Crosslincs 31

Supporting the city-centrehomeless

page 12

No 31Summer 2011FREE

Diocese of Lincoln newspaperwww.lincoln.anglican.org

Vocation to servethe poor

Fond memories of agood education

page 22

From orphanageto Church School

crosslincsPreparing to lead the Diocese

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Will Harrison

Christopher Lowson will be enthroned as Bishop of Lincoln in November.

The 72nd Bishop of Lincoln will be con-secrated Bishop at a special service inWestminster Abbey in September by

the Archbishop of Canterbury.The Ven Christopher Lowson will

ordained as Bishop on St Matthew’s Day atthe Abbey, where he is currently a priest-vicar. Christopher is Director of the Ministry

Division of the Archbishops’ Council, wherehis role has been to lead a team responsi-ble for developing policy and deliveringsupport to those in lay and ordained min-istry throughout the Church of England.The Ministry Division advises the House ofBishops, the Archbishops’ Council and theGeneral Synod on ministry matters and isresponsible for the selection and the over-sight of the training of more than 900 newclergy, Readers and others admitted toministry each year. The Diocese will provide coaches to

allow people − for a small charge − toattend the service on 21 September, whichwill begin at 11am.The Chief Executive of the Diocese, Max

Manin, said: “This service is a chance for thechurch communities of the Diocese toshow their prayerful support forChristopher as he begins a new phase in hisministry.“The ceremony is very much an occasion

for the church family to celebrate togetherthe appointment of our new Bishop, andfor the community of the Diocese to bepart of the start of this new ministry.”Tickets for the service, which are free and

distributed on a first-come-first-servedbasis, are available by postal application,and coach travel is available to and fromLondon from Grimsby, Scunthorpe,Lincoln, Louth, Horncastle, Sleaford,Grantham, Boston, Bourne, Spalding andStamford for £12.50 per person.Then in November, the Diocese and

counties of Lincolnshire will celebrateBishop Christopher’s new ministry at hisenthronement in Lincoln Cathedral. Theservice, to be held on 12 November at11.30am, will be attended by clergy,churchgoers from every deanery and rep-resentatives from all walks of life from thecounties, including the armed forces andschools.

> Ticket application form: page 17

New house

will be “big

improvement”

The See of Lincoln is to have a newhouse for its new Bishop when hetakes up his appointment in

September. The new house is just a few minutes walk

from the cathedral and will be ready for thenew Bishop in October, following someingoing works to extend the entertainingspace. The Bishop elect, the Venerable

Christopher Lowson said: “The decisionwhere a diocesan bishop is to live is madeby the Church Commissioners and not bythe bishop himself.“However, Susan and I are delighted with

the new house. I’ve been saying for sometime that it is good when bishops find waysof living more simply. “With the alterations the Church

Commissioners have agreed to do, the newhouse will be large enough for us to be ableto offer hospitality to quite large groups. Butthe house won’t be so large that it will be adrain of the Church’s resources.“This is important because every penny

the Church Commissioners are able to saveby housing bishops in more modest proper-ties will be available to dioceses to supporttheir mission and ministry.”The old See house, on Eastgate in Lincoln,

had around 25 rooms and a very large gar-den, whereas the new one is a more modestfive bed room house. One of the advantages of the change is

that the offices and living accommodationwill be separate which means that thehouse itself doesn’t have to be so huge.The Church Commissioners, who current-

ly fund houses for Diocesan Bishops, havecarried out a review of housing provision forthe Bishop of Lincoln and have determinedthat the old house had many problems.Chief among these is the fact that almostevery room is on a different level from itsneighbour which means that it is not veryaccessible. > More, and photographs: page 16> New offices for Bishop: page 5

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01522 [email protected]

Nick Edmonds

Ten-year-old Travis Linehn, a pupil at St Martin’s school in Owston Ferry, near Scunthorpe, prepares a pancake.

Pupils from two North LincolnshireChurch schools have been leadingworship, participating in drama and

cooking pancakes, all in the name of find-ing out more about religion and celebrat-ing 200 years of Church Schools.West Butterwick and St Martin’s schools,

which make up the Trentside confedera-tion, followed up on a meeting withDeputy Diocesan Director of Education,Paul Thompson, to launch an RE focusweek, entitled ‘How do we talk to God?’ The week, based around a theme which

the children themselves devised, beganwith pupils leading worship by telling thestory of Hannah and Samuel. There was then an opportunity to bake

bread and make pancakes using home-made tin can and tea light stoves (pic-tured), exploring the theological linksbehind the various foodstuffs and theirconnection to the different seasons. For the remainder of the week, Christian

theatre group Rhema Theatre joined theschools, first performing stories from thebible and then working with year 6 pupilsfor an interactive drama day. Jo Buckle, Head Teacher for both

schools, said that it had been a week ofvibrant and memorable learning. “We are so pleased to have been able to

hold such a worthwhile week of RE-basedlearning in the year that celebrates 200years of Church Schools,” she said. “The activities have helped the children

to learn new team-building, self-confi-dence and communication skills, as theyhave been encouraged to develop theirown ideas, share opinions and make groupdecisions.” During the week, the schools also

engaged with the local community, withparents and members of congregationsfrom the two churches joining the childrenfor some of the activity sessions. Paul Thompson, who paid a visit to the

schools, said that he had been delighted tobe involved in the RE Focus week. “The younger children were really good

at retelling the story of the loaves and fish-es,” he said. “And their ability to reflect on ‘miracles in

the world’ was very moving.” During his visit, Paul also heard Key

Stage 2 children explore the Hindu story of‘The Tiger, The Brahmin and The Jackal’,and had a fish-and-chip lunch with pupilworship leaders – part of the ‘Lighting theCandle’ group. “The Hindu story prompted some very

complex thinking from the children andgenerated some excellent questions asthey discussed the story,” he said.“And not only were the fish and chips

delicious but it was lovely to hear how thechildren have developed collective wor-ship. The passion for RE in the school issomething clearly worth celebrating!”

Cooking up a passion for RE

Jan Roantree of Donington-on-Bain, Louth, sent in this cartoon. Send your cartoons to [email protected] or to Crosslincs, The Old Palace, Lincoln LN2 1PU

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Philip Hamlyn-Williams became Chief Executive and Chapter Clerk of LincolnCathedral in the spring.

Aflagship arts project has beenlaunched by a TV personality andchair of the Churches Conservation

Trust.The trust’s Archway project aims to

encourage people to discover the rich her-itage of the east of Lincolnshire through anengagement with 14 historic Grade I andGrade II* churches that the ChurchCommissioners of the Church of Englandhave vested in the CCT − a national charitythat preserves and protects churches thatare considered to be at risk.Loyd Grossman, chair of the Churches

Conservation Trust (CCT), officially launched

the Archway project at Alford Manor Housein March. As well as repairing and conserving

church buildings the CCT also developsprojects intended to establish churches atthe very heart of communities by expand-ing and increasing their usage. LoydGrossman said that Archway was one suchproject, a means of “using our churches torevitalise communities”. Archway has commissioned architectural

glass artist Derek Hunt and arts organisa-tion Glassball to inspire local communitiesand produce artwork in response to thebeautiful architecture of five of the church-

es taking part in the project. Archwaychurches will also be developed as aresource for local artists and arts groups, aswell as being offered as venues for arts or lit-erature groups to meet, to hold exhibitionsand to stage music, dance or theatre events. The churches in the project are located in

Burwell, Goltho, Great Steeping, Haltham-on-Bain, Haugham, Kingerby, LittleCawthorpe, North Cockerington,Saltfleetby, Skidbrooke, South Somercotes,Theddlethorpe, Waithe and Yarburgh. For more information about the Archway

project visit www.visitchurches.org.uk orcall Sandra Kelley on 07730 530388.

Launched Lincolnshire arts project

Loyd Grossman is chair of the ChurchesConservation Trust.

New role for former

Diocesan Secretary

Ayearly event to raise money forLincolnshire’s churches by walking,riding or running between church

buildings will take place in September.The annual Bike Ride and Stride, in aid of

the Lincolnshire Churches Trust, is anopportunity for people to raise moneyequally for the trust and for any church oftheir choosing.“The momentum for this year’s Bike Ride

and Stride will really start to build fromnow until the big event on Saturday 10September,” said organiser, Nic Ridley. “This event is a tremendous opportunity

to raise money for your church. It is also afun day out for all your friends and family. “Walk, cycle, horse-ride, or even run

between Lincolnshire’s churches and enjoythe wonderful scenery of our county. “You choose the route, and you choose

which churches you are supporting.”Last year the event raised around

£36,000.“For the event to be a success we rely on

the support of parishioners not only in tak-ing part in the event but also in promotingthe event within their local community,”said Nic.“The money raised directly benefits your

parish. Please encourage parishioners andfriends to support this event.” If you would like to find out more, con-

tact Nic Ridley at [email protected] on 01476 550055, or Caroline Cumminsat [email protected]

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Annual cycle

of saving

churchesIt was an easy decision to return toLincolnshire to take up a senior role atLincoln Cathedral, said the new Chief

Executive and Chapter Clerk.And Philip Hamlyn-Williams is no

stranger to the cathedral, where he previ-ously served on the chapter, or to theDiocese, where he was Diocesan Secretaryfrom 1996 to 2003.“Fifteen years ago, I fell in love with

Lincoln Cathedral, and I’m still passionateabout the building,” said Philip.And after quickly getting his feet under

the table, he listed tourism and communi-cation as high priorities.“My biggest challenge is to work very

hard with other agencies in increasing ourtourist numbers and the length of theirstay,” he said.“Lincoln only gets one-tenth of the

tourists York Minster gets.”And securing new sources of money, as

well as promoting the cathedral’s ministryand its role as a place of pilgrimage willalways be huge tasks of his role.“We need to secure long-term funding,

and we need to build on the local supportwe already have,” said Philip.“And we would love for groups from the

Diocese to come to the cathedral moreoften, and make use of the building.”Leading the staff at the cathedral is

another big task, made easy, he said, bytheir dedication and professionalism.“My predecessor, Roy Bentham, did a fab-

ulous job, and that made it an easy decisionto come back to Lincoln.”

Oliver Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes Dean Emeritus of Lincoln: 17 May 1926 –8 June 2011

The younger son of the 20th BaronSaye and Sele, Oliver Fiennes had theunique distinction of being born in

the Palace of Westminster – not, as he putit, because of an accident in theDistinguished Strangers’ Gallery, butbecause his grandfather was an official ofthe Commons. With a father in the armed forces, Oliver

spent a good deal of his early years travel-ling, before education at Eton College andNew College, Oxford. He was ordained in1954, following a period as a soldier whenhe won the sword of Honour at Sandhurstjust before the end of the war.

An elegant batsman, who developedcodes for transmitting cricket scores to fel-low clergy during quiet moments, Olivertook up roles as Chaplain of Clifton Collegeand Rector of Lambeth, before being madeDean of Lincoln in 1969. Appointed at theearly age of 43, he admitted he didn’t real-ly know what a Dean did, but was to have arevolutionary impact.

Canon John Nurser, formerly Chancellorof Lincoln, wrote: “From the beginning, itwas clear that the Chapter had organisedeffectively in the interregnum to defenditself against any takeover from the direc-tion of Honest to God.“Trench warfare ensued, and a less deter-

mined solider than Oliver would have sur-rendered.”

In addition to modernising the liturgy,Oliver founded the Cathedral bookshop,the mystery plays, and developed interna-tional and ecumenical links, accompanyingthe Magna Carta on a tour of the USA,meeting then president Ronald Reagan,whom he described as “a very intelligentman, who really knew about Magna Carta.”

Oliver retired as Dean in 1989, moving tothe village of Colsterworth before return-ing to Lincoln in 2009 following the deathof his beloved wife, Juliet. Here he oncemore engaged with the daily worship of hisCathedral, even in the weeks prior to hisdeath.

At his funeral The Venerable RoderickWells, formerly Archdeacon of Stow andLindsey, described a man of restless imagi-nation and charm with a passionate convic-tion for seeing things through.

“‘Let’s fly a kite and see,’ was one of hisfavourite phrases,” he said.

“Whoever he met, he wanted to showthem something of God, and at Lincoln heenvisioned a place where people could betouched by God.”“He made sure people knew that he had

faith in them, and sought to make the Deanand Chapter more accountable to the con-gregation.”“I can’t help but wonder what kites he is

flying now.”

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the Diocese of Lincoln for nearly 100 yearsthe Diocese of Lincoln for nearly 100 yearsthe Diocese of Lincoln for nearly 100 yearsthe Diocese of Lincoln for nearly 100 yearsthe Diocese of Lincoln for nearly 100 yearsthe Diocese of Lincoln for nearly 100 yearsthe Diocese of Lincoln for nearly 100 yearsStreets has been associated with and has looked afterStreets has been associated with and has looked afterStreets has been associated with and has looked after

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The second annual lecture of the Issuesin Science and Religion series was thisyear given by Dr Denis Alexander,

Director of the Faraday Institute for Scienceand Religion, writes Sarah Tyler.Dr Alexander explored the question,

‘Creation or Evolution − do we have tochoose?’ He compared the choice betweencreation and evolution as essentially a falsechoice, although the popular atheism ofRichard Dawkins would suggest otherwise,claiming: “God is a competing explanationfor the universe and life.” However, rather than seeing creation and

evolution as rival explanations for the uni-verse, Dr Alexander observed that they arebest seen as complementary explanationswhich describe one reality in different, butnot isolated or conflicting, narratives.Dr Alexander explained the Christian

model of creation as depicting God as thecomposer and conductor of the music oflife: God is the complete explanation for allelse which exists and He holds it together.It should therefore be no surprise that acreation is thus an investigation into whatGod has brought into being.In his lecture, Dr Alexander also clearly

explained Christian responses toDarwinism in the 19th century, dispellingthe popular myth that religious leaderswere universally opposed to its claims. Itwas largely recognised − even in theUnited States (which in the 21st centuryironically boasts a high proportion ofYoung Earth Creationists) − that evolutionwas no rival to creation. Interestingly, DrAlexander observed that even the earlychurch writers had interpreted the Genesisnarratives metaphorically, and laid thefoundations for an acceptance of evolutionas the answer to the central question aboutcreation: ‘How did God do it?’Dr Alexander’s lucid conclusion was that

as complementary narratives address dif-ferent things, there is no need to choosebetween creation and evolution, as onewould between chocolate and vanilla ice-cream. Rather, as Aubrey Moore claimed:“Darwinism appeared, and in the guise of afoe, did the work of a friend.”The well-informed question-and-answer

session which followed revealed the keenlevel of interest in Dr Alexander’s lecture,and as thanks go to him for such an inform-ative talk.

Passion, conviction

and hospitalityPH

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Exploring

creation in

lecture

The Very Revd the Hon Oliver Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes died on 8 June 2011.

I can’t help but wonder whatkites he is flying now.

Nick Edmonds

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Church purchase will benefit mission

The purchase of a church building nearthe top of Lincoln’s Steep Hill will pro-duce a greater yield than any other

investment, according to the ChiefExecutive of the Diocese.

The former church of St Michael on theMount in Lincoln was declared redundantsome years ago, and has since been used asan arts faculty for the University of Lincoln.

Most recently, the building was beingdeveloped as private dwellings, until a newplan was proposed to make the building ahotel.

“It was suggested some years ago thatthe Diocese should acquire the building,and we are continually looking at ways inwhich we can increase the income from ourassets in the difficult economic climate,”said Max Manin, the Diocese of Lincoln’sChief Executive.

When the proposals were put forward toturn the building into a hotel, concernswere raised that the former church, justyards from The Old Palace, which incorpo-rates the Diocese of Lincoln’s retreat centre,could impact on this function of the build-ing.

“The Assets Committee, the FinanceCommittee, and then Diocesan Councilconsidered and approved a business planthat would see income drawn from usingthe building as an extension of The OldPalace, in this case offering rooms commer-cially,” said Max.

The building will also provide officespace for the new diocesan Bishop, who isto live in a smaller house without officeaccommodation, and for his staff.

“The Bishop will be close to many of theDiocesan staff, which means there will bemuch easier access,” said Max.

“It also means that we will receive rentalincome from the Church Commissionersfor the offices.”

Work had already begun by the previousowners to turn the building into houses,and that work will now be developed tocreate the bedrooms and the offices.

“Many hotels have annexes that are sep-arate from the main building, and this willprovide people with an opportunity to stayin a very desirable part of Lincoln in beauti-ful surroundings,” said Max.

“At present, we’ve been managing to geta return of between two per cent and fiveper cent on our historic income, which isdistributed to the deaneries to support themission of the Diocese.

“This development will bring in at least aseven per cent return, making it by far ourmost lucrative investment.

“The infrastructure of the hospitalitybusiness is already in place and well estab-lished, so the additional resources neededto run the extra rooms are very small, andwe have the added benefit of being able to

widen the opportunities for offering eventsat The Old Palace.

“By having control of the space, it willalso mean that we can ensure retreats andquiet days held at The Old Palace canremain peaceful and effective.

“If the building had become an inde-pendent hotel, were there a big party suchas a wedding reception, it would have anunacceptable impact on people staying atThe Old Palace.”

Work is expected to begin soon to con-tinue and complete the conversion of thechurch, with the building being in use byEaster 2012.

“The cost of the conversion will be in theregion of £500,000. This sounds like a lot ofmoney,” said Max.

“However, we invest assets in all sorts ofways in order to maximise our return, andthis will be a significant support to theDiocese.”

Will Harrison

The former St Michael’s Church will provide office space for the diocesan Bishop and his staff, and a number of bedrooms asan extension of The Old Palace.

Max Manin

“We are continually looking atways in which we can increasethe income from our assets.”

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Children and Young PeopleChildren and Young People

01522 504067

[email protected]/youth

An eco-activity camp allowed sevenyoung people from around theDiocese to become skilled ‘bodgers’

− or traditional green wood-workers.The camp, held at Hill Holt Wood, near

Newark in the late spring, allowed thegroup to develop their skills with tradition-al green wood-working tools, includingbroad and side axes, draw knives, wedges,wooden mallets, chisels, a shave horse, atwo-man cross cut saws and a pole lathe.

“The group set up camp and were givena site induction by the green wood-work-ing project ranger Alan Eley,” said theorganiser, the Diocese’s projects workerSuzanne Starbuck.

“The concept was a little overwhelmingfor some, but by Tuesday the group haddesigned and planned their woodworkingproject on paper and were quickly devel-oping their bodging skills.”

The group was presented with a bark-covered tree trunk which needed to besplit with axes, mallets and wedges.

“The group worked well as a team andsupported each other to perfect their skillsin each area,” said Suzanne.

Hill Holt Wood is a 34-acre woodlandoperating as an environmental socialenterprise and controlled by a voluntaryboard of directors representing local com-

munities and councils as well as local andnational businesses. The project managesthe woodland in a traditional sense, as ahabitat to be conserved but we also look to

the future and utilises the natural resourcesto achieve employment, education andtraining goals.

By the end of the week, the original treetrunk had been split to create a love seat −a bench with two seats facing in oppositedirections. The wood had been shaved,trimmed and turned to create four legs,spindles for the chair back and a back rest.

“The weather was relatively kindthroughout the week, although it was a lit-tle cold camping at night,” said Suzanne.

“The composting toilets at Hill Holt woodwere an unusual concept to most, but bythe end of the week were an accepted partof eco camp life.”

Families, parents and carers visited thegroup at the end of the week to see theirachievements.

“The eco camp and green woodworkingactivities have made it possible for many ofthe group to complete their Duke ofEdinburgh Gold Award,” said Suzanne.

“The two students from St Francis Schoolin Lincoln have completed the residentialpart at the eco camp and are now planningtheir expedition.”

Young people’s love seat

Luke Scutt, Loyd Emmerson and Damien Stewart get to work making the seat.

Lead ranger Alan Eley with Alex Bowyer, Joe Rose, Damien Stewart, Anthony Page-Stabler, Siobhan Thompson, Luke Scutt and Loyd Emmerson with the love seatthey made at Hill Holt Wood, near Newark.

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PHOTOGRAPH: SUZANNE STARBUCK

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ALincolnshire congregation has wel-comed a party of visitors from achurch at the foot of a mountain over

5,000 miles away.One weekend in June 2008, thunder-

storms set off thousands of fires in NorthCalifornia, including in an area where Valand Vic Rampton from Beckingham nearNewark were due to be staying. As a result,they found themselves on a Saturday nightin a rather remote part of North California,with no bed for the night. Deciding to head to the nearby town of

Mount Shasta, they eventually found aroom, and the following morning – Sunday– headed to the Episcopal Church of StBarnabas in the town. They found an inspir-ing service, and a group of very friendlypeople. On arrival back to England, Father Ted

Ridgway, the Priest in Charge of StBarnabas’s wrote to Val and Vic asking themto tell him about their home church.Correspondence was exchanged, and soonfollowed an invitation for All Saints’,Beckingham and St Barnabas’s to becomeSister congregations. With the idea passedby both PCCs in September the same yearVal and Vic were invited back to Californiafor a service of thanksgiving for the com-pletion of mortgage payments for StBarnabas’s. And now 16 members of the St Barnabas

congregation have swapped mountains,lakes, waterfalls and wildlife includingbears, eagles, and mountain lions for therural English village idyll of Beckingham fora four-day schedule, getting to know theParish and the area. Meeting at the Church on Friday morn-

ing, following a late start to recover fromthe gruelling 13-hour flight, tea and coffeepreceded a welcome from Rector AlanMegahey, who then conducted a tour ofthe church. He detailed All Saints’ miracu-lous recovery from a state of disrepair, and

pointed out details including a Green Mancarving above the North porch, and whereunsympathetic 1960s waterproof bluepaint in the chancel had begun to bestripped away to reveal Victorian restora-tion paintwork beneath. Staying with host families in the village,

the remainder of the visit included a trip toother churches in the group includingBrant Broughton and Stragglethorpe, a visitto Whisby Nature Reserve, and on Saturdaya tour of Lincoln Cathedral followed byevensong at which Father Ted read the OldTestament lesson. After the service, Ted saidthat it had been one of the highlights of his52 years in ordained ministry. “It was a real privilege,” said the 81-year-

old.“We’ve certainly had a good taste of the

different Anglican worship styles. I don’tthink I’ve ever had so much Church in ashort time!” And the semi-retired Episcopalian priest

noticed differences in more than just thechurch environment compared to hisnative California. “Everyone back home drives a truck,” he

said.“And on the way from the airport I didn’t

see a single one!” On Sunday, a festival service at All Saints

saw the exchange of gifts, including thedonation to Beckingham of a Chalice andPaten set from St Barnabas’s. “We’re very grateful for the generous gift

as we only had a very, very small chalicebefore,” said Val, who organised much ofthe programme. “We’re hoping that there will be a return

visit to California in a year or two.”The weekend was rounded off with a fine

meal at The Black Swan Restaurant inBeckingham, before the visitors werewaved off on the next stage of their pil-grimage, including visits to York, Stratford-on-Avon and Cadbury World.

A paten for Anglo-American

friendship

Sue Taylor

8 crosslincs

There are more than three-quarters of amillion words in the Bible, and everysingle one was read out during a Bible-

athon at a church in the Diocese.Regular churchgoers to St George’s,

Swallowbeck in Lincoln were joined by arepresentative of the city’s Jewish commu-nity to read the entire Bible.

The enormous task was the idea of theparish priest, Canon Ian Silk.

“I’ve long wanted to attempt a Bible-athon in Lincoln and this year we decided togo for it at St George’s,” said Ian.

“Groups and organisations connectedwith the parish and our ecumenical part-ners were invited to contribute teams ofreaders over a three-day period, and various‘owls’ and ‘larks’ filled in the remaining hourswith plenty of water available at the lectern.”

Altogether 113 people took part, with theyoungest reader being 13-years-old, andthe most senior in their nineties.

“A leading member of the LincolnIndependent Minyan Jewish prayer groupthen read the Days of Creation usingHebrew chant,” said Ian.

“In the course of the Bible-athon otherparts of the Scriptures were read in Latinand Greek and also French, German, Dutchand Swedish (mother tongues or secondlanguages of various members of the con-gregation) – as well as at least seven Englishtranslations.

“I think we all heard parts of Scripture wenever realised were there, and it was anenriching experience of attentiveness,prayer, fellowship, teamwork and witness.”

The entire reading took 81 hours, andended with the singing of Praise God fromwhom all blessings flow.

“Coming out of the church, the first birdwas beginning to sing in the dark before thedawn,” said Ian.

“In this year of the 400th Anniversary ofthe King James Bible, which was one of theversions of the Bible we used, donationstowards the translation work of The BibleSociety in Burkina Faso were given by thosecoming into church to listen.

A 24/7 prayer room was also in operationfor quiet meditation and ‘hands-on’ prayeractivities.

Lincoln is poised to host an annualnational event with an internationalfeel.

The event in question is the nationalCursillo gathering, known as Ultreya(‘onward’), which takes place in a differentpart of the country each year, and will bringtogether around 600 people who haveattended Cursillo weekends around thecountry.

Cursillo (pronounced “kur-see-yo”) is aSpanish word, meaning ‘a short course,’which began in Spain some fifty years ago.It spread to the Episcopal Church of NorthAmerica in 1972, before arriving in the UKin 1981. Cursillo is now a world-wide move-ment, which is active in more than 30 UKdioceses.

Held over a three-day weekend, theobjective of the Cursillo course is to prepare

participants for what is known as the“Fourth Day,” when they return to every-daylife enriched by what they have experi-enced. Driven by talks on ideals, grace, thelife of prayer, study, action and subsequentdiscussion groups, Cursillo leans toward thepracticalities of spirituality and faith in day-to-day existence, and showing Christian laypeople how to become effective leaders.

The 2011 event will start with a grandgathering at Bishop Grosseteste UniversityCollege for a time of fellowship, praise andprayer followed by a colourful BannerParade from Lincoln Castle to theCathedral. Here there will be a Eucharistpresided over by the Bishop of Grimsby.The Preacher will be Bishop Idris Jones, for-mer Bishop of Glasgow and Galloway, andnational Spiritual leader of Cursillo.

Bishop Idris told Crosslincs that churches

seeking involvement in the faith and life-style of their members would find Cursilloan attested asset.

“We identify Jesus Christ as the onethrough whom life makes sense and thepraise of God as the mainspring of outreachand action,” he said.

“Our National gathering is an opportuni-ty to celebrate this as part of the fellowshipof the church in Diocese and Province.”

Lay Director Piers Carter added that itwas a great honour for Lincoln to havebeen chosen for the 2011 National Ultreya.

“Cursillistas from Parishes large and smallhave been working since April last year toensure that our visitors will enjoy a well-organised event,” he said.

Everybody is invited to join in the service,about which more information can befound at www.lincolncursillo.org.uk

Taking the short course to Lincoln

The Bible read

out loud

Steve Griffiths of the Lincoln Independent Minyan Jewish prayer group with CanonIan Silk at St George’s, Swallowbeck.

It was five years ago that a Lincolnshireparochial church council decided to pro-vide local young people with more

opportunities for fun and recreation.The result was a weekly, non-religious

drop-in for teenagers in the village church,with no fixed activities and free refresh-ments.

Since then, around 20 local teenagers reg-ularly visit Cranwell parish church to listento music, play pool and partake in refresh-ments, all under discreet supervision.

Churchwarden of Cranwell, Trevor Bush,said: “The teenagers continue to appreciatethe church making them welcome withoutexpecting any reciprocal commitment.

“In the view of the local Neighbourhood

Policing Panel it has been a significant fac-tor in the reduction of problems previouslycaused by anti-social behaviour.”

Such was the success of the event that thelocal young people asked the church toextend the scheme to provide activities onone day a week during the school summerholidays.

“These activities have typically included abouncy castle, organised team games, cir-cus skills, craft sessions and ten pin bowl-ing,” said Trevor.

And now, as a result of a grant of £470from the Police Property Fund to cover thecost of hiring a coach, the PCC will be ableto take a large party of youngsters to theJorvik Centre at York.

Police cash supports

church youth project

Early birds can tune in to Lincolnshire’slocal radio stations to hear stories offaith and news from local churches.

BBC Radio Lincolnshire’s SundayBreakfast show begins at 6am with an hourof traditional hymns mixed in with somemore contemporary Christian music.

Presenter Sue Taylor said: “SundayBreakfast doesn’t just include the morn-ing’s news, but also plenty of what’s hap-pening at churches around the county.

“One week we could be hearing about achurch in Horncastle collecting old goldearrings to pay for a new roof, and the nextwe could be talking to the new Bishop ofLincoln.

“It’s not just churches that feature on theprogramme, but other faiths as well.

“Whether it be celebrating Diwali ormarking Passover, we’ve got it covered.”

Events and requests are also part of theprogramme, and Sue is always keen to hearabout favourite hymns.

“It’s always nice when people get intouch with the programme so if you wouldlike us to play two of your favourites, whynot email me at, [email protected]?

“You can also send us details of anyevents you’re organising so we can givethem a mention as well.”

And on Sunday mornings on Lincs FM,Sally Elkington discusses a range of topicswith a variety of guests about everyday lifeand life changing experiences.

Lincs FM can be found at 102.2FM, andBBC Radio Lincolnshire on 94.9FM.

Tuning in on a Sunday

Sally Elkington

From Canon Ian Silk

The Diocese of Mara, part of The AnglicanChurch of Tanzania, covers a very large areafrom the eastern shore of Lake Victoria tothe Serengeti. I was part of a teaching teamworking from St John’s Cathedral in thebustling fishing port of Musoma. Here theMara River, after flowing throughMaasailand in Kenya, empties into the Lake– a boulder-strewn environment filled withswaying palm trees and beautiful birdsong.Mara Diocese was founded in 1985 and hasmultiplied into three dioceses since then;the Cathedral was built in the year 2000. Much faith-sharing and merciful out-

reach is happening, so that many peopleare starting to follow Jesus. New congrega-tions are starting in villages all around asfar as the Serengeti, as well as in the rapid-ly developing neighbourhoods of Musomaitself. Church members are engaged inprojects to bring encouragement to AIDSsufferers and to help families protect theirchildren from malaria. A 24/7 prayer-for-healing centre right next to the cathedralreceives many visitors with all sorts of con-ditions and I heard of some wonderful min-istry and answers to prayer.The task of our team in this dynamic

environment was to teach a course onChristian discipleship to a hundred poten-tial group leaders from twenty deaneries(lay and clergy, men and women), equip-ping them to lead in their own localities. The course is called ‘Rooted in Jesus’ and

is currently being used in ten countries inAfrica. It helps meet the great need forgood Christian foundations for those newto the faith − who are so eager to learn.Group discussion, the sharing of personalexperience, practical demonstration andsimple visual aids develop themes in disci-pleship that build on one another over atwo year period – themes familiar to usfrom our own nurture and confirmationcourses as well as many subjects particular-ly pertinent to pastoral issues in the Africancontext.Since Bibles may be scarce in some local-

ities, only the group leader needs a Biblefor the course to be effective, together withone copy of the course book in Swahili.Each lesson contains a Scripture memoryverse, which can be learned in a variety ofways and summarises the particular area ofChristian growth being explored. We usedBook One, Lesson One to model the teach-ing methods for the whole course, andlearned John 10 verse 9 together: ‘I am thegate. Whoever enters by me will be saved,and will come in and go out and find pas-ture.’ There are moving accounts of faith and

encouragement coming from the diocesesin Africa that have embarked on using‘Rooted in Jesus’ (see the website ‘ReSource– Rooted in Jesus’) and it was a privilege toexperience for two weeks the sense of pur-pose of the Anglican Church in Mara andtheir commitment to making joyful, fruit-bearing disciples of Christ.I’d like to thank Ecclesiastical Insurance,

St Boniface Trust and Lincoln Diocese for

help towards the expenses of this visit. I’vebeen asked to bring greetings back to ourCathedral and Diocese from the manyChristians who so value links with theirbrothers and sisters in Christ in the UK.One 32 year old called David, ordained

two years ago, told me some of the story ofhis life. ‘Because I was a poor Christian mywife’s family did not want me to marry her,and both our families turned their backs onus and told us we would not have children.So when our first child came along wenamed him Emmanuel to say ‘God is withus’, our second Victor, because God hasgiven us the victory, and our third is calledAngel because when she was born shelooked like one.’

Ian Silk Member of The College of Evangelists Swallowbeck, Lincoln

From Mr Richard Mair

It is easy to characterise opposition toDavid Cameron’s ‘Big Society’ project withsuspicion and cynicism (Comment,Crosslincs 30). Surely only a cynic couldargue with a vision of selfless communityinvolvement working for the good of ourneighbours to make bureaucratic pettygovernment unnecessary.Unfortunately, political theories, unlike

philosophical theories, are tested in theharsh world of reality, and we are all part ofthe experiment.What the Big Society seems to lack is any

notion of how its vision of the future can beachieved. Instead, the Government is con-centrating on the ‘need to reduceGovernment expenditure’ part of the equa-tion in the hope that this blunt instrumentcan somehow bludgeon the populationinto taking more personal responsibility.In Lincolnshire, the museum of one town

will remain open despite the cuts becausesome local enthusiasts have volunteered torun it. Is this the Big Society taking shape?Yet in the neighbouring town no-one hascome forward so the museum will close.This is survival-of-the-fittest decision-mak-ing. And how long will a museum run byretired enthusiasts remain fit? Once amuseum − or library, community policeofficer or lollipop man −has been cancelleddue to lack of interest, don’t expect to see itever return.

Central Government has tried to wash itshands of responsibility for tough decisionsby delegating them to local councils butoffered no process, no system, and certain-ly no safeguard for the weak or vulnerable.Blessed are the educated, affluent andwell-connected. The meek have only them-selves to blame.The Comment writer said that “the sub-

stance of his [David Cameron’s] rhetoric willbe measured by how the funds flow, wheredecisions are made and legislation whichmoves power to the local.” We can measureby all of these scales already, and see thatBig Society is not a vision for the future − itis merely a mirage.It feels to me like that Government has

got fed up with the thankless task of sup-porting society, and flounced off saying “doit yourselves then!” But you can’t teach aman with broken legs to walk again bykicking away his crutches.

Richard MairLincoln

Comment & letters Letters to the editor, Crosslincs, Church House, Minster Yard, Lincoln LN2 1PU

[email protected] name and address and telephone number must be supplied with every letter and

e-mail. Letters may be edited for style and length.

Comment

9crosslincs

The Comment is written by a different anonymous author each edition with theintention of provoking thought and debate, and is not necessarily the view of theDiocese of Lincoln. Letters are welcomed on any subject.

The damaging effects of the BigSociety

Iwas killing a bit of time in a secondhand bookshop when I came acrosssome sort of Victorian sociological

study of London. In the back I found a map showing

where the different classes lived all indelicate pastel shades. The East End wasa huge black blot. The key informed youthat this was inhabited by ‘the criminalclasses’. No one would dare, but you could pro-

duce just such map of any town in theUK. A brief visit to the Magistrates toview the lists will show you that most‘crime’ is committed by people living inthe inner urban areas of the town. I haveworked for 39 years in one of the mostdeprived areas of the UK, and yes, it isdogged by ‘crime’ so that it is easy todraw a correlation between poverty andcrime.But this is a false impression. The ‘law’

is a human construct. It is carefullydesigned by the rich and powerful toprotect their interests. Like a sort offinancial body armour, it protects themin tough times while leaving the unpro-tected limbs to bear the full force of theblast. These are such barefaced brazen

immoral shenanigans that I wonder howpeople just put up with them. The banksturn themselves into casinos with fullgovernment backing; they run out ofluck, we then have to bail them out andthen they pay themselves more moneyin one year than most people see in alifetime. And we all sit there listening totripe about deficits and cuts and we’reall in it together. At the same time entrepreneurs like

Mr High Street salt away a fortune per-fectly within the law avoiding UK Tax. Itis estimated that they collectively owethe taxman £49bn − half the defencebudget.

The Biblical concept of justice is littleunderstood but still speaks directly toour situation. You can look in vain forwigs and ermine in the book of Judges.The concept of ‘shophet’ is that you raiseup the lowly and pull down the mighty.It is of course classically expressed in theMagnificat: He brought down the mightyfrom their thrones and lifted up the lowly.(Incidentally banned from Evensong bythe East India Company in case thenatives got the wrong idea aboutChristianity!)

Justice requires this two-fold action.The lowly cannot be raised up unless themighty are pulled down. Everybodyagrees that the poor should be lifted up− but you cannot do this unless you laysiege to the bastions of power and privi-lege. That is Biblical justice expressed inthe jubilee principle. Reaching out to thepoor while leaving the power structuresuntouched is sentimentality and patron-ising ‘do-gooding’.Until the Kingdom comes the rich and

powerful will have their day. They areinvincible, untouchable but we are sup-posed to be God’s Resistance Movementsabotaging the system wherever we canto raise the lowly and pull down themighty. These actions are signs of the

Kingdom keeping hope alive. Thedemonic powers are ultimately doomed;we need to demonstrate that by ouractions and decision making. ThyKingdom Come!

What the Big Society seems tolack is any notion of how itsvision of the future can beachieved.

New disciples of Christ and anew cathedral in Tanzania

From Mr Richard Jones

We have just had a marvellous concert,Music for a Summer Afternoon, both sacredand secular, performed by the DiocesanLadies’ Choir at St Margaret’s Church,Roughton, conducted by Rosemary Field.It was an afternoon of both singing and

instrumentation enjoyed by all whoattended, and, I believe, by the singersthemselves. I would highly recommendthis choir to anyone. I understand that it was formed at the

instigation of Bishop John, so I hope ournew Bishop Christopher will encourage thechoir in its endeavours.

Richard JonesRoughton Moor, Woodhall Spa

Backing for Ladies’ Choir

crosslincs is available in arecorded format for the

partially sighted. Call Dorothy Selfe on

01507 603809.

THE EDWARD KING CENTREat The Old Pa lace

Welcome and Hospitality • Peace and Quiet • Reflection and Prayer

10 crosslincs

Tuesday 12 JulyQuiet Dayled by Pat Dale (Acorn Christian Healing)

Saturday 10 SeptemberQuiet Day with musicled by Canon Peter Godden

Friday to Sunday, 7 to 9 OctoberWeekend retreatled by the Revd Stephen Hoy

Saturday 19 NovemberQuiet Dayled by Nicola Slee

Tuesday 6 DecemberQuiet Eveningled by Tracey Byrne

In the heart of Lincoln’s historic Cathedral Quarter, the completely refurbished Edward King Centrehosts a series of retreats and quiet days throughout the year

Retreats and Quiet Days 2011

The Edward King Centre | The Old Palace | Minster Yard | Lincoln | LN2 1PUT: 01522 504075 www.bishopedwardking.org

Silence and music will help focus themind at a quiet day being held at theDiocese’s retreat centre in September.

Canon Peter Godden, parish priest of theOwmby Group and the Springline Group,north of Lincoln, is also a trained musician,and is leading the day on Saturday 10September.“The main focus of the day will be four

periods of silence, but instead of anaddress to lead into each of these, therewill be some music, not necessarily churchmusic,” said Peter.“Depending on who comes for the day,

and their own performing skills, if any, oneof the pieces just might be music that wemake together, rather than simply listento.”Performance, said Peter, is not necessary

to participate in the day.“The day is for anyone who wishes to be

moved by music, rather than necessarily todo it,” he said.

“At the deepest level, music is a morebasic method of human communicationthan words. “The Edward King Centre at the Old Palace

is in the heart of Lincoln, just next to theCathedral. The Old Palace is the formerhome of Bishop Edward King, Bishop ofLincoln between 1885 and 1910, who wonthe affection of people of all classes for hisreverence and saintliness of character.Since 2009 retreats and quiet days have

been hosted at The Old Palace.

Pictured on the roof of St Mary leWigford church hall in Lincoln ischurchwarden Jackie Kirk, who is car-

ing for three hives of bees after a wildcolony took up residence on the church.“The plan is to create an urban bee farm

as part of the activities we do in theBeAttitude project,” said parish priestJeremy Cullimore.“We already have five allotments and

these are proving to be a popular activitywith some of the unemployed members ofthat community.”The church is home to 10,000 bees, and

is looking for more locations for hives asmore colonies of bees have been promised.

Making a

bee-line

to church

Music

focus for

quiet day

Peter Godden

11crosslincs

Last year the Church of England and theMethodist Church agreed a statementof principles to guide their joint

approach to safeguarding.There are three main points in these prin-

ciples which need to have a resonance inthe diocese. First, the careful selection andtraining of those who minister or serve oth-ers in the local parishes.Second, the principles speak to those

who are victims of abuse and finally theprinciples offer support to offenders.The Diocesan website, under “safeguard-

ing” is a useful source of guidance forapproving volunteers and gives access tothe list of approved safeguarding trainerswho are available to each parish in everydeanery. These trainers provide free train-ing to parishes. As has often been said safeguarding is

about prevention rather than rescue. It isabout identifying those who will be work-ing closely with children, young peopleand vulnerable adults. It is about makingsure that we appoint the best people bethey those in the ministry team, youth orchildren’s workers and organists/choirleaders or ringers where there are childrento be taught or supervised.

It is about PCC approved home visiting,transport and clubs wholly or mainly forvulnerable people. The agreed principles require all of us to

listen to anyone who makes a complaint. Itis not about ignoring concerns, hopingthey may go away or sweeping them underthe carpet. In a society where the iPod, TV or back-

ground music and adverts in the home,supermarket or shop intrude and becomethe norm it may well be that we all listenbut sometimes in our noisy world we donot hear. While there are people who aremalicious, most people who make a com-plaint about abuse are telling the truth andneed to be heard however difficult orunbelievable the message. Disclosing something as sensitive and

hurtful as abuse requires courage andneeds corresponding understanding. Notonly do we need to listen but we must alsoact if that is appropriate, speaking in confi-dence with someone who can help. Thesafeguarding website has guidance onwhat to do if you have concerns.The Church also has a role in healing.

Some survivors of abuse can find that thechurch is a source of peace and recovery.

Some will just need the involvement andacceptance in the local community; otherswill need sensitive pastoral care. Otherpeople will require therapy and treatment. The Church has a role in guiding those to

find what is suitable and supporting them.This is not usually about a ‘quick fix’ as thepersonal issues tend to be ongoing.Finding someone to talk to and share con-cerns at critical times can be important.Local churches are also involved when

ex-offenders wish to worship locally. TheChurch of England and the MethodistChurch have similar arrangements to helpex-offenders, many of whom are on the sexoffenders register, to attend church under aworship agreement. The worship agreement identifies what

church activities the ex-offender can safelybe involved in and what areas are a risk.The worship agreements require theoffender to disclose what he or she hasdone and involves a ‘small group of peoplewho need to know’ in the parish recognis-ing the reality that the parish priest cannotbe everywhere. The small group will offer both support

and be vigilant. In this way the needs of thevictims, the congregation and the ex-

offender are recognised and addressed.Some say that the Church has been in the

business of safeguarding vulnerable peo-ple for more than 2,000 years. Finding thebalance between prevention and supportto victims, survivors and ex-offenders isalways going to difficult. If it were that easywe would have nothing to do. The Diocese is committed to safeguard-

ing and provides advice and guidance onits website.

For a complete list of those whomthe Diocese has agreed need carefulselection go to the safeguardingwebsite and see the section when aCriminal Record Bureau (CRB) checkwill apply.

You can also contact the safeguard-ing adviser on 01673 863280 or [email protected]

Statement of Principles for Safeguarding

We will carefully select, supervise and train all those withany responsibility within the Church, in line with SaferRecruitment principles, including the use of criminalrecords disclosures and registration/ membership of therelevant vetting and barring schemes.

We will respond without delay to every complaint madewhich suggests that an adult, child or young person mayhave been harmed, cooperating with the police andlocal authority in any investigation.

We will seek to work with anyone who has sufferedabuse, developing with him or her appropriateministry of informed pastoral care.

We will challenge any abuse of power, especiallyby anyone in a position of trust

We will seek to offer pastoral care and support,including supervision, and referral to theproper authorities, to any member of ourchurch community known to have offendedagainst a child, young person or vulnerable

adult.

In all these principles we willfollow legislation, guidance

and recognised goodpractice.

Simon PayneSafeguarding adviser

Protecting in the future

Protecting people has been abasic principle of the Churchsince its foundation, andlegislation and good practicenow give churches andcommunities clear guidance onhow to put the principles intopractice.

Nick Edmonds

12 13crosslincs crosslincs

Winter 2010-11 was one of record-breaking severity. The end of 2010saw the earliest snowfall for 17

years, the lowest recorded temperature in26 years, and the busiest day in theAutomobile Association’s entire 105-yearhistory.

As the cold closed in, a church groupfrom Lincoln agreed they could not standidly by while a number of men sleep roughon the frozen streets. Their response, withlittle idea of how such action would be sus-tained, was to open the church hall as anemergency 24-hour shelter.

Roll back the clock to May 2004, and thewake of the Madrid Train bombings. EightEastern European countries had just beenadmitted to the European Union. Citizensof these ‘A8’ former Communist-bloc coun-tries received sudden freedom to work any-where in the EU without the need for a visa.Many were quick to take up the opportuni-ty, leaving their lands of birth in search ofpromised lands of greater employmentopportunities and prosperity.

But over the following months it tran-spired that this new-found freedom haddeveloped caveats. The UK feared that thewave of workers could stifle its welfarestate, and swiftly drafted a protective legis-lation. Called the ‘Worker RegistrationScheme’, this decreed that immigrant work-ers must be in continuous employment for12 months before qualifying for any statebenefits.

Nonetheless, over the following years,more than half a million Eastern Europeansarrived on British shores. Some were luckyand found work, and many areas −Lincolnshire included − reported a positive

economic impact as a result of the migrantworkforce.

But in late 2008 the world economy suf-fered a catastrophic crash, and conditionsworsened for the UK’s native and migrantworkers alike. The full impact of the WorkerRegistration Scheme hit unemployedmigrants, many of whom – devoid of workand state support – were forced onto thestreets. In Lincoln, a group bedded downon a section of muddy riverbank, achievingnotoriety in the local media, who dubbedthem ‘The Tent Poles’.

“Most of these men want to work, andare desperate to work,” said Liz.

“But the job climate has been very slowfor some time.”

Liz Jackson is Curate of St Mary-le-Wigford, the church next to Lincoln Centralrailway station, which predates the cathe-dral in age. Liz has been chiefly responsiblefor the coordination of a team of volunteerswho have helped to clean the church andcook meals for the 35 men who havebecome the shelter’s patrons.

“We need to say an enormous thank youto everyone who has helped with theappeal, not just to those who have beeninvolved in a hands-on way, but to thosewho have donated money, food and cloth-ing,” she said.

“But we need people’s help just as muchas ever.”

On a bright spring morning outside StMary’s, the alpine conditions seemed aworld away. Having remained open 24/7for nearly six months, the shelter was aboutto close its doors. During its time of opera-tion, Liz and her colleagues enlisted thehelp of volunteers including a policeman,members of the Salvation Army and theQuakers, many of whom took it in turns tostay overnight to supervise the shelter.

“This could never have been a long-termsolution,” Liz explained.

“Running the shelter has consumed somuch volunteer time, and we’ve livedhand-to-mouth with what people havegiven.”

It was just after 10am and, for the finaltime, St Mary’s was changing from bed-room to dining room. The starting point forthe homeless project, The BeAttitude café,first opened for a few hours on a Tuesdaymorning. This was singled out for praise bythe Archbishop of Canterbury during hisvisit to the Diocese last year.

It now runs from 7am to 7pm every dayof the week.

“After five days on the street, you couldbe Albert Einstein and you wouldn’t stand achance,” Alex told me in excellent English.

“Say you need a worker. You look at menow and it’s ok, but with five days’ beard,maybe my clothes smell, you don’t want togive me a job.”

In 2007, three years after the A8 countriesjoined the EU, Romania and Bulgaria werealso admitted. But despite EU membership,in order for Romanian or Bulgarian immi-grants to work in the UK they must applyfor an accession worker card, for which

they must demonstrate skill in a particularfield. Alex, who is Romanian, does not havethis card.

“Polish guys can get jobs easily. Anyonecan chop carrots, but because I’m fromRomania, that’s not enough,” he said.

Alex explained that St Mary’s had savedhim from the streets over the gruelling win-ter months.

“I’ve never met people like this,” he saidwith fervour.

“They don’t give up on anybody, no mat-ter what you’ve done or what you’ve beenthrough. I really think you should knowthat.”

“Maybe because it’s a church too, thathelps to make it work.”

More patrons arrived, some of whom hadslept rough on the streets or, if lucky, at ahostel or friend’s house. Figures publishedby the government earlier this year indicat-ed that a total of 1,768 people were sleep-ing out across England on a given night,but Liz explained that this category of tem-porarily-housed people is often overlookedby the compilers of such statistics.

“Real numbers have been hidden for adecade or so,” she said.

Although recent reports revealed thathomelessness on the streets of Lincoln haddropped by around 70% since a peak of275 in 2005, Liz told me the number couldbe three times the quoted figure if theywere properly inclusive.

“When the shelter closes, we know that afew of the guys will get into a hostel or afriend’s house, but we still consider them tobe vulnerable,” she explained.

“We have some guys who are now sleep-ing in a car, and others who will be living ina tent – but these aren’t long term solu-tions.”

As more patrons arrived, Liz, and StMary’s parish priest, Jeremy Cullimore,were on hand to meet and greet visitors,many of whom were well known to them.

Jeremy explained that in addition to thebasic needs of providing shelter and food,St Mary’s helps its clients check paperworkwhich can be the difference between fail-ure and success when searching for jobsand accommodation.

Plenty of those coming through the doorhad done what Liz described as ‘scary stuff’,but the focus of St Mary’s is on the here andnow. Second chances are in plentiful sup-ply, even for those who had brought crimeto the church’s own doorstep. Liz relateddifficulty when sitting down to discuss

face-to-face the actions of those who hadstolen from the church and from Liz per-sonally, on occasions with the threat ofphysical violence. For some, alcoholism,crime and drug abuse are symptoms oftheir situation, for others the cause.

“Of course we do challenge behaviour,”said Jeremy.

“For people who have been living as indi-viduals, confronting problems within acommunity context is as important a partof the healing process as breaking the drughabit or kicking the drink.”

“Community heals and protects. It is atthe centre of everything.”

Liz added: “Everyone who walks throughthese doors is unique, and made in theimage of God, and the problem with legis-lation and statistics is that humanity canfall by the wayside.

“Politicians are unable to see people asindividuals, but luckily we can.”

With the shelter closing, future planningis well afoot. The outreach project willmove back into the church hall, and spacewill again be freed up in St Mary’s − with its

excellent location for passing trade − towelcome tourists and visitors. There arealso plans to train volunteers and counsel-lors, with interested parties encouraged toget in touch.

“If you’ve got a skill or something to offer,we want to hear from you,” said Jeremy.

“We hope people will continue to keepus in mind.”

With the church bustling with activity,Jeremy explained that the fact that thechurch is open at all is only down to thedogged determination and hard work of a

former churchwarden. “We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to a

man called George Ashton,” he said.Jeremy told me how George, until his

recent retirement, had served on PCC com-mittees for more than 60 years, and hadalmost single-handedly kept the churchopen for ten years.

“He has been a fantastic servant, and wewouldn’t be where we are without hishelp,” said Jeremy.

“I’d give him a day in the lectionary; hedefinitely deserves the last word.”

Coming in from the cold

The homeless of Lincoln found asafe haven in a city-centrechurch during the cold winter.

The A8 countries

Poland

The Czech Republic

Hungary

Estonia

Lithuania

Latvia

Slovenia

Slovakia

The Revd Liz Jackson, new churchwarden Jackie Kirk and the Revd Jeremy Cullimore prepare for a night’s work at St Mary-le-Wigford Church in Lincoln’s city centre.

PHOTOGRAPH: NICK EDMONDS

Nick Edmonds

12 13crosslincs crosslincs

Winter 2010-11 was one of record-breaking severity. The end of 2010saw the earliest snowfall for 17

years, the lowest recorded temperature in26 years, and the busiest day in theAutomobile Association’s entire 105-yearhistory.

As the cold closed in, a church groupfrom Lincoln agreed they could not standidly by while a number of men sleep roughon the frozen streets. Their response, withlittle idea of how such action would be sus-tained, was to open the church hall as anemergency 24-hour shelter.

Roll back the clock to May 2004, and thewake of the Madrid Train bombings. EightEastern European countries had just beenadmitted to the European Union. Citizensof these ‘A8’ former Communist-bloc coun-tries received sudden freedom to work any-where in the EU without the need for a visa.Many were quick to take up the opportuni-ty, leaving their lands of birth in search ofpromised lands of greater employmentopportunities and prosperity.

But over the following months it tran-spired that this new-found freedom haddeveloped caveats. The UK feared that thewave of workers could stifle its welfarestate, and swiftly drafted a protective legis-lation. Called the ‘Worker RegistrationScheme’, this decreed that immigrant work-ers must be in continuous employment for12 months before qualifying for any statebenefits.

Nonetheless, over the following years,more than half a million Eastern Europeansarrived on British shores. Some were luckyand found work, and many areas −Lincolnshire included − reported a positive

economic impact as a result of the migrantworkforce.

But in late 2008 the world economy suf-fered a catastrophic crash, and conditionsworsened for the UK’s native and migrantworkers alike. The full impact of the WorkerRegistration Scheme hit unemployedmigrants, many of whom – devoid of workand state support – were forced onto thestreets. In Lincoln, a group bedded downon a section of muddy riverbank, achievingnotoriety in the local media, who dubbedthem ‘The Tent Poles’.

“Most of these men want to work, andare desperate to work,” said Liz.

“But the job climate has been very slowfor some time.”

Liz Jackson is Curate of St Mary-le-Wigford, the church next to Lincoln Centralrailway station, which predates the cathe-dral in age. Liz has been chiefly responsiblefor the coordination of a team of volunteerswho have helped to clean the church andcook meals for the 35 men who havebecome the shelter’s patrons.

“We need to say an enormous thank youto everyone who has helped with theappeal, not just to those who have beeninvolved in a hands-on way, but to thosewho have donated money, food and cloth-ing,” she said.

“But we need people’s help just as muchas ever.”

On a bright spring morning outside StMary’s, the alpine conditions seemed aworld away. Having remained open 24/7for nearly six months, the shelter was aboutto close its doors. During its time of opera-tion, Liz and her colleagues enlisted thehelp of volunteers including a policeman,members of the Salvation Army and theQuakers, many of whom took it in turns tostay overnight to supervise the shelter.

“This could never have been a long-termsolution,” Liz explained.

“Running the shelter has consumed somuch volunteer time, and we’ve livedhand-to-mouth with what people havegiven.”

It was just after 10am and, for the finaltime, St Mary’s was changing from bed-room to dining room. The starting point forthe homeless project, The BeAttitude café,first opened for a few hours on a Tuesdaymorning. This was singled out for praise bythe Archbishop of Canterbury during hisvisit to the Diocese last year.

It now runs from 7am to 7pm every dayof the week.

“After five days on the street, you couldbe Albert Einstein and you wouldn’t stand achance,” Alex told me in excellent English.

“Say you need a worker. You look at menow and it’s ok, but with five days’ beard,maybe my clothes smell, you don’t want togive me a job.”

In 2007, three years after the A8 countriesjoined the EU, Romania and Bulgaria werealso admitted. But despite EU membership,in order for Romanian or Bulgarian immi-grants to work in the UK they must applyfor an accession worker card, for which

they must demonstrate skill in a particularfield. Alex, who is Romanian, does not havethis card.

“Polish guys can get jobs easily. Anyonecan chop carrots, but because I’m fromRomania, that’s not enough,” he said.

Alex explained that St Mary’s had savedhim from the streets over the gruelling win-ter months.

“I’ve never met people like this,” he saidwith fervour.

“They don’t give up on anybody, no mat-ter what you’ve done or what you’ve beenthrough. I really think you should knowthat.”

“Maybe because it’s a church too, thathelps to make it work.”

More patrons arrived, some of whom hadslept rough on the streets or, if lucky, at ahostel or friend’s house. Figures publishedby the government earlier this year indicat-ed that a total of 1,768 people were sleep-ing out across England on a given night,but Liz explained that this category of tem-porarily-housed people is often overlookedby the compilers of such statistics.

“Real numbers have been hidden for adecade or so,” she said.

Although recent reports revealed thathomelessness on the streets of Lincoln haddropped by around 70% since a peak of275 in 2005, Liz told me the number couldbe three times the quoted figure if theywere properly inclusive.

“When the shelter closes, we know that afew of the guys will get into a hostel or afriend’s house, but we still consider them tobe vulnerable,” she explained.

“We have some guys who are now sleep-ing in a car, and others who will be living ina tent – but these aren’t long term solu-tions.”

As more patrons arrived, Liz, and StMary’s parish priest, Jeremy Cullimore,were on hand to meet and greet visitors,many of whom were well known to them.

Jeremy explained that in addition to thebasic needs of providing shelter and food,St Mary’s helps its clients check paperworkwhich can be the difference between fail-ure and success when searching for jobsand accommodation.

Plenty of those coming through the doorhad done what Liz described as ‘scary stuff’,but the focus of St Mary’s is on the here andnow. Second chances are in plentiful sup-ply, even for those who had brought crimeto the church’s own doorstep. Liz relateddifficulty when sitting down to discuss

face-to-face the actions of those who hadstolen from the church and from Liz per-sonally, on occasions with the threat ofphysical violence. For some, alcoholism,crime and drug abuse are symptoms oftheir situation, for others the cause.

“Of course we do challenge behaviour,”said Jeremy.

“For people who have been living as indi-viduals, confronting problems within acommunity context is as important a partof the healing process as breaking the drughabit or kicking the drink.”

“Community heals and protects. It is atthe centre of everything.”

Liz added: “Everyone who walks throughthese doors is unique, and made in theimage of God, and the problem with legis-lation and statistics is that humanity canfall by the wayside.

“Politicians are unable to see people asindividuals, but luckily we can.”

With the shelter closing, future planningis well afoot. The outreach project willmove back into the church hall, and spacewill again be freed up in St Mary’s − with its

excellent location for passing trade − towelcome tourists and visitors. There arealso plans to train volunteers and counsel-lors, with interested parties encouraged toget in touch.

“If you’ve got a skill or something to offer,we want to hear from you,” said Jeremy.

“We hope people will continue to keepus in mind.”

With the church bustling with activity,Jeremy explained that the fact that thechurch is open at all is only down to thedogged determination and hard work of a

former churchwarden. “We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to a

man called George Ashton,” he said.Jeremy told me how George, until his

recent retirement, had served on PCC com-mittees for more than 60 years, and hadalmost single-handedly kept the churchopen for ten years.

“He has been a fantastic servant, and wewouldn’t be where we are without hishelp,” said Jeremy.

“I’d give him a day in the lectionary; hedefinitely deserves the last word.”

Coming in from the cold

The homeless of Lincoln found asafe haven in a city-centrechurch during the cold winter.

The A8 countries

Poland

The Czech Republic

Hungary

Estonia

Lithuania

Latvia

Slovenia

Slovakia

The Revd Liz Jackson, new churchwarden Jackie Kirk and the Revd Jeremy Cullimore prepare for a night’s work at St Mary-le-Wigford Church in Lincoln’s city centre.

PHOTOGRAPH: NICK EDMONDS

On announcement of his retirement,the Diocesan Director of Educationhas told Crosslincs of his enormous

pride for an ‘inclusive family’ of ChurchSchools, predicting a bright future for them,providing their doors remain open to all-comers.

Born and educated in Market Rasen, PeterStaves joined the Diocesan education teamas Director following 12 years as Head ofNettleham C of E Junior School. At the cul-mination of 40 years in education, Peter hasseen both his current role and the widerworld of education undergo a host ofchanges.

“The job now is not the same as the rolethat I took on,” said Peter.

“And I’m sure whoever takes over will seeit change again. But that’s the challengeand the excitement; adapting to and mak-ing the best of the changes that come ourway.”

Peter arrived to lead the Education teamin 2003. Back then, priorities were centredon making personal contact and buildingrelationships with the 141 primary and fivesecondary Church Schools in the Diocese –meeting head teachers and strengtheningChurch School family links.

Then in 2005 changes were made to theway in which Church Schools were to beinspected. Triggered by existing OFSTEDinspections, new ‘Section 48’ assessmentswould be carried out to focus on theChristian ethos of the church school, its dis-tinctiveness and effectiveness, and theimpact it had on pupils.

“Suddenly, we were responsible for therecruitment and training of inspectors, thescheduling of inspections at the school, andthe quality control of inspection reports. Itwas a huge undertaking,” recalled Peter.

In response, the department appointed aSchools Adviser, to work closely with thenew requirements. But Peter remembershow quickly the department came torecognise the value of Section 48.

“Now we had an inspection regime thatfocused on the impact and effectiveness ofChurch Schools and which recognised awider range of the qualities that constitutea good school, and in that respect it hasbeen absolutely transformational,” he said.

“If you talk to teachers, you will find a con-sensus that there is a lot of focus placed on

examination results – particularly Mathsand English.

“And rightly so, because these areabsolutely essential knowledge areas, and ifwe don’t give children these skills, we aredoing them a disservice.

“But there are other things that are equal-ly important.”

Peter explained that Section 48 inspec-tions complemented OFSTED because theywere free to focus on less quantifiablemeasures of success.

“There are some pupils who will neverenhance the exam statistics for Maths andEnglish, but their contributions and theprovision which is made for them are just asimportant.

“These are elements which form part ofthe Section 48 success criteria.”

The year 2005 also heralded anotherturning point for Peter, and one which wasto take his role on a yet more strategic bear-ing: the Diocesan Board of Educationresolved to engage actively in the develop-ing Academies programme.

Launched earlier in the decade by theBlair government, this initiative would facil-itate the founding of new schools to replacefailing institutions in areas of the greatestsocial need, with a combination of privatesponsorship and direct central governmen-tal funding – taking them out of localauthority control. However, with examresults initially falling well below thenational average, the Prime Minister and hisAcademies quickly became a target for neg-ative press coverage.

“At the time, not everyone felt that shouldbe supporting such a controversial newprogramme,” said Peter.

“So it was a very big step to take.” Nonetheless, the wheels were soon in

motion, and in September 2008 theArchbishop of Canterbury cut the ribbon ofthe Diocese of Lincoln’s first realisation ofthe programme, St Lawrence Academy, onthe site of the former High Ridge SportsCollege in Scunthorpe.

Six years after the Board of Education’slandmark decision, the CoalitionGovernment has taken the creation ofAcademies to a new level, actively encour-aging all schools to consider Academy sta-tus, and a turnaround in results means thatmany naysayers have been won over. St

Lawrence Academy was validated as ‘goodwith outstanding features’ in its first OFST-ED inspection, and ‘outstanding’ in its sub-sequent Section 48 assessment.

Peter is proud of these achievements, andfeels that the decision to engage with theAcademies programme has been fully vin-dicated.

“The St Lawrence inspection result is atestament to the outstanding work ofeveryone connected,” said Peter.

“From The Board of Education to thepupils themselves.”

14 crosslincs

Nick Edmonds

Canon Peter Staves will retire from the Diocese of Lincoln at the end of the summer.

The career of Peter Staves:

Educating Peter

“Peter has been a truly exceptionalDirector of Education − offering aministry which has blendedprofessionalism with a humanitywhich has touched the lives of many.

He is held in high esteem bothlocally and nationally for hisleadership which has ensured thatchurch schools in the Diocese ofLincoln are distinctive not only intheir Christian values and ethos, butalso in the standards they achieve. Ithas been an enormous privilege andgreat fun to have worked closely withhim for the past eight years.”

The Rt Revd David RossdaleBishop of Grimsby and Chair of theLincoln Diocesan Board of Education

“Peter has made the mostenormous contribution to theDiocese’s work with schools and inparticular has responded to themany policy developments of recentyears with great collaboration,proactivity and creativity.”

Educated at Market Rasen C of Eprimary, and the De Aston School,Market Rasen: 1955–69

Studied at Berkshire College(Bulmershe): 1969-72

First teaching post at St Peter’s Churchin Wales Primary, Blaenavon, SouthWales: 1972

Moved back to Lincolnshire to a post atMablethorpe Community Primary:1977

Appointed Deputy Head of IsaacNewton Primary school, Grantham:1982

First Headship of Toynton, All SaintsSchool: 1984

Moved to become head of NettlehamC of E School: 1991

Appointed Director of Education for theDiocese of Lincoln: 2003

Installed as a Lay Canon of LincolnCathedral: 2007

Awarded Honorary Doctorate inEducation by Bishop GrossetesteUniversity College, Lincoln in the year ofhis retirement: 2011

Max ManinChief Executive

Diocese of Lincoln

PHO

TOG

RAPH

: NIC

K ED

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In 2010, St Andrew’s College inCleethorpes also opened, this time in col-laboration between The Diocese of Lincolnand the Roman Catholic Diocese ofNottingham. Peter believes that this repre-sents a heartfelt commitment to be out-ward-looking and innovative, and demon-strates the inclusivity which can answersecularist critics as Church Schools look tothe future. “Very few people would disagree with

our core values of truth, justice, respect, for-giveness and generosity of spirit,” he said.“Parents recognise this, and that is why

Church Schools are actively sought by peo-ple of all faiths and none.” But Peter knows that this is no time for

resting on laurels, and that the Church mustbe prepared to respond to changing agen-da in education. “We must fight the perception that

Church Schools exist only to advantage aselect clique of society, and by doing so wewill continue to offer much,” he said. Having set a retirement date for the end

of August, Peter, who is also to receive anhonorary doctorate from BishopGrosseteste University College, is lookingforward to pursing a broad range of person-al interests, and more time with wife Jane.“First and foremost, my wife wants me

back, but music, golf, poetry and gardeningare great passions,” he said. In addition Peter and Jane, who live in

Spilsby, are looking forward to travelling,and plans are afoot to explore more of theBritish Isles. However, Peter is fully intend-ing to retain the wealth of friends madewhile working the circles of Diocesan edu-cation. “I’m keeping an open mind as to what

involvement I have in education in thefuture, but the high points of this job willalways be the people,” he said.“The Annual Church Schools Festival

encapsulates everything I love about thejob, and the fact that people continue tocome back year after year says so muchabout the strength of our family.“Nothing can surpass the quality of rela-

tionships built over time.”

15crosslincs

“Peter has been instrumental inthe transformation of the opportu-nities for the students and the localcommunity at The St LawrenceAcademy because he passionatelycares about each and every stu-dent. He exudes warmth and positivityat all times, he inspires others tofollow his lead and he has success-fully had a significant impact onraising aspirations and self belief ofboth the staff and students. The academy will miss his pres-ence desperately, and I personallywill miss him as I have neverworked with anyone who I admireand respect so much. However, mymemories of working with such aninspirational leader will stay withme forever!”

Joan BarnesPrincipalSt LawrenceAcademy,Scunthorpe

Beekeeping, calligraphy, country danc-ing, brass rubbing and orienteeringall formed part of a celebratory

Church Schools festival, as more than 3,000pupils from 115 schools flocked to LincolnCathedral in the 200th Anniversary year ofThe National Society (Church Schools), andthe 400th of the King James Version of theBible. Taking place over eight days between

May and June, at the centre of this year’sfestival was the Garland of Verses, a jointproject between Lincoln Cathedral Library,the Diocesan Education Centre and the

Church Schools. The volume, which fea-tured 3,000 verses from the original publi-cation of the King James Version of theBible, had been painstakingly copied byout by primary school children, with illus-trations by secondary school children. Thiswas displayed on a giant screen in theChapter House of the Cathedral, allowingthe children a close-up look at their handi-work, pending permanent display in theCathedral’s Medieval Library.In the afternoon of each day, an organ

fanfare signalled the act of worship, wherea procession of banners was presented at

the altar, before a service of singing andprayers led by pupils. Diocesan Deputy Director of Education

Paul Thompson said that the festival hadbeen a great success. “What a lovely occasion it has been, with

schools from all over the Diocese comingtogether in our magnificent Cathedral tocelebrate two very special anniversaries,”he said.“We need to say a big thank you to the

many volunteers who led workshops andtours, the Cathedral staff, and of course tothe many schools who took part.”

A buzz about the Church Schools Festival

Children from Allington with Sedgebrook school examine stained glass windows during the 2011 Church Schools Festival

Getting stuck in: Deputy Director ofEducation Paul Thompson has visitedBlyton-cum-Laughton, Little Gonerby,Welton and Brant Broughton schools, tocapture the action during Celebrating REweeks.

In his recent work, A Just Church − 21stCentury Liberation Theology in Action,Chris Howson, a City Centre Mission

Priest for Bradford, sets out to explore thelandscape of liberation theology in 21st-century Britain, writes the Revd AdrianSmith. He opens with an explanation of the

‘mechanics and influences’ at work ‘behindSoulSpace and JustChurch, two freshexpressions that operate in the city ofBradford’ and looks at ‘the movements, thecontext, the people and the processes thatcombined to produce a new form ofChurch that is serious about the task of lib-eration’. In the second part of the book Howson is

concerned with ‘some of the global andlocal issues of our times, from climatechange to supporting those seeking sanc-tuary’, and he ends his chapters with refer-ence to a theological framework of

‘Education, Action, Reflection andSustaining (EARS)’, an ‘extension of the“action/reflection” model’, which he hopeswill be of value to others ‘trying to giveshape to a liberating and prophetic min-istry’.Howson writes in a style that is at once

both accessible and engaging and hisarguments are thought-provoking andconvincing: ‘In the twenty-first century,churches must commit themselves fully toactive engagement with the issues ofpeace, justice and the environment. Arenewed and vigorous programme forsocial change will see our faith becomingrelevant again and, as we have seen inBradford, will attract people back into theChurch’. Howson is certainly committed tosuch a task. As Barbara Glasson observes in her after-

word, Chris is ‘passionate both about hisfaith and the place where he lives. He is

simply prepared to put his body where hisbeliefs are. He lives what he speaks, andthis is incarnation’. This was certainly myimpression upon meeting Chris while on aplacement in Bradford as an Ordinand, andI was thrilled to hear of the publication ofthis book. Indeed, Glasson offers an appro-priate tribute to Howson and his gospel-infused work, which will serve to challenge,move and inspire individuals, congrega-tions and communities: ‘This is a joyfulbook,’ she writes. ‘It is a book about libera-tion and the way in which faith can liberatethe human spirit. ‘But it is also a deeply challenging book,

an account of what can happen when wetake faith out and about with us, when welet it seep into our souls and bring a thirstfor justice’.Further details on Bradford SoulSpace

may be found at:www.bradfordsoulspace.org

16 crosslincs

New See house for Bishop

Problems relating to the old See house,which is Grade 1 listed, extendbeyond rooms being on different lev-

els, with problems of accessibility beingonly the tip of the iceberg. Any buyer is likely to be faced with costs

of more than £300,000 for updating thingslike the heating, electrics and plumbing,tying together several different parts of thehouse that are falling apart from otherparts, and creating better foundations forsome external walls.

They are also likely to have to find morethan £10,000 a year for heating bills. A Diocesan spokesperson said: “We are

very fortunate that a suitable new housecould be found. “The old house had been in use as the

Bishop’s residence for only 50 years or soand the Bishops of Lincoln have a history ofmoving around as times change. “It is so important that we find ways of

making all costs affordable for future gen-erations while at the same time ensuring

that everyone, whether they are a bishopor a lay minister, is resourced in the rightway. The new See house combines exactly

those characteristics. And of course if ournew Bishop is happy, we’re happy too.”New offices are to be provided for the

Bishop and his staff close to The Old Palacein Lincoln.

> New offices for Bishop: page 5

Continued from page one

Review: A Just Church – 21st Century Liberation Theology in Action by Chris Howson

The Revd Adrian Sullivan, until recentlyRector of the Marden Hill group ofparishes, and Priest-in-Charge of the

Stickney group of parishes, died on 28 Aprilafter a long illness, aged 56 years.The Bishop of Grimsby, the Rt Revd David

Rossdale, said: “Adrian Sullivan, or ‘Sully’ ashe was known to everyone, was an excep-tional and inspirational priest. “His approach to ministry was refreshing,

pragmatic, idiosyncratic and deeply faithfulin equal measure. His honest and directfaith has left its mark on parishioners, col-leagues and on so many of the lives whichhe touched in the course of his ministry.There has been so much to celebrate andfor which to give thanks.“For the past 12 years Sully lived with the

condition which led to his death last week.Throughout he exhibited, with great digni-ty, the depth of his faith and a disarmingopenness about his mortality. Our prayerssurround Heather and their childrenNaomi, Hannah, Leah and Tom as we com-mend a dear Christian friend on his journey− may his dwelling place be in paradise andpeace.”

Tribute to

“inspirational

priest”

The old house was the Bishop’s residence for only 50 years,and costs £10,000 a year to heat.

The new Bishop’s house will be a comfortable family home,with space for entertaining.

More than 30 women and men willbe ordained at Petertide servicesaround the Diocese.

In Grimsby Minster, 13 people will beordained deacon, including five distinctdeacons, who will have that particular min-istry in parishes. They are involved in socialand community projects and are seen as avisible link between the Church and thewider community.Roy Done (Bain Valley), Harry Jeffery

(Bardney), Christine Sulley (Trent CliffGroup), Richard Thornton (Nettleham) andJanet Vasey (Grimsby) will each beordained Distinct Deacon.Martin Faulkner (Spilsby), Steven Holt

(Grimsby) and David Swannack

(Frodingham) will stipendiary deacons, andRobert Barratt (Alford), Karen Gooding,Janet Thompkins (Mablethorpe, Trusthorpeand Sutton on Sea), Sally Turnbull(Springline and Owmby Group) and JoanVickers (Saxilby and Stow in Lindsey) will beOrdained Local Ministers in the service ledby the Bishop of Grimsby.At St Wulfram’s Church, Grantham, seven

deacons will be ordained, including twoDistinct Deacons − Nigel Panting(Ruskington Group) and RosemaryTrevelyan (Washingborough with Heigh-ington, and Canwick). Ordained LocalMinisters Frances Clarke (Skellingthorpewith Doddington) and Valerie Greene(Kirkby Laythorpe) will be ordained by the

Bishop of Grantham, the Rt Revd Dr TimEllis.In Lincoln Cathedral, the Rt Revd David

Rossdale will ordain as priests stipendiarycurates Gillian Barrow (Gainsborough AllSaints), Julie Donn (Skegness Group),Georgina Huysse-Smith (West Grimsby),Elizabeth Jackson (Lincoln city centre),Hugh Jones (Boston St Botolph), DavidOxtoby (St George, Stamford), Julie Timings(Sleaford St Denys) and Jonathan Wright(South Wolds Group).Non-Stipendiary curates Liz Brown

(Barton upon Humber) and Erica Crust(Moulton), and Ordained Local MinisterPeter Lister (Bourne) will also be ordainedpriest on 5 July at Lincoln Cathedral.

Many to be ordained

Adrian Sullivan

crosslincs 17

When men of education besprinkle theirconversation with beastly, awful, oathsand other choice expressions and epithets,what can we expect of the less educatedlabourer? Bad or foul language is largely amatter of habit, often used unconsciouslyand without any definitive meaning, as an“epithet,” something added on andthought to make what is said more strikingand effective. Often a labourer will usemuch bad language when quite in a goodtemper. It is a habit (though a bad one),and he knows no better (though it’s a pityhe doesn’t). When in earnest or not quitesober his language is heavily gross.

Ought the Church of the Diocese to havea policy for promoting improved dwellingsfor the people? If so, what ought the poli-cy to be? In most parishes it is more thanprobably that some cottages are over-crowded, producing a low vitality, a dimsense of right and wrong, and an ineradi-cable tendency to loose living. Other cot-tages are not healthy. Low ceilings, small

windows, damp floors or walls, no supply,or an inadequate supply of good water,insanitary arrangements−these in partand in varying degrees account for feeblehealth, germs of diseases or tendencies tocertain ailments.

It is a matter of devout thanksgiving thatwe have a King and Queen full of the activ-ity of youth, eager in all respects to fulfiltheir high duties, and setting before theirpeople the example of a godly and happyhousehold. It has been abundantly clearduring the last week how completely theyhave won the confidence and affection oftheir people: and the young Prince ofWales [the future King Edward VIII] touchedall hearts by his simplicity, and his obviousdesire to fill aright the high place he hasbeen called to occupy.

The subject of Church finance is felt byall to be a very pressing one. The total fundavailable are inadequate to the Church’swork in the present day, and the distribu-

tion of them, depend-ent upon the endow-ments consecrated one thousand yearsago, presents many inequalities.

They are foolish people who expresscontempt for the English kingship. TheEnglish kingship has been made andmoulded by the English people. The Kingis in every sense the reflection of their owngood sense and moderation. He is meantto be the typical Englishman. Loyalty tothe King is not loyalty to foibles, or toady-ism. It is loyalty to an England embodied inher institutions. We have had a great Queen and a great

King; both had failings. Many of us havemuch greater failings. No man or woman,king, queen or peasant, is perfect. But bothwere loyal to the spirit of England, andEngland was loyal to both. And now thegrandson and the son is come to reign,and we are glad to hear that in his love ofhome life, his care for his children, his loveof the sea, his patience under gossip, hisinterest in the poor and the suffering, he isagain the typical Englishman.

People’s dwellings

From the Lincoln Diocesan Magazine, May, June and July 1911

The Coronation of George V

Church Finance

100 years agoThe Lincolnshire Labourer

On Kingship

The communications team was sad-dened by the news of the death ofDerek Bray, who for several years had

assisted with the distribution of Crosslincsin the Corringham and Lawres Deaneries,and within the city of Lincoln. Passionate about football, Derek had

worked as a referees assessor for theFootball Association, and representativesfrom the world of football at the funeralincluded World Cup Final referee HowardWebb.

Derek died in hospital following a bout ofpneumonia. He is survived by wife Linda,son Andrew and step-sons Paul and Simon. Will Harrison, editor of Crosslincs, paid

tribute saying, “Derek’s warmth and enthu-siasm will be sorely be missed by us atCrosslincs. “He was a man who made an impact on

an extraordinary number of people. “Our thoughts and prayers are with

Linda, Andrew, Paul and Simon at this diffi-cult time.”

Crosslincs

distributor dies

Derek Bray

Be the first to find out the latest newsfrom the Diocese of Lincoln by sign-ing up to a brand new Facebook

page. Facebook, the social networking site, has

more than 500 million users worldwide,allowing people to keep in touch withfriends and organisations.The Diocese of Lincoln’s Facebook page,

www.facebook.com/dioceselincoln can bevisited, whether or not you are a Facebookuser. By clicking “like”, news, video, the dailyprayer focus, and much more will all beadded seamlessly to your social mediafeed, allowing you to keep track of day-to-day developments in the Diocese, and addyour opinions and questions in the blink ofan eye.

Head of Communications, Will Harrisonsaid, “Social media give us previouslyinconceivable opportunities to reach a rel-evant audience in the quickest possibletime, but most importantly provides a plat-form for instantaneous feedback and dis-cussion.”“If you haven’t tried Facebook yet, why

not take this opportunity? We’re lookingforward to hearing from you!”The Diocese also uses Twitter to share the

latest news and information. Visittwitter.com/lincolncomms

Engage in the

conversationConsecration of Christopher Lowson72nd Bishop of Lincoln

21 September 2011, 11am

Westminster AbbeyFor more information, visit www.lincoln.anglican.org/consecration or call 01522 504037

To secure a coach seat, all reservation forms must be accompanied by appropriate payment. Ticket(s) for the service will be issued on

the coach. For those travelling independently, tickets for the service only are available by e-mailing [email protected]

We will be unable to respond to reservation requests received after Tuesday, 9 August, 2011.

Reservation Form

Please complete and return this form as soon as possible

Name (in block capitals)

Address (including postcode)

Email address

Telephone

I would like tickets for the coach at £12.50 per person for the return journey

A cheque is enclosed for the total amount of £

Cheques should be made payable to the “LDTBF” and envelopes sent to the Diocesan Office clearly marked “Consecration of The Bishop of Lincoln”.

Please do not send cash.

I will be making my own travelling arrangements and would like free tickets for the service

An early departure time will be necessary for coach passengers to ensure adequate time for travelling and to allow time to be seated in Westminster

Abbey, details of which will be confirmed nearer the date. There will be a comfort stop on both the outward and return journeys.

Please return the form to Trisha Cook

Diocese of Lincoln, The Old Palace, Minster Yard, Lincoln LN2 1PU

Tel: 01522 504037 or e-mail: [email protected]

Please select which coach departure point you wish to be collected from (the return point will be the same):

Boston Horncastle Sleaford Bourne Lincoln Spalding Grantham Louth Stamford Grimsby Scunthorpe

18 crosslincs

Stephen Hearn Edward Bowes-Smith

For Christ, our Passover Lamb, hasbeen sacrificed.Therefore let us keepthe Festival. (1 Corinthians 5.7-8).

What is it exactly that we celebrate? Andwhere does the doctrine of penal substi-tution fit in the jigsaw?

The usual dismissive caricature of thedoctrine of penal substitution goes some-thing like this: ‘a righteous God is angrywith sinners and demands justice. Hiswrath can only be appeased throughbringing about the violent death of hisSon.’ Put like that it seems grotesque thatparty A (God), in order to deal with B’s sin(humanity) punishes C (Jesus).

Penal substitution rightly understood,however, teaches us that God the Father,God the Son, and God the Holy Spirittogether purposed that the Son shouldbecome a man, and as a man, bear on thecross God’s just punishment for sin in theplace of sinners.

As John Stott puts it: ‘We must nevermake Christ the object of God’s punish-ment or God the object of Christ’s persua-sion, for both God and Christ were sub-jects not objects, taking the initiativetogether to save sinners’ (The Cross ofChrist, 2nd edition, p. 151). Father andSon act together, not as two separateagents with their own plans.

The cross becomes the place where

God’s love for us is shown as well as, andat the same time as, his justice. Sin is seento be serious, eternal in its consequences.God’s grace is seen in all its glory – mydebt is paid; what I could not do formyself, God does for me in and throughhis one and only Son. It still stirs my soulhowever many times I hear it or sing it orinvite people to make it their own experi-ence.

To hold to this understanding of thecross does not involve going aroundtelling people that God is cross withthem. It is first and foremost a message ofgrace.

Despite what we are like, God reachesout in a way that both satisfies his holi-ness and in a way that fulfils his love forwhat he has made.

Critics sometimes dismiss penal substi-tution as too individualistic and as havingnothing to say to society at large. Well, it ispersonal. I approach Easter knowing thatJesus Christ died for me, personally. It’swhat turned a figure of history into myown Lord and Saviour.

Let it be said that we must affirm thepersonal: every individual’s greatest needis reconciliation with God. Yet it is alsodeeply social in its impact. We learn thatsin is serious and we are held responsiblefor our actions by our Creator. So, we seecriminals not just as victims of theirupbringing but as being capable of beingjudged and punished.

But with judgement comes mercy forall who want it. Hence the use of schemeslike probation and early release. When Itrained as a lawyer, many years ago now, Iwas struck time and again at the way inwhich Christian concepts had formed andshaped our legal system and our under-standing of justice.

Penal substitution then has a founda-tional place in Christian theology. Thereare other pieces of the Easter jigsaw butthis doctrine fits right at the centre. It isthe piece that makes sense of the rest andcompletes the most magnificent of pic-tures.

The idea that Jesus is our substi-tute is an important one. But theconcept of penal substitution is

fraught with difficulty.Much of this difficulty flows from

seeing a sacrifice as the death ofsomething or someone. This narrowfocus on sacrifice as death reducesthe cross to punishment.

It is much better to see a sacrifice asthe offering of something. Jesus’ “fra-grant offering and sacrifice”, is not pri-marily his death; it is his whole, per-fect life. Yet the offering of perfectlove was always going to be met withthe hatred of sin and lead to Jesus’death. The suffering of the crosscomes from human sin not divinewrath.

When we talk about God (or God’sholiness) requiring satisfaction for sinwe run into trouble. God cannot needanything – he is absolutely sufficient.God does not change.

When we say that God forgives us,we are not describing a change inGod’s attitude towards us (as whenhuman beings forgive one another).We are describing a change in us. Weare enabled to respond to the love ofGod as God’s beloved children – butthat love was always unchangingly

present towards us. Theologians have had more success

talking about what is due to God fromhis creatures rather than what Godrequires from his creatures; and whatis due to God from us is perfect wor-ship. Giving what is due to God is notabout what God needs from us, it isabout fulfilling our created destiny –to enter forever more deeply into thelife of God.

In worshipping God as we oughtthe Holy Spirit draws us into thatdeeper experience of the divine life.“For we do not know how to pray aswe ought, but the Spirit intercedeswith sighs too deep for words…”

This is where the language of sub-stitution is crucial. We are not ableto worship God as we ought, and inworshipping God experience ourdivine destiny, because of our sin.But, because Jesus was God’s ownSon “in the likeness of sinful flesh,”he is a human being capable of giv-ing perfect worship to God; andthis is what he offers on the cross.

Worship is not only what we doin a liturgical gathering; it is theorientation of our whole livestowards God, and thereforetowards the image of God in oth-ers. Jesus offers to God a whole lifelived in complete obedience tothe Father and in loving service toothers. Jesus offers the worship toGod we cannot.

But when we are baptised, theHoly Spirit unites us to Christ sothat we can offer with him hisperfect sacrifice of praise to God.And we are united with Jesus inthe fruit of that worship: resurrec-tion.

“Therefore we have beenburied with him by baptism intodeath, so that, just as Christ wasraised from the dead by the gloryof the Father, so we might walkin newness of life.”

Doctrinal dividePenal substitutionary atonement is the doctrine that

Christ died on the cross as a substitute for sinners. Yetscholars from different traditions are divided on theimplications of the doctrine.The Revd Stephen Hearn, curate of Market Deeping,

and the Revd Edward Bowes-Smith, parish priest of StPeter-in-Eastgate, Lincoln, discuss the implications ofpenal substitution theory from different sides of theargument.

19crosslincs

Anew website for Lincolnshire’s sectorchaplaincies has been launched,hand-in-hand with a report high-

lighting the work chaplains do.These elements mark a new era in the

work of Lincolnshire Chaplaincy Services(LCS) on behalf of the churches ofLincolnshire, and it is hoped its presence onthe web will make the work much moreaccessible, and will involve a wider range ofpeople, as the chaplains and the LCS Boardshare the work in news reports, blogs andin-depth articles. The seven full-time chaplains with the

volunteers and associates, work in a widerange of situations from the Humber to theWash, in chaplaincy to the economy intown and country, in education in collegesand university, in the sustaining of ourcommunities, managing the land and car-ing for the environment.

The Church’s commitment to chaplaincyin Lincolnshire goes back a long way.Ecumenical partnerships were set up in the70s, 80s and 90s to cement that sharedwork and wide co-operation, yet the ori-gins go back further still. Bishop EdwardKing in the early 20th century was involvedin many important developments in theold county of Lincolnshire. He was therewhen new docks were opened atImmingham, and when the new waterreservoirs and pumping stations wereopened in Lincoln which marked an end tothe terrible cholera epidemics. In his ministry he sought to get out and

about to be with the people, especiallyusing the railways. His famous phrase,“Through the villages to Jerusalem” echoesthat sense of wanting to be where the peo-ple are and recognises that the Church’sministry is both about the regular life offaith and worship and also the outreach tothe wider community in work and leisure.After World War II profound changes took

place in the nation’s economic base in bothtown and country. Bishop Kenneth Richesresponded by setting up the IndustrialMission and Agricultural Mission. In the1970s many in-depth consultations inLincoln took a national lead on respondingto the changes, predating the reports Faithin the Countryside and Faith in the City bysome years. Bishops Simon Phipps and

Robert Hardy continued the enthusiasticsupport of these important chaplaincies,and this spirit continued with Bishop JohnSaxbee, under whose office LCS was set upas an independent charitable company,receiving its status at the beginning of2009. The Presidents of Churches Together in

All Lincolnshire continue to give strongsupport to the vision of LCS − the physical,mental and spiritual well-being of theinhabitants of Lincolnshire.Chaplaincy is a distinct ministry, different

in character from regular ministry, andsome say its origins can be traced as farback as St Martin of Tours who famouslycut half his cloak, or ‘capella’, for a destituteman. Others say chaplaincy dates back tothe Royal Chaplains who gave pastoral andspiritual care to the King, and because theyserved a higher authority could also pro-vide moral and ethical challenge to theKing. Yet to this day the idea of chaplaincy

is sometimes met with surprise with peo-ple sometimes asking if it is a new idea.

The report Life Changing Stories attemptsto highlight the work of the chaplaincy inorder to give a better idea of what thechaplains do. Susan Walker for instance,who is chaplain at John Leggott FurtherEducation College in Scunthorpe, chal-lenges her students with the question,“what difference can you make to theworld?” Alan Robson, as chaplain to agriculture, is

often involved with big issues such as theNocton Dairies planning proposal, whichstirred strong feelings around the UK, aswell as locally. He is also known for goingthat extra mile to help farming families incrisis and setting up support networks.Each chaplain has stories to tell. Chaplaincy can often find itself in a hard

place, where prophetically it is called to saydifficult things, or to challenge assump-tions. Christians are called to live in theworld as ‘Faith in the Countryside’ said wellover 20 years ago: “All too often, spiritualityhas been felt to be confined to the homeand leisure time. What is needed is a spiri-tuality of the market place, the shop, theoffice and the traffic lights.” To receive a copy of Life Changing

Stories, contact Alison McNish on 01522504073 or at [email protected] Visit the new LCS website at

www.lincschaplaincy.org.uk

New web presence for

sector ministry

Terry Miller

The seven full-time chaplainswork in a wide range of situationsfrom the Humber to the Wash.

To this day the idea of chaplaincyis sometimes met with surpriseas people ask if chaplaincy is anew idea.

20 crosslincs

Like most of the public sector, FurtherEducation has been hit by govern-ment cuts. The cuts will affect colleges,

staff and learners in several ways. The cuts to Educational Maintenance

Awards (EMAs) have received some mediaattention. Students from families on lowincomes have depended on EMAs to keepyoung people in college so that they canfurther their education and widen theircareer choices. The Government has prom-ised some funding for disadvantaged stu-dents but will not be unrolling their plansfully until after the end of the consultationperiod. This makes it difficult for colleges to plan

and put application processes into place.This has implications for recruitment andretention. There will be many students andprospective students who will be forcedfinancially to take low-paid, possibly part-time jobs instead of accessing education.Colleges are facing yet another round of

re-organisation and redundancies. Eventhose colleges whose budgets are still fair-ly healthy are having to face large-scalefunding cuts over the next three years. Thiswill have a great impact on colleges andinvolve them in tackling some tough ques-tions. What staffing cuts are necessary?What courses are not financially viable? Willstudents be able to access certain coursesin certain geographical areas?

One big issue is the cut in the studententitlement budget by 75%. This budgetcovers such things as pastoral support,tutorial and enrichment. It is of course vital-ly important that students get good valueeducation and excellent academic results,but there is more to education than aca-demic qualifications. We are preparing students, whether 16

to 19 year olds or adult returners, for life ina rapidly changing and challenging world,where employment opportunities maywell be reduced. There is a important place in post-16

education for spiritual, moral, social andcultural (SMSC) development such as self-awareness, respect for all and open-mind-edness. Spiritual development relates to the

development of the inner life, and the attri-bution of meaning to experience. Moraldevelopment means exploring and recog-nising shared values as well as developingthe ethical framework that underpins thesevalues. Social development involves learn-ers having a political and socio-economiccontext which enables them to work effec-tively together and participate successfullyin the community as a whole. Culturaldevelopment generally refers to the under-standing of one’s own culture and of othercultures locally, regionally, nationally andglobally. At present these important developmen-

tal goals are delivered through a wide vari-ety of activities, such as tutorials, citizen-ship and enrichment programmes, wholeinstitution events, pastoral support, coun-selling and volunteering. Funding for thisimportant area has been cut and collegesare being forced to make difficult decisionsabout what is essential for the wellbeing ofthe learner. At a time when mental health problems

are on the increase among young people,this important strand of education, devel-opment and support is vital, and shouldnot be squeezed out. The development ofemotional intelligence, life and peopleskills, a sense of responsibility and respectfor others are not just essential for the well-being of the individual but are importantfor vocational progress and the world ofwork. Ten years ago there was a strong chap-

laincy presence in all our colleges, but overthe years funding from both colleges andthe churches has resulted in severe reduc-tions. Yet colleges are even more awaretoday of the need for chaplaincy to supportcolleges and to help deliver the SMSC

agenda. Good education challenges,changes and develops the whole personand students, whether aged 16-19 or adultreturners, need plenty of support andencouragement as they engage with thechallenges of life.

Lincolnshire Chaplaincy Services is devel-oping teams of volunteer chaplains to helpsupport colleges, staff and students. Threenew very part time chaplains have justbegun to work at Grantham College. AtLeggott in Scunthorpe two Chinese volun-teers from the local Methodist church arerunning a Christian Union in Cantonese forInternational Students from Hong Kong. There are clergy and lay Christian gover-

nors in several colleges. There are manyopportunities for voluntary work in FurtherEducation Colleges, and LincolnshireChaplaincy Services are developing a train-ing and support system for new volunteers,and would like to hear from anyone who isinterested in this work.

Susan Walker

The difficult future

of further eduction

The Revd Susan Walker is chaplain to John Leggott College in Scunthorpe.

PHOTOGRAPH: WILL HARRISON

Hidden gems of Lincolnshire:

More of the best churches in theDiocese of Lincoln chosen by KeithHalliday, DAC Secretary, Matt Cooper,Historic Churches Officer, and BenStoker, Open Churches Officer.

Coates, St Edith

A uniquely un-spoilt church. Small andout of the way, it has a quiet humilitywhich defies its significance. Here is anEnglish parish church which still containsthe same interior features present therewell before the Reformation.Especially rare is the division between

the nave and the chancel. The fifteenth-century Rood Screen survives well, and istopped by the only medieval Rood Loft ofany parish church in the country. Abovethe Rood Loft are wooden panels whichstill contain medieval paintwork of theVirgin Mary and countless flowers.Time moves at a different pace

between these walls (even the pews aremedieval!). It is open to visitors every day,and is short drive from Stow Minster.

St Mary the Virgin, Frampton

This impressive Grade I church is locat-ed off the A16, between Algarkirk andBoston at the far end of the village. Thebuilding has elements of c12, c13, c14,c18 work, a restoration in 1890 byHodgson Fowler and a fine c13 broachspire which stands proud across thefields. Of particular note are the medieval

floor tiles, the effigy thought to be that ofJohanna de Huntingford - a patron of thechurch in 1275, the mensa or stone top ofa medieval altar now used as a base of analtar table, all in the south transept andthe c15 screen. The pulpit is from BourneAbbey and dates from the mid 17th cen-tury. Access is via a keyholder, detailsthereof in the church porch.

St John the Baptist, Lincoln

The church of St John the Baptist doesnot nestle in one of the gentle folds ofthe Lincolnshire Wolds; it is not to beseen against the huge skies of the Fens;and it doesn’t shoulder the weight ofhundreds of years of history. But it is oneof the most remarkable churches in theDiocese of Lincoln. Consecrated in 1963 and situated on

the Ermine housing estate in uphillLincoln, this Sam Scorer-designed churchcould easily be overlooked, but most cer-tainly shouldn’t be. From the outside it isthe distinctly shaped roof that capturesthe attention; but upon entering thechurch the eyes are drawn wide by acombination of form, light and colour. The ceiling follows the hyperbolic

paraboloid shape of the roof, giving thevisitor the impression of being shelteredby an enormous upturned boat; daylightfloods in from the west through clearglass; and at the east end is the burst ofcolour that is Keith New’s extraordinarywindow. A key for access to St John the Baptist,

Lincoln is available from Fr Stephen Hoy(see notice on the church door for details)or Ermine House, located opposite thechurch.

Colleges are facing yet anotherround of re-organisation andredundancies. Even thosecolleges whose budgets are stillhealthy are having to large-scalecuts.

Good education challenges,changes and develops the wholeperson, and students, whetheraged 16-19 or adult returners,need plenty of support andencouragement.

9 September 2011New Orleans Heat live at All Saints’ Church, Winterton, Light supper and wine included. 7.30pm. Tickets £10.50 from Jean Key, 01724 732684.

27-28 August 2011Fotherby Open Gardens & Illustrated Talk on British Orchids and their Habitats: Saturday 28 August: A talk by Gwen and Phil Phillips.

Tickets, £5, inclusive of cheese and wine. Sun 28 August: Fotherby Gardens will be open to visitors. The event is in aid of StAndrew’s Hospice and entry is £3.50, children free. Follow signs to parking area in Peppin Lane, close to the first garden toreceive a map of gardens and to pay entrance. Teas available. Barbara on 01507 605016

15-17 July 2011The Marshchapel Arts Exhibition - St Mary’s Church, Marshchapel, 11am - 5.30pm. Exhibition of fine art.

Exhibitors (invitation only) drawn from Lincolnshire and E. Yorkshire. Refreshments, other interest stalls all dayin marquee. Entry by catalogue, £1.50 on door. For more information see www.marshchapelarts.co.uk

16-17 July 2011Art & Craft Exhibition St Mary’s Church, Manby, nr Louth. The exhibition and sale of work

of local artists. Crafts will include jewellery, wood carving, spinning, alpaca wooldisplay & competition of childrens art. String quartet and organ music,Refreshments & a BBQ 12 to 2. Entrance £2 under 16 free. Details from Chris orBrenda 01507 327634 or email [email protected]

23-24 July 2011A celebration of Arts and Crafts St James Church, Spilsby, July 23, 10am- 6pm, July 24 10.30am-5pm. Celebrating St James Day with a display ofa variety of local Arts and Crafts to enjoy or purchase. Food served allweekend. Free admission. For More information, call 01790 753802

5 August 2011Dave Bussey from Radio Lincolnshire St Clement of RomeChurch, Fiskerton, 7.30pm. The talk will include Dave’s 30 yearsas a BBC radio presenter - how programmes are put togetherand the personalities he has met. He will also reflect on his timeas a sub-mariner in the Royal Navy. To book please call 01522752117 - £5 cost includes light-bites.

22 SeptemberGrosseteste’s Legacy: Lecture by Dr Philippa Hoskin (Lincoln

University) ‘Grosseteste’s Legacy: Pastoral Care and Politics inLincoln Diocese in the later 13th century’. Bishop Grosseteste is famous

as a theologian and scientist, and first Chancellor of Oxford University.But what was Bishop Grosseteste like as Bishop of Lincoln? For tickets,

which are £6 per head, contact Carol [email protected], 01522 561618

18 September 2011400th Anniversary Celebration of the KJV: St Helen’s, Brant Broughton. 10.30am:

a traditional Prayer Book Sung Eucharist, using the 1611 Bible; 11.30am-5pmBible Exhibition. Further information [email protected]

17 July 2011Galaxy Jazz Bandwill play at the Parish Church of St Peter & St Paul,Kirton in Holland, Nr Boston from 2.30pm-5pm. A six piece jazz

band playing a mixture of traditional and middle of the road jazz,tickets £6 on the door. Refreshments. Proceeds to church funds.

15 JulyThe Lincs Effect present ‘The Sacred and the Profane’at St Mary Whaplode, 7.30pm.

Born out of a love of choral diversity, and a commitment to taking a high standard of musicinto the community, The Lincs Effect have appeared widely both within their home county of

Lincolnshire and further afield. They have made numerous appearances on television and radioincluding BBC Radio 3. Contact Cyril Hearn for tickets on 01406 371848

10 September 2011Lunchtime Woodwind Recital Sleaford Parish Church (St Denys), NG34 7SH. We welcome you to another Saturday lunchtimerecital at Sleaford Parish Church. A freewill offering is taken.

21crosslincs

Deanery DiarySee details of more events including a busy season of flower festivals at www.lincoln.anglican.org

Advertise your event in the Deanery Diary for freeVisit www.lincoln.anglican.org/yourevent

Advertise your event in Crosslincs. Visit www.lincoln.anglican.org/yourevent

Scunthorpe

Grantham

Stamford

Spalding

Boston

Louth

Skegness

Grimsby

Market Rasen

Sleaford

Lincoln

Gainsborough

Horncastle

22 crosslincs

Mark HocknullHead of Ministry Training, Head ofthe Lincoln School of Theology andChancellor of Lincoln

Mark continues his explorationof the Apostle’s Creed:The third day He rose again fromthe dead.

I believe in God

The Resurrection of Jesus is the histor-ical launching point of Christianity.The events of Easter mark the start-

ing point for faith in Christ. It is also the foundation upon which the

Christian Faith stands. No Resurrection, noChristianity, no Saviour, just an interestingman who said some interesting and chal-lenging things and was killed for agitationhe stirred up. The Resurrection is God’s

endorsement of all that Jesus said and didin his lifetime, the ultimate repetition ofthe affirmation given at Jesus’ baptismand repeated in the Transfiguration narra-tive, ‘this is my Son, listen to him.’ On theone hand The Resurrection is bound upwith the past as the vindication of Jesus’earthly life, on the other it points to thefuture and the transformation awaiting allafter death.

The Resurrection is an utterly uniqueevent. No one else in the history of theworld has experienced it. It is true thatScripture contains accounts of peoplewho died and whom Jesus brought backto life, and before that Elijah and Elishaalso brought the dead back to life. This isnot Resurrection however. The widow’sson, the synagogue leader’s daughter,Lazarus, all of these were revived fromdeath but not resurrected. They were thesame ‘normal’ human beings after theirrevival as they were before it. In the end,all of these people died. Resurrection isvery different from this. It goes beyond themere revival of a corpse. It is the transfor-

mation of the whole person. As St Paulputs it “what is sown a physical body israised a spiritual body” (1Corinthians15:44). The Resurrection is not a return tolife as we know it; it is a transformationinto a totally new life. Many have arguedover the exact meaning of Paul’s term‘spiritual body.’ He does not mean that lifeafter death is as a disembodied spirit, butrather that the spiritual body is a livingbeing which, instead of being separatedfrom God as its origin, as we are in ourpresent existence, is united to God as itsorigin and source. Because it is connectedto God, permanently, it can no longer suf-fer death. This is the future that awaits us,and it is decisively demonstrated by thefate of Jesus.

Christianity stands or falls on the ques-tion of whether Jesus really was raisedfrom the dead at a particular time in histo-ry. We do not have direct access to Jesus toask him what happened to him. All we cando is rely on the historical evidence: theempty tomb, the eyewitnesses to the risenJesus, the persistent faith of the early

Christians in the face of death, the persist-ence of the community of the Christianfaith from that time. If, from the begin-ning, we work with the belief that thedead do not rise, then all of this will countfor nothing. If however we remain openminded on this question, then the evi-dence can speak to us in clearer ways andattests to the fact that something in histo-ry occurred which triggered theseaccounts and founded the Christian faith.Set aside the prejudice that the dead donot rise and the step of faith to say thatsomething was the Resurrection of thecrucified Jesus is a reasonable step to take.Once taken, the step of faith opens upwhole new vistas of understanding, fornow we see with the eyes of faith and cansee God at work in the world.

We cannot transmute the Resurrectioninto a spiritual event. We need to listen tothe Resurrection narrative and let it tell usof the empty grave, and the new lifebeyond death which has been made visi-ble. In the Resurrection the future has bro-ken into the present.

Church school’s lasting impressionPhyllis Maiden

Iwas in trouble again and late for schoolwith my friends. Doubtless I was clutch-ing a crumpled bunch of catkins, a bro-

ken feather or part of a bird’s nest. Mrs Sally Jones was the teacher at my vil-

lage school and she was very strict aboutchildren running across the churchyardopposite the school.

When I was five years old I had beentaken from my orphanage and fosteredwith a family who lived in Nash, near toClee Hill in Shropshire.

I was insecure and unhappy, but the littleChurch of England school, nestled deep in

the countryside was my lifeline and helpedme to realise that there was kindness andrespect in the world.

The building was Victorian – the firstschool on the site had been built as early asthe mid-1800s. And built in that style the

windows were high so that we could notsee outside and be distracted.

There were only 24 of us in the school,mostly farm children and poor. Post Wartimes were hard and money was scarce inrural areas.

It was a long walk to school through ahoneycomb of lanes with high hedges. Iloved the different seasons of fruit andflowers, starting with primroses, violets andcowslips and ending with nuts and black-berries. Journeys to school were punctuat-ed with finds and often we arrived with fin-gers and faces stained with blackberryjuice and hands covered with nettle stings.

We were all taught in one room andranged in ages from five to 11. Mrs Jonesmade sure we knew many Bible stories andhymns. Every morning she played the

piano for us as we stood in a circle aroundher. We sang lustily; All Things Bright andBeautiful or Immortal, Invisible followed byreciting the Lord’s Prayer with our handstogether and eyes tightly closed.

I was convinced that God had painted allthe birds and flowers individually andplaced them in the hedges and trees.Splodges appeared on birds’ eggs becauseGod did not have time to paint perfectshapes. I imagined that one day I wouldfeed thousands of people with a few loavesand fishes or rescue a fallen person in thestyle of the good Samaritan. I was lonelyand had a vivid imagination.

We rarely went to the sea. If we did I usedto wonder if I could part it when I wavedmy hand.

Nash Church, medieval with a woodensteeple, was decorated by us at HarvestFestival with piles of vegetables and fruitoff the farms. This lovely autumn bountywas taken to Tenbury Wells Hospital for thepatients. We also collected pennies duringLent and these were sent to DoctorBarnardo’s.

We used to pick posies of primroses inthe Spring and Mrs Jones sent them bytrain to Great Ormond Street Hospital forsick children.

Christmas time meant The Holly and theIvy and Away in a Manger standing by aChristmas tree.

Mrs Jones would not tolerate bullying orrudeness. She knew my past and was verypatient with a sweet smile. Every afternoonshe would recite a prayer as we stood qui-etly before running home.

The local vicar used to visit us and ask usquestions about the parables. We had totreat him with great respect and stand upwhen he walked into the room.

I kept in touch with Mrs Jones until shedied at the age of 92. I thanked her for herkindness and she said ‘I loved you all likemy own’. A wonderful legacy from anamazing Christian teacher.

From an orphanage to a Churchof England school: Nettlehamresident Phyllis Maiden reflectsgratefully on happy memoriesof a poor childhood.

Phyllis Maiden went to live in Nash, Shropshire after being fostered out of anorphanage. She is pictured, above, with the rest of her class and teacher Mrs Jonesat Nash school.

Nash Church, Shropshire

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[email protected]

PHOTO

GRA

PH: NICK ED

MONDS

Markby

Dropping in

There aren’t many in England, but thedesigns of a 17th century farmer onthe valuable slate of Markby Church,

near Alford, left it with the unique status asLincolnshire’s only thatched church. Part of the Alford group of churches, St

Peter’s is easy to spot when approachingfrom the A1111 Sutton Rd to the West. Thisis because, although diminutive in stature,the building sits on the edge of the smallhamlet of Markby, home to around 50 resi-dents.

Who’s who?We met with Treasurer, Stuart Hodgkins,

Churchwarden, Beryl Tommis, Secretary,Mary Johnson, Churchwarden, KathleenWindsor, and Parish Priest, the Revd CharlesKeay.

ServicesWithin the Alford Group of churches, St

Peter’s enjoys especially close links StAndrew’s in the neighbouring village ofHannah, with whom a monthly schedule oftwo services per month is shared, as well asa PCC. These come in the form of CommonWorship Morning Prayer on the first Sundayof every month, and Evening Prayer on thethird. These alternate monthly betweenMarkby and Hannah, with both services in agiven month taking place in the samechurch. When there is a fifth Sunday, a jointEucharist takes place at one of the churchesin the group.“There’s a bit of a myth that Anglicans

don’t travel too well,” said Stuart. “But that’s not true round here – this

group is very supportive of all its churches.”Extra services at St Peter’s include occa-

sional Eucharist led by Ordained LocalMinister Wilma Horton, Harvest and flowerfestivals, and a well-attended carol serviceat Christmas. The Hymnal is Hymns Old &New.

What’s going on?Despite the challenge presented by a lack

of amenities such as toilets and runningwater, its straw summit and fascinating inte-rior make St Peter’s an attractive visitor des-tination, with several even arriving while ourvisit was taking place. Well worth the trip, StPeter’s also boasts a vibrant parish life, withevents such as coffee mornings and flowerfestivals taking place at the church, and larg-er events such as children’s parties and feteshosted at a group “Church House,” which isopposite nearby Bilsby Church. The church

also commands a great deal of loyalty andsupport from Markby’s proud residents,some who have moved to the area recently,and others whose families have been resi-

dent for generations. This spirit was remark-ably embodied last year when St Peter’s wasable to raise £30,000 locally to have thechurch’s iconic roof re-thatched in tradition-

al Norfolk reed. As Charles puts it, with nopubs or shops, the church is both an impor-tant community centre and a sacramentalsign of God’s presence in Markby.

Appointments Contact Information

Gazette

The Bishop of LincolnThe Ven Christopher Lowson will beenthroned 72nd Bishop of Lincoln on 12November 2011 in Lincoln Cathedral.

The Bishop of GrimsbyThe Right Revd David Rossdale 01472 3717158 [email protected]

The Bishop of GranthamThe Right Revd Dr Tim Ellis 01400 2833448 [email protected]

The Archdeacon of Stow and LindseyThe Venerable Jane Sinclair 01673 [email protected]

The Archdeacon of LincolnThe Venerable Tim Barker 01529 3043488 [email protected]

Diocesan officesThe Old Palace, Minster Yard, Lincoln LN2 1PU 01522 504050 01522 5040518 [email protected]:www.lincoln.anglican.org

The Chief ExecutiveMr Max Manin 01522 5040308 [email protected]

Straw hat: Kathleen, Beryl, Mary, Stuart and Charles at Markby. See more photos at www.facebook.com/dioceselincoln

The Revd Moira Astin, Vicar of Southlake,St James (Diocese of Oxford) has becomePriest in Charge of the parish of St Lawrence,Frodingham and Area Dean of the Isle ofAxholme, Manlake and Yarborough.

The Revd Martyn Taylor, Rector of thebenefice of St George with St Paul, Stamford,has also become Priest in Charge of theparish of Christ Church Stamford.

The Revd Jacqueline Morton, NonStipendiary Minister in the parishes ofSibsey with Frithville has also become NSMin the Brothertoft group of parishes.

The Revd David Clune, Assistant Curateof St Mary and St Nicolas, with St PaulSpalding, to be Team Vicar in the Sutton (StJames) and Wawne Team Ministry withresponsibility for the parish of St James,Sutton-on-Hull (Diocese of York).

The Revd Peter Tompkins, Priest inCharge of the Laceby group of parishes, willbecome Priest in Charge of Brough (StMichael) with Stainmore, Musgrave andWarcop and Deanery Network YouthChurch Minister (Diocese of Carlisle) on 4September 2011.

The Revd Charles Keay, Priest in Chargeof the Alford group of parishes, has becomeTeam Vicar in the North End PortsmouthTeam Ministry (Diocese of Portsmouth).

The Revd John Simeon Bishop, DiocesanChaplain to the Deaf, retired on 3 June 2011.

The Very Revd Oliver Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, former Dean of Lincoln,died on 8 June 2011, aged 85 years. Seepage four.

The Revd Adrian Sullivan, deacon 1987,priest 1988, assistant curate of Holy Trinity,St James and St Michael Louth 1987-90,Priest in Charge, then Rector of the MardenHill group 1990-2010, Priest in Charge of theStickney Group 2007-2010, retired 2010 diedon 28 April, aged 56 years. See page 16.

The Revd Canon Dennis Askew, deacon1958, priest 1959, Diocese of Ripon 1958-64,Vicar of Holland Fen 1964-69, Rector ofFolkingham w Laughton, Vicar of Aswarby wSwarby, Rector of Osbournby w ScottWilloughby, Rector of Pickworth w Walcotand Vicar of Threckingham 1969-77, Priest inCharge Newton w Haceby and Aunsby wDembleby 1972-77, Rector of South Lafford1977-87, Rector of Ruskington 1987-96,Canon and Prebendary of Lincoln Cathedral1986-2005, retired 1996 died on 14 March2011, aged 81 years.

The Revd Canon John Westland HansonOBE, deacon 1943, priest 1944, AssistantCurate Louth w Welton-le-Wold Lincoln1943-50, Chaplain and Lecturer RAF FlyingCollege Manby and Rector of Grimoldby wManby 1950-76, Rural Dean E Louthesk1960-68, Chief Examiner Religious StudiesCambridge University 1966-82, Canon andPrebendary Lincoln Cathedral 1967-2002,Rural Dean Louthesk 1968-77, VicarWoodhall Spa and Kirkstead and Priest inCharge Langton w Woodhall 1976-1988retired 1988 died on 5 April 2011, aged 91years.

Resignations

Retirement

Deaths

Nick drops in to Markby, nearAlford.

Nick Edmonds

Nick Edmonds

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Across1 With sound arrangement may be balmy (5,4)6 See 129 Large effort to restore thermal insulation (5)10 No advance in RE account (8)11 A tooth out of all recognition (3)12, 4, 6a Choir just needs to say, sir, when rehearsing

seasonal hymn (5,6,2,5,5)14 Inventor of four stroke engine and fellow with no

arms or back to the seat (7)15 Owner-occupied property needs me to organise

(7)16 By which one slowly becomes erudite (7)19 Thin country wine from South America. Not a

warm one we hear (7)22 Turning into a different key (11)23 Got back from hill then decay set in (3)24 Empty after 12,4 (9)26 A spirited alternative to the Scotch (5)27 Dragged before dogs and can be expensive (5)28 Usually maintained but may be lowered on death

(9)

Down1 Knight commander of company wind up from

Africa (7)2 Underillumination (7)

3 Polo necks worn by those attempting altitude?(4,7)

4 See 125 DVD I see has been invented (7)6 Salt loved by all the nice girls (3)7 Air dies in confusion. Nocton swan song? (7)8 Yes, dynasty may lead to Chinese flower (7)13 Provides music on the wing (11)16 Hates to stop examinations (7)17 Entangle with large mix-up round very soft core (7)18 She’s too upset but calms eventually (7)19 Hybrid monster (7)20 Previously nobleman and I appear before monarch

(7)21 Sticky grooves (7)25 His wife became NaCl (3)

F A H Y S E T LA B S T I N E N T S K A T ES H N A U A I NT R O U T R E D M U L L E T

R E L F FC L E A R L Y A I R L I N EH L R O N AI N D I A H U M D E S K SP R N A A ES O U N D L Y M E N A C E D

N M U D AP I K E S T A F F L I N E RU A O K F I D OC O R A L E G L A N T I N EK D E R E E D S

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9 10

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27 28

Prize crossword

solution number 27

The first correct entry to crossword number 28 to be opened on 2 September 2011 will win £25. Send to:Crossword, Crosslincs, The Old Palace, Minster Yard, Lincoln LN2 1PU

The editor’s decision is final. Photocopies acceptable. One entry per person

number 28 by Kettlebird

Scribble pad

is published by the Diocese of Lincoln.The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those held by the Diocese.Deadline for the next issue: 2 September 2011Editor Will HarrisonReporter Nick Edmonds Telephone: 01522 504034 [email protected] by Mortons Print Ltd, Horncastle, Lincolnshire

crosslincs

Congratulations toEdward Wenningerof Boston, thewinner of crossword27.

Achurch near Lincoln, hampered forcenturies by an absence of runningwater, has celebrated the completion

of a ground-breaking water-free eco-loo ata cost of £12,000.

All Saints, Greetwell, parts of which dateback to Norman times, had struggled withlarger events, when expensive andunsightly portable toilets had to be hoistedin. But with the new toilet in place, plan-ning is in the pipeline for a variety ofevents.

Designed by Welsh engineering compa-ny NatSol, the toilet uses the Coandă effect,to draw off urinewhich soaks into theground elsewhere,and clever airflowmanagement toensure no foul smellsinfiltrate the church’sbrand new throneroom.

With the wholecomplex sittingabove two largeunderground vaults,the toilet pedestalspends one yearabove each, duringwhich time the con-tents of the other areleft to degrade. Whena year has passed, thedormant tank can beemptied for usage ascompost, and thepedestal is againswapped.

Councillor Irmgard

Parrott, who has pushed the project for-ward, said it would be life-changing forboth church and community.

“Straight away, we can organise eventswhere people will be at the church formuch greater lengths of time,” she said.

“It’s a popular church, and there’s a lotgoing on, so we have been desperate for it.”

Irmgard, whose husband Len is church-warden at All Saints, helped to land fund-ing from Lincoln’s Cory EnvironmentalTrust, who donate money to green projectsfrom funds recouped through landfill tax. Any church wishing to apply for simi-

lar funding is encouraged to contactCory Environmental Trust on 01522 533488 or [email protected]

Flush with Pride: Councillor Irmgard Parrott and husband, Churchwarden Len showoff Greetwell’s green facility.

Smallest room for improvement

Documents

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