inReview - The Church of England

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Feb 10, 2016 - Archbishop's call for a Lambeth con- ference – the ... Baptism Matters conferences for churches ..... l
INREVIEW

February 2016

www.churchofengland.org

The National Church Institutions working for you

The Archbishop of York visiting Helmsley Walled Garden

Archbishop of York’s 6-month Pilgrimage continues - page 2 Primates unanimously agree to ‘walk together’

WELCOME to the latest edition of InReview, featuring news from the National Church Institutions. Our aim is to keep people in touch with the activities of the Archbishops’ Council, Church Commissioners,

the Pensions Board and other bodies who serve the Church at national level. Do check out In Focus, our sister publication designed to be a centrespread for A5 parish magazines.

The meeting of Anglican Primates, the senior bishops of the 38 worldwide Anglican Provinces, joined by the Archbishop of the Anglcan Church of North America, has taken place in Canterbury at the invitation of Justin Welby, The Archbishop of Canterbury. A communique released at the end of the meeting acknowledged both the concern of the Primates over the differences in regard to teaching on matters of human sexuality along with a desire to address wider areas of concern. The unanimous decision of the Primates was to walk together, despite differences, as a deep expression of unity in the body of Christ The Primates discussed the recent

change to the doctrine of marriage by The Episcopal Church in the USA. A working group of members looked at how the Anglican Communion of Churches might walk together on this issue and provided a recommendation to addresss what consequences follow for The Episcopal Church in relation to this change. The recommendations below were adopted by the meeting: “It is our unanimous desire to walk together. However given the seriousness of these matters we formally acknowledge this distance by requiring that for a period of three years The Episcopal Church no longer represent us on ecumenical and interfaith bodies, should not be appointed or elected to an internal standing committee and that while participating in the internal bodies of the Anglican

Communion, they will not take part in decision making on any issues pertaining to doctrine or polity “We have asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to appoint a Task Group to maintain conversation among ourselves with the intention of restoration of relationship, the rebuilding of mutual trust, healing the legacy of hurt, recognising the extent of our commonality and exploring our deep differences, ensuring they are held between us in the love and grace of Christ.” The Primates also supported the Archbishop’s call for a Lambeth conference – the 10-yearly gathering for all bishops in the Anglican Communion - in 2020. For more information www.primates2016.org/about/

Page two | The National Church Institutions working for you

Baptism Matters conferences for churches

Church Urban Fund fasting for Lent

Simple changes that can help families on their lifelong journey of faith when they bring a child to be baptised are to be discussed at a series of conferences for churches launched by the Archbishops’ Council. Clergy, licensed lay ministers and all those involved in family ministry are invited to consider taking part in one of five Baptism Matters conferences on what families expect when a child is baptised. Conference participants will be able to discuss new resources that have been created following major research into parents’ motivations, expectations and experiences when they bring a child for baptism and the experience of churches. Canon Sandra Millar, Archbishops’ Council Head of Projects and Development, said: “More than two thousand families a week on average bring their child for baptism in the Church of England. “These conferences are a key opportunity for clergy, lay ministers and anyone in family ministry

Congregations are being invited to take part in a new Church Urban Fund campaign encouraging people to take up a fasting challenge this Lent in solidarity with people who struggle to put food on the table. The CUF Give it Up for Lent campaign is inviting congregations and individuals to take part in some form of fasting during the Lenten season including giving up a meal on Fridays or hosting a frugal lunch. Youth groups are also being encouraged to consider the possibility of doing a 24-hour fast from breakfast on a Saturday and ending with a shared breakfast on Sunday morning before a main morning service in church. The campaign aims to draw inspiration from the ancient Christian tradition of fasting during Lent with the money saved or raised donated to CUF’s work tackling poverty and social exclusion in England. The campaign by CUF, the Church of England’s poverty charity, comes after joint research was published last year showing that two thirds, or 66%, of Church of England churches are involved in running food banks. Support from churches includes collecting food, providing volunteers and offering

to examine new research and fresh insights into the motivations and hopes of these families and how we might we might help them further on their journey to discover the grace and fullness of God’s love.” The day costs £50 plus VAT and for every two places booked a third place is free. To see a list of the conferences and locations and to book a place see www.baptismmatters.org

BAPTISM MATTERS The Archbishops’ Council’s work around baptism is now making an impact in churches up and down the country. Come along to find out how.

23 February 2016 Ramada Hotel, Solihull

Archbishop Sentamu makes visits across the Diocese of York for prayer, witness and blessing Open to clergy, readers and all involved in family ministry. The day will include

• Parents’ motivations, expectations and experience • Key simple changes to help families on the lifelong journey of faith • Ideas for making liturgy have meaning • New resources and how to access them Registration from 9:30am, 10:00 start, 16:00 finish £65 including lunch and all materials. For more information and to book online visit baptismmatters.org

8 March 2016 Best Western Webbington Hotel, near Weston-superMare (Junction 21 of M5) 15 March 2016 Hilton Hotel, Bracknell 14 April 2016 Best Western Cedar Court Hotel, Harrogate 26 April 2016 Hallmark Hotel Bar Hill, Cambridge

premises as well as helping to manage the food banks, according to the joint study from the Church of England and CUF. The cross-party Feeding Britain inquiry, co-chaired by the Bishop of Truro Tim Thornton, and updated in December has shown that the number of people relying on food parcels remains at a level previously unseen since the Second World War. 17% of Anglican churches are also involved in helping support the growth of credit unions, in many instances through the Church Credit Champions Network. Paul Hackwood, executive chair of CUF, said: “The Give it Up for Lent campaign is firmly rooted in the Christian tradition of prayer and fasting during the Lenten season as a way of drawing closer to God and preparing for Easter. “We hope that congregations will use this opportunity to show solidarity with the poorest and most marginalised as well as raise money for those who struggle to put food on the table.” For more details of how to take part as well as prayer and worship resources see www.cuf.org.uk/giveitupforlent

Bishop of Leeds speaks in House of Lords on flood management From front page

The Archbishop of York is continuing on his Pilgrimage of Prayer, Witness and Blessing across the Diocese of York, which is due to finish in May 2016. Archbishop Sentamu said, “My prayers have led me to this pilgrimage. St Paulinus, St Aidan, St Cuthbert and St Hilda of Whitby in their time shared the good news of Jesus Christ with the people of the North. Praying for those who come to know Christ is a great privilege and a joy. During this pilgrimage, I would like to encourage everyone I meet to commit themselves afresh to try praying, be open to encountering Jesus Christ, pray for a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and receive the gift of the joy provided by Jesus Christ – and be thankful. Pray with me, and join me on the road!” Another visit this month included Helmsley, where he toured the town’s Walled Garden and to find out more about the garden’s work as a social enterprise, supporting vulnerable adults through the provision of horticultural therapy, funded through tourism, and the work the garden does in the wider community, such as supporting school projects and working with fledgling entrepreneurs to sell their products in its shop.

Mike I‘Anson, garden manager at Helmsley Walled Garden, said: “It is a real honour to welcome Archbishop Sentamu to Helmsley Walled Garden and to share with him our work supporting vulnerable adults through horticultural therapy and our social commitment to the wider community in Ryedale.” Rev. Tim Robinson, the Rural Dean of Northern Ryedale and Vicar of All Saints Church in Helmsley, added: “The Archbishop of York is visiting the whole of Northern Ryedale...and will be walking through Southern Ryedale in the next few weeks. Helmsley Church is delighted to be working in partnership with Helmsley in Business and we are glad to be celebrating this with Archbishop Sentamu.” Archbishop Sentamu began his Pilgrimage at Whitby last December and has since journeyed through Guisborough, Middlesbrough, Stokesley, Mowbray and Northern Ryedale. His Pilgrimage will finish in York Minster on Trinity Sunday (22 May 2016). For the opportunities to walk with the Archbishop, to pray with him and to follow and share in his journey, please visit pilgrimage.archbishopofyork.org

Bishop Nick Baines led a debate in the House of Lords on the government’s long term strategy for flood management: The Bishop of Leeds asked Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to review their long term strategy for flood management, particularly in rural areas that do not qualify for largescale flood defences He began by commenting on some of the experiences in

his own Diocese: “It is important to note the destructiveness of recent flooding given that the news agenda moves on very quickly and communities that found themselves at the heart of a sympathetic nation quickly feel themselves to be forgotten. For some of the communities in my own diocese the recent floods come in the wake (almost literally) of other occurrences in recent years, and for them the need for longer-term and more joined-up measures is obvious.

To read Bishop Nick’s whole speech by visiting bit.ly/NickHOLFloods For more about the contribution that the Church makes in the Houses of Parliament: www.churchinparliament.org

InReview | Page three

Publication of pilot audits in safeguarding arrangements The outcomes of four pilot independent audits into safeguarding arrangements in the Church of England have been published today. The dioceses of Blackburn, Durham, Portsmouth and Salisbury all volunteered to be part of the House of Bishops commissioned project to take a look at current safeguarding practice. The audits will now be rolled out across all other Church of England dioceses during 2016/17. The independent audits were carried out by The Social Care Institute for Excellence, SCIE, a charity and leading improvement support agency specialising in safeguarding. SCIE has pioneered a particular collaborative approach to conducting

case reviews and audits in child and adult safeguarding called Learning Together focusing on the reasons why things go well, the cause of any problems and solutions. The audit process in each diocese involved examination of safeguarding leadership arrangements, local policies and practice guidance, the quality of case work, recruitment and training. The auditors also looked at the progress being made in reaching nationally agreed standards informed by central House of Bishops approved policies. For more information, visit bit.ly/SafeguardingPilot

Churches urged to work with local councils in celebration planning HMQ90 Churches have been encouraged to partner with their local council as they plan festivals, special services or exhibitions over the weekend of 11th and 12th June as part of the national celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s 90th Birthday. Sir Tony Baldry, Chair of the Church Buildings Council said, ‘The Church of England is a presence in every community, Her Majesty is the head of our Church and so it makes perfect sense that celebrations in the local church should be at the heart of wider community plans. This is a great opportunity for partnership between church and local government to pool resources and ideas to create really special events that will bring people of all faiths and none together to give thanks for the decades of service she

has given us and to celebrate this special birthday.’ Councils have begun to advertise community celebrations on their websites and some have indicated that road closures will be possible for residents planning street parties. Church of England schools are holding a competition to design a logo that churches will be able to use for their events which will be available to download from the Church Care website. Churches are encouraged to register their plans by emailing queensbirthday@ churchofengland.org and tweeting using #HMQ90. Advice and resources for planning events can be found at bit.ly/HMQ90

Her Majesty The Queen opened General Synod in November 2015 at Church House, Westminster. Credit: Andrew Dunsmore

Consultation on the Church Buildings Review open for feedback Comments are currently invited on a Church Buildings Consultation Report published on 13 October 2015. The report was jointly commissioned by the Church Commissioners and Archbishops’ Council and produced by a working group chaired by the Bishop of Worcester (lead bishop on church buildings). The report is available to download online and comments are invited by emailing Andrea Mulkeen by 29 January 2016. Synod unanimously approved, with amendment, The motion of Bishop of Worcester: ‘that this Synod, acknowledging both a blessing and the burden of the Church of England’s stewardship for so many historic buildings: • welcome the report from the Church Buildings Review Group; • commend it for discussion in dioceses, deaneries and parishes; and • invite the Archbishops’ Council, the Church Commissioners and the Church Buildings Council to work together on the detailed implementation of the proposals in the report so as to enable the Business Committee, in the case of those proposals which require legislation, to schedule the start of the relevant legislative process by July 2016.’ For further information please see the Church of England’s press release by visiting bit.ly/ChurchBuildingsReview and the report which is availabe atbit.ly/CofEBuildings Comments are invited by emailing Andrea Mulkeen by 29 January 2016 at [email protected]

St Gabriel’s Church in Pimlico has undertaken major roof repairs over the past 17 years

Focus on vocations Throughout the month of February there will be focus on vocations throughout the Church of England in the form of prayer prompts shared via social media each day. Join us in prayer for the renewal and increase of vocation to a variety of lay and ordained ministries by following @C_of_E on Twitter, tracking the #CofECalling hashtag or downloading the full list of prayer prompts from our website: bit.ly/CofEVocations

Page four | The National Church Institutions working for you | InReview

The Joy of the Gospel - New Lent study guide now available for churches and groups Explained as a six-week study in sharing faith and written by Paula Gooder, this course is based on Pope Francis’ much acclaimed reflections on mission and evangelism, Evangelii Gaudium, widely recognised as being full of realistic wisdom and infectious enthusiasm for reaching out to others. The Joy of the Gospel will help parishes and Lent groups rediscover the joy of encountering Jesus and the transformation that occurs when his good news is communicated in the world today. Each session includes prayer, a guided refletion on a Bible passage, and an opportunity to explore a key theme of sharing faith, such as working together, the role of the Holy Spirit, and the social justice dimension. Paula Gooder is an internationally known writer, speaker, educator and broadcaster and is closely involved with Anglican - Roman Catholic relations at the international level.

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LifeSavers programme to expand thanks to funding boost Savers programme both from the Government and Virgin Money. “Evidence shows that many of our attitudes to money are beginning to be formed by the age of seven years old so it is vital that children are given a high quality financial education in schools from an early age. “This hugely welcome boost announced today will give children across the country the chance to establish sensible and positive attitudes to money and the habit of saving which we hope will stay with them for life." Under the LifeSavers scheme, savings clubs are set up in partnership with the local credit union with children encouraged to save small, regular amounts of money each week and to set themselves savings goals. The programme supports schools to embed financial education within the whole school curriculum and encourages parents and the wider community to be actively involved in children's financial education.

Reflections for Lent Podcast & Book available Reflections for Lent is designed to enhance your spiritual journey through the forty days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday (10 February 26 March 2016). Covering Monday to Saturday each week, it offers reflections on readings from the Common Worship Lectionary, written by some of today’s leading spiritual and theological writers. It also features a simple form of morning and night prayer and a guide to keeping a good Lent. Reflections for Lent is also available to download as an app on iOS and Android devices. This year, Reflections for Lent is accompanied by free audio recordings of the reflections, read by Martyn Percy. Find out more as well as how to purchase by visiting bit.ly/2016Lent

The Church House Communications training programme exists to assist and enable members of the Church in sharing the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in an ever-changing communications environment. We are running another three great courses that still have places available to be booked onto:

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The Church of England has welcomed a funding boost to help extend a network of savings clubs in primary schools aimed at teaching children good financial habits from an early age. An expansion of the 'LifeSavers' programme of savings clubs and financial education in primary schools was announced by the Prime Minister David Cameron. The move will be financed by a £500,000 grant from the Government, which in addition to funding from Virgin Money, will mean that more than 40,000 children across the country will be able to take part in the programme over the next three years. The LifeSavers programme was launched in November 2014 by the Archbishop's Task Group on Responsible Credit and Savings in partnership with the charity Young Enterprise, working locally with credit unions, churches and schools. Sir Hector Sants, who has led the Task Group, said: "I am delighted and immensely grateful for this substantial and generous funding for the Life-

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Church of England Weekly Podcast The Weekly Podcast is a round up of the week’s news in the Church of England and is available to listen for free on the Church of England’s Soundcloud account. Subscribe by visiting this link bit.ly/CofEPodcast

Blogs The Church of England Communications blog is a great way to keep up to date with news stories, comments and reflections from the CofE. To see the latest from the blog, visit: cofecomms.tumblr.com Baptism: what families want and expect from church Canon Sandra Millar writes about Baptism and what families expect from the Church Promoting a deeper understanding of science and faith The Bishop of Kingston, Richard Cheetham, reflects on the first in a series of conferences at Durham University bringing leading scientists, theologians and senior church leaders together