is happening elsewhere at: http://bit.ly/pToaMW
MORE THAN GOLD: Double Friends
George has passed on their latest request; with 2012 now looming very large indeed;
Since launching our Double Friends Campaign, we have gained almost 300 new friends. A good start but still 700 to go. So please act now.
There is so much news about to break and we don't want anyone to miss it.
Of course, if you've already done your bit - 'thank you'.
If not please:
Go to our site right now by going to www.facebook.com/, sharing our page on your newsfeed and asking your friends to 'like' us to be kept in the big picture.
If you are not already a friend, uh oh! Go to our Facebook page at; www.facebook.com/pages/More-Than-Gold-UK/117009724976998 and 'like' us.
How do you 'share' our page?
Go to the left hand side of the More Than Gold UK Facebook page and you should see a link called 'share'. This enables you to share our page on your newsfeed and ask your friends to 'like' us.
Thank you.
HAY-ULP: Rugeley Schools Work
A request from Lisa Knight; the Children and Families Enabler in the Stafford Team;
I currently visit Horizon School in Rugeley on a half-termly basis. This is a school for moderately to severely autistic children and young people, many of whom reside there too.
The school came to Stafford church looking for 'spiritual support' and to build a relationship to enable them to develop the spiritual needs of the school and it's pupils. They are extremely supportive and appreciative of my visits and as I am in my last year of role as Children and families enabler, I would dearly love to be able to introduce the school to someone else who can continue this journey with them.
If you think you could help please contact me, Lisa Knight on 07751 009043.
New Grove Book: Updating your ministry status
Revd Richard Moy may be about to move on from being our Diocesan Fresh Expressions Adviser for pastures new, but I’m delighted to say that he will now be our ‘London Lemon’.
He has just co-written (with Anna Drew) book L6 in the excellent Grove Books series on the possibilities in social networking, written, as he says, for ‘those who know nothing about Facebook & Twitter etc in ministry right through to those who know a lot’ and also cheekily suggests that ‘It'd make a great vicar Christmas present!’. Check it out at; http://bit.ly/s0CNBx
D: Sign
George brings us thoughts on the following opportunity for having Conversations on Living Life to the full.
D:Sign is a three part resource. It is aimed at stimulating conversations on what living life to the full might look like for people at any stage of their life and any stage of their faith journey (or none). For more information please read the article at; http://starttheweek.typepad.com/files/how-to-use-dsign.docx
York Courses: New Lent course for 2012
Handing on the Torch –Sacred words for a secular world.
Synopsis of 2012 course: Christianity is the largest movement our world has ever seen. It continues to grow at an immense pace – especially in Asia (including China), Africa and Latin America. At the same time, Christianity in the West struggles to grow and – perhaps – even to survive. In this course we consider some of the reasons for this and what it might mean for individual Christians, for churches and for Western culture, in a world where alternative beliefs are increasingly on offer.
The participants on the course CD are:
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu
Rachel Lampard, responsible for the Methodist Church’s engagement with political issues
Clifford Longley JP, RC journalist and broadcaster
Find the relevant course flier at; http://starttheweek.typepad.com/files/hott-a4-flier.pdf
Course Synopsis at; http://starttheweek.typepad.com/files/course-synopsis-lent-2012.doc
Urban Issues: Social Housing
An opportunity passed on by Ruth Brooker of Transforming Communities;
A meeting is being planned for February bringing together representatives from churches whose parishes contain a significant proportion of social housing. If you would be interested in participating, please contact David Primrose (Director of Transforming Communities) at david.primrose@lichfield.anglican.org or telephoning 01922 707864.
What About Love?
Revd Nigel Carter of St John’s Walsall Wood has passed on the following inspiring video created by his church school of the same name;
The children made the film with the people (Creative Beat) who do a lot of musical work with the school. It’s actually an entry for a competition held by the people who make the “Friends and Heroes” TV series, and is their version of “Portia’s Song” from the series. When I saw it I just thought it was a wonderful clip as a stand-alone film.
Find it at www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdR0g3-MoUc
Faithfulness Matters
An interesting campaign also passed on from David Primrose;
The Faithfulness Matters campaign has been set up to protests against the companies who run websites which directly encourage people to have affairs. The campaign believes that no one should be making money from helping to break up relationships. Check out their website at; http://faithfulnessmatters.net/
One example is the company Global Personals, based in Windsor, who operate the website Marital Affair. This and other affairs websites are increasingly being advertised publicly on billboards. Since the campaign began, Global Personals have pulled out of one of their affairs sites and the campaign team is meeting with the company in early December.
The campaign has been backed by the Methodist Church, URC and Baptist Union and many other Christian organisations.
The campaign has a Statement that people can sign up to if they agree – please read the statement at http://faithfulnessmatters.net/what-is-the-problem/ , and if you agree with it add your name to the List of Signatories at http://faithfulnessmatters.net/list-of-signatories/
Saints and Birthdays
Saints: Not a great offering for this Sunday, but how about Saint Damasus? The fourth-century Pope originated from modern-day Portugal. A controversial figure in some ways; he can however claim at least some of the credit for the Vulgate translation of the Bible.
Birthdays: Next Sunday there really do appear to be slim pickings. There’s David Brewster, the Scottish inventor of the Kaleidoscope, and Everton and sometimes England left-back Leighton Baines. In entertainment there are TV Presenter Ben Shephard, and one of the original Jackson Five in Jermaine Jackson. But for me the most intriguing is the 2004 U.S. presidential candidate John Kerry; how might the world be different if the deciding and close –run state of Ohio had swung his way and not to George Bush?
Cartoon ‘Fun’
With what I consider one of Mark Hatcher’s best bulletins included this week; how about a simple guide to all of the likely equipment that a good Youth Worker may be expected to utilise; www.cartoonchurch.com/content/cc/youth-work-trolley/
Calendar of Events
Fri 9th – Sun 11th December. Messy Weekend. A guided retreat from the BRF with hands on experiences and practical ideas to take home. For anyone involved in running a Messy Church, including Teenagers and Children. More details at; www.brfonline.org.uk/the-messy-church-weekend/
Sun 18th December. World Carol Singing Record Attempt. Organised by ‘Christmas Starts with Christ’. More details at; http://bit.ly/qy3xXG
Mon 23rd – Wed 25th January. FPE 2012 Conference ‘Evangelism at home and away: What would Jesus do?’. The Hayes, Swanwick. With main speakers Robin Gamble and Jim Currin.
The Fellowship for Parish Evangelism has several members from Lichfield Diocese and George Fisher is the Chair. It is made up of people involved in evangelism and includes church members, itinerant evangelists, clergy, bishops, Church Army evangelistic and Missioners.
For more information see; www.fpe-network.org/Conference2012.aspx.
Tue 7th February. Worship 4 Today. An excellent one-day course for Worship Leaders and Musicians, as recommended by Bishop’s Chaplain Peter Walley. St Mary’s Church, Bramall Lane, Sheffield. S2 4QZ. More details at; http://bit.ly/o4eT41
Wed 29th February. Going for Growth Course – St John’s College Nottingham. 2pm – 5pm. The start of 5 week course with former Bishop’s Growth officer Ven Bob Jackson. Cost £85 + lunch or supper as required. Booking deadline: Friday 21 January 2012. Booking via Helen Taylor at St John’s on 0115 968 3221, 0115 925 1114, or h.taylor@stjohns-nottm.ac.uk. Booking form at http://bit.ly/ux8TAX, and more details at http://www.stjohns-nottm.ac.uk/going-for-growth-2/
Thu 1st March. Facilitating Small Groups. First meeting of a short 4-week course at Shallowford House. For people interested in leading small groups in their church or facilitating courses such as The Bishop’s Certificate Course. It will offer some practical tips on facilitating groups and look at best practise in working with small groups. Led by Lindsey Hall, the Director of Lay Development. Cost £18pp, and be held on 4 consecutive evenings. More details are at http://bit.ly/qflXTr. Bookings (and only 16 places) via Sheila Walker on 01543 306223 or at sheila.walker@lichfield.anglican.org
Do you have any mission events taking place? Let us know so we can include them in the diary.
For details of more events happening in the Lichfield Diocese and if you want to upload your event please go to www.lichfield.anglican.org/Index.aspx?Page=latest-events
WIDER CHURCH RESOURCES
Christian Nightlife Initiatives newsletter
Please find attached the November edition of the Christian Nightlife Initiatives newsletter. The newsletter is our opportunity to continue story telling about all exciting things that are going on across the country in the night time economy and the wider community.
Find it at http://starttheweek.typepad.com/files/novembercninews.pdf
Inspire awards for local mission projects
Inspire, the magazine to inspire Christian witness, has awarded various local mission projects with a prize in Parliament, see; www.inspiremagazine.org.uk/news.aspx?action=view&id=5753
The latest mission briefing includes the topic 'first love at the heart of evangelisation', see www.catholicchurch.org.uk/Catholic-Church/Home-Mission/Latest-News
ReJesus / Christmas + 16-25 year olds rank Jesus 123rd
The reJesus website has a new blog post about Christmas, including a link to research among 16-25 year olds suggesting Jesus is only ranked 123rd of people most admired: www.rejesus.co.uk/blog/post/the_jesus_silly_season
More than Gold and other mission networks are encouraging all Christians to pray the New Year in - to shine for Jesus in mission during 2012, see;
www.morethangold.org.uk/your-church/prayer/shine-for-the-new-year.html
Baptists Missionscene mailing
The Baptist Union produce a mailing of all sorts of resources helpful for the wider church, see http://issuu.com/bugb/docs/missionscene_dec11
CTE Presidents say Hope is a 'gift'
The Presidents of Churches Together in England met last week and said Hope was a 'gift' for the mission of the church, see; http://bit.ly/sQyLeU
LEMnAID
is designed to help everyone involved in mission and evangelism in Lichfield Diocese to:
· keep in touch with each other with news
· pray for each other
· keep informed about the latest resources
· share great ideas and top tips
· know what is going on around the Diocese
This email group will work best if you are willing to share your ideas, news and prayer requests with others. Send in your news and views to richard.barrett@lichfield.anglican.org
Resources and Top Tips will be put in our list of Resources on the Diocesan Web Site so will be an ongoing resource. If you wish to comment on any of the items why not visit our Blog Site on http://ldfe.blogspot.com/ and set up an ongoing conversation.
If you know someone who you think would value receiving this, please send us their name and email. If you would prefer not to receive this, let us know and we will remove you from the email group.
George and Richard
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:
This message is intended solely for the addressees in the first instance and may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, delete the message from your system immediately and do not disclose the contents to any other party.
Richard Barrett
Parish Mission Research Assistant
Lichfield Diocese
01922 707863
The Parish Mission Office, The Small Street Centre,
1A Small Street, Walsall, West Mids. WS1 3PR.
www.lichfield.anglican.org/chadnet/mission
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