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The Digest - Monday 24 April - New Archdeacon welcomed / Tag your Coronation events / Grants for community engagement
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Monday 24 April 2023

Welcome to your weekly Digest

Upcoming dates

Events and Webinars 

Prayer

Preaching Generosity

Archdeacon Allie welcomed
It was wonderful to welcome Allie Kerr to her new role as Archdeacon of Bromley and Bexley at a service in St John's, Welling yesterday.

Family and friends, new and former colleagues, as well as local civic dignitaries, all joined in witnessing as Allie made her oaths and led the prayers in her first act of public ministry as Archdeacon.

Please pray for the Venerable Allie Kerr and her husband Adrian as they begin their ministry here with us in the Diocese.

Highlight your Coronation events

To help people find out about your coronation events and services, you can list them on AChurchNearYou.com with the tag 'coronation'.

All tagged events will appear on the national Church of England Coronation events search page at AChurchNearYou.com/coronation.

Watch how to add and tag events for your church or benefice at cofe.io/ListCoronationEvents.
EASYFUNDRAISING WEBINAR - Easyfundraising.org.uk is a free fundraising platform that allows members of congregations and the wider community to raise money for church without it costing them a penny.  In an online session taking place April 28, they will explain how easyfundraising works, how to get your church started and how to get your church community involved. Register here

Community engagement grants

Churches may be interested in the details of two funds we have been made aware of to support community outreach projects.


National Lottery Fund - Reaching Communities England 
This fund offers a larger amount of funding (over £10,000) for projects that last up to five years. They are specifically looking for projects that work with their community – whether that’s a community living in the same area, or people with similar interests or life experiences.

  • Area - England
  • Suitable for - Voluntary or community organisations
  • Application deadline - Ongoing
  • Find out more

Tonbridge and Malling Community Development Grant Scheme
This scheme seeks to support Tonbridge and Malling borough organisations improve the borough. Applications are welcome from voluntary and community groups. Priorities for funding, guidance notes, and the online application form are all available on TMBC the website:
  • Area - Tonbridge and Malling borough 
  • Amounts - Up tp £2,000 
  • Suitable for - local community groups / voluntary groups / parish or town councils
  • Application deadline - 16 June
  • If you have any questions about the scheme, please email
    communitygrant@tmbc.gov.uk or click to find out more.

If you have any queries about community engagement at your church, please contact the Diocese's Community Engagement and Social Action Lead on magali.vandermerwe@rochester.anglican.org
VENUES FOR RIDING LIGHTS THEATRE COMPANY - Riding Lights, supported by Bible Society, is delighted to bring INSPIRED … the word into action back on tour for Autumn 2023. The play takes a big Genesis-to-Revelation sweep through some key themes (if not all 66 books!). They are now seeking venues for the show. For all the practical details of hosting the show, download this factsheet

Spiritual Abuse and Healthy Cultures Training

The National Safeguarding Team is offering further dates for spiritual abuse and healthy cultures training throughout 2023.

The training will be delivered by Replenished Life; Replenished Life are an independent charity that supports those who have experienced abuse and trauma within faith.

There is a range of dates available, running from June through to November 2023, with 30 places available for each date. 
 
Places are open to anyone within the Church and can be booked through Eventbrite 

Lambeth Calls 

The Lambeth Conference met in Canterbury in 2022. The theme was to explore what it means to be ‘God’s Church for God’s World’.

The conference journey continues as the Lambeth Calls, and the outcomes of the conference, are now taken forward into the life of the Anglican Communion.

Phase 3 of the Lambeth Conference 
Read a letter from Archbishop Julio Murray, which outlines the hopes and plans for Phase 3 and the Lambeth Calls.

For further detail and to explore additional resources Lambeth Conference website

Register now for the Phase 3 Launch Webinar
The Phase 3 Journey will be launched at a special webinar in May. 

With two dates available, hear from the Steering Group about the Lambeth Calls, the discussion timetable and new resources that will be shared to support churches and communities discuss the Lambeth Calls in their settings.

Register here
SHORNE ALMSHOUSES - One of the almshouses at Hayes Terrace in Shorne, owned by the Cordwainers Company, is available for a new resident.  The almshouses are for single women over the age of 60, who are members of the Church of England and who have a connection to Shorne and the surrounding areas, although other criteria apply.  If you are interested in applying for a place at the almshouses, please contact the Cordwainers’ Charity Manager, Nancy Treves, at charity@cordwainers.org 
CLERGY MOVES - click to keep up to date with the latest clergy appointments and other moves

Prayer

There are a number of opportunities available within the Diocese to help us offer regular prayer for the work of our parishes, chaplaincies, as well as our sisters and brothers around the world. Please explore them below:

The Calendar of Intercessions offers a daily suggestion of prayer for the life of the Diocese, its people, parishes, church schools, and chaplaincies. The calendar is available on the free Prayer Mate App, and shared daily on our social media channels 

You can also download it as a document here.
 

Praying the Way - The Fellowship of Pray-ers is committed to regularly praying for the parishes in their own deaneries, as well as the wider Diocese.  They coordinate 'Praying the Way’ - a set of prayers submitted by areas from across the Diocese for members of the fellowship to commit to as a discipline of prayer around the points shared.

View this month's selection of intercessions 
 

Anglican Cycle of Prayer - Produced by the Anglican Communion Office, the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, unites Anglicans around the world in praying on the same day for the same dioceses or area.

Parish courses and spirituality - There are a number of resources and opportunities on offer through Diocesan teams to help nurture the spiritual life of your parish. From short courses to the Prayer Pack. Visit our Parish courses and spirituality page

 
For more information visit our Deepening your relationship with God

Upcoming dates at a glance
2023 ** Diocesan Fixed dates - calendar of diocesan meetings and key events.

Events and Webinars

In-person and online sessions from the Diocese, the National Church and other organisations
Visit our Events and Training page to see a full listing of all forthcoming Diocesan events.

You may also be interested in the following mailings:

Praying with icons
10 May 10am to 12:30pm
St Benedict's Centre

A free workshop, run by the Diocese's Spirituality Network.

An opportunity to look at some eastern and some western icons and consider how they speak to us, and how we may use them to enrich our life of prayer.

Book here
Climate Retreat
13 May, The Royal Foundation of St Kathrine's, London

A day for those who care for the environment to come and get refreshed and re-envisioned
with Ruth Valerio.

Ruth Valerio is Global Advocacy and Influencing Director at Tearfund, an environmentalist, theologian and social activist. She is also Canon Theologian at Rochester Cathedral.

Cost: £45 including coffee and pastries on arrival, a retreat lunch, and an afternoon pot of tea and cake.

Book here
Becoming more diverse: faithful intention or woke aspiration?
18 May, 2pm to 3.30pm (online)
What is the diversity that we should be seeking as a Church, and what theological, ecclesiological and missional themes underlie this intention?

How is it that Christian communities can be more hospitable to and enable the participation of those who have not been well represented in times past, whether that is in terms of age, race, ethnicity, gender, disability or other criteria?

Drawing from practical examples and reflection on diversity, this webinar will look at these and other questions associated with the desire to become a more diverse Church.

Register here
Sport Faith Life
24/25 June, University of Nottingham
The Salvation Army, The Church of England, Sportily and Scripture Union are hosting this exciting collaborative sports mission gathering to inspire, equip and educate people for a life of sports mission beyond the event!

Whether you are interested in using sport to engage with people, or have already started, this event is for you.

Cost: £30 including accommodation and food

Click to book or for more details 
Rochester Diocese - Growing Faith webinar
16 May, 3pm to 6pm

Taking place on Tuesday 16 May, 3pm to 5pm, a free webinar for school leaders, governors, those leading on SIAMS, clergy, curates, church leadership, Children and Young People volunteers and ministers.

Explore the intersections of school, church, and households so that, where we can be strategic in thought, practice and ministry, we seek to enable and encourage faith within our children & young people.

Bishop Simon Burton-Jones and Lucy Moore, head of Growing Faith Foundation at the Church of England will be joining the webinar.

Click to book (register by 10 May).

Don't miss out on online training

 
Many of the national teams are producing fantastic webinars and resources to help church leaders and laity reflect on a number of important issues.

From the environment and generous giving, to evangelism, life events and digital.

It can be overwhelming, but don't miss out. Sign up to regular mailings from each team as well as see all their forthcoming webinars on the links below:

Preaching generosity

Your weekly bite-sized resource to help preach generosity in every sense.

Sunday 7 May.  Easter 5.  John 14:1-14
The salvation of the world has been brought about by God in Christ

This well-loved passage from John’s Gospel tells us that what Jesus, and the Father, desire is that those who believe will experience the power of God at work through them as it was through Jesus. It is that simple.
Read in full

The Rev Canon Dr Helen Burn is Vicar of St Justus, Rochester, in the Diocese of Rochester
Copyright © 2023 DIocese of Rochester, All rights reserved.


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