North WEST Leicestershire DEANERY SYNOD
NW Leicestershire Deanery Synod Meeting
on 22nd September 2010
held at Christ Church, London Road, Coalville. LE67 3JA
Present -35
Apologies - 15
2. Opening worship
Led by Rev'd Hazel White, based on Evening Prayer
Christians Against Poverty update
by Becca Benfield
For approximately 2 years, Ashby Holy Trinity Church has been looking at ways to partner with CAP.
- 5 people are now trained money coaches; a total of 60 people from both within and outside the church have now attended the Money Management courses they run each month.
- In July, the Holy Trinity PCC gave permission to open a debt counselling centre, and a person from HT is going forward for training.
- The debt counselling centre is due to open before Christmas. Almost £10 000 of the money needed for the first year has been raised, with much generosity being shown by many local organisations.
- Margaret Street Church in Coalville now has money coaches trained and is to give a presentation on the CAP money coaching on Friday 24th September.
Action: Becca appealed for support workers from the Deanery. Each client helped by CAP has a church person to meet with them, and walk with each client on their journey, being Christ-like with them.
4. Guest Speaker: Bishop Christopher Boyle
Bishop Christopher commended the work of CAP, and said that he hoped people would indeed respond with their hearts and lives.
Bishop Christopher then gave an inspiring and challenging talk on his vision, and his understanding of the 2020 Vision initiative.
See Appendix A for details, followed by a session of Questions and Answers, and comments.
3. “2020 Vision”: Deanery Pastoral Planning
BR gave a short summary about 2020 Vision.
- This is a change in the way deaneries have traditionally been operating.
- We have to submit a deanery plan to the Bishop's Council in just under a year, saying how we plan to deal with falling stipendary clergy numbers.
- This is an opportunity for us as a deanery, and as parishes, to respond to this: to ask ourselves where is God challenging us, calling us to repentance, and where do we need to re-focus.
- This is an opportunity for us to work together, to be creative, radical and energising.
- A steering group has been suggested of: Brian Robertson, Alan Phillips, Carol Oswin, Iain Allen, Vivien Elphick, Olwen Woodcock. These are not representatives, they are there to guide the process, not to write the plan – that is for parishes and the deanery as a whole to do.
- In response to a comment that it would help our understanding to have a deanery map of the parishes together with brief details of their main issues, strengths and weaknesses, BR informed us that a website is being set up, and it will be for individual parishes to identify and supply details of their own strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, issues, as they decide.
- In response to a comment that the voice of non-stipendiary clergy is often not being heard, and stipendiary clergy are not being taught how to deal with NSMs, BR suggested that the deanery ask the diocese for a say in the decisions they make about the use and deployment of non-stipendiary clergy.
- A comment was made that when parishes are encouraged to look at how they are doing things, sometimes they realise that what they thought they wanted is not actually what they really want. The suggestion was made that parishes that lack leadership are actually the parishes that need stipendiary clergy.
- A comment was made that 2020 seems to be based on the inevitability of decline. Instead we should be looking at how we arrest that decline. The emphasis should be to look at why we are going down the path of decline. BR suggested that our prayers would be valued for this process as we go through it, that we stay focused and engaged on what we should be looking at.
- A comment was made that we tend to settle too easily for what we know, instead of seeing as God sees. Sometimes we are wary of change, because of past experiences, and so we are resistant to change.
- The suggested membership of the steering group was proposed by BR, seconded by Clifford McKee. Deanery synod voted in favour.
6. “Newsround”
In view of the time, it was suggested that items of news be emailed to BR, AP or BT who would share them around the deanery.
7. Diocesan Reports
Held over to the next meeting.
8. Minutes of the last meeting
Accepted as a true record.
Matters arising – none.
11. Date of next meetings
24th November 2010: (TBC)
prepared by Louise Petheram 24th September 2010