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Welcome
Thank you all for acting as
Deanery Synod representatives. As well as the usual on-going business of
Synod, we have several projects. If anyone feels strongly that there are
other subjects that we should be looking to, then please get in touch with
any member of the Standing Committee: Rural Dean Rev'd Nigel Whinney, Lay
Chairman Catherine Cavender, Secretary Sister Phyllis: Treasurer: Graham
Tout: Rosemary Tout: Rev'd Stephen Kivett.
Community cars
We are still hoping to help out
with the SSDC community cars by finding drivers from our parishes.
Anglican/Methodist Covenant
We are hoping to arrange
discussions with the Methodist Church to enable us Co learn more of the
Anglican/Methodist Covenant and the Deanery Synod next February will be
addressed by Mr. Dudley Coates who is the official Methodist
representative on the Church of England General Synod. Methodist
Ministers, and all those interested will be invited to attend this Synod.
'THE
MESSAGE'
Christian Telephone
service was initiated by Miss Nora Coggan about 30 years ago, and is
intended to provide a point of contact for people, at any time of the day
or night, to hear a two minute message relating the Bible Co everyday
situations. All that is needed is Co dial 0870 7415369 (the\seven
digits that trace the letter 'M' for 'Message')
on your telephone keypad. Archbishop George Carey is President of this
telephone service.
Try it - I have and I
commend it to you ....
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Church Trails
We have been urged, for
some months now, to consider ways of revitalising the rural economy and to
encourage visitors to the countryside. The way in which we thought we
could be most effective, was to set up Church Trails. We hope to
encourage access and tourism into our villages and thereby contact with
church buildings and church life. We are receiving valuable help from
Carmel Wilkinson who is the SSDC Countryside Officer.
We are inviting each
Benefice to put forward at least one person to help co-ordinate these
walks; with the aim that each Links into another - with the professional
advice of Carmel Wilkinson. These people do not have to be Synod members,
or even PCC members, but simply someone you all know to be interested in
the countryside, and walking, and who will understand our wish to try to
help the rural communities.
Carmel will be giving a
'workshop' on how to draw up these walks in South Petherton on the morning
of Saturday 2nd November, so we are hoping these 'Benefice people' will
have been tracked down by then, and another 'workshop' will be held on
Thursday 28th November 7.00pm in Whitelackington village hall.
The SSDC tell us that
there are already a number of disparate walks within this area, but: no
cohesive plan on the scale envisaged by the Deanery.
The 'Walk Sheets'
will contain directions (obviously) and a map printed thereon as well as
very brief description of the church. Quirky single sentences of local
history, folk law etc, can help engage the tourist's interest but we hope
that detailed descriptions of the church will be found inside and this
might prompt those parishes that don't have a church guide to get one
done.
I have noticed several
entries in our visitors book in Dowlish Wake that say how nice it would
have-been had there been a pamphlet on the church, or even a post card, to
take away. I have put this aside for my winter protect!
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Church Trails
(cont'd)
Each parish sheet will
make up the Deanery folder and sold across the Deanery for around £3.50
(which compares well with walks around Yeovil etc)
We intend to include in
the folder a Visitor Passport, which is a sheet of thick paper, folded
down to pocket size, and is designed for visitors to collect attendance
stamps from individual churches. Each parish might design their own stamp
(which will be held in '. different places depending on each parish:
church, pub, village stores etc) and all 47 stamps might lead to a Deanery
certificate.
Visitor’s passports have
scope for advertisements on the back for pubs, B&Bs and anything else that
that particular parish wishes to advertise.
A rate of £1 per month
per advertiser is a tentative starting point.
Matt Day, of Matt Day
Design in Misterton, will be co-ordinatng the folder and printing it and
we shall, in the first place, be applying to the Countryside Agency for
the initial funding.
If you could rally-round
and gather interested parties together to set this first stage up, I would
be hugely grateful. I have been enthused by Carmel's ideas of 'Festival
Walks' and 'Seasonal Walks' and it will be exciting if we can just get
these folders together.
"The series of walks will
be highlighted on the Deanery Website with links to local tourism
offices. Walks/rides sheets will be stored on computer files to allow
annual updating and local printing'
Thanks
Catherine Cavender thanked
all Deanery representatives for all their
help.
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