All posts by deanerysynod

Campaigns, Glass Door

Glass Door Winter 2018-19

The winter night shelter project in across the deanery in partnership with GlassDoor was hosted by St Matthias and St John the Divine in Richmond and All Saints and Christ Church in East Sheen. The project has now ended and the shelters are empty…..

The work continues throughout the year click here to find out how NextDoor are looking ahead to next winter.

  1. Glass Door Update to Deanery Synod 5th June 2019
  2. We had 158 guests in our shelters – ⅓ from the UK, ⅓ from the EU and ⅓ from the rest of the world . Guests included 58 women, the highest percentage of the four circuits. However some women would just come for the meal and then go..
  3. 35 people have been rehoused.
  4. Large numbers have been reconnected with benefits and family.
  5. The Glass Door project was mentioned in a recent council meeting. This year the council have been very supportive of the project unlike three years ago.
  6. Issues arising this year that GlassDoor are addressing for next year:
    1. Need to consider disabled access
    2. Need to make closer links with women’s refuges
    3. Training in mental health issues so issues with guests can be spotted. It was noted the police needed training as well as the volunteers.
  7. The Deanery hosted 4 out of the 7 nights in the Richmond circuit and the level of volunteering has been wonderful.

One guest was quoted as saying “I had no home and lost my business but GlassDoor turned my life around”.

As the GlassDoor shelters closed in April, Father Peter Hart asked us to pray…

…for the guests who may have returned to sleeping rough or sofa-surfing.

… for all those who have been rehoused, found work, had their benefits sorted out, put back in contact with family, had their documents restored – a blessing for them.

…for the staff and volunteers at the Vineyard Centre, Richmond as they continue to offer support and practical help throughout the year.

We should also give thanks….

…for the amazing volunteers who have made the winter night shelter project in partnership with GlassDoor possible‏.

…for an amazing community response to the project. Not just from the Churches but from the wider community and local schools.

…five months of welcome, fine food and good company

Events

Conversations at Christ Church

Sunday Evensong – then Even More at Christ Church as they launch an occasional series of post-service discussions. The first one was held on 2nd June on the topic of “The Christian Approach to Civil Disobedience”. There will be more to follow.

Evensong at 5pm, followed by discussions over tea or coffee for about half and hour after the service. Or come at 5:30pm for the sermon and discussion.

Events

Rowan Williams gives Public Lecture on The Challenge of Affluence

A weekend inspired by the life and faith of the Reverend Conrad Noel (1869-1942) who was born on 12 July 1869 in Royal Cottage, Kew Green.

7:30pm Friday, 12th July 2019 – Public Lecture

The Challenge of Affluence: lessons for a parish from the life of Conrad Noel. Dr Rowan Williams, Master, Magdelene College, Cambridge.

Click here to read a background paper to Dr Williams lecture.

There will be a follow up to Dr Rowan Williams’ lecture: Saturday October 26th, 10 am – 12 noon in the Parish Rooms, led by Bishop Peter Price. All welcome.

Resources

How Can Your Church Better Include People With Autism?

The Churches Together in South London Big Gathering at the beginning of May was a hugely informative and memorable event focused on how churches can better include autistic people.

The following useful resources came out of the meeting:

Cinnamon Network

Actively looking to building working relationships throughout London with churches looking to do social action. They would like to explore opportunities to offer research, advising, training, funding and strategic partnerships. For more information, have a look at the following: www.cinnamonnetwork.co.uk/what-we-do/

Friendly Places

Your church can sign up to be a Friendly Place . The focus is more on mental health, but this is still enabling churches to be more authentically inclusive. The details of this resource from Faith Action can be found here:https://www.faithaction.net/working-with-you/health-and-care/our-projects/friendly-places/

MIND

MIND’s Autism and Mental Health good practice guide is attached here.

autism-guide-web-versionDownload

Here is a web link with more information: https://www.mind.org.uk/about-us/our-policy-work/equality-human-rights/wellbeing-of-people-on-the-autistic-spectrum/

News

Faith at Home workshop

How do we model our faith to our children? The children we live with, those we encounter, those we attend church with? What example do they have to follow? How would they know who God is to us, and how this shapes the way we live our everyday lives?

Inspired by these questions and also recognising that the Church’s contact time with children on a Sunday morning is comparatively brief, Richmond Team ministry thought it important to help equip carers and those who have contact with children so that they can support them more confidently – and enjoyably! As a result, they organised a ‘Faith at Home’ workshop on Saturday 18th May.

It was a day for the whole family to attend and experience all sorts of fun, creative and relevant ways of sharing faith and connecting with God. The day itself will comprise two sessions. The morning session had around 20 different ‘stations’ to experience, supported with some explanation and understanding about the ‘what and why’. These stations were for families to do together, but those attending without a family were also able to join in with one. The afternoon session looked at ‘ritual’, through the lens of the Jewish tradition of Shabbat. It used the five elements of; bread, wine, water, light and blessing.

The attendees enjoyed an inspiring and creative day with Victoria Beech of GodVenture. The group began by thinking about their family and used playdough to represent this. They went on to consider the importance and value of Ritual, for all ages, within their own families. They thought about what they could apply to their own worship time, both as individuals and as family, being mindful of being inclusive of all. In the afternoon they looked at a model of faith as; trusting, believing, imagining and doing. They experienced different ways of praying creatively and sharing Bible stories. It was a useful time and one lady commented on how she found that, for her, using fewer words was really ‘freeing’ as she prayed that afternoon and she found it to be quite a revelation. It was a day well spent giving lots to reflect on. Thanks to all who supported, attended and prayed.

Events

Events to Celebrate the 25 Year Anniversary of Women’s Ordination

There are two events coming up later this month to celebrate the 25 year anniversary since women were first ordained to the priesthood in Southwark Diocese.

The first event is an exhibition of photographs by Jim Grover called ‘Here Am I‘ which documents the stories of 12 female priests from the Diocese of Southwark ordained at different moments during the last 25 years and serving in a variety of contexts (seewww.oxotower.co.uk/events/here-am-i).  It opens for 10 days from 22nd May at the Oxo Gallery, free to all.

Secondly, on Saturday on the 25th May there is a wonderful morning of celebration at the Cathedral called ‘Inspired for the Future‘, culminating in a Eucharist at 12.15pm.  Details are here bit.ly/25YearsWomen.  It is important to note that the Study Morning and Eucharist are not just for women and not just those who are ordained!  Although we will consider women’s voices past, present and global, we will reflect on how the dialogue has opened up for the whole people of God and where we go from here.

News

Barn Church Community Garden

St Phillip and All Saints in Kew (the Barn Church) wanted a practical way to spread the word of God that would involve all age groups and the wider community. To this end, they have created a community garden. Young and old within the Barn congregation have worked together planting, digging and watering with benefits to all.

The garden will be formally opened on  Sunday 2nd June and will be a place for everyone to rest a while in the shade of God’s love and creation.

News

EASTER 2019 Across the deanery

Easter Sunday at St Richards, Ham:
Wonderful to celebrate Easter with a full church and beautiful flowers on this day of resurrection!
Easter Sunday at All Saints, East Sheen:
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Good Friday Walk of Witness, Barnes.

Good Friday at Christ Church East Sheen:
Great to see so many families at our Good Friday Messy Church- making our Easter garden, lots of art & crafts, icing Easter biscuits, writing prayers to pin to the cross and thinking about forgiveness with a fizz!
Maundy Thursday at St Micheal and All Angels, Barnes:
The Watch of the Passion. Maundy Thursday Vigil until midnight.
St Micheal and All Angels, Barnes:
June the Donkey was beautifully behaved in the Palm Sunday Procession and a great turn out for the Children’s Liturgy in the Vicarage Garden despite it being rather chilly!
Christ Church, East Sheen:
Palm Sunday service with procession plus donkey at Sheen Lane crossroads.
St Mary Magdalene, Richmond Team Ministry:
Palm Sunday Eucharist beginning on George St, with a Procession of Palms (from Kew Gardens) to St Mary Magdalene.
St Luke’s and St Philip and All Saints, Kew:
Palm Sunday procession from St Luke’s to The Barn Church. Palm crosses were handed out to passers-by on the way!