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1. The Rev’d Paul Reynolds opened the Synod with prayers.
2. Apologies: Brenda Shearsby, Michele Hardiman, Derek Poole, Rob
Boulter, Hilary Askew, Delia Pearmund, Rosie Pease, Sally Gough, Keith
Hall, Mrs. Cunningham, Rev. Alastair Wallace, Rev.Geoff Wade, Christine
Brenton, David Brenton, Sam Jackson, Joan Blasdale.
Mrs. Rosemary Tout in the Chair:
3. Minutes of the Synod held at Fivehead Village Hall on 13th
February 2006 were approved. Mrs. Anne Comer proposed and Mrs. Wendy
Outram seconded the vote of approval.
4. No matters arising.
5. Treasurer’s Report:
Nine parishes had already paid their Common Fund payment in full.
However, nine parishes had paid nothing at all and the treasurer was
worried that these parishes would now have to pay double for each
remaining month of the year.
Current account £184. Deposit account £2,520. There was no reason for
the Deanery to ask for more funds from the parishes this year.
6. As the Deanery has yet to find a secretary, there was no secretary’s
report.
7. Rural Communities Regeneration Group Report:
The Farm Tour, scheduled for Monday 26th June, was brought
to the attention of the Synod. For more information please contact
Catherine Cavender, The Manor Farm, Dowlish Wake, Ilminster, Somerset.
TA19 ONX or on
absalom@amserve.net
8. Rural Affairs
Officer’s Report:
Rob Walrond told the meeting that he had recently received his CRB
clearance which enabled him now to visit schools within the Deanery. He
had a number of invitations from primary schools and had spoken at
assemblies in these schools. He reminded the meeting that he was anxious
to work with the children and happy to help any parish with events,
special services etc. Please ask him.
Rob reminded us of British Food Fortnight 23rd September – 8TH
October. Theme: Are you cooking it? … A celebration of local produce –
teaching children, in particular, how to cook the food and explaining food
from its source to when it reaches the table. There was an idea to visit
local farms, have a chef there to help with the cooking – please let Rob
know if you or anyone else you know would like to help. Contact Rob on
01458 253002…….
Rob is there to help us with anything connected to rural affairs;
·
with
special services,
·
resource
for Harvest Services,
·
Lammas
etc.
·
and he
hopes to arrange some carol services on farms at Christmas. Do contact him
with your ideas.
There is more thought being given to alternative use of farm crops, bio
fuels for instance. Mr. Graham Tout mentioned that he understood that
America produced 70% of the world’s maize and was now in the process of
turning this into bio fuel which would leave a dire shortage of maize for
food use.
The Rural Dean in the Chair:
9. Administrative Matters:
A lot of time was given up to the previous Deanery Synod in February
on two questions …The name of the new enlarged Deanery and how we wished
the Deanery to function. It was decided to keep the name of Crewkerne &
Ilminster Deanery as it is and it was decided to hold 2 Deanery Synods
each year leaving the LMGs to hold as many meetings as they wished.
The Rural Dean explained that a formal motion had to be voted on.
Therefore, he put the following motion to Synod …….. ‘This Synod should
hold two meetings each year’. This motion was passed unanimously.
Those at the meeting were asked to pray for The Rev’d Philip Reagan of
Combe St. Nicholas who is not well and for his family Carol and Tom.
Request was made for more laity and more clergy to fill the Diocesan Synod
posts. The Rural Dean was anxious that there should be at lest one rep.
from each of the 5 LMGs – Please examine your conscience and help us by
standing for Diocesan Synod. The papers must be returned by 11th
July so ask the Rural Dean for the forms as soon as possible please.
We are still lacking a Deanery Secretary and would really like to find
someone committed to this task – appreciation was given to Graham Tout who
had undertaken to carry out the secretary’s duties until someone was
found. The Deanery is most grateful to Graham who already has the
treasurer’s work to do but we really hope that some one will come forward
and help in this capacity.
Meeting of the Joint Standing Committee and Pastoral Committee in The
Minster Rooms at noon on Wednesday 14th June.
Deanery Evensong: Buckland St. Mary. Sunday 25th June at
6.00pm. Choirs to assemble at 4.30 for a practice and tea. The preacher
to be The Dean of Wells. The Very Rev’d John Clarke.
The Memorial Service for the late Bishop of Taunton, The Rt. Rev. Andrew
Radford, to be held in Wells Cathedral 2.30pm Monday 3rd July.
Everyone welcome – no invitations.
Next Deanery Synod – Hambridge Village Hall at 7.30pm on Wednesday 4th
October. Speaker is Roger Medley, Diocesan Missioner.
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10.
Types and Times of Services for Today and Tomorrow:
Ross Coad had introduced the following motion at the May Synod last
year:
‘This Synod, mindful of the changing perception of Sunday in society’s
lives and practice, calls on all Deanery congregations to review the
relevance of their worship (patterns and styles) and research whether
services being offered to those outside their regular attendees (for
example to those who work, young families, singles etc) are appropriate,
and report back to Synod with their findings and any plans within 12
months.’
Ross drew attention to the Jottings from Diocesan Synod March 2006 ,
compiled by Rosemary Tout, and given out at this meeting. He thought
that what Bishop Peter said in his address was at the heart of what we are
here to do. The Bishop spoke of how Changing Lives is our attempt to
replace the climate of apathy and despair with good news for people about
God in our world.
Ross went on;
As Christians, how do we interact with our communities? We are three
generations down the line since families attended church regularly.
Reasons given are that worship is dull, people lead busier lives and find
more interesting things to do. The future of the church will depend on
the children’s regular commitment to church.
Ross posed two questions: Is your church growing? What are you doing to
promote that growth?
Synod broke into small groups and the response was:- (Please take these
ideas to your PCC)
·
a.
Sunday school is being encouraged.
·
b.
Taking church to the people – holding services in school, rather than in
the church, which brought parents along too.
·
c.
Helpful if the vicar works in the school so children know him/her.
·
d. Hold
inclusive services (with children participating)
·
e.
Welcome pack for new arrivals in the village/town to include times
and descriptions of church services.
·
f.
Themed children’s services
·
g. Hold
a ‘Drop-in’ in the church occasionally with tea/buns etc
·
h.
Animal service
·
i. If
there is a special service scheduled, it is always worth ringing the
newspapers who might even send a photographer – advertising most
important.
·
j. One
benefice has several children’s football teams in the parishes. A
most successful Football Carol Service was held which drew in many parents
and was fun (important too)
·
k.
Passion Plays
·
l.
Imaginative services
·
m.
Refreshments after particular services.
·
n. New
people asked to read in church.
·
o. Make
sure the times of the services are well displayed.
·
p.
Sometimes easier to have a leaflet, or small booklet, that those people
not used to traditional church services find easier to use and less
daunting than trying to find their place in a prayer book.
·
q. Good
if church members can help in the youth club, or equivalent, where they
will have more contact with the young people.
Mr. Brian Crudge thought there was too much talk of novelty services and
we should be concentrating on the normal Sunday attendance – every day
commitment to the church. There was a difficulty with fewer clergy and the
laity could only be used for certain things. There was often so much
spirituality in the children at Primary
School which was dashed out of them when they moved to the bigger schools.
Rev’d Jenny Langdown pointed out that in her benefice (Curry Rivel) there
was a huge increase in baptisms and she thought the clergy in particular,
and the laity, should make use of the sacraments that are already there.
Follow-up after baptisms, weddings and funerals for instance.
Care must be taken when re-arranging new services that those people who
have constantly worshipped in our churches, decade after decade, are not
put off and then find that they do not fit in with new service patterns or
ideas.
Rev’d Andrew Tatham thought we were becoming over-conscious of ‘knees on
hassocks’. Sunday worship should be a time for people to attend church
for their own well being – to be Christ in the community – shouldn’t think
too much of numbers.
Rev’d Tony Woodward said there was certainly growth in Chard but all the
churches, and denominations, were working together there so the progress
could not be put down to one congregation in particular. Undoubtedly,
there were many other activities on a Sunday that the church had to
compete with.
Ross Coad thought that LMGs offered great choice: different services at
different times.
We must stimulate people…. How many parishes had discussed The Da Vinci
Code in their lent Group?
One parish has reportedly said that they impact with 1,500 people every
week – how many people do we impact with each week? Do we really care
about everybody. Ross told us of the shock in a community after the
fourth suicide in 18 years and the realisation of how difficult it is to
care for absolutely everybody and some will not be picked up on…. But we
should try.
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11. Address by the
Archdeacon.
The Archdeacon of Taunton, the Ven. John Reed spoke to Synod.
He told us that he does not feel detached from the Deanery as he does talk
with churchwardens and clergy a lot. He wanted to acknowledge the amazing
service given by the clergy in all that they do. Did people realise the
extra hours they put in for a funeral for instance; and a vicar might have
five funerals a week as a matter of course.
He reiterated the words of the motto of the School of Formation: ‘The
laity are not the helpers of the clergy so that the clergy can do their
job…..but the clergy are the helpers of the whole people of God, so that
the laity can be the church.’
He was uncertain how the wardens perceived his questions but in the
Archdeacon’s questionnaire to Churchwardens, one of the questions was ‘Did
you take a particular mission initiative in 2005?’ 47% replied Yes.
Another was ‘Did you hold any act of
worship with the unchurched particularly in mind? 63% replied Yes. We must
open our doors to those who know nothing about church.
He hoped that those parishes that were not yet engaged with the Bishop’s
idea of an LMG soon would be. The LMG offers mutual support and
inter-dependency. The Archdeacon spoke of his time as Rector in Ilminster,
setting up the Ilminster Team
Ministry which enabled the 17 parishes to do things together that would
have been impossible in a single benefice.
His advice:
Do not do things that you know don’t work: Think what God wants you to do
– don’t deny the Holy Spirit a place to work in your parishes.
Tiny parishes cannot possibly cope with all the new regulations. There
is so much paper work, and probably a shrinking number of people willing
to do it, that small parishes need the others to help them get along. In
an LMG (or a Team) there is a good exchange of ideas – a realisation that
other parishes have the same problems and these can be shared – mutual
support, care and concern within the Body of Christ by swapping ideas,
expertise and sharing lay ministers.
Andrew Tatham told the meeting of a small parish which had a declining
congregation, often only 2 or 3, and which has now re-ordered their
services to once a month and between 30 and 40 people attend.
A comment was made that by introducing LMGs , another layer of
bureaucracy was being introduced. We should focus on the parish which was
the basis of church life. The Archdeacon strongly disagreed that another
tier of bureaucracy was being introduced and reiterated again the
importance of sharing the responsibilities of running a parish. There was
a comment about there being too much law – too many rules. The Archdeacon
agreed that this is so; both secular and in church but he does try to
make things easier for us. Much was common sense and was there to
safeguard doctrine and good practice and he will always defend those.
There is, after all, a legal responsibility on incumbents and PCCs which
is right.
AOB.
The Rev Jenny Langdown wanted Synod to know
the good news that Susie Parsons, a Reader from Fivehead, has been
accepted for ordination and will begin her studies in the autumn. Synod
was delighted and offered congratulations.
The Archdeacon closed Synod with prayers.
PLEASE
NOTE: there will be an 'ENVIRONMENT EVENING' on Tuesday 26th September
for all church members interested in this subject. Venue: Whitelackington
Village Hall - time 6pm - come for a supper of local produce (no charge
but donations welcome); meeting starts 7pm. Please inform your
congregation and watch for posters.
Please advise Rob
Walrond (TEL 01458 253002) by Thursday 21st September if you
need supper.
NB Please note the
date of the meeting has been changed
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