A new service is launched this month that aims to support parishes and dioceses in their stewardship, releasing resource for your mission and ministry!

Early last summer, there was a very enthusiastic response to a spending survey asking parishes if they would be interested in a service that could combine the purchasing power of churches throughout the Church of England.

The Church, as a whole, spends over £200 million each year on operating costs ranging from electricity and gas to printing paper. Parishes usually make these purchases independently without being able to take advantage of the wider spend of the Church.

The Parish Buying service is changing that by bringing these spends together and negotiating favourable deals from approved suppliers. The free service also offers tips and advice on how to buy better – taking the stress out of parish purchasing!

The national deals cover a range of key spends including: energy (green options available), office products, photocopying, IT software, and fire safety.

The prices are competitive and the service is monitored. Where contracts are required (e.g. photocopiers) these have been vetted, allowing parishes to buy with confidence and save time and money.

By saving money on operating costs, parishes can free up money to support ministry and mission directly. The aim is to save parishes £10m across the Church of England.

The service has been developed by two national procurement officers, Robert Kissick and Russell Stables, working with a National Procurement Group of diocesan and other representatives.

A pilot of the service has been run in a number of dioceses and energy contracts have been particularly popular and the feedback has been encouraging.

“Our electricity renewal had a huge increase, we were delighted when the Parish Buying service was able to save us 17%,” reported a rural parish in Shropshire.

The Parish Buying service also offers a range of training resources.

To find out more please register at www.parishbuying.org.uk;
email the procurement team at procurement@churchofengland.org;
or telephone: 0800 368 0887.

Download the Parish Buying leaflet >>
Visit and register at the Parish Buying website >>

Christ Church Downend are hosting An Evening with Stuart Townend, performance, chat and worship with one of today’s leading worship song writers, on Friday 24th February.

Stuart Townend is the writer of songs such as How deep the Father’s Love for Us, In Christ Alone and Beautiful Saviour.

Tickets are available through Christ Church Parish Office 0117 9089867 or Lizzie Kitchen 0117 9392563.

Download the Evening with Stuart Townend poster >>

Over the last year, David Stevens has shared how God transformed his life in a series of videos, right up to the point of his death this month.

The series of short films combines to give a moving, inspiring and deeply personal account of how one man discovered what it means to follow Christ.

A cocaine dealer and addict in London, David recalls how he prayed a desperate prayer and, in his weakness, began to receive a longing for God.

NB. This video contains explicit language at one point.

When he read the Bible for the first time, he “felt somehow a little different: changed, transformed.”

“What was going on for me was what [I read] in the Bible about change, transformation and love and there being this benevolent force who loved me – Jesus Christ.”

Over the last months, following a diagnosis with rectal cancer, his faith enabled him to face death without fear.

The videos are just a glimpse of one Christian disciple. In churches across the Diocese, there are ordinary people like David for whom God has made an extraordinary difference.

More Life Stories on our YouTube page >>

Various conferences aiming to inspire churches to take action against injustice are taking place in the greater Bristol area in the coming months.

Becoming a follower of Christ involves a reshaping of our priorities. These events and other opportunities seek to help Christians and church leaders have a biblical approach to social, economic and environmental injustice.

The Global Aware Conference on 21st January 2012 at Broadmead Baptist Church aims to empower God’s people to take action against global poverty and climate change .

Roger Forster, founder of Icthus Christian Fellowship, and Helen Stawski, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s International Development Programme Officer, will be speaking.

“Millions of people around the world are struggling to feed their families, or to cope with the impact of climate change on their livelihoods,” says Jenny Foster, Global Aware Co-ordinator for Greater Bristol.

“It is up to us, as people of faith, to take up God’s work of making a fairer world, by taking responsibility for others in our global community and recognising our interdependency.”
More about Global Aware Conference >>

Jonathon Porritt will be speaking at Christian Ecology Link’s conference, “Treasure in the field: spiritual capital and sustainable living” on 10th March 2012.
More about “Treasure in the field” >>

And the Church of England from across the south west is gathering for “Eye of the Needle: Biblical clues for a new economy” a conference that asks how we create a global economy in ways shaped by biblical ideas and concepts.

“Eye of the needle” will explore the distinctive contribution of the Christian faith to the shaping of a new, post financial crisis, economic order and is for anyone who has an interest in the links between faith and economics.
More about “Eye of the Needle” >>

Other opportunities to learn more about environmental justice from a Christian perspective include:

Climate Change, Faith and Rural Communities
This recently published 40 page booklet written by Martin Hodson and Margot Hodson is the product of a joint project involving the John Ray Institute, the Church Mission Society and the Agricultural Christian Fellowship.

The booklet considers the expected impacts of climate change on rural communities in the UK and the contribution that these communities make to climate change. It argues that engaged faith can have a major role in helping rural communities both mitigate and adapt to climate change.
The booklet costs £3.50. Please contact the ISR office if you would like to buy a copy.

Water: Global Challenges for the 21st Century
A day conference held in partnership with the John Ray Initative and Tearfund on Saturday 3 March 2012, 9.30am-4.30pm at Redcliffe College, Gloucester.

In an unequal world where water resources will increasingly become a trigger point for conflict, how should Christians engage with the challenges of development, sanitation, climate change and political and social unrest?
More about “Water: Global challenges for the 21st Century” >>

The Diocesan Office will be trialling a new appointments based system for church members requiring Criminal Records Bureau checks in the coming months.

There are 200 appointment slots over the next six months and the times and dates are available on the appointments list that you can download below.

Please call the Diocesan Office on 0117 906 0100 and ask to speak to Kirst Cox, Yvonne Hill or Karine Prescott to book an appointment.

Download the Jan to Jun CRB check appointments list >>

A day conference held in partnership with the John Ray Initative and Tearfund on Saturday 3 March 2012, 9.30am-4.30pm at Redcliffe College, Gloucester.

In an unequal world where water resources will increasingly become a trigger point for conflict, how should Christians engage with the challenges of development, sanitation, climate change and political and social unrest? What does the Bible have to say? What should be our Christian mandate in caring for our global neighbours experiencing the sharp end of water-related problems? What might some of the solutions be?

The Redcliffe College/JRI Environment Day will provide thought-provoking talks and interactive seminars addressing these issues. Participants will also hear first-hand accounts of how these issues are impacting people in the Global South.

To book a place contact Redcliffe College: events@redcliffe.org . Or write to: Bonny Cleasby, Redcliffe College, Wotton House, Horton Road, Gloucester GL1 3PT.

The Churches Legal Advisory Service has produced a checklist to help those organising occasional events in churches (parish suppers, discos, concerts, church fetes and the like) comply with regulations.

Download the Occasional Events checklists >>

The Home Office have issued a newsletter for clergy aiming to resource them in relation to marriages and related issues.

This newsletter covers the following issues:
• Civil Partnerships in Religious Buildings
• New forms for correcting a marriage entry
• Marriage returns Keying update
• Re-ordering marriage certificates
• Foreign Divorces
• Quick find guide

Download the Home Office newsletter >>

Jonathon Porritt will be speaking at Christian Ecology Link’s conference, “Treasure in the field: spiritual capital and sustainable living” on Saturday 10th March 2012.

We are spending the natural capital on which our children depend – not to mention the other species in our trust.

Whether oil, metal, water or nutrients, it’s time to ‘leave it in the ground’ and become treasurers, not consumers, of the earth.

That requires investing in the source of ultimate value: spiritual capital.

Christian Ecology Link’s 30th anniversary conference will explore alternative, sustainable ways of being that will heal our ravaged world.

Jonathon Porritt, Founder of Forum for the Future, and Tim Gorringe, Professor of Theology, Exeter University, will be speaking and there will also be a variety of workshops.

Booking: 0845 459 8460 or bookings@christian-ecology.org.uk

Find out more information about “Treasure in the Field” >>

Churches in Swindon contribute over £6m worth of voluntary effort to the local economy every year, according to a new survey of church activity there.

Swindon Churches Together (SCT) commissioned the Swindon Churches Audit which was undertaken by ISR.

The audit reviewed 49 churches and church organisations of all denominations. It found that 4,800 of their members were involved in church based voluntary work, and a further 3,000 outside their churches.

This equates to approximately 610,000 hours of voluntary activity offered each year. Valued at £10 per hour, that is a £6.1m contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of the area.

“In the direct provision of activities and services, in sharing their resources and buildings and in working in partnership with other agencies, Christians in Swindon are making a real difference to people across the town and a significant contribution to our economy and the strength of our communities,” said Bishop Lee, Chair of SCT.

“The picture painted by this audit is very encouraging and describes in a meaningful way the true impact of the work done by churches across Swindon in support of our corporate wellbeing as a Borough.

“Of course there is always more that could be done and I am confident that this report will provide the impetus for further discussions and a springboard for new ideas and partnerships in the future.”

Other key findings included:
• 16,000 people attend 670 church-run activities each week, giving an annual footfall of 832,000
• 360 non church-run activities take place in church premises
• 325 community projects or activities are supported by churches and 280 are run by churches themselves. On average each church in the Borough supports or runs six such projects.
• There are 180 active partnerships between churches and other organisations; and 60 partnerships with schools

To request a PDF copy of the Audit, please contact Mrs Barbara Aftelak on 01793 536815 or barbaraaftelak@ntlworld.com

The Diocese of Bristol participated in celebrating the 400th Anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible in 2011 as part of the Biblefresh initiative.

Revd Chris Dobson, who led the team promoting Biblefresh in the Diocese, looks back on a refreshing year.

“We’re amazed at the way the Church in the UK has really reignited its passion for the Bible.”

So said the Bible Society and in the Diocese of Bristol there were many examples of how we did this.

- Church members in St Andrew’s Chippenham committed themselves to bible reading challenges.
- Bristol and Swindon played host to the People’s Bible.
- An Ecumenical Festival of the Word took place at Bristol Cathedral and College Green.
- Trinity College and Bristol Baptist College put on a series of lectures engaging with the Word.
- The KJV was read aloud from cover to cover in Christ Church in Bristol’s city centre.
- Malmesbury Abbey hosted the “Good Book Tour”.
- Swindon Churches Together took the Bible into the heart of the town with their Stations of the Cross project.
- Hundreds responded to the Lent challenge and signed up for daily bible readings in Lent.
- Video interviews on the Diocesan website allowed different people to explore what the Bible means to them.
- Across the Diocese, people have engaged with the Bible in new ways while others have recommitted themselves to a regular pattern of prayer and study.

Giving thanks for a great year, we finish with another quote from the Bible Society:

“While Biblefresh is coming to an end, it’s our prayer that this would be only the beginning of a journey.”

A Biblefresh prayer for 2012:
Lord God

Thank you for this year of Bible celebration which has seen your Word
fill our TVs, radios, cinemas, theatres, social media, churches and towns.
You have helped us once again to see the transformative power of your written word
as we have read, discussed and dwelt on the Scriptures.

Thank you that the Word became flesh. Let your words become alive in us.
Thank you that your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
Continue to guide us with your instructions for living.

Thank you that you choose to put your words in our mouth.
Give us the confidence to speak out your words of truth and healing, to change us and the world.
Ignite in us a deep passion for your Word that never burns out,
Reveal more of yourself to us as we study your scriptures,
Open the eyes of the world to see the hope you bring through your never failing promises.

We choose to continue:
Reading the Bible at home, on the bus, in church, with our friends, our neighbours,
inside, outside, on paper, on our iPads and Kindles;
Letting ourselves be trained to understand things we find difficult;
Giving to those who do not have the Bible in their own language;
Experiencing the wonder of your Word in new and creative ways;

This is only the start.
Help us on our journey, O God.
We trust in you the Living Word.

Amen.

Are you ready to lead a UPA parish in mission that has grown in confidence, faith and commitment?

Parks & Walcot is an estates parish in Swindon whose lay leadership is taking on responsibility, working as a team and facing the challenges of the two churches’ calling to their community.

As Priest-in-Charge, you will lead the parish forward, motivating it in mission and outreach and directing the parish leadership team.

You will provide spiritual leadership and work as part of a team in the parish. You will also join a team of leaders in Swindon committed under God to the people of our town and to one another.

Application deadline: 8 February 2012
Interview date: 22 March 2012

Download the Parks & Walcot Parish Profile>>
Download the Priest-in-Charge Role Description & Person Specification >>

Download the Application Form >>
Download the Guidance Notes for completing the Application Form >>

Alternatively, to receive the full details and application documents by email or post, please email helen.rees@bristoldiocese.org or phone Helen Rees on 01454 777728.

Completed applications must be received by 8 Febaruary 2012 by email (helen.rees@bristoldiocese.org) or by post (Helen Rees, Bishop of Bristol’s Office, 58a High Street, Winterbourne, Bristol, BS36 1JQ).

Watch a video explaining about the Diocese of Bristol >>
Read about the Diocese of Bristol’s vision >>
Download “Releasing the energy”, the Diocese of Bristol Strategy >>

Adviser for Lay Ministry Development

Half-time (17.5 hrs per week)

Salary: £14,661 p.a.

A half-time role, suitable for a lay or ordained candidate, working in our Ministry Development Team, you will be committed to developing the ministry of the whole people of God.

As Adviser for Lay Ministry Development, you will have responsibility for overseeing the initial training of Licensed Lay Ministers (“Readers”) and work with Deanery Leadership Teams to develop a range of vocational training opportunities.

A good understanding of how lay ministry is being enabled to flourish in today’s Church is vital as well as a vision to try new ways of equipping ministers to lead the Church into its future.

Deadline for completed applications: 8 February 2012

Interview date: 7 March 2012

Download job description >>

Find out more about the Ministry Development Team >>

Read about the Diocese of Bristol’s vision >>

Return to Vacancies page to download Application Form >>

Are you called to an imaginative, varied and demanding role enabling growth?

You will be a leader in mission – both in the church community in Emersons Green and Mangotsfield and in supporting churches across the deanery of Kingswood & South Gloucestershire.

South Glos and Mangotsfield are places of social, cultural and demographic change where the Church has great potential.

We are looking for a colleague who will “make mission happen” in a mission-minded deanery.

The opportunities are endless for a self-starting, relationship-building, Jesus-communicating, action-focused, praying colleague.

Application deadline: 8 February 2012
Interview date: 16 March 2012

Download the Deanery Mission Enabler and Mangotsfield information pack >>

Download the Application Form >>
Download the Guidance Notes for completing the Application Form >>

Alternatively, to receive the full details and application documents by email or post, please email helen.rees@bristoldiocese.org or phone Helen Rees on 01454 777728.

Completed applications must be received by 8 Febaruary 2012 by email (helen.rees@bristoldiocese.org) or by post (Helen Rees, Bishop of Bristol’s Office, 58a High Street, Winterbourne, Bristol, BS36 1JQ).

Watch a video explaining about the Diocese of Bristol >>
Read about the Diocese of Bristol’s vision >>
Download “Releasing the energy”, the Diocese of Bristol Strategy >>

An exciting new opportunity to help the East Bristol Partnership grow and develop.

We are seven churches in east Bristol, each with a Ministry Leadership Team.

We need a priest with proven leadership qualities who will:
• work collaboratively across many boundaries
• encourage growth
• recognise and develop the talents of all people
• provide clear oversight, spiritual leadership, direction and pastoral care for clergy and lay people
• have a passion for creative and imaginative ministry in an urban area
• give clear leadership to the existing Ministry Teams.

Application deadline: 8 February 2012
Interview date: 29 February/1 March 2012

Download the Partnership Profile >>
Download the Role Description & Person Specification >>

Download the Application Form >>
Download the Guidance Notes for completing the Application Form >>

Alternatively, to receive the full details and application documents by email or post, please email helen.rees@bristoldiocese.org or phone Helen Rees on 01454 777728.

Completed applications must be received by 8 Febaruary 2012 by email (helen.rees@bristoldiocese.org) or by post (Helen Rees, Bishop of Bristol’s Office, 58a High Street, Winterbourne, Bristol, BS36 1JQ).

Watch a video explaining about the Diocese of Bristol >>
Read about the Diocese of Bristol’s vision >>
Download “Releasing the energy”, the Diocese of Bristol Strategy >>

The Q1 Cycle of Prayer is available to download on the diocesan website.

We also tweet via @diobrizzle many of the prayer points.

See all the ways to download the Cycle of Prayer >>

Strategy & Mission Officer
Full time (35 hours)
Salary £24,154 p.a.

The Diocese of Bristol is supporting and releasing the energy of churches across greater Bristol, North Wiltshire and Swindon.

A graduate with experience in the non-profit sector, you will have strong analytical and interpersonal skills and work alongside senior managers in a Church of England diocese.

Your task will be to evaluate the success of the Diocese’s Growth Programme, support the work of our Strategy Delivery Team and ensure systems and processes are effectively implemented.

We are seeking someone who is:
• able to analyse and interpret a variety of information and statistics
• confident in communicating with a range of stakeholders
• organised and process oriented
• committed to the mission of the Church

Closing date for completed applications: 30 January 2012
Interview date: 9 February 2012

Download Job Description and further details >>

If you need further information, contact Maria Hodson:
0117 906 0100; jobs@bristoldiocese.org

Watch a video explaining about the Diocese of Bristol >>
Read about the Diocese of Bristol’s vision >>

Return to Vacancies page to download Application Form >>

Reminder –: 2 catch up dates for clergy & others who have not done the Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults training yet.

Sat Feb 25^th 9.30 – 12.30 am at St Peter Frogwell Chippenham SN14 0DJ

Sat June 11^th 9.30- 12.30 am at Beehive Centre St Ambrose Stretford Rd  Whitehall Bristol BS5 7AW

Please book your place by emailing:  jeanette.plumb@bristoldiocese.org

Churches in the Diocese of Bristol have until 20th January to bid for grants of up to £50,000 towards energy efficiency projects.

The Government has announced a new £10million Local Energy Assessment Fund which will provide grants for around 200 community organisations, including churches, to help assess the potential for energy efficiency and renewable energy generation and get things started in their area.

Interested communities can apply via the Energy Saving Trust and money will be allocated in two rounds. The first round closes at noon on 22 December 2011 with successful applicants notified in the week beginning 9 January 2012.

The second round will close to applications at noon on 20 January 2012 with successful communities notified at the end January. Work will need to be completed by end of March 2012.

David Shreeve, the Church of England’s national environment adviser, said:

“With a Christian presence in every community, the CofE’s churches are perfectly placed to house local energy efficiency projects. The deadline for application and delivery is tight but many churches are currently considering ways of harnessing renewable energy for their buildings and this may just be the spur they need.

“Shrinking the Footprint, the Church of England’s national environment campaign, provides advice and toolkits for the local church as it rolls out vital green community projects as part of its ministry and mission.”

Full details for the Local Energy Assessment Fund >>
More information on Shrinking the Footprint >>

Bishop Mike and Bishop Lee spent the second half of November giving two leadership conferences in Uganda as part of our commitment to leadership development and our partnership with the Church of Uganda.

Nearly sixty participants from eight link dioceses in Uganda attended two conferences – one in Fort Portal in the west of the country and the other in Mbale in the east. Five diocesan bishops brought their senior teams.

In turn, it was not just the Bishops but a team from the Diocese of Bristol who brought the teaching and facilitated the learning.

The learning was based on the theme of “Developing Christ-like leadership” and asked the question, “What does it mean to lead and to serve?”

Starting from the foundation of holiness of life and character, the bishops focused on servanthood, seasons of leadership and the challenge to renew your passion for ministry and commitment to service.

2 Corinthians 4 formed a core text for the conferences, as participants explored how “the life of Jesus may be revealed in us”, as a result of his death and resurrection reproduced in our spiritual lives.

Revd David Hart, the Bristol Methodist Superintendent who joined the team, spoke about “leading through structures”, amongst other subjects. The model of partnership at work in the team also inspired the participants.

The visitors and host churches shared worship and prayer together and, despite some inevitable timing issues, the conferences were well organised and had a good spirit.

Canon Stuart Taylor facilitated prayer, worship and application of the lessons and Revd Chris Dobson, Ecumenical and Global Partnership Officer, who had navigated the challenges of organising the conferences in a cross-cultural context also gave input.

“You challenged me to align my values so that my talk matches my walk”, commented Rev Patrick Situuma, Mission Co-ordinator in Mbale Diocese.

Bishop Sheldon from Ankole came expecting advice about budgets and went away lifted by the spiritual impact on delegates. “This really exceeded my expectations!” he enthused.

The conferences were made possible by a significant gift from a donor from outside the Diocese.

View a gallery from the leadership conferences >>
Find out more about the Bristol-Uganda Link >>

At Christmas, local churches connect with more people in their communities than at any other time. How will your church ensure it makes connections that last?

Christmas is a powerful reminder in the life of Christians and of the Church that “God is with us”.

Amidst the festivities, family events and consumerism, we should not forget that this message is still felt by large numbers in our communities who are not regularly part of a local church.

Services over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day double even the highest attendances at other points in the year. Add in all the other opportunities that people have to connect with a local church over Advent and Christmas – carol services, Christingle services, other hospitality – and church communities are reaching significant numbers of people, young and old, at this time of year.

How can we enhance the breadth and depth of this connection?

First, make sure that people in your community know about what you’re doing.
• Are your Christmas services advertised on a large poster (A2 minimum) outside your church and on noticeboards in the community?
• Have you dropped leaflets door to door in your parish?
• Is your website up to date, with Christmas services prominent?
• Have you added Christmas services to www.churchnearyou.com via your A Church Near You entry?

Second, give a warm welcome: hospitality, well heated buildings, personal welcomes all make a big difference.

Third, make sure what you do and say at your services and events is accessible to those unfamiliar with church. For example, explain what practices, language and concepts mean.

Fourth, give people something to take away that means they might come back before Christmas 2012: a leaflet with your services in the New Year; an explanation about how they can get in touch in order to explore getting married or a child’s baptism; your next Alpha, marriage or parenting course; upcoming social events. If your website is up to date, always give the web address for people to find out more.

Most of all, be sure to take the opportunity to communicate that although Jesus Christ was born at Christmas he still lives today in our communities.

Diocese of Bristol online Advent Calendar >>
Prayers and readings for Advent and Christmas >>
Bishop Lee’s Christmas letter >>
Add your services to www.christmasnearyou.com >>

Helen Lems, Warden of Ivy House, St Denys Retreat Centre, will lead a Quiet Day entitled “God’s Gift” in Warminster on 13th December 2011.

Book by calling 01985 214834 or email stdenys@ivyhouse.org

Riding Lights Theatre Company is coming to Bishopston, Bristol to perform its hilarious, enchanting and moving Christmas play, Nearly the Goat, on 17 December 2011.

This family show has the traditional nativity story at its heart and will show at St Michael’s Church, Gloucester Road at 2pm and 7pm.

Employing an extraordinary range of puppetry skills, Riding Lights brings you the Christmas story in unforgettable style. Nearly the Goat is action packed, captivating story-telling for the whole family.

Will Nearly, in his own DIY travelling machine, get to Bethlehem before the wolf does? Can his amazing acting talents impersonate a host of harassed innkeepers? And how can the kings return to Persia without their camel?

This night of all nights is heading for a flock of disasters. Well, nearly – if it wasn’t for one relentlessly cheerful, extremely resourceful goat butting in.

The performance lasts approximately one hour and is suitable for ages 5 and over. To book your tickets contact the box office on 0117 9834300.

Find out more about Nearly the Goat >>

Safeguarding Adults Officer, Jeanette Plumb, reflects on what we can do to counter disturbing findings about the mistreatment of the elderly.

Many will have seen the disturbing findings highlighted by the Equality & Human Rights Commission Report about the mistreatment of the elderly in their own homes by some care workers.

This is a key feature of adult abuse where a care worker uses short cuts or deliberately mistreats the person and/or their home because they are working alone without supervision.

The report highlighted the worst case scenarios of elderly people being left on a toilet for hours because the carer moved on to another task and forgot them; of people being left unwashed and put to bed in the afternoon to save time etc.

What can we do?
• Be aware of the elderly and disabled in our congregations
• Find out which of them have home care provided by agencies
• Monitor their health & well-being; look out for signs of distress or other changes in their behaviour, demeanour
• Train pastoral workers to know how to deal with suspected abuse (this can be requested from the diocese)
• Ask them directly about their routines and which aspects they would like improved, try to encourage them to remember that they have rights – many will not complain for fear of losing the care they do get, even if it is inadequate or abusive
• Inform the Nominated Person for Vulnerable Adults of any suspicions
• Be prepared to speak out on behalf of the vulnerable – remember that most of us will be in that position at some point in our lives
• Read the pages on the website about Adult Safeguarding under Ministry Resources

Contact Jeanette Plumb to find out what you can do >>

The Christian Resources Exhibition (CRE) is returning to the South West on 25 and 26 January 2012 at Westpoint, Exeter.

Often dubbed the ‘ideal church show’, everything from communion wine to computers, sound systems to signboards will be on display at CRE.

More than 4,600 attended the last show in 2009. Seminars and workshops will be led by gifted communicators in their field of expertise with presentations ranging from how to lead worship to young people and the Bible.

Find out more about and book CRE at Westpoint >>

Find your nearest Christmas services at www.christmasnearyou.com.

Find Christmas services near you at www.achristmasnearyou.com.

The Diocesan Synod voted in favour of the Anglican Covenant and approved the 2012 Budget at its meeting in Bristol on Saturday 3rd December 2011.

Bishop Mike proposed that the Synod approve sending the Anglican Communion Covenant to General Synod.

The Covenant seeks to provide a framework in which relationships between Provinces can be worked out within the Communion.

Speeches were made on both sides of the debate and the motion was passed in each House: Bishops unanimously; Clergy 14 for, 9 against, 1 abstention; Laity 17 for, 3 against, 3 abstentions.

Andrew Lucas presented the budget for 2012 and the process leading up to it. The budget was approved unanimously.

The Dean gave the Presidential Address on the changing culture for the ordained ministry, particularly articulated in the Clergy Terms of Service Measure.

The Synod also received a presentation about the different ways in which growth was being expressed across parish churches as part of the Growth Programme, as a result of the Diocesan Strategy.

It also endorsed the proposals for a Governance Review in line with the Diocesan Strategy, following the work done on the subject of “Engaging with Diocesan Synod”.

Read the Dean’s Presidential Address on the Changing Culture >>
Download the Diocesan Synod papers >>

In his message in the lead up to Christmas, Bishop Lee invites us to consider a different perspective on the nativity story which Middle Eastern Christians believe does justice to both the biblical accounts and their culture.

Over the years there have been regular efforts to critique the nativity story as it is popularly presented. That is a hazardous process. Bishops have received a roasting by media firestorm and biblically literate Christians who have pointed out there is no direct mention of animals or a stable have largely been dismissed as latter day Scrooges.

With this in mind I hesitate to suggest that there seems to be one clear mutation that has entered our Christmas DNA and caused real problems – not so much for us in the West but certainly for many of our brothers and sisters in the Middle East.

At the heart of this is the interpretation of a single word – katalyma. It is used twice in Luke’s gospel, once in reference to the upstairs room (chapter 22 verse 10) where Jesus held the Passover, and earlier in chapter 2 (verse 7) where it is translated as the inn. According to Kenneth Bailey, a biblical scholar who has spent most of his working life there, this translation has created plenty of cultural dissonance.

From their viewpoint Joseph appears as an inept husband who cannot arrange for his wife’s needs. Rather than looking for support from his relatives he seeks out a commercial inn. Not only does he offend them in doing so but the whole village is seen as complicit in neglecting or rejecting a member of the line of King David.

To the Middle Eastern ear the shepherds come across as ‘hardhearted oafs without the presence of mind to help a needy family of strangers’! All of this follows from translating katalyma as ‘inn’.

The standard translation of this word, says Professor Bailey, is guest room. Putting that into the text has a huge impact, recalling the homes of peasant families and resonating culturally with the past and present day. Such simple houses were built on slopes and had two levels in one living area. At night any livestock would be brought in to the lower area to protect them and provide warmth in winter. A manger would be positioned so that straw was available for the animals. Some homes would have a separate guest room above or to the side.

Bailey is sure this was the setting for Jesus’ birth – a simple home where the guest room was already taken and where the newborn Messiah was laid in a manger and greeted by shepherds. There was no heartless innkeeper!

Just as modern Christmases seem to have become indelibly shaped by Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol, Bailey believes that in the second century what we might call a kind of novel had a similar effect on the nativity story. Penned by an anonymous Christian who was unfamiliar with the geography or Jewish custom, The Protoevangelium of James imaginatively expands on the story of Jesus’ birth. Despite being denounced by influential church leaders of the time it was translated into many languages, becoming the equivalent of a best seller.

It is this ‘novel’ that has the first known reference to Jesus being born the same night as the family arrived in Bethlehem; Luke’s gospel simply says ‘while they were there the time came for the baby to be born’.

My guess is that it will be nigh impossible for the Church to recover what seems to Middle Eastern people to be the original DNA of the biblical nativity but it should not stop us trying. If we are going to insist there is more to Christmas than those envisaged by Dickens or Coca Cola we might as well tackle another cultural misconception.

With my prayers for a holy Advent and Christmas

+Lee

Ven Tim McClure, Archdeacon of Bristol, has announced his retirement which will take place in July 2012.

Tim has ministered in the Diocese for almost 20 years, starting in 1992 as Team Leader of Industrial and Social Ministry before becoming the founding Director of the ecumenical Churches’ Council for Industry & Social Responsibility (ISR) in 1996.

Tim became Archdeacon of Bristol in May 1999 and took on leadership of the Strategy Delivery Team in 2009.

During his ministry, he was also General Secretary of the Student Christian Movement (SCM) for 10 years and Chair of Traidcraft in the 1990s.

There will be a farewell service and celebration to mark Tim’s retirement on the evening of 6th July 2012 at Bristol Cathedral.

Please pray for Tim and Barbie as they prepare for their new life in Cumbria.

N.B. Bishop Mike will be taking Extended Study Leave from mid-January to mid-May 2012.

Please pray for him and direct any queries to Bishop Lee.

ISR and Dioceses in the South West are hosting a day conference on 24 March 2012 entitled, “Eye of the Needle – Biblical Clues to a New Economy” at the Vassall Centre in Bristol.

In the light of the present global economic crisis, this conference will seek to identify the distinctive contribution that the Christian faith can make to the shaping of a new economy which promotes human and environmental flourishing. Speakers will include Prof. Ulrich Duchrow, Dr Molly Scott Cato, Simon Barrow

If you would like printed copies of the downloadable leaflet please contact Alison Paginton eyeoftheneedle@ccisr.org.uk or telephone: 0117 955 7430

Book at www.ccisr.org.uk/eyeoftheneedle >> or
Download the Eye of the Needle booking form >>
Download the Eye of the Needle Conference leaflet >>

Associate Minister – Local Mission (lay post) The Parish of Bishopston and St Andrews.

Salary
£23,320 pa.

We are a growing Team Ministry with three churches just north of the centre of Bristol, looking for a theologically qualified lay person to be a part of our
parish staff team to train and co-ordinate our local mission through ‘Little Churches’, the Alpha course and our community outreach groups, as well as
helping to lead our work with students and young adults.

Information for Candidates and Application details available on request from: revjamesstevenson@yahoo.co.uk

Application to James Stevenson by December 9th at 5pm.
Interviews will follow shortlisting and will take place after December 10th.

Following Prisons Week, Safeguarding Adults Officer, Jeanette Plumb, reflects on the Faith in Prison Conference and what local churches can do with what we’ve learned.

Prison Week started in Bristol with the “Faith in Prison: Who cares?” conference on 19 November 2011. All the speakers in different ways urged us to recognise that there are viable alternatives to prison.

The Rt Revd Dr Peter Selby, former Bishop of Worcester and Bishop to Prisons, explained how, as a society, we are very “muddled” about what prison is for and until we sort that our we are failing both prisoners and those who run the service. He made the compelling point that there are no human beings who we should not think about – there can be no “out of sight out of mind” mentality.

Is prison for punishing the offender or is it for protecting the public or is it to rehabilitate the offender? The huge rate of re-offending suggests it cannot be the latter. The rehabilitation programmes that are effective are often not available to as many as need them and the expense of these activities suggest they will be casualties of the cut backs.

Dr Selby called for us to speak out against the use of indeterminate sentences where someone has to prove they are no longer a risk. The mechanism for proving that through course completion is just not available to all.

Revd David Powe, chaplain at HMP Bristol in Horfield, graphically and humorously described the response he receives in prison. He reminded us that prisoners and their families are vulnerable people; they may be afraid, angry, abused or searching or any combination of those. David feels privileged to share the love of Jesus in this context.

We heard from the Governor of HMP Leyhill in South Glos and a current prisoner now motivated to turn his life around.

The local MP and Minister for Work and Pensions, Steve Webb, shared some government thinking about how to link his department with the ministry of justice to look more holistically at support on release.

Juliet Lyon, Director of the Prison Reform Trust shared statistics such as 7% of children in schools will experience having a father in prison.

The day finished with a great performance by members of Changing Tunes, a Bristol based charity using music, recording & performance to enable prisoners to use their skills and gain a sense of worth through this shared experience. The re-offending rate is less than 15% compared to 49%-77% of the overall prison population.

Research shows that a huge number of prisoners are illiterate, many have learning difficulties and mental health problems. The government has earmarked money to attempt to deal with some of these issues through diversionary treatments. One of the key alternative ways of working with offenders is that of Restorative Justice. This well established approach where victim & offender are brought together so that the offender can see & hear about the impact of their crime has been successful at many levels.

What can we do in our parishes?
• Be aware of the fact that prisoners are often victims of past abuse
• Recognise that their families are vulnerable – especially when an offender is in a prison at a geographical distance
• Make people aware of volunteering opportunities with The Prison Fellowship (such as visiting or fund raising for Christmas presents for prisoners’ children), the IMB – Independent Monitoring Board whose role is to check that prisoners are treated with respect & dignity, Victim Support
• Pray for the work of the chaplains that they will touch many lives with the love & hope of Christ
• Support any of your congregation working in the prison or probation service
• Pray for victims of crime that they will recover a sense of peace and equilibrium and will be given appropriate support
• Discuss together how your church would respond to an ex-offender coming to church – what things may you need to do differently in order to ensure they felt welcomed?
• Discuss openly the issues raised above and look for Scriptural guidance on the dilemmas they raise
• Write to your MP asking them to vote for prison reform and the end of the detention of children

A new Church of England website has been launched to help people find a Christmas service near them. Details of Christmas, crib, nativity, Christingle and carol services posted by many of the Church of England’s 16,000 places of worship are just a click away at www.christmasnearyou.com.

www.christmasnearyou.com follows on from the success last year of the Diocese of Bristol’s christmasnearyou website and a similar initiative created by the Diocese of Exeter. Diocese of Bristol churches are encouraged to fill in details of their services now.

Find out how to update your church’s Christmas services >>

Comedian, Jo Brand, is backing the website.

“As usual, I am looking forward to Christmas this year and going to a church service,” says Jo.

“I’m not really a churchy person although I do think Jesus was a good bloke. The singing of carols and Christmas churches decorated with nativity scenes and holly are a great attraction for families at Christmas time, particularly for me, because they remind me of my childhood in a small Kent village when it always seemed to be snowing at Christmas.”

By simply entering a postcode, www.christmasnearyou.com will show all the times and places of all nearby Christmas and carol services.

“I think many people in this country who are not regular churchgoers do manage to get along to a traditional Christmas service,” says Jo.

“It marks a time of year when we should be thinking particularly about people for whom Christmas is a grim or sad time and how it’s not all about presents and consumerism.”

In 2012 a similar site will promote special services to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.

Colston Hall: Joy to the World “A Christmas Celebration with Renewal Gospel Choir, A dynamic evening of song and music with special guests”

Tel. 0117 922 3686, www.colstonhall.org

The next meeting of the Bristol Diocesan Synod will be held on Saturday 3rd December 2011 at the City Academy, Bristol
Coffee will be served from 9.00 a.m.

Download all the PDFs below in one zip file >>

0 – AGM 26-05-11 Notification

0a – DS Agenda 3-12-11

0b – Directions – The City Academy

1 – Sep and Nov BC Rep to Dec Synod – On chairs

2 – S318 Note to Synod 031211

3 – D S Election Formula to BC for Approv

4-7 DS Consultation

Enc 1a – Final 2012 budget

Enc 1b – Budget 2012 to 3 Dec Diocesan Synod

Enc 2 – Anglican Communion Covenant – Reference

Enc 3 – Anglican Communion Covenant – briefing paper

The Church of England has produced a booklet of daily readings and prayers for Advent and Christmas.

The booklet is designed to help Christians prepare for Christmas when we celebrate the “Incarnation” of Jesus – the fundamental event that has created the Christian faith.

There is a short service order, readings for each day and prayers. The readings are from the lectionary and focus on the Gospel of Mark.

Download the Daily readings for Advent & Christmas >>

Thousands of shoeboxes with provisions for children in eastern Europe are almost ready to go from two Bristol churches this Christmas.

They were added to by a shoebox prepared by the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Bristol, Councillor Geoff Gollop and Mrs Bernice Gollop who brought their completed shoebox to the South Bristol Checking depot for Operation Christmas Child on Thursday 17th November 2011.

Two checking centres in Bristol churches, St Chad’s in Patchway and Christ the Servant in Stockwood, have been busy checking shoeboxes donated by individuals, churches, community groups, and work places all over the Bristol and Weston Super Mare area.

The first lorry loaded with 10,000 shoeboxes will leave at the end of November for Belarus.

Shoebox gifts are given solely on the basis of need, to children who are victims of war, poverty, persecution, famine, disease, and natural disaster with nothing required from them, their families or their communities in return.

There is still time to make up a shoebox online.

Find out more at www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk >>

Over the second half of November, Bishop Mike and Bishop Lee will be offering leadership development to clergy and lay leaders in our link Province of Uganda as part of the Diocese’s commitment to developing spiritual leadership.

The Bishops will be the key note speakers at two conferences on the theme of “Developing Christ-like Leadership”. The conferences have been organised by our link dioceses in partnership with Revd Chris Dobson, our Ecumenical and Global Partnership Officer. The conferences have been made possible by funding from an external donor committed to leadership development both in our Diocese and in Uganda.

The first conference will be held in Fort Portal, a visit that will be tinged with sadness as Bishop Lee’s last visit was just a few weeks before the sudden death of Bishop Patrick Kyaligonza in a car accident.
The second conference will be held on the opposite side of the country in the town of Mbale. Participants have been invited from all our link dioceses – and representatives from other dioceses are also welcome.

Bishop Mike and Bishop Lee will be blogging their experiences from the conferences.

“It’s a privilege to be invited to teach on leadership in a Church that has such confidence in the Gospel and to leaders who have such a hunger to learn,” says Bishop Mike.

“I believe Christ-like leadership is critical to the health and maturity of a growing Church and I pray God has something to teach our brothers and sisters through us!”

The Bishops will be accompanied by Revd David Hart from the Bristol Methodist Circuit as well as Chris Dobson and Canon Stuart Taylor, former Pastoral Care Adviser in the Diocese.

Follow Bishop Mike and Bishop Lee’s blog >>
Visit our Bristol-Uganda Link website >>

Lydiard Park, Swindon, was a centre of remembrance on Armistice Day this year.

Anglican Team Minister in West Swindon and the Lydiards, Revd Clive Deverell, writes movingly of his experience as part of the national remembrance celebrations which took place around the country on the 11th November 2011.

100,000 poppies planted to make 11.11.11.11.  45,000 more in the Field of Remembrance. Lydiard Park became a place of pilgrimage for some 900 people who stood silent at 11.00 a.m. and at 2.30 p.m.

For me it was not numbers but the faces that struck me. The school children, the veterans, the comrades, the band, the dignitaries and lots of people like you and me. However what provoked my thinking most of all took place in one small part of the field just after the silence. I saw a parent and a young widow place a cross with a poppy in the Field. On these crosses were not only heartfelt words but also photos. As I looked up at that moment it seemed to me that the leaves of the trees dropped like tears behind the walled garden in that one moment in time. These were those who have died in Afghanistan, over 370, each in a small section by year of the conflict.

These are the faces I see, as I walked with some parishioners around the Field. It was here with these pictures as we stood, and with the gasps of “they all look so young” in our ears, that the enormity not only of the past, but also present conflicts, came home to roost.

A number of people came into St Mary’s Church near the Field to contemplate, to pray or just be. Others simply used the beautiful surroundings. Everyone seemed to have a special need to be there. People came from all over the country a young woman from Cambridge doing her thesis on Remembrance, a couple from Birmingham wanting to show their Grandson how important today is. The elderly mother and daughter who just wanted to come and see the cross that they had written upon.

So for these next few days till the Field is closed with a short service at 3.30pm on Sunday 20^th of November this will be a place where the Church will be alongside those remembering those “who gave their life for our today”

Click here to view a gallery of images from the 2.30 pm Service in the Walled Garden