Bishop of Sheffield’s address to Bishops in Rome; C of E Statement in support of World Food Day; Letters from Uncle Eustace the perfect AngloCatholic; Sussex church releases silence on CD
Bishop of Sheffield’s address to Bishops in Rome
The Bishop of Sheffield, Dr. Steven Croft, has commended the work of the fresh expressions movement and encouraged new ways of evangelism in an address in Rome.
Speaking as the Anglican Fraternal Delegate to the Roman Catholic Synod of Bishops on the theme of “new evangelisation”, Dr. Croft also spoke of the need for life long discipleship to be at the heart of evangelism: “new evangelization calls for a clear vision of what it means to be a disciple. The new evangelization is a call to whole life discipleship: an invitation to follow Christ for the whole length of our lives, with every part of our lives, and into wholeness and abundance of that life”
Reflecting on the last ten years of the fresh expression movement Dr. Croft spoke of the emergence of new communities of disciples who had grown from seeking anew engagement between culture and service : “They are formed by a process of careful double listening to the culture of a particular group and to the Holy Spirit. Contemplation is at the heart of the methodology. The listening is followed by discerning paths of loving service. The fruit of the service is often a new community of young people or families or the elderly. Within the new community the seed of the gospel is sown and evangelism takes place. Only then can the new group of Christians begin to offer prayers and worship and continue their journey to the full sacramental life of the Church.”
The Bishop of Sheffield also reflected on the nature of the diaconate and the role that pioneer ministers – and pioneer ministry – has played in developing new communities of service and worship: “This process of going and listening and serving and forming new communities requires particular gifts. In the Church of England we have named this cluster of gifts “pioneer ministry”. We have recognized pioneer ministry as a focus of both lay and ordained ministry in our Church. Pioneer ministry is rooted theologically in diakonia and the ministry of deacons: listening, loving service, and being sent on behalf of the Church.”
C of E Statement in support of World Food Day
Statement in support of World Food Day – Dr Charles Reed the Church of England’s International and Development Affairs adviser said: “World Food Day’s “fight hunger to reduce poverty” campaign reminds us of the continuing need for emergency supplies faced by many in our own country as well as abroad. Our churches support those in need in the developing world as well as in our own communities. Today UK Foodbank charity The Trussell Trust reveals that a record-breaking 100,000 people have received emergency food from UK foodbanks in just six months and warns that rises in food and fuel bills this winter could force more Britons into a crisis. Last week the CofE published new case studies showing that traditional harvest festivals are increasingly being used to support local foodbanks. Our bishops in the House of Lords are also committed to speaking on issues of food security as part of Church’s commitment to provide for human dignity for all.”
Letters from Uncle Eustace the perfect AngloCatholic
Two vicars from Macclesfield have launched a book showing the funnier side of life in a small rural parish.
The Letters of Uncle Eustace are a series of fictitious letters from an elderly Anglo-Catholic vicar, who presides over the made up parish of St James-the-Least-of-All set in rural England.
The letters were written for the Christian magazine resource, Parish Pump, and are the creation of the Rev Dr Gary Bowness, a former Director of Post-Ordination Training for Blackburn Diocese and now vicar of Henbury, near Macclesfield.
“Down the centuries the Church of England has been blessed with some extraordinary clergy,” said Parish Pump editor Anne Coomes.
“Uncle Eustace presides over life in the small parish of St James-the-Least-of-All, buried somewhere deep in the heart of rural England. Here time has stood still, kept firmly at bay by an elderly Anglo-Catholic vicar.
“He is in the habit of writing letters to his nephew and thus we gain a glimpse of what parish life once was and may still be.
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/3/letters.from.uncle.eustace.the.perfect.anglocatholic/30818.htm
Sussex church releases silence on CD
BBC – Silence” has been recorded on to a CD and released by an East Sussex church to raise its profile and generate funds for the building.
Members of St Peter’s Church, East Blatchington, have sold their first copies at an open day, and taken orders for more.
The recording of the church’s atmosphere includes the ambient sounds of voices, footsteps and occasional background traffic noise.
More at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-19978247