The monthly Church Magazine is delivered to subscribers in Stoke Rivers and Challacombe as well as Bratton Fleming. Additional copies are available in the church.
Some of the articles from this month's magazine are found below.
The annual subscription for the magazine is currently £6.20 (+ postage if applicable). For further details contact Terry Squire (please see 'Who's Who' page).
The Future of the Shirwell Team
“The times, they are a-changing”. So wrote Bob Dylan, and that change continues throughout society today, as indeed it always has done. Reorganisation is taking place in the Church of England across the country, too.
As part of that, the churches in this Diocese are gradually being formed into Mission Communities, typically groups of parishes where the resources needed to provide regular worship, pastoral care, Christian outreach, service to the community and work with young people can be shared to best effect.
In many ways, the Shirwell Team – Bratton Fleming, Challacombe, East Down & Arlington, Kentisbury, Loxhore, Shirwell and Stoke Rivers – already works closely together in this way, and it has been decided that the Team will become a Mission Community.
It’s part of the vision for the future that the life and work of local churches will be less focussed on the role of the clergy – the Rector or Vicar. There are fewer full time clergy in the Church of England than in the past, but this provides the scope for the role of other committed members of the church to develop and flourish. .
All this means that there will be changes in the way the Shirwell Team (Mission Community) will be organised in the future. When Colin Hudspith retires as Team Vicar next year, he will be replaced by a full-time minister. This person will work alongside the Team Rector, Les Austin, for the time remaining until Les retires – planned to be in 2012. From that point onwards, the newly-appointed minister will be the sole full-time clergyperson for the Mission Community.
Two clergy who will be appointed to replace those retiring this year in the present North Devon Coast Team, which stretches from Brendon as far west as Berrynarbor, will also have the role of “Assistant Curate” in the Shirwell Mission Community. So, on occasion, they will be able to provide assistance here, though, of course, they will have prior responsibilities of their own in areas centred on Combe Martin and Lynton. We are also fortunate in having the services of a Reader (Rob Ingram) and a retired clergyman, (Chris Tull).
However, what will be most apparent in our parishes, will be the more extensive roles taken by church members in the week-by-week life of the church. These roles will include the leadership of Sunday worship, pastoral care (such as visiting those who are unwell, housebound or bereaved), and involvement in our schools where that has been agreed.
In common with every other mission community, we shall be working on a Mission Action Plan, which will develop the detail of how all this will work out in practice, and we shall keep communities informed as things become clearer. Watch this space!
All Change
As Les and Colin have already written, we will soon be seeing changes that will affect everyone in the parishes of the present Shirwell Team.
These changes have already started in other parts of the Shirwell Deanery, and are set to continue over the next 18 moths or so.
Revd Peter Bowers retired as Rector of the Swimbridge Benefice last month. He will be replaced, but there is likely to be a vacancy of at least 9 months (the usual time scale). His replacement will also become the Rural Dean.
Revd Keith Wyer, Team Rector in the North Devon Coast Team retired in June. This leaves the Team Vicar, Revd Pam Jarvis, who is also looking to retire this year. Both of these posts will be filled, but as always it is likely that there be vacancies of several months before this happens.
It is now almost certain that the present Shirwell Team will become a Mission Community, in line with reorganisation throughout the Diocese. At one time it was thought that there may have been an option of either one full time clergy to serve the Mission Community, or 2 part time. We have now been informed that the option of the two part time stipendiary clergy is not viable. As you probably already know Colin will be retiring next year. Colin will be replaced in due course, with his replacement being the future priest in the Mission Community. Depending when the appointment made the new minister will work alongside Les until Les’ retirement in 2012, when the new priest will assume sole responsibility of the eight Churches in the present Team. He won’t be entirely on his own however, as the two replacement clergy in the North Devon Coast Team will also be licensed as Assistant Curates in our Mission Community. It is too early to say how much time they will be able to give to our Churches.
It is also too early to say what impact these changes will have on church services, but it is hoped that it will be possible to maintain the present number in each church. The reduction in clergy will almost certainly mean that we will not be able to have Holy Communion every week, as we do at present. St. Peter’s is fortunate that in being a joint Anglican-Methodist Church, we also have the resources of the Methodist Church. Unfortunately the Methodist Church is also in the middle of a similar exercise, and are seeing the number its ministers being reduced.
All these changes will mean that many of the roles now undertaken by the clergy will be taken up by lay members of the Church. This will include the leading of Sunday worship on Sundays when the clergyperson is not available. ‘Clergyperson’ may seem an odd title, but at present we cannot tell whether the next minister will be a man or woman.
We are fortunate at St. Peters in that there are members of the congregation who have put themselves forward for training to meet the need that will shortly exist. Although it may still be another two years before Les is due to retire, with Colin’s departure next year there will only be one full-time minister in the Shirwell Team. Unlike in the past when there was several retired clergy we were able to call upon, this number is now greatly reduced, with an equally greater demand on their services.
We are sure that, with the many talents and enthusiasm we have available at St Peters, that the Church will continue to thrive. There is no doubt that we will all have a greater responsibility to make sure that this is the case.
Team Service
As there are five Sundays in August, there will be a Team Service on the 29th, at the usual time of 11am.
This month the service will be held at East Down. Consequently, there will not be a service at St. Peters.
Messy Church
Plans are being made for the next Messy Church, which will be held on Tuesday 24 August, 10:30am - 12:15pm. It will be based on the Parable of the Lost Son”, and will encourage people to see God as a loving parent.
Messy Church is proving to be very popular, and has been increasingly well attended. It will be advertised around the village nearer the day, but if you know of anyone who may be interested, please encourage them to come along.
Dates for your Diary
Back to Church Sunday is on the last Sunday in September, on the 26th.
This special Sunday is based on the simplest and shortest step in evangelism - that we should invite someone we already know to something we love; invite them to join you to our church. We hope that everyone will invite a friend to come to church with them on the 26th.
Harvest Thanksgiving will be on Sunday 3 October.
This year instead of a Harvest Brunch after the service, we are hoping to do something the previous evening. It has been suggested that we have a fun evening, including some traditional harvest games for all ages, finishing with a Harvest Supper. More details will appear in next month’s magazine.
The Exmoor Carolers will be giving a concert in St. Peters on 27 November. This promises to a really good event, and one that should not be missed. More details will be available nearer the date.