Yes I know it is a wild goose and Pentecost was last week, but this is a plug for the Lindisfarne Scriptorium which produces the most wonderful cards and art work and all sorts of other resources. New Products for May 2021, Lindisfarne Scriptorium, Treasures for the Journey (lindisfarne-scriptorium.co.uk) REPORT ON THE FUTURE OF READER MINISTRY- Prepared by the Diocesan Reader Ministry Working Party ReaderWPreport (Final) May 2021 this is the link to the This report is important reading for all Readers / Licensed Lay Ministers.It represents a good deal of consultation with Readers / LLMs in the diocese and has been ably and efficiently chaired by Reader- David Fieldsend who compiled it. please do read it.The report is now a standing item on the agenda of the Wardens group for consideration. If something is relatively easy to implement it will be done but some things will need to be presented to bodies such as the Diocesan Ministry team to consider and to respond to. I will be keeping you informed as I hear the outcomes.The working party was made up of the following people:David Fieldsend (Chair)Lay Chair, Carnmarth North Deanery SynodJim Seth (Warden’s Committee Liaison)Readers’ ChaplainRev Helen BaberRector, Lann Pydar BeneficeRev Caspar BushRural Dean, Carnmarth NorthRoy CooperReader, St Melors LinkinhorneJane DarlingtonReader, Waterside ChurchesLiz LaneReader, St Neot & WarlegganTony Le FevreReader, Camborne Cluster
With low tides in the mornings Mr. Dog has had his walks on the beach this week and we have walked through quite a range of weather from the glorious sunrise above to the bleakness of the rainy beach this morning buffeted along by gale force winds. But how grateful am I to be out in that to see the Wild Geese sweeping across the sky. Stained Glass Goose that arrived in timely fashion on the doorstep- a present from some worship leaders I was training. The Holy Spirit turns up when needed! :) This is the week of Thy Kingdom Come when we have been encouraged in all sorts of prayer but to pray especially for 5 people which I have certainly done, and begun a new prayer note book. It is not a journal or a diary although it might have some dates but it helps sometimes to write down names and situations that people ask me to pray for as well as thinking and praying through other situations and groups. Keeping an up to date Reader's prayer list is a....... Every time I see the wild geese I am reminded of the Celtic metaphor for the Holy spirit- imagine a wild goose landing on your shoulder rather than a gentle dove... those of us called to ministry may well have experienced this feeling! When we step out into something new trusting that the Holy Spirit will be with us to guide us sometimes it may not feel very comforting but we certainly know the direction in which we must go! This is the week of Thy Kingdom Come continued.......Keeping an up to date Readers prayer list is a near impossible task because one is operating in a vacuum where unless you go chasing there are no updates and no-one tells you who needs to be on the list or taken off the list. Mt admiration to Joy Gunter who kept it going for so long. So my own prayer note-book records those I am old about who I am praying for and anonymously those who need prayer who I have not been told about. It is a bit like the task set for Tregeagle up on Bodmin Moor..... Tomorrow I am preaching for Pentecost in church and online at the same time.... and I am grateful for the Monday Morning Reader's group where we discussed the readings! It was very helpful and I think we may spend a little time each week with the readings for the following Sunday- perhaps with a different volunteer leading the discussions. So a few facts about Wild Geese.....Wild Geese are fascinating birds, apart from being scary, and display interesting behaviours we might learn from …· flying in the V formation gives geese a seventy-one per cent increase in flying range, with flapping wings creating an updraft for the bird following. Flying is a co-operative business, · the lead goose in the V formation does not, of course, experience this updraft and so tires faster than the others. When the lead…
https://youtu.be/GW7i4jarpTE09:55:21 From Hugh Nelson : This is the report on Reader ministry that Imogen has just referred to - https://transformingministry.co.uk/publications-handbooks/#resourcing-sunday-to-saturday-faith09:56:04 From Hugh Nelson : And you can read Kingdom Calling here - https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2020-10/Kingdom%20Calling%20Web%20Version.pdf09:57:04 From Lydia Remick : Thank you +Hugh09:58:53 From Hugh Nelson : https://transformingministry.co.uk/10:13:40 From Lydia Remick : Amen, thank you Imogen10:36:59 From David Fieldsend : We seem to have a tension between training that could be accessible and modular and losing the benefit of training readers and clergy side by side.10:37:03 From Claire Salzmann : We 5 agreed to disagree! 10:37:37 From Lydia Remick : My husband is drilling so I will type. Biggest things in our room were concern about ‘dumbing down’ of training if it was modular v’s the accessibility if we want working age people to be able to training with more flexibility. 10:37:48 From Sue Wilcox : Encouraging ideas and thoughts from Imogen10:37:53 From Robin West : We thought modular was a good idea but must ensure we do not dilute theology study.10:37:55 From Deborah Crocker : I liked the idea of modules to top up training but was less certain of that as a way to do initial training as the danger was losing the benefits of a group working through tricky material together and supporting one another10:38:19 From Richard Laugharne : Richard from Room 2: we agreed with Imogen that the idea of modules was a good one; but character formation and supervision is as important for leadership and accountability. Need both skills and attitudes suitable for spiritual leadership.10:38:35 From Richard Laugharne : Happy to speak10:38:58 From Jane Kneebone : Ordained ministry and licensed lay ministry are different and distinct callings. 10:42:47 From William Hazelton : In favour of modular bur should be core basics on fundamentals. Anyway, why distinction between lay and ordained?!10:42:56 From Kay Short : Do we have local reader groups for continued learning and encouragement post licensing? I miss the theological discussions we had when training!10:43:04 From Claire Salzmann : Why would modular = dumbing down / lost? It strikes me that there would be no need to water down the content just because it is being delivered in a different manner.10:43:29 From Lydia Remick : I agree Claire, I don’t see the link between modular and dumbing down…10:44:21 From Robin West : I do not think we were suggest it would dumb down, but fear that it must be keep in check that it does not.10:45:17 From Kay Short : With modular would there be a core set of modules that everyone did need to do, then a choice of modules so you could play to your own particular calling? But how might you discover God is calling you to something you haven’t thought of if you don’t experience the wider range of modules?10:45:25 From Lydia Remick : Some of us started weird and don’t plan to change!10:49:55 From Kay Short : Could there be an option to do additional modules after licensing?10:50:36 From Jane Kneebone :…
Each Monday morning for the past year a group of readers in various combinations has met to chat between 10 and 11:30. The mixture of topics has been fluid and for the most part there is no set agenda but after a chat with William we are going to trial spending at least half an hour each week looking at the lectionary readings for the following Sunday which will help any of us who are preaching. TheSunday following the next Monday morning is Pentecost when I shall be preaching from St Euny so I have a particular interest in wanting folks to join in and share their experience and learning! The link is in the email and the room is open from 9:30 - there is no waiting room!!
with services resuming in churches across the benefice Zoom continues to be a popular way to worship especially for those who are not able to come to church for a variety of reasons from the infirmity of age to having to work and from being resident in a hospice or hospital to being out of county.St Andrews has a telephone line with a broadband link so Zooming from church was comparatively simple there. St Euny, where they hoped to open a sort of internet café to teach people who are not confident with the technology. Getting BT to put in a line proved to be full of obstacles and so through O2 they obtained a 4gb hub (with a grant) which would provide access for enough devices at the same time. The rest of the benefice has found the hub invaluable for streaming / zooming services from the other churches. A service typically uses a few gbs of data and the cost of the rental is roughly £1 per gb so pretty good value even without a grant. The nature of the ZOOMING will certainly change over time without the need to stream music from St Martin in the Fields or YouTube but Zooms are set to continue because they are a way of reaching our most vulnerable at the time they need the church the most.. the challenge is reaching those who do not have the technology or no longer have the capacity to use it, Morning prayer on ZOOM (link by request) is at 9am every morning and continues to be a delight especially when most services begin after we have calmed the participants from a fit of mirthful laughter about the topic of conversation of the morning. There are rarely less than 8 people and often as many as 18 each morning experiencing a variety of styles from Northumbrian Celtic office to Common Worship but usually with the thread of lectionary readings and psalm. One we can go back to church, I don't see this transferring but rather being a permanent electronic fixture.
Barney a.k.a. Mr. Dog or Barnabus is cultivating his own fan-club on my Facebook page (link here: (3) Jim Seth | Facebook) and so everyday there is a small but growing group for whom I publish pictures each morning and update on his behaviour and training progress. I am also trying to take a picture a day I can put on Twitter with a prayer focus. This morning was a photograph of fern fronds of bracken unfurling in the midst of the still smelling gorse fire-scorched land with the words,"bracken like a phoenix arising from the ashes of the gorse fire - in the depths of the blackest moments something is waiting to grow.... I am praying for those who are waiting today." I like twitter for following certain folk - if you would like to follow my prayer posts they are here: Jim (@Trewirgies) / Twitter Ball please! Your serve.....
Last Monday at the Coffee and Conversation Chat we had a frivolous ten minutes coming up with possible straplines for those considering reader ministry..... I wonder if you have one to add?Want some high adrenalin adventure…..? become a readerFeel called to feed sheep? Be a ReaderReader ministry reaches the parts that others don’tProbably the best preaching in the WorldReader Ministry – Just do itReader Ministry because you’re worth it…..Cornish Reader ministry- not jam tomorrow – Jam firstReader ministry – have it your way…Reader ministry – is it in you?Reader Ministry- we go the extra mile.Reader Ministry now appearing in pulpits everywhereReader ministry – it gives you wings,,Reader Ministry- Any time anywhereReader ministry- we can pass the buckYou don’t have to be crazy to be a reader but it helps…Keep Calm and carry on …… preachingBecome a Reader- your country needs youReader ministry- work rest and pray.I am looking to hearing more from Bishop Hugh at the Readers Day tomorrow and from other readers about what they think their role is in succinct, easy to understand terminology. Below are four definitions offered to the current working party which will be presenting its report very soon. David Fieldsend will be sharing more information about it at Readers Day. Community (or lay) theologians who enable everyday faith.Licensed Lay Minister is a key role (?) embedded in the local church and community. Teaching the gospel in word and action, in work and in playA multifaceted role grown from the gifts of the individual.A wide-ranging ministry, from Bible-Studies and House Group leadership to mentoring worship leaders and taking funerals backed by accredited theological training enabling the Reader/LLM to bring the gospel to the people.A Reader is a Lay Minister working under episcopal license and in agreement with their incumbent, theologically trained and qualified to preach, teach, lead church services and interpret the Christian faith to other lay people from a position of understanding of secular life and to offer pastoral care in the name of the church to all sorts and conditions of people in sickness and in health, in dying and bereavement. They are also to assist in mobilising fellow laity for mission and helping to build discipleship
Life with Barney a.k.a. Mr Dog enters its second month with more early morning walks. This week the tide has been fairly low first thing so we have gone down there most days. Mr. Dog is very good at returning the missiles launched from the 'Chukkit' and so exercises hard for an hour. If he needs a break he chases the waves instead while we take in the joys of being alive under heaven from the dawn and the sea air. One end of Portreath Beach is freezing and the other end is warm once the sun begins to get to it. Prayers today were for those who for one reason or another cannot enjoy the warm enfolding of the rising sun or the Risen Son. (I post on photos and prayers on Twitter @Trewirgies )An Interview with Carrie Tucker as she leaves the Diocese and he role as Secretary to the Readers. So in attempting to replace Carrie with three people we have so far received enquiries from er.... one person. Readers / Licensed Lay Ministers we really do need you if you have minute taking skills, enjoy organising events or just want to help your fellow Readers in a practical way. I asked Carrie the question that we so often ask those discerning their vocation to become a Reader which is; If you could only preach one(more) sermon what would be the topic and why? Carrie only thought for a moment before saying that it would be a bout practical love - all very well to follow Jesus commands to love one another but practice has to follow intent and rally that is what Carrie has done, to love her felw Readers through service and for that we are all hugely grateful. In the interview she says what she enjoyed and some advice for us all - please do pray for Carrie and pray for your own evolving vocation and ask God if it is something to which you should contribute some time.https://youtu.be/uXxXWKeEfhAUnconscious BiasI attended the course yesterday ably led by Dawn from somewhere in the South East on ZOOM. It is always good to be reminded of these things although through my work as a Governor and in my pre retirement career in primary schools I was steeped in the culture of non-discrimination and often had charge of writing the equalities policy. the racial abuse policy and the bullying policy as well as the school access plan so I probably did not learn anything new. When I moved to Cornwall from London having been brought up in Birmingham where my friends were from a variety of ethnic backgrounds I was actually surprised by the level of racial prejudice. Examples were often preceded with the phrase, "of course I am not racially prejudiced but...................." At the time (1978) I was teaching 38 children in a temporary classroom in a medium sized village school. When plotting where the children had been on holiday I was amazed that 10 had never visited the…