Each summer the Parish of Mortlake with East Sheen team ministry hold a Holiday at Home week. Local residents of Barnes, Mortlake and East Sheen who are unable to get away for a holiday or would like more company during the summer are invited to join in either for a day or two or for the whole week.
This year Holiday at Home was held at All Saints, East Sheen and took place from Monday 29th July to Friday 2nd August. There was a Dickensian theme with many Dickens characters popping in during the week. There were quizzes, singalongs, crafts, baking, guest speakers and flower arranging and so much more to be enjoyed. The week ended with a wonderful Miss Haversham themed afternoon tea complete with spiders and cobwebs!
This summer, we welcomed three new members of clergy to the Barnes Team Ministry and St Richard’s Ham.
The Revd James Hutchings has been appointed to the post of Team Rector of Barnes in the Deanery of Richmond and Barnes. James was the Team Rector of Littleham-cum-Exmouth with Lympstone, and Rural Dean of Aylesbeare, in the Diocese of Exeter.
Rev’d Hutchings was instituted at St Mary’s, Barnes by the Bishop of Kingston on Monday 22nd July.
Congratulations to the new Assistant Curate at St Michael’s, Fr Martin Calderbank (pictured above right with Rev Stephen Stavrou), who was ordained to the diaconate at Southwark Cathedral on Saturday 29th June 2019.
The congregation welcomed Martin at his first service, the Confirmation Mass, on Sunday 30th June.
Also ordained Deacon on Saturday 29th June, Sarah Atkins (pictured above right with Rev Simon Coupland), the new non-stipendiary curate at St Richard’s Ham.
Bishop Richard of Kingston came to St Michael and All Angels to perform a wonderful Baptism and Confirmation service on Sunday 30th June with candidates from across the deanery and the Parish of Putney.
On Sunday 14 July Holy Trinity Richmond welcomed Bishop Richard Cheetham for a Service of Baptism and Confirmation. On a lovely warm summer’s evening the baptisms were carried out by full immersion in the open air! During the Service many of the candidates spoke about their journey of faith, and have since said how significant and encouraging the evening was for them.
Mortlake Crematorium has been supporting the local community for 80 years. It marked this occasion with a Full Circle Festival on Saturday 29th June celebrating life. On the hottest day of the year, there were over 40 contributors including local community groups, bereavement charities, hospices and Richmond and Barnes Deanery.
With talks and behind the scenes tours, a chance to pick your funeral hymns, guidance on planning an LGBTQ funeral and plenty of time to sit in the shade and chat, it was an inspirational day. A real community fair that broke down the taboos around death and dying.
St Micheal and All Angels held a Pet Service in the Vicarage Garden on Sunday 16th June to celebrate the animals who share and make our lives special. A total of 51 adults, 38 children, 14 dogs, 2 cats, 2 hamsters and 1 snake were blessed!
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.
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.
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!
praying together, learning together, working together
