1 Secker Street
Waterloo
London
SE1 8UF
01462 422502
Newsletters
The Ecumenical Officer sends regular newsletters to churches together groups, local ecumenical partnerships and other ecumenical organisations in South London. Contact us if you'd like to receive it.
Here is the latest, sent at the beginning of June 2010
To churches together groups, local ecumenical partnerships and other ecumenical organisations in South London
Dear all
June greetings from Churches Together in South London (CTSL). I send some pieces of information first about CTSL itself and then about other ecumenical developments.
1. CTSL Forum/Annual General Meeting
We had a good attendance at our Forum on 25 May and were able to slip a short Annual General Meeting in the middle of it, prompting comments that it was a painless example of how to do church business! At the AGM, we thanked our Chair, the Rt Rev Christopher Chessun, Anglican Bishop of Woolwich, who was stepping down after three years in the post. He is succeeded as Chair by the Rt Rev Paul Hendricks, Auxiliary Bishop in the Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark. whose place as Vice-chair is taken by Bishop Donnett Thomas, Senior Pastor of The Power of the Living Word Ministries in Clapham Park. Richard Tobiasiewicz of St Elphege Catholic Church ,Wallington, continues as Treasurer for one more year - and I'm looking for a volunteer from 2011!.
The Forum took the theme Sharing faith together today. We had a keynote address on Sharing faith the Jesus' way from Jim Currin of the Church Army, Secretary of the Group for Evangelisation at Churches Together in England, and six presentations about what is going on in South London:
- Phil Stokes on Southwark for Jesus
- Hayley Teague on the Jeremiah Project in Mitcham
- Israel Olofinjana on his new book about `reverse mission in the dark continent of Europe'
- Donnett Thomas about work with children in Clapham Park
- Michael Ipgrave on Southwark diocese plans, including a Bible in Mission project in 2011
- Clare Ward on Catholic initiatives
If you would copies of these, or of the address by Jim Currin, just let me know.
2. Edinburgh 1910/2010
As you may know, we chose the theme of our Forum to mark the centenary of the 1910 Edinburgh Missionary Conference, sometimes seen as the beginning of the modern ecumenical movement. At the beginning of this month, Israel and Lucy Olofinjana attended the Celebration of Mission in Edinburgh on behalf of CTSL and have written a report on their experience. Let me know if you would like to see this.
3. Next Council meeting
Our next CTSL Council meeting is on Tuesday 9 November 2010, 7.30 pm at Trinity House, Borough High Street. The theme on this occasion, bearing in mind that the Olympics will be held partly in South London, will be Preparing for 2012 and our speaker will be the Rev Nigel Stone, Olympics Adviser to the Southwark diocese. More details in due course but please book the date now.
4. CTSL grants
CTSL has been able to help churches together groups and other ecumenical organisations over the past few years with grants to encourage joint church projects. We don't quite have as much money as we used to but are still able to offer up to £100 for events, services, activities etc that are faithful to the ecumenical vision. Most recently for example we have given something to help Churches Together in Barnes organise Praise on the Green, a summer act of worship for the whole community, and we will be glad to help others. Do get in touch with me if you want to know more or have an idea that needs a bit of support.
5. Papal visit
At the CTSL Forum, it was suggested that the visit by Pope Benedict to the UK from 16 to 19 September was an evangelistic opportunity for all churches. Though it has controversial aspects - maybe because it has controversial aspects - it is an occasion to talk about faith, what it means, how it is expressed etc. And this could happen ecumenically, for example if churches came together to link with the prayer vigil that is taking place in Hyde Park on the evening of Saturday 18 September. For full details of the itinerary and how to be involved, go to www.thepapalvisit.org.uk
6. Churches together websites
I've been asked by a few people whether I know of local churches together websites that they might look at, either to see what goes on in an area or to give them ideas for a website of their own. I'm aware of some sites but I realise that I don't have a grasp on how many there are, what they contain, how they are run etc. If your group has one, could you please send me its address and, if possible,. how you organise it, who hosts it etc. I can then draw up what I hope will be helpful advice on how they work best.
7. Christian Aid
I recently had a conversation with a Christian Aid representative on how churches are, and can be, involved in working with the organisation. Of course, many churches raise money and awareness in Christian Aid Week but there are opportunities throughout the year for this to happen. There is for example a Church Partnership Scheme by which a congregation or a churches together group can be connected to a partner organisation in Africa or Asia, undertake to raise at least £5000 which will then be matched threefold by the European Commission, making a total of £20,000. If that's too ambitious, there are a number of other ways in which support can be offered - contact Jo Marshall on
020 7523 2120 or jmarshall@christian-aid.org
8. Just10
I come across a number of churches using Just10, material written by the evangelist J John and provided by, among others, the Philo Trust and Premier Radio. This is a way of understanding and commending the Ten Commandments for our age and, to quote the publicity material, `realigning our lives, refocusing on God's life-changing principles and renewing our faith'. If you would like to know more, go to www.just10.org
Thanks for all you do to promote unity in mission. I hope you find some of the above helpful in doing so.
I close by saying that, as ever, I am willing to come and speak at meetings and services of churches or churches together groups - just get in touch to see if I am available on a particular day.
God bless
John Richardson
Ecumenical Officer, Churches Together in South London
1 Secker Street
London SE1 8UF
01462 422502
