Chelmsford South Deanery stretches from Boreham and the southern half of the town of Chelmsford, all the way to South Woodham Ferrers and Ramsden Bellhouse. It encompasses 21 churches in 18 parishes. We have been involved for several years in creating a vision document, with the experience of Exeter Diocese being influential and with every PCC having been consulted at least twice; the four points below are the fruit of this consultation.
1. A Vision for Every Member
*We believe that every member needs to be equipped to live in his or her neighbourhood, family, social groups and workplace as a full-time Christian, serving his or her communities and telling of God’s love.
To equip every member to do these things, God gives his church gifted people. Our eyes and hearts have particularly been drawn to Ephesians 4; we believe that God will provide the ministry gifts of
- Visionary Leaders,
- Prophets to speak truth to power,
- Evangelists to spread the good news,
- Pastors to care and include all, and
- Teachers to make sure young and old alike develop into the likeness of Christ.
Our synod in spring 2010 showed what a range of gifted individuals we already value within the deanery, including clergy, readers, pastoral assistants and evangelists, but also those recognised by our local churches and commissioned to minister under supervision. As part of this team of gifted people, there will be some ordained ministers; and of these, some will receive a stipend. Generally speaking, we believe that in 2016 every group of 180-200 active Christians will need the services of a full-time priest - not to do the work of mission and ministry for them, but to equip them to do that work of serving their locality and telling of God’s love. We are suggesting that we will need 10.5 stipendiary ministers in 2016 (down from 13.5 in 2009), and a smaller number thereafter. Our “deanery roadshow” is rolling out across the deanery with the aim of encouraging “whole-life discipleship” and vocation in the broadest sense possible; our deanery synods also have this focus.
*We believe that every member needs to be part of an intimate Christian group, whether a formal group or a set of friends. Smaller parish churches already constitute this intimate group.
2. A Vision for Pastoral Communities
*We believe that every member also needs to be part of a larger group in which the fullness of the ministry gifts listed above is put into practice. We call this larger group a pastoral community, though terms such as “cluster” or “collaborative unit” would work just as well. A pastoral community is a dynamic grouping of smaller communities; it is served by a collaborative team of ministers, paid and voluntary, clergy and lay, licensed and unlicensed. A large parish church (no doubt made up of a network of teams, friendships and small groups, formal and informal) might be a pastoral community in its own right; a small parish church would need to join together with other churches to enjoy the fullness of the ministry gifts God gives in a pastoral community.
Pastoral units will be of different sizes, but contain at least 180 regular members and be able to provide
· leadership and envisioning with all five of the “ministry gifts” of Ephesians 4 in evidence
· regular public worship
· collaborative ministry
· teaching, preaching, training, nurture, growth, and lifelong learning for Jesus’ adult disciples
· teaching, training, nurture and growth for children and young people who are disciples of Jesus
· evangelism in the community as a clear priority
· involvement in and service to the local community, with a particular care expressed for the poor, after the
example of Jesus Christ
· effective pastoral care available to all in the community who need it
· being partners in mission with other groups / churches inside & outside the Diocese
· the provision of appropriate and realistically sustainable buildings
· the necessary administration to support this work
In a pastoral community, no one church and no one incumbent, be they stipendiary or self-supporting, is preeminent (though a chairperson for pastoral community meetings will be appointed). In spring 2011, the parishes of Chelmsford South Deanery chose to group themselves into four pastoral communities:
· The Chelmer Crouch Group (7 parishes from Boreham to South Woodham Ferrers)
· The Great Baddow Team Ministry (one parish comprising three churches)
· The Reservoir Pastoral Community (5 parishes around the Hanningfield reservoir)
· Moulsham and Galleywood (3 parishes)
(One parish is still deciding which pastoral community to join). In June, the Standing Committee will be able to recommend numbers of ministers for each of these pastoral communities into the future.
3. A Vision for Sovereign Parishes
*We believe that parishes should retain as much control as possible over the shape of mission and ministry in their locality. Pastoral communities are not a replacement for parishes, they are simply a tool to help parishes help each other, and we are not looking for legal reorganisation for their creation. No clergyperson can be compelled to follow this scheme – nor would we wish it to be entered into reluctantly. We would ask that deanery clergy freely choose to include responsibilities to the pastoral community in their role descriptions. Where possible, we would hope that Readers and other accredited ministers would work in a flexible way to meet needs, and they are included in the new deanery vision.
4. A Vision for the Deanery Itself
Leadership in the deanery is offered by Andy Griffiths (the Rural Dean), Christine Horton (the Lay Chair), Carol Smith (Assistant Rural Dean), Canon Harry Marsh (the Treasurer), Lee Batson (the Chapter Clerk), Richard Cecil (the Secretary) and a team of others; we try to model the kind of collaboration of people with different gifts that we are urging throughout the deanery. In the context of God’s desire to shower us with blessing; in the context of full-time Christians, pastoral communities and sovereign parishes; and in the context of God’s love for the world, we are clear about the function of the deanery itself. We express it in twenty words:
“We look to God for power
to equip every member
to serve South Chelmsford
and to tell of God’s love.”
I just thought I'd write to say THANK YOU to all those who put so much effort into making this morning work for the 12 people who were making a public step of commitment to Christ - and for all the rest of us too! It really was a morning focussed on God and on what he's doing in our new members' lives, and not at all focussed on the bishop (which was just the way he wanted it - he wasn't going to sit in that throne!). All the confirmed or first-communioning people, ages 9-74, will never forget their morning.
Bishop Stephen enjoyed his day too - and took time to ask me what the next radical thing we had planned is, beyond Rolling Worship!
"During the 40 days, the following comment was left on this blog. I didn't leave it, but I do think it expresses what I think is the "feel" of the decisions we made:
"The "bedrock principle", the "main thing", the "core idea" has to this: "Glorifying God in your ordinary life". If this was the theme of the teaching it would be easy-listening for newcomers (as we look at different aspects of an ordinary life - waking up, going to work, caring for a family, retiring, finding your calling, getting a good night's sleep). Every time, the preachers would make it clear that to succeed in an ordinary life we need the power of God, and show the non-Christian how to "plug in" to the power-station power of the Holy Spirit. And it would always be relevant for Christians too..."
"One year in to Rolling Worship, my fear is that this focus might be lost as all the worship elements from Church on the Common (traditional hymns and robes, even in the supposedly "informal" sections, sermons on religious topics rather than on ordinary life, unwillingness to get to know the other members of the church) are quietly brought back in. The simple fact - as I think Andy hinted at the AGM, though he was expressing himself a lot more graciously than I was feeling at the time! - is that if we hadn't changed, our numbers would have kept declining. You ask any of the new people who've started coming to church in the last year why they're here, and I bet none of them will say "because we're so Anglican" or "because we sing old hymns!" They'll say "because it's lively" and "because it's welcoming" and "because it isn't the way churches used to be". Don't let anything endanger this new life."
A church member
"We read about the "Big Project" in Sunday's notice sheet and also obtained a copy of the statement of need document, and would now like to place a few comments on the church blog.
"Our concept of the Big Project was that it was a programme to provide accommodation for various groups to worship together on a Sunday morning by, for example, opening up for youth use the area behind the organ pipes. The Statement of Need goes far beyond this. Reference is made that at the heart of the document is the conviction, shared at a deep level by the whole church community, that St Michael's is called to be a resource for the whole community. This suggested resource could provide for community meals, concerts, uniformed organizations, dramatic productions and exhibitions. How has this conviction been measured? Des the village need these facilities? If it does, surelyu this is a Parish Council matter, which will possibly be addressed when the Galleywood Vision survey is finished.
"As a church group we have not had an opportunity to discuss the "Big Project", a term which seems to embrace both a church building programme and the introduction of Rolling Worship. Not all sections of the church are happy with Rolling Worship; a number of church attenders only attand the first slot, and we have lost on high profile member of the church community because of the programme. This is something that needs to be discussed by the church as a whoie. An opportunity for such a discussion would have been the Annual General Meeting, but including that meeting in Sunday worship did not include time for this.
"We are being encouraged to pledge finance to make "Our Big Project" feasible, but before making any such commitments we think we should ensure that the whole church body is in agreement with the decisions that have been made, and that money pledged will be used wisely on things that Galleywood Church really needs."
Robin and Marlene Strudwick
To leave a comment, just click on the brown wording on the top righthand corner of each entry.
To compose a new post, just contact Andy (01245 353922) and if you're a church member or Galleywood resident he'll gladly give you the "user name" and password!
The following people are going to be confirmed (or in Sophie's case, be admitted to Holy Communion) on Sunday. Here's how they introduce themselves in their own words:
Joyce Renwick
I was eleven when I went down on my knees to pray for God’s help. My mother died when I was nine years old and I felt very lost and alone (I did have a very good dutiful father and sister).
Up to nine years old I attended St George’s church in Glasgow which was Church of England, but when my mother died my aunt insisted that I attend my Father’s church, the church of Scotland.
My life has been influenced by times in the WRAF, marriage, two children – Christine and Robert, and then sadly divorce in 1975. I worked in a stately home which ran art courses for the YWCA. Later I worked as a live-in carer until recently. During my life I have always believed in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, to whom I have prayed to ever-since childhood. I couldn’t have managed without them all and their care.
Suzanne McAllister
I knew that I needed and wanted to be part of a Christian family. I just had to find the right one. I believe that here at St Michael’s I have found that family. I feel that another piece of my life’s jig-saw has clicked into place and I look forward to learning how God will lead me into the future he has designed for me. It is going to be exciting!
Catherine Groom
I was born in Galleywood and baptised at St. Michael’s. Along with the rest of my family I attended family hour at the school and later enjoyed being part of the Pathfinders group. I have some great memories from some of the camping trips we went on and the club nights at the Vicarage Hall. As I got older and left home my visits to St. Michael’s became more infrequent but near the end of 2009 decided to take the children to the church at the school. Since then, myself and my daughter Sarah have been regulars on a Sunday morning and I have had the opportunity to renew some old friendships as well as make some new ones. I now feel ready to affirm my faith and discover where I may help further within the church community.
Emily Broome
When I was younger I was Christened. I have been going to church with my family since. I have now decided that I want to take the step to become a Christian and get Confirmed. I had lots of advice from Stephanie, Caroline and Andy, and learnt a lot about Jesus in groups such as MEGA and Upwards.
Hannah Collin
When I was a little girl I was christened at St Michaels, 10 years ago. I have been coming to church with my family since then. When I started year 7 things were really hectic with homework and clubs so I sadly stopped going. I recently started going again and decided to get confirmed after going to MEGA, Upwards and SOLID.
Sophie Margaret Wehren
I was baptised when I was a baby. I went to church at St Michael’s school. Every year I went to holiday club. Now we are all up at the church where we cut the session into three slices. I continued to come and learn more about God.
Annabelle Lawson
My name's Annabelle and I was born on the Isle of Wight and baptised as a baby. I currently work as a solicitor specialising in industrial disease claims. A number of my clients are terminally ill and therefore my faith has become even more important to me and I therefore wish to be confirmed. I am also marrying David Neilson in August 2011.
David Neilson
My name's David and I have recently been baptised at the age of 27. I work for a national drinks manufacturer selling soft drinks. It was my family's decision that I should choose as an adult whether I wished to be baptised and confirmed and I now wish to be confirmed to symbolise my commitment to Christ. I will be marrying Annabelle Lawson in August 2011
Katie Steele
When I was a baby I was Christened at St Michael’s church, Galleywood and haven’t regretted it since. I have been a member of Sonlight, Mega, and Upwards youth club. I enjoyed all these clubs very much and they have taught me lots about Christianity and the Bible.
Rachel Broome
When I was a baby I was Christened. Now I have decided that I want to be a Christian. I want to be a Christian because I have always gone to church and I got lots of advice from Stephanie and Andy and Caroline and from MEGA. I want to believe even more in Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit, so...
Claire Polley
I'm the mother of five lovely children; I was married right here in this church in 1996, and have lived in the Galleywood area since 1999. For me, confirmation is about committing myself to be part of the Christian community, and I'm so glad to be doing it!
Jason Polley
I'm the dad of five gorgeous children and I'm a self-employed contract cleaner. I've believed in Jesus for as long as I can remember, in the last year I've been coming to Rolling Worship, and now I feel the time is right to commit myself to follow Him - on my 41st birthday!
"Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire."
So said St Catherine of Siena whose festival day this is. Marriage is intended to be a way in which man and woman help each other to become what God meant each one to be, their deepest and truest selves.
Many people are fearful for the future of today’s world but the message of the celebrations in this country and far beyond its shores is the right one – this is a joyful day! It is good that people in every continent are able to share in these celebrations because this is, as every wedding day should be, a day of hope.
In a sense every wedding is a royal wedding with the bride and groom as king and queen of creation, making a new life together so that life can flow through them into the future.
William and Catherine, you have chosen to be married in the sight of a generous God who so loved the world that he gave himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ.
In the Spirit of this generous God, husband and wife are to give themselves to each other.
The spiritual life grows as love finds its centre beyond ourselves. Faithful and committed relationships offer a door into the mystery of spiritual life in which we discover this: the more we give of self, the richer we become in soul; the more we go beyond ourselves in love, the more we become our true selves and our spiritual beauty is more fully revealed. In marriage we are seeking to bring one another into fuller life.
It is of course very hard to wean ourselves away from self-centredness. People can dream of such a thing but that hope should not be fulfilled without a solemn decision that, whatever the difficulties, we are committed to the way of generous love.
You have both made your decision today – “I will” – and by making this new relationship, you have aligned yourselves with what we believe is the way in which life is spiritually evolving, and which will lead to a creative future for the human race.
We stand looking forward to a century which is full of promise and full of peril. Human beings are confronting the question of how to use wisely the power that has been given to us through the discoveries of the last century. We shall not be converted to the promise of the future by more knowledge, but rather by an increase of loving wisdom and reverence, for life, for the earth and for one another.
Marriage should transform, as husband and wife make one another their work of art. It is possible to transform so long as we do not harbour ambitions to reform our partner. There must be no coercion if the Spirit is to flow; each must give the other space and freedom. Chaucer, the London poet, sums it up in a pithy phrase:
"Whan maistrie [mastery] comth, the God of Love anon,
Beteth his wynges, and farewell, he is gon."As the reality of God has faded from so many lives in the West, there has been a corresponding inflation of expectations that personal relations alone will supply meaning and happiness in life. This is to load our partner with too great a burden. We are all incomplete: we all need the love which is secure, rather than oppressive. We need mutual forgiveness in order to thrive.
As we move towards our partner in love, following the example of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is quickened within us and can increasingly fill our lives with light. This leads on to a family life which offers the best conditions in which the next generation can receive and exchange those gifts which can overcome fear and division and incubate the coming world of the Spirit, whose fruits are love and joy and peace.
I pray that all of us present and the many millions watching this ceremony and sharing in your joy today will do everything in their power to support and uphold you in your new life. I pray that God will bless you in the way of life you have chosen. That way which is expressed in the prayer that you have composed together in preparation for this day:
God our Father, we thank you for our families; for the love that we share and for the joy of our marriage.
In the busyness of each day keep our eyes fixed on what is real and important in life and help us to be generous with our time and love and energy.
Strengthened by our union help us to serve and comfort those who suffer.
We ask this in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Come when you can. We know the pace and pressures of life today. What is on offer here is unconditional. There may be times when you don’t come due to circumstances in your life or maybe our style doesn’t suit you - but don’t be estranged from us. You will be welcome when we meet again. If you want to come home for Christmas or Easter, that’s all right too. We are here. We are pleased to share your happy times - we love your weddings and baptisms - we hope you tell us when you are in trouble. What is on offer here is always available.
Here's my sermon for Sunday evening:
Psalm 40 1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
Firefighters and paramedics rush to the scene. Blue lights flash, engines snarl. But this isn’t real life – it’s a dramtic reconstruction on telly – it says so at the bottom of the screen.
Today we start a series on David. We’ll be with him till the middle of July. And we begin with Psalm 40. We’ll see the stories over the coming weeks – David fighting, David ruling, David lying, David on the run, and so on. But here, David opens his heart to us by giving us a dramatic reconstruction of one time that God rescued him. God was always rescuing David, so there’s no point speculating on the particular circumstances of this rescue. The point is that David knows what it’s like to be in trouble, and he knows what it’s like to wait for God to act when it seems like God isn’t interested, and he knows what it’s like when God finally does show up and hear his cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
The second most important thing to know about David as a worshipper is that he never forgets he’s been rescued by God. Real worshippers always feel like that, they say things like “I was down and out” or “I was blind and now I see” or “I was in a black hole”. And we – even if we know them quite well – might be surprised and say “hang on, you weren’t that bad, we were there, we thought you were doing OK”. But worshippers know themselves better than we know them – they know that they needed God to rescue them.
So here’s where I talk about worship at St Michael’s. Oh, we do our best, and we sing the songs, though sometimes we find it hard to concentrate. But God is calling on us to do a bit more than go through the motions.
Here are the words of PT Forsyth:
“We want the breathless awe and the stammering tongue and the solemn wonder and the passionate gratitude which are the true note of grace. We want the new song of those taken from the fearful pit and the miry clay with the trembling still upon them and the slime still moist”
So when my worship gets a bit stale and dutiful – and it frequently does – the first questions I need to ask myself are about whether I’ve forgotten I needed rescuing. As Philip Greenslade puts it, “Is my slime, as it were, still moist? Do I smell singed? The forgiven love much; the rescued love even more; the dramatically rescued love most of all.”
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
I said the second most important thing about David as a worshipper is that he never forgets he’s been rescued from danger in this dramatic reconstruction. The MOST important thing is to see how secure he feels now. It’s not “I was in a slimy pit, God rescued me, but any minute now he’s going to let go and I’ll end up back in the slime.” No, it’s “I was slipping, but now my feet are on a rock.” People who don’t know how completely secure and loved they are in God are never going to be worshippers like David.
Many will see and fear the LORD
and put their trust in him.
Once you start worshipping – in the whole of life, not just a Sunday evening – you’ll be amazed at your audience. People will see it, and it will make a difference. Nietzsche put it this way: “I would only consider conversion if Christians looked more redeemed”.
4 Blessed is the one
who trusts in the LORD,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.
5 Many, LORD my God,
are the wonders you have done,
the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
they would be too many to declare.
There is no shortage of things to praise God for, says David. And as we’ll discover in this series, whether he’s at a high point or a low point, lamenting or celebrating, David always seems to have something to worship God about. In this Psalm alone, you might argue that he looks backwards in praise in verses 1-3, he looks upward in praise in verses 4-5, he looks inward in praise in verses 6-8, he looks outward to others in verses 9-10, he looks forward to his future needs in verses 11-13 and he praises God for his future help in the rest of the Psalm. There’s always a reason to worship.
6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—
but my ears you have opened--
When we hear “my ears you have opened” we naturally think he means “you help me listen”. But this probably refers to a bizarre custom by which slaves who didn’t want to be freed had a wooden peg driven through the flap of their ear onto a doorpost. The point is: God you rescued me and set me free, but I choose to serve you – and that’s more important to you than my religious practice:
burnt offerings and sin offeringsyou did not require.
7 Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
it is written about me in the scroll.
He’s got a new script – he’s been written in! He has a part in the drama. It’s like David is improvising as part of the ongoing story of God’s people. Chapter 1: God makes a wonderful world but it all goes wrong. Chapter 2: God chooses a people. Chapter 3: God steps into the story in the person of Jesus. Chapter 4: The church spreads across the whole world. Chapter 5: God puts the world to rights. David’s part is in Chapter 2, our part is in Chapter 4, either way we contribute to the ongoing story of God’s love for the world.
8 I desire to do your will, my God;
your law is within my heart.”
These are words that we find on Jesus’ own lips in Hebrews 10. Worship for David and Jesus is not just a matter of getting the outside right or the words right – it’s a matter of the heart, the desires and the will.
9 I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;
I do not seal my lips, LORD,
as you know.
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
from the great assembly.
11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, LORD;
may your love and faithfulness always protect me.
I don’t withhold from others how I feel about you, says David to God; now don’t you withhold your blessings from me. Our translation doesn’t make it clear, but the same word is used of David not withholding his praise and God not withholding his blessing. “God, neither of us are stingy or mean, we’re going to pour out worship and grace”.
So here are my four resolutions for myself about worship:
a) I’m going to spend time whenever I worship rerunning a dramatic reconstruction in my mind – I really did need rescuing, and God really did come to the rescue.
b) I’m going to spend time whenever I worship basking in how secure I am in God’s love.
c) I’m going to generous with my praise – even when I’m in public
d) I’m going to expect God to bless me as I worship.
If those four resolutions don’t get me worshipping better, I don’t know what will.
12 For troubles without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails within me.
13 Be pleased to save me, LORD;
come quickly, LORD, to help me.
So now David turns from worship to prayer. It’s a natural progression, and it happens all the time with David one way or another – one moment he’s worshipping, the next moment he’s praying, the next moment he’s worshipping again. He doesn’t always get it right – take this next bit:
14 May all who want to take my life
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
be turned back in disgrace.
15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
be appalled at their own shame.
Not quite, David – but hey, I’ve never had a psalm included in the bible, so who am I to judge! And at least he’s talking to God about it, not just moaning to himself or other people like we do. When God said David was a man after his own heart, I don’t think he meant he always got it right – he meant he never stopped searching after God’s heart, and never stopped God coming to search for his.
16 But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
“The LORD is great!”
17 But as for me, I am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
you are my God, do not delay.
So hurry up, God! Do not dealy! Which is a weird way to finish a Psalm that started by saying that he’s learned to wait. There’s an urgency to praise and prayer – because we can’t get enough of the God who rescues us, and all eternity will be too short to say “The Lord is great!”
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