Parishes

At a service of the Eucharist (Mass) on Sunday 5th September at 4pm Bishop Christopher, Assistant Bishop of Leicester, will rename St. Alban’s Church, ‘The Church of The Resurrection’ so that Parish and Parish Church share the same dedication. At the service, Bishop Christopher will also Baptise new Christians and Confirm those further along their faith journey. This is a big and joyful day in the life of the people of The Parish of The Resurrection who seek to develop their work of Christian service throughout the parish, amongst all peoples without distinction, and for whom their parish church is the ‘power house’ from which, in the growing company of Christians with whom they pray and worship, they move into and amongst the communities that make up the parish witnessing to the love of God by active care and compassion. For our developing Christian community this is a day and a celebration of ‘New Life’: a confirmation of our confident looking forward in faith!
 
This change will not affect our Community Centre which will remain ‘St. Alban’s Community Centre’.
 
All friends of the Parish and the Parish Church are welcome to join us for the celebration!

We recently had an incident in All Saints Newtown Linford Churchyard and we thought we should warn other Churches because there is a suggestion that it was a deliberate ploy to cause injury and claim for personal injury.  It would be helpful for the Police to hear whether any other Churches have had a similar experience. 

The family, a  man and woman with a pushchair with at least three children were in amongst the leaning gravestones with their feet up them and pushing with all their might.  They were going up and down the row and I watched them for several minutes before making my presence known.   The man had a very heavy metal implement over two feet long with a point on it and a sort of cog wheel in the middle.  They took it away with them in the pushchair.  It is possible there was not a child in the pushchair as it was loaded with things.

Please contact me if you require any further information.

Pam McMorran Tel: 01530 242140

cc. Rev. Dr. Peter Hooper and bcc Church Warden Sheila Langton.

A large number of historic church buildings  are under threat because they will soon lose the right to a special refund.

The refund, which allows historic churches and other places of worship to claim back the VAT on the cost of repairs and maintenance, is due to end in March 2011.

Unless pressure is brought to bear on the government to continue the VAT refund, we might see some of our most important community buildings close

for more  visit www.savetherefund.info

Please sign this online petition to continue the listed places of Worship grant scheme

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/listed-places-of-worship.html

With the Diocesan Assembly fast approaching we are now inviting you to register your attendance and also giving you the opportunity to select which workshops you wish to attend. Click the link below and download the workshop booklet and return it to the address listed.

workshop booklet 

A weekend of celebration of the role of the Arts based around the Church of St Hugh, Sturdee Road, Eyres Monsell.  There will be displays of art works by local children, and adults as well as the wider role of the visual arts in religion… including  flower displays, vestments etc.

For more details please download the information HERE
ArtsFest Arts and Crafts
Arts Festival – Sumary of Events
Organ Concert with Simon Lumby

Many thanks to all the Churchwardens who have returned the Statistics for Mission forms. The information will prove very helpful in shaping how mission is resourced and encouraged across county & city (one initial headline you can read in the new edition of Shaped by God News). However, 15% of churches have still not returned their form. We are in the final stages of collating the data and so please can the remaining forms be returned in the next 7-10 days so the information used will be as accurate for your worshipping community as possible. If this isn’t possible please contact barry.hill@leccofe.org

To Parish Treasurers: 2009 Accounts

 My sincere thanks to all who have met the statutory requirement to lodge a copy of your annual PCC accounts at Church House.  If you have not yet sent yours, please do so by Friday 11th June 2010, so that the Parish Share Committee can be aware of your current financial situation as it considers the share assessment for 2011.

It is particularly important that we understand where there are local financial challenges, and our Finance and Parish Funding teams may be able to assist with budgeting and fundraising to allow you to pay your share and to fulfil your other mission objectives for the year.

With thanks.
Jane Easton
Diocesan Secretary

Many thanks indeed to all those Churchwardens who have returned the Statistics for Mission part of the Archdeacons Articles of Enquiry.  As I’ve been inputting the information and reading the forms, the detail you have provided has proved very helpful in shaping the resources we offer in encouraging and resourcing mission.  If you haven’t yet returned the form, please can I encourage you to do so as soon as possible (the deadline was 21st April).  The form is a mandatory part of the Articles of Enquiry (which is a requirement upon Churchwardens to complete) but, far more importantly, the information on them plays a big part in shaping how the diocese centrally serves and resources parishes – and in sharing together our story of what God is doing amongst us.  Please can it, therefore, be completed and returned as soon as possible, but ideally within the next ten days. 

If you have any questions please let me know.  Also, in this first year of collating all the data needed by several sources into a single form, if you have any suggestions for improvements for next year I’m always keen to hear them.  Once the information is all received and input I will send a link for further information for those interested.  I look forward to hearing from you.  All the very best, in Christ, Barry (barry.hill@leccofe.org)

13th JUNE 2010.
Churches throughout the world are being invited to mark MUSIC SUNDAY; a celebration of music in worship, by organising an event or incorporating appropriate readings, music and prayers into their regular or a special service. The Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) has designated Sunday 13th June as Music Sunday, which also provides an opportunity to pay tribute to the work and commitment of church musicians, combined with a fund-raising initiative on a 50:50 basis split between the participating church and the RSCM.
Information, ideas, and downloadable resources, and templates can be found on the website at www.rscm.com/musicsunday, along with suggestions for music, special readings, and prayers.

Please download the attached poster for more details and perhaps print it to advertise this upcoming exhibition by artist Jean Lamb in Harston.

The Tree of Life Poster

Event Date: 16th May 2010

St Theodore’s Church in Rushey Mead Leicester is seeking someone to take a service of family communion at 10:30 a.m.
We use the SU “Light for the Lectionary” and this can be sent out via post or email.

If you are able to assist us, please get in touch with me ASAP
Rob Marsh
email: r_marsh@btinternet.com
tel 07774 735538

Throughout our Diocese we have many Churches that contain fascinating features that would appeal to a wide range of visitors. These can range from historic stained glass to unique historical links, unusual architectural features to just simply being a very special place of repose. Sadly though, we often forget just how much value our Churches can be outside of the usual round of organised worship.

With this in mind, the Diocese is launching a pilot project to evaluate how to communicate our treasures to a wider world via modern communication tools. Funded by The Leicestershire Rural Partnership, the project will be based on a selection of 10 Churches from across the Diocese, each one offering some form of uniqueness. The aim is to have the pilot running by the end of June such that we can capitalise on the summer holiday period.

As part of the Rural Working Group, this initiative will have as its first focus Churches that are located outside of the main urban centres of the Diocese. The selection of these will take place during the month of May, and we are very happy to receive any suggestions as to specific places to include.

Please contact Peter Hooper for further details 0116 239 4606 or peter@hoopers.orangehome.co.uk

ROYAL SCHOOL OF CHURCH MUSIC – IMPROVISATION MASTERCLASS FOR ORGANISTS On Tuesday 18th May  at 7.30 David Cowen, Organist and Director of Music at Holy Cross Priory and Associate Organist at Leicester Cathedral will be holding an Improvisation Masterclass at St Mary’s, Knighton.
For more details, contact Jan Webster on 0116 248 4726 or email Jan.Webster@leccofe.org

For PCC members, especially Churchwardens, please find the attached newsletter produced by Ecclesiastical

Visitations Newsletter

Event Date: Sunday 16th May

St Theodore’s Church in Rushey Mead require somebody to take their service of Family Communion on May 16th at 10:30am
Good mixed and lively congregation using the SU Light for the Lectionary material (copy can be sent out via email)
Please contact in the first instance Rob Marsh
email r_marsh@btinternet.com or
answer machine 0116 2870489

An information leaflet from the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust

Bats and churches document

Thursday 22nd April

If anyone wishes to bring candidates for confirmation at Asfordby (7.30pm on Thursday 22 April) please get in touch with the Revd Jeff Hopewell, preferably by Friday 2nd April.
If you are presenting candidates please can you let me know the name, gender (since name is not always a reliable guide these days!), adult or youngster, and whether they are to be baptized and confirmed or just confirmed.
Thanks very much

Jeff Hopewell
The Vicarage
Church Lane
Old Dalby
Melton Mowbray
LE14 3LB
01664 820064
jshopewell@btinternet.com

- English Heritage to Support  Congregations Looking After Listed Churches, Chapels, Synagogues, Meeting Houses, Gurdwaras, Temples and Mosques –

What condition are England’s listed churches and other historic faith buildings really in and what will most help the congregations whose task it is to maintain them? Most of the country’s 14,500 listed places of worship are in good condition and are a huge asset to their communities, thanks almost entirely to the work of volunteers. Many are adapting to incorporate crèches, cafés and post offices alongside worship. But some are struggling simply to keep open. The cost of maintaining these beautiful buildings is an on-going challenge, not least because what makes them special within our landscape is also what makes them more costly to repair than less spectacular buildings. (more…)

A non-commercial Christian based community radio station celebrating the true meaning of Easter for Hinckley and the Villages

Organised by volunteers and funded primarily by Hinckley churches, Vine FM aims to explain the true meaning of Easter with a mix of Christian and contemporary music, a variety of shows featuring local people and recordings of community events. Tune in for the ever popular ‘More tea, Vicar’ , ‘Breakfast with Bamberger’ and ‘Drivetime’ with Ben Williams. New this year is ‘Dessert Island discs’ with John Moore and a variety of people from the local community. Inspired by the BBC classic created by Roy Plomley, but renamed because it is ‘after lunch’!!!

http://www.vinefm.org.uk/

listen at vine fm on  87.7fm

Do you need a choir for a special occasion? Perhaps we can help!

The chamber choir ‘Accord’ (based in Hinckley) can provide vocal music for weddings, concerts and other occasions.
A wide-ranging repertoire is available, from Early Church music to approachable pieces for the present-day audience.

For further information, contact: Pauline Buggins (01455 632417)
e-mail polbugs@btinternet.com