bath & wells: the bath & wells 'grapevine'
july 2008
ORDAINED TO SERVE AND THAT MEANS YOU
By Bishop Peter Maurice
When Prebendary Catherine Wright, Associate Diocesan Director of Ordinands and Vocations Adviser, preached at the service for the ordination of Priests in Midsomer Norton last summer, she said that she wished the occasion had been accompanied by balloons, whistles and streamers to highlight the true sense of celebration that an ordination should evoke.
Real Evidence
At the end of June the Cathedral will once again host the ordination of Deacons, 11 of them, and the day before, in three different Churches across the Diocese - Bath Abbey, Highbridge, and West Monkton - 15 deacons will be ordained Priest.
It is time to get the balloons and whistles out to celebrate some real evidence that the Church is alive and well and continuing to draw women and men into its life and ministry as ordained ministers.
Love And Service
However, I want to get the streamers and whistles out for all the baptised people of God!
It is in and through our baptism that we are ordained into the Church of God with a real ministry to offer to God and God’s Church in love and service.
My training incumbent 30 years ago wished we could give each newly baptised child a dog collar as well as a lighted candle. “Then”, he said, “maybe they would understand that baptism is the entry into ministry”.
Work Miracles
“We have it in us”, writes Frederick Beuchner, “to be Christs to each other and maybe in some unimaginable way to God too. We have it in us to work miracles of love and healing as well as to have them worked upon us. We have it in us to bless with Him and to forgive with Him and to heal with Him and, once in a while, even to grieve with some measure of His grief at another’s pain and to rejoice with some measure of His rejoicing at another’s joy, almost as if it were our own”.
In other words, it is given to all the baptised to share in the privilege of ministry.
As you pray for those who are preparing for ordination, as I trust you will, spare a little time to pray also for yourself, that you may both reflect on the particular call that God may be making on your life, and also have the courage to respond in faith.
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A MERRY DANCE
BATON TWIRLING and maypole dancing kept visitors enthralled at Buckland St. Mary Church of England Primary School’s annual Fair.
There were many stalls and headmaster Simon Billington allowed himself to be pelted with wet sponges.
The picture shows the maypole dancers.
PHOTO: D.J.WHEADON. 
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ALL THEY NEED IS LOVE –
AND LOTS OF BUCKETS
TEAMS OF young people from the Anglican and Methodist Churches are getting in trim to show their whole community how they Love Congresbury.
St. Andrew’s and the local Methodist Church, as part of the Hope 08 initiative, have joined with the Parish Council and Youth partnership to organise Love Congresbury, a weekend of hectic activity to smarten up their area.
And the young people will join volunteers of all ages in such tasks as painting fences and benches, gardening, washing cars, getting shopping, clearing litter and clearing ground and painting a mural on an unsightly container.
“It is a wonderful example of the Church and community working together to help others and change lives for good,” said spokesman Cherida Stobart.
The activity ends with a barbecue on the Saturday and a special service in St. Andrew’s on the Sunday morning.
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Tread Lightly Upon the Earth
TREAD LIGHTLY Upon The Earth was the message of a Mass at Clifton Cathedral, Bristol attended by 500 students from St. Augustine’s Anglican/Roman Catholic Second-ary School, Taunton and all over Somerset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.
Two of the Taunton students were included in a procession of school banners that opened the environment themed service.
Bishop Declan Lang of Clifton in his sermon spoke of “using our eyes to be attentive and appreciate God’s creation”.
And afterwards the Taunton group, led by Liz Lewis, the Anglican Lay Chaplain, Father Bob, Roman Catholic Chaplain and maths teacher Mrs Lee, admired such features of the modern Cathedral as saints’ relics and concrete Stations Of The Cross.
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JUST FINE – THE WIND STRUCK COLLECTORS
A FIRST ever Christian Aid Week street collection proved a resounding success in Weston-super-Mare as 25 volunteers braved heat and heavy rain and winds that threatened to trash a gazebo they had put up as an information point.
“The gazebo only survived by being tied to the railings in the Italian Gardens,” said local Christian Aid Coordin-ator John Jackson. “But we collected £1,572 in the High Street and on the Promenade.
“I was impressed that so many were aware of our humanitarian and relief work in over 50 countries worldwide and that they requested their donations should be used to hep destitute people in Burma and Darfur.”
Volunteers also collected house to house in the town and there was an Art Exhibition with over 80 works by local artists and children from Worle schools and a Book Sale.
Picture shows The Christian Aid Garden
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LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!
Film makers tell it as it was
A LIMOUSINE collected five young film makers from St. Peter and St. Paul’s, Bishop’s Hull for the premiere of a film they had taken nearly a year to make - Bishop’s Hull Memoirs.
The premiere was at The Manor Nursing Home where the team had captured memories of residents and the film is part of the preparation for Celebrate 2008, a festival in the village this month to mark the 400th anniversary of two of the Church’s bells.
Alastair Stratford, Rachel Keitch, Rebecca Boulton, Megan Lewis and Alice Luke and another team member, Abigail Needs, unable to be present, were helped in the filming and preparation of the DVD by Geoff Sherring and the whole process was backed by a National Lottery award and the help of many villagers.
They are particularly grateful to manager of the nursing home, Joyce Jones.
“As well as creating a lasting record of the memories of the older generation, the film has developed the relationship between them and the young people and given both age groups the opportunity to compare the similarities and differences of their teenage years,” said parishioner Cynthia Pollard.
Certificates were presented to the team by Regional Youth Democracy Worker from Bishop’s Hull House, Sharon Adams.
Picture shows the film makers arriving at the premiere.
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VISION OF THE ICONS
FIVE ICONS stressing the Bible’s message of reconciliation are to be a permanent source of inspiration and reflection for worshippers in the 800 year old Chapel of the Bishop’s, Palace, Wells.
They were commissioned by Bishop Peter Price and his wife, Dee, from Bulgarian artist Silvia Dimitrova and, together with a new altar they also commissioned, mark the 800th anniversary of the founding of the in 1206.
The icons represent: Creation and Garden Of Eden; the Fall; Hope and Promise spoken by the prophets and Jesus; the Cost of Love,illustrated by the Cross and Resurrection; the City of God from the Book of Revelation.
Silvia, who was nominated for the European Women Of Achievement Awards 2000, is a former artist in residence at Wells Cathedral, where she married Simon Potter, a house master at Downside School.
“Reconciliation lies at the heart of the Christian Gospel and the desire to nurture a vision for people to be reconciled to one another and to God lies behind the vision for Icons of Reconciliation,” said the Bishop.
Picture shows : Peter,Silvia, Dee and Bishop Peter with the Icons.
photo:JASON BRYANT, MIDSOMERSET NEWSPAPERS
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THE SAINTS COME MARCHING IN
THE URBAN Saints are on the move to bring the Hope08 national mission to communities in three Deaneries.
A team of 70 young people, evangelists and bands are in training to work alongside local Churches in Sedgemoor, Quantock and Glaston-bury to present Re:Act at Bridgwater YMCA on 1 August.
A free Family Fun Day from 2pm will be followed by Church Outdoors which, says Sedgemoor’s Youth Development Worker, Sarah Black, will “present the good news in a relevant, sensitive, challenging and life changing way”.
The Urban Saints are organising the whole thing with funding and volunteers from Sedgemoor Deanery, Churches Together In Bridgwater, part of Quantock Deanery and Glastonbury Deanery.
The Fun Day will include activities ranging from face painting to caving, sports to drumming, puppets to crafts.
A Hope08 free Fun On The Farm Day at Red House Farm Winford meant the Churches involved were “free to share God’s love with other people,” said Curate, Revd Sandra Lovern. Creative and quiet areas, nature walks and a farmyard tour combined with live music to take the Church of creation out to the people.
“They did have fun and there was a great atmosphere and, equally importantly, the Churches involved wanted to reach out to local people to show just what being Church means. I think we achieved that,” added Sandra.
The nominal amount charged for refreshments raised £195 for the Burma appeal.
“There was live music and quiet reflection, something for everyone and so many smiley faces it made our day,” said Deanery Youth and Schools Worker, Mrs. Angela Fraser.
The event was organised by The Lakeside Group, five Churches, and Winford Benefice, eight Churches and hosts and leaders of walks were the Patch family.
HOPE 08 is an initiative of Churches helping demonstrate and explain Christian faith in action in communities throughout the UK.
Picture shows walkers about to set out at Red House Farm 
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A SCHOOL IS JUST THE BEGINNING
A NEW nursery school in a Kenyan village and the joy of its teacher and pupils have inspired parishioners of St. Mary’s, Langford to even greater efforts for that community.
A visit to Bochoroke, one of the poorest areas of Western Kenya, by Sylvia Pain and Edith Onchere from St. Mary’s began the school project. The village is birthplace of Edith's husband and his family donated the land, St. Mary’s money for building materials and the village the labour.
“The next phase will provide a social centre, hall, dispensary and vocational and IT training centres for the villagers enabling them to access the basic rights we take for granted,” said Ann Seabright from St. Mary’s. “So we praise God for all that has been achieved in Bochoroke and look forward to being part of His plans for the future of this village.”
Picture shows teachers and pupils outside the new school 
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A SHOW OF TALENT
THE TALENTED young musicians of St. Andrew’s, Backwell, pictured, raised £500 at the second Christian Aid concert they organised and presented in the Church. The programme included individual performances on a variety of instruments, singing and dancing and the evening ended with the showing of a DVD on the work of the charity.
The group provided fruit punch and cakes for the audience. 
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An added treat
ST. PETER and All Hallows, West Huntspill was host to the moving Axbridge Deanery Confirmation Service celebrated by Bishop Peter Maurice.
The fourteen candidates came from the parishes of Highbridge, Axbridge, Crook Peak and West Hunstpill.
One of them, Mrs. Janet Mayhew of St. Peter and All Hallows, made a Confirmation Cake, which was ceremonially cut by Bishop Peter.
The picture shows the Bishop, Janet and the cake. 
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SINGING PRAISES
THE GOSPEL choir Youthful Spirit set the scene for about 200 people in a day of exuberant worship and hectic activity - Mendip Vale Local Ministry Group’s Pentecost Praise event in Churchill Community School grounds.
The choir from the school sang for half an hour and later led singing and actions at a Service of Praise that also included a dramatic account of the coming of the Holy Spirit, communal singing and prayers written during the afternoon. Revd Leigh Machell from Churchill and Langford led the worship. There was a picnic and craft stalls for making banners, windmills and crowns.
The picture shows Youthful Spirit in action. 
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