Advent Resources

 

This year, in addition to Advent resources with which I have been involved, I also want to share information about resources from HeartEdge.

Advent HeartEdge Group Online

In December HeartEdge will be running an on-line group using the HeartEdge Advent Resource.

You are invited into a journey of hope, abundance and incarnation. Rooted in the mystery of God becoming flesh we explore what it means to make space for Christ where life is fragile, hidden yet full of possibility.

Mondays December 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd at 10.30am.

Register Here

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. By registering you will be able to attend any or all of the meetings.

Advent Calendar Online

A version of the Advent Calendar that has been adapted by the Franciscans is now available on line.

Franciscan Advent Calendar

Making room for Christ through Advent

This Advent, HeartEdge invites individuals, families, and communities to pause, reflect, and make space. Heartbeat of the Incarnation brings together three distinct but deeply connected Advent resources designed to help us live into the mystery of God with us – Emmanuel – in ways that are hopeful, and rooted in everyday life.

Weekly Group Study THE ADVENT HEARTBEAT COURSE

The four-week Bible study series is written for small groups, churches, and HeartEdge communities. It can be used during Advent or in the weeks leading up to it. Each session explores a key theme of incarnation and belonging:

• Saying ‘Yes’: Making Space in a World of Scarcity
• The Womb as Holy Ground: Finding God in Hidden Places
• The Cost of Love: Mary’s Labour, God’s Compassion
• Birthing Christ Today: Church on the Edge

Daily Reflections 25 DAILY ADVENT WONDERINGS

The day-by-day journey through Advent draws inspiration from the mystery of pregnancy and the hidden development of Christ in the womb. Each day includes:

• A reflection grounded in the developmental stages of pregnancy
• A wondering
• A reflective action – inviting heart, mind, and body to prepare room for Christ

This is more than a countdown to Christmas. It’s a call to transformation, to slow down and notice where Christ is already gestating in our midst – especially at the edges of our lives.

The books are available at £10 Please email heartedge@smitf.org to order with details of a postal address and HeartEdge will post and send an invoice with details of how to pay by BACS.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come 

'Come, Lord Jesus, Come' is an Advent devotional (booklet & slideshow) by Victoria Emily Jones based on an Advent meditation written by myself. Each line of the meditation focuses on one aspect of Christ’s coming. To promote deeper reflection on all these aspects, Victoria has selected twenty-four art images to lead the way in stoking our imaginations and to provide entry points into prayer. She has taken special care to present art from around the world and, where possible, by modern or contemporary artists so that we will be stretched beyond the familiar imagery of the season.

Victoria writes: 'Art is a great way to open yourself up to the mysteries of God, to sit in the pocket of them as you gaze and ponder. “Blessed are your eyes because they see,” Jesus said. Theologians in their own right, artists are committed to helping us see what was and what is and what could be. Here I’ve taken special care to select images by artists from around the world, not just the West, and ones that go beyond the familiar fare. You’ll see, for example, the Holy Spirit depositing the divine seed into Mary’s womb; Mary with a baby bump, and then with midwives; an outback birth with kangaroos, emus, and lizards in attendance; Jesus as a Filipino slum dweller; and Quaker history married to Isaiah’s vision of the Peaceable Kingdom.'

Through 'Come, Lord Jesus, Come' you are invited to consider what it meant for Jesus to be born of woman—coming as seed and fetus and birthed son; the poverty Jesus shared with children around the world; culturally specific bodies of Christ, like a dancing body and a yogic body; how we are called to bear God into the world today; and more.

Victoria writes: 'Advent takes us back and brings us forward. In preparing us to celebrate Christ’s first coming, it places us alongside the ancient prophets, who awaited with aching intensity the fulfilled promise of a messiah, and Joseph and Mary, whose pregnancy made the expectation all the more palpable; it also strengthens our longing for Christ’s second coming, when he will return to fully and finally establish his kingdom on earth ... May God bless you this Advent season as you ponder the amazing truth of the Incarnation.'

Love is ...

My 'Love is ...' meditation for Advent can be found by clicking here. This meditation ponders the love Mary demonstrated at various points along the way from the announcement of Jesus’s conception to her and her family’s resettlement in Egypt.

Alternative Nine Lessons 

Additionally, I have a series of poetic meditations which draw on the thinking of René Girard in interpreting the Bible readings traditionally used in services of Nine Lessons and Carols. This set of Alternative Nine Lessons and Carols meditations can be found by clicking here.

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Steve Bell - O Come, O Come Emmanuel (featuring Malcolm Guite).

HeartEdge: Making room for Christ through Advent

 

Making room for Christ through Advent

This Advent, HeartEdge invites individuals, families, and communities to pause, reflect, and make space. Heartbeat of the Incarnation brings together three distinct but deeply connected Advent resources designed to help us live into the mystery of God with us – Emmanuel – in ways that are hopeful, and rooted in everyday life.

Weekly Group Study THE ADVENT HEARTBEAT COURSE

The four-week Bible study series is written for small groups, churches, and HeartEdge communities. It can be used during Advent or in the weeks leading up to it. Each session explores a key theme of incarnation and belonging:

• Saying ‘Yes’: Making Space in a World of Scarcity
• The Womb as Holy Ground: Finding God in Hidden Places
• The Cost of Love: Mary’s Labour, God’s Compassion
• Birthing Christ Today: Church on the Edge

Daily Reflections 25 DAILY ADVENT WONDERINGS

The day-by-day journey through Advent draws inspiration from the mystery of pregnancy and the hidden development of Christ in the womb. Each day includes:

• A reflection grounded in the developmental stages of pregnancy
• A wondering
• A reflective action – inviting heart, mind, and body to prepare room for Christ

This is more than a countdown to Christmas. It’s a call to transformation, to slow down and notice where Christ is already gestating in our midst – especially at the edges of our lives.

The books are available at £10 Please email heartedge@smitf.org to order with details of a postal address and HeartEdge will post and send an invoice with details of how to pay by BACS.


HeartEdge in Urban Communities - A Course of Discovery
A New Course for Urban Churches Exploring the HeartEdge Model

Are you part of a church in a town or city or suburb ? Do you long to see your local church thrive at the heart of your community—while staying faithful to your calling and context?

This new course has been created especially for urban churches, inspired by the HeartEdge 4Cs model of church . Compassion – Culture – Commerce – Congregational with a foundational trust in the God of Abundance.

This flexible and beautifully illustrated course can be run:

• As a one-day event or over six 90-minute sessions or two half -days
• Online or in person
• Led by local leaders or HeartEdge staff

Who is the course for? Clergy, lay leaders, Church Councils and church members – accessible to all denominations

What does it cost? HeartEdge are inviting a contribution of £10 from each participant to include a course book plus the on-line preparation session for the leader(s) and an on-line session at the end for practical advice on following up the ideas that emerge. However grants are available if such charges are a problem. They do not want a shortage of money to be a barrier to taking part.

For more information contact heartedge@smitf.org


HeartEdge in Rural Communities - A Course of Discovery

This seven-session course is designed to help rural churches explore the HeartEdge principles developed by Sam Wells: compassion, culture, commerce, and congregation.

It begins with an introduction to the foundational concept of abundance, encouraging participants to move beyond a mindset of scarcity and embrace God’s overflowing grace.

Each session focuses on one of the 4Cs, offering biblical reflections, practical examples, and open discussions to inspire creative approaches to ministry.

The course culminates in a session that ties together the insights and actions from the previous weeks, followed by a reflective gathering several months later to evaluate how ideas have developed in practice.

This course equips rural churches to recognise and celebrate the unique opportunities and gifts present in their contexts, encouraging collaboration and innovation.

It is offered to churches with a ‘donation’ of £10 per participant. (Subsidies are available if this is prohibitive.)

This will provide an online session to introduce the course and explain how it runs. And a further online session at the end to offer advice on how to develop the vision that emerges from the course.

For more information or to order copies of the book please contact Sian or Andrew Yates on heartedge@smitf.org

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Bernadette Farrell - Christ, Be Our Light.

Habits for peacemaking

Here's the reflection that I shared during the Service of Remembrance held at Wickford's War Memorial this morning:

Earlier this Autumn in the Parish of Wickford and Runwell, we studied a course called the Difference Course. Difference is a course about the power of faith in a complex and divided world, enabling us to see transformation through everyday encounters.

In the first session of the course, we were discussing Jesus’ statement in the Sermon on the Mount – ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.’ I was in a group with people who could recall the Second World War and the work of rebuilding the country that everyone, including their parents, was involved in once the War was over. Their memories helped me realise that winning the First and Second World Wars in order to bring peace as those that we remember today were doing is only the first stage in bringing peace.

The second stage, which involves all of us, is the task of maintaining peace and of actively living in peace. The peacemakers are not just those who bring peace by ending war but also those who live peacefully in the peace that others have won for them. If we do not do so then we risk, as is the risk currently with a war in Ukraine on European soil and the escalation of war in the Middle East, of slipping back into war, rather than maintaining peace.

Those we remember today who served to bring about peace or have served in maintaining peace, received training before they went to serve. They were training for war, but it is also possible to train for peace. That is what we were seeking to do earlier this Autumn when we studied the Difference Course.

The Course taught us three habits. First, to be curious by listening to others’ and seeing the world through their eyes. Second, to be present and to encounter others with authenticity and confidence. Third, to re-imagine finding hope and opportunity in places where we long to see change. These are helpful habits to learn and practice so that they genuinely become habitual for us in the ways we relate to other people. Because they are peaceful habits, they are also similar to the values that children continue to learn and practice in the uniformed organisations that are represented here today in such numbers.

Learning and practising habits such as those taught in the Difference Course will help us to be active peacemakers in our homes, our community, our nation, and our world. That is the best way in which we can honour those who laid down their lives in war to win peace for us and, as Jesus taught, we will experience God’s blessing and become his children when we live and act as peacemakers. Amen.

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Pie Jesu.

Autumn programme: Unveiled, exhibition, Quiet Day, Craft Fayre, Local History Day, Difference Course

We have a packed programme of varied and interesting events in the Wickford and Runwell Team Ministry this autumn including a new art exhibition, heritage displays from Basildon Heritage, concerts, our Unveiled arts and performance events, a Quiet Day, plus two new events - a local history day at St Catherine's and a Craft Fayre at St Andrew's.

Here are fuller details:

Exhibition: 'Trials and Tribulations: Modern Interpretations of Iconography', 13 September to 20 December 2024, St Andrew’s Church - 11 London Road, Wickford, Essex SS12 0AN

The arts programme at St Andrew's Wickford continues in the autumn with an exhibition by Leigh-on-Sea-based artist John Paul Barrett called 'Trials and Tribulations'. The exhibition will run from 13 September to 20 December 2024 at St Andrew's Wickford.

John Paul Barrett specialises in mixed media paintings, using acrylics and oil pastels on paintings that range from symbolism to landscapes and portraits. This exhibition focuses on his modern interpretations of Eastern European religious iconography. More information about him and his work can be found at https://www.jpbarrettart.com/.

Unveiled: A regular Friday night arts and performance event at St Andrew’s Church, 7.00 – 9.00 pm - 11 London Road, Wickford, Essex SS12 0AN

See below for our Autumn 2024 programme and http://wickfordandrunwellparish.org.uk/whats-on.html for more information

Exhibitions, open mic nights, performances, talks and more!

• Unveiled – a wide range of artist and performers from Essex and wider, including Open Mic nights (come and have a go!).
• Unveiled – view our hidden painting by acclaimed artist David Folley, plus a range of other exhibitions.

Autumn Programme 2024

• 13 September (7.00 pm) – Trials & Tribulations – Exhibition viewing evening. Meet John-Paul Barrett, see his exhibition & hear him interviewed. This Leigh-on-Sea based artist creates modern interpretations of classic iconographic images & scenes.
• 27 September (7.30 pm) – Dave Crawford in concert. Popular local musician, Dave Crawford writes engaging/melodic songs in Americana/ Alt-Rock/Indie-Folk. He has performed at the Leigh Folk Festival, Pin Drop Sessions, & Music for Mind together with Kev Butler. This will be Dave’s second concert at Unveiled. We have also enjoyed his powerful vocals & guitar at our Open Mic Nights.
• 11 October (7.00 pm) – Re-enacting the Napoleonic Wars. Robson Coke (2nd 95th Rifles & Drum Major of the Band of 1st Foot Guards 1815, Napoleonic Association) will talk about the Napoleonic Wars, explain how re-enactments are organised & show costumes and equipment used in re-enactments.
• 25 October (7.30 pm) – Eva Romanakova in concert. Eva Romanakova sings a wide genre of music; Musical Theatre, Arias, Pop, Jazz, Movie Songs & also Folk. She will sing music from various countries and different times. She is performing with accomplished pianist Andrew Palmer.
• 8 November (7.30 pm) – Open Mic Night. Everybody is welcome to come along & play, read, sing or just spectate. See you there for a great evening of live performance!
• 22 November (7.00 pm) – An evening with Steven Turner. Hear about the career of local dancer Steven Turner, who has trained in a variety of dance styles, including contemporary, street, mime & moving with props. Steven founded his own organisation, Next Step Creative, to promote collaboration between dance & other creative arts. He also regularly choreographs & teaches for Dance 21 (a dance company for children & young adults with Down’s syndrome). He has performed across the UK and Europe including Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, & France.
• 6 December (7.00 pm) – Broomfield artists in the Basildon Deanery. Find out about artworks in Basildon & Nevendon by Thomas Bayliss Huxley-Jones & Rosemary Rutherford. An illustrated talk by Jonathan Evens.

These events do not require tickets (just turn up on the night). There will be a retiring collection to cover artist and church costs. See http://wickfordandrunwellparish.org.uk/whats-on.html for fuller information.

Other events

Basildon Heritage displays - we will be showing two heritage displays prepared by Basildon Heritage this autumn. Following on from our recent Unveiled talk about Depeche Mode, the first display, 'Sounds of Basildon', will be on the Basildon music scene in the 1980's, i.e. Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Erasure, and will be at St Andrew's from 9 September to 7 October. The second display, linked to our Local History Day, is on 'Wickford's churches' and will be at St Catherine's from 2 October to 30 October.

Underfret in concert - Saturday 21 September 2024, 2.00 pm, St Andrew’s Church, 11 London Road, Wickford SS12 0AN. Underfret are a six-piece ukulele band, playing music from the 1960's onward - https://www.instagram.com/underfret/. A fundraiser for St Catherine’s Wickford (where subsidence has caused cracks in the walls requiring underpinning) - a retiring collection will be taken.

Difference Course - We will be running this course, which “explores what it means to follow Jesus in a complex and divided world, seeing transformation through everyday encounters”, on the following dates: Wednesdays, 2-3.30pm at Roger’s on 25th September, 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd October; and Thursdays, 7.30-9pm in St Andrew’s church on 26th September, 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th October. Each week includes films of stories from Christians facing conflict, Bible study, interactive exercises, prayer and discussion. While it is preferable to attend each week it is not mandatory. A Participant’s Guide is available at a cost of £3.50 for those that would like to purchase one. SIGN - UP sheets available soon. RLN Difference is a part of the Reconciling Leaders Network. Archbishop of Canterbury’s Reconciliation Ministry.

Quiet Day: The 7 S’s of the Nazareth Community, Saturday 28 September, 10.30 am – 3.30 pm, St Catherine’s Wickford. Consider Silence, Sacrament, Scriptures, Service, Sharing, Sabbath, and Staying as a personal Rule of Life. Learn about the Nazareth Community based at St Martin-in-the-Fields and its growth through the Companions of Nazareth. Reflect in the quiet space of St Catherine's, a small country church originally serving a village community which still seems, in church and churchyard, to retain an atmosphere of the rural heritage of Wickford's past. Led by Revd Jonathan Evens, Team Rector, Wickford and Runwell Team Ministry. Cost: £8.00 per person, including sandwich lunch (pay on the day). To book: Phone 07803 562329 or email jonathan.evens@btinternet.com

Local History Day - Saturday 5 October 2024, 10.00 am – 4.00 pm, St Catherine’s Church, 120 Southend Road, Wickford SS11 8EB. View our registers (baptisms, weddings, burials etc,), meet re-enactors from the Napoleonic Association, see a display on Wickford’s churches from Basildon Heritage, tour the church and churchyard, take part in a Scavenger Hunt, support our fundraising appeal, enjoy refreshments in our Church Hall. See our: Commonwealth War Graves; War Memorial for Wickford; William Butterfield reredos; 15th century font; Medieval chancel ceiling; and Stained glass commemorating local characters.

Craft Fayre - A wide range of handmade crafts from a variety of different stalls. Refreshments also available. Saturday 26 October 2024, 10.00 am – 3.00 pm, St Andrew’s Church, 11 London Road, Wickford SS12 0AN.

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 Dave Crawford - Revelations.

Wickford and Runwell Team Ministry: Upcoming Events

Messy Lent/Temptation

Saturday 10 February, 2.00 - 4.00 pm, St Andrew's Wickford

Messy Church is a way of being church for families and others. It is Christ-centred, for all ages, based on creativity, hospitality and celebration.

Pancake Party
St Catherine’s Hall, 120 Southend Road, Wickford SS11 8EB
Tuesday 13th February, 2.00 - 4.00 pmDrop in between 2pm and 4pm or stay all afternoon and help raise funds for St Catherine’s tower restoration. £4 to include 2 pancakes and unlimited tea or coffee. Gluten free available on request.

Salvation Army Band & Choir

Wickford Salvation Army Band and Choir will be performing at St Andrew's at 3.30 pm on Sunday 17 March to raise funds for St Andrew's. All are welcome.

Take Note in concert
Saturday 20 April, 3.00 pm
St Andrew’s Church, 11 London Road, Wickford SS12 0AN

Take Note are an all-male a Cappella group of up to 12 singers formed in 2015. They sing many genres of music across many eras in four-part harmony. Their wide-ranging repertoire includes traditional male voice choir numbers, popular songs from the 50s and 60s sung in close harmony doo wop style, comedy items and other a Cappella arrangements that they think will appeal to their audiences.

This concert is a fundraiser for St Andrew’s Church. No tickets required. Donations requested on the day.

Quiet Days in 2024 - St Mary’s Runwell

Reflect in the magnificent mediaeval building that is St Mary’s Runwell, and relax in its beautiful churchyard. St. Mary’s is often described by visitors and by regular worshippers as a powerful sacred space to which they have been drawn. Experience this yourself, while also exploring its art and heritage.

Themes for 2024 include: Psalms, Women in the Bible, Nazareth Community’s Rule of Life, Faith Pictures, and Jesus Music.

All are 10.30 am – 3.30 pm. Runwell Rd SS11 7HS.

• Saturday 27 April – Jesus Music: Reflect on the person of Jesus plus praise and prayer to him, through the Jesus Music of the 1960’s and 70’s. Led by Revd Jonathan Evens.
• Wednesday 22 May – Women in the Bible: Spend time getting to know the women whose lives made a significant contribution to the story of God’s relationship with his people. Led by Revd Sue Wise.
• Saturday 15 June – Faith Pictures: Helps us see where God has been present in our lives, how we can talk about that confidently, and how God is active in the world around us and wants us to join in with Him. The focus will be on Traveller’s Tales and Talking Pictures. Led by Gail and Stephen.
• Wednesday 10 July – Psalms: Time to immerse yourself in the prayerfulness, rich imagery and poetry of the psalms. Led by Revd Sue Wise.
• Saturday 14 September – The 7S’s of the Nazareth Community: Silence, Sacrament, Scriptures, Service, Sharing, Sabbath, Staying as a personal Rule of Life. Led by Revd Jonathan Evens.

Cost: £8.00 per person, including sandwich lunch (pay on the day). To book contact jonathan.evens@btinternet.com / 07803 562329 (27/04, 15/06, 14/09) or sue.wise@sky.com / 07941 506156 (22/05, 10/07). Parking available at the Church Hall – Church End Lane, Runwell SS11 7JQ. Nearest station: Wickford (1.3 miles). Buses: 8, 10, 94, 94A, 94B, X10. http://wickfordandrunwellparish.org.uk/

Being With course

Tuesday evenings from 23 April - 25 June, 7.30 pm

St Andrew's Wickford

Have you ever wondered…

If all the meaning, beauty and goodness you have found in life so far could help you discover something that holds it all together?

If there is a God, wouldn’t God be best discovered with others?

Being With ⁄ A Course Exploring Christian Faith and Life

We believe God's desire is to be with you and that God has been at work in your life from day one. We are looking forward to discovering that with you.

Discovering Christian faith in a positive and inclusive group. No special knowledge or religious language needed. Just what you have learned in life so far.

Kintsugi Hope Wellbeing Group

12 Thursday evenings from 9 May, 7.30 pm

St Andrew's Wickford

Kintsugi Hope is a charity based in the UK striving to make a difference to peoples mental wellbeing. 

"Kintsugi' (⾦継ぎ) is a Japanese technique for repairing pottery with seams of gold. The word means 'golden joinery' in Japanese. This repairs the brokenness in a way that makes the object more beautiful, and even more unique than it was prior to being broken. Instead of hiding the scars it makes a feature of them. “We want to see a world where mental and emotional health is understood and accepted, with safe and supportive communities for everyone to grow and flourish."

Kintsugi Hope Wellbeing Groups

A Kintsugi Hope Group is a safe and supportive space for people who feel or have felt overwhelmed, providing tools for self-management in a facilitated peer mentoring style setting. It consists of a structured yet flexible series of 12 weeks of content, which includes group and individual activities designed to help participants to accept themselves, to understand their value and worth, and grow towards a more resilient and hopeful future. Issues covered include; disappointment, loss, anxiety, anger perfectionism, shame and resilience. Feedback so far has been amazing.

Our new group starts on Thursday May 9th, 7.30pm at St Andrew’s Church, London Road, Wickford For more information and to register for the Group contact Revd Sue Wise on 07941 506156 or sue.wise@sky.com 

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Mumford & Sons x Pharrell Williams - Good People.

Chris Beales R.I.P.

 

Chris Beales, who died on 12 January 2024, was a social entrepreneur working in housing and education and on issues of faith and economy, locally, nationally and internationally.

As Malcolm Brown writes: "Canon Chris Beales was probably the leading exponent of the partnership approach to Christian social action in the past 50 years. Always deeply committed to local ministry, his ability to connect social needs to potential solutions, and to gather resources for innovative projects, epitomised the Church’s latent convening power and commitment to social change. Chris got things done through a totally unforced charm and boundless enthusiasm, grounded in a profound affection for people and love of ordinary communities."

We met, as he explains in the video above, when he was working with Employment Focus and I was in JobCentre Plus. Employment Focus (originally known as Employment Forum UK) worked across the country with people of all faiths on employment, training and enterprise development. They held a series of major regional events, ran a Black Economic Empowerment programme, working with black majority churches, and a national Inter-Faith Action Programme. They also ran construction, ESOL and employability training programmes in London and Birmingham. During this time Chris produced "Catalytic Converters", a training programme to involve faith groups in social and economic development and service provision in their communities. Chris later ran a Catalytic Convertors course at St Margaret's Barking, while I was curate there.

Through our employment work we both met Saif Ahmad, then CEO of Faith Regen UK (later Faith Regen Foundation) and we both contributed in various ways to their work, as a multi-faith UK based regeneration charity, to reduce social exclusion. The multi-faith nature of urban Britain combined with the diversity and equalities agenda meant that those working in employment and training services needed to understand their customers and employees who were part of faith communities. This development provided an opportunity for me to work on the development of a Faith Communities Toolkit for Jobcentre Plus which provided information for staff on the nine world religions (including Christianity) represented in the UK and ideas and guidance on contacting and working with people of faith. Through Faith Regen Foundation, I was also involved in preparing similar resources for staff at Sainsbury’s, Calder UK Ltd and the learning and skills sector, more generally.

Chris and I later reconnected through HeartEdge when he participated in the above webinar which explored ways in which all churches can get involved in housing need locally and the theological basis for doing so. Chris had joined the Archbishops’ Commission on Housing when it was launched by the present Archbishop of Canterbury. Malcolm Brown writes that "His effervescent cheerfulness, mental acuity, and capacity for work, plus his genius for networking, made his contribution indispensable to the eventual report, Coming Home." He then, as a member of Executive Team following up the recommendations of "Coming Home", applied his energies to turning the recommendations into action.

In Church Times he wrote of how the church can be beneficial in bringing communities together: “Relationships have to be cultivated and trust established. In each local authority area, someone – clergy or lay – should be doing the research, meeting the planners and developers, building relationships, making friends, and feeding in ideas to be included in local plans and masterplans.

“In larger new housing developments, we have the chance to model places where housing is well-designed and caters for all ages, ethnicities, incomes, and circumstances; where facilities and services are easily accessible and to hand; and where schools and community facilities, open spaces, and sports and leisure facilities are local – creating places not of isolation, but inclusion: places where people love to live.”

His report ‘Building new communities in North East England: challenging church and society' identified significant new housing developments being built or planned in each of the 12 local authority areas across the region and explored the challenge of how to “build good community”; his aim being to lay the foundations for new strategic thinking and action by Churches and others, working with landowners, builders, planners, communities and all involved. Click here to read his report.

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Madness - Our House.

Five Marks of Mission

Five Marks of Mission
Thursday evenings 7.30pm - 9pm St Andrew’s Wickford

This autumn in the Wickford and Runwell Team Ministry we have organised an informative short course on the Five Marks of Mission with some excellent contributors to which there is an open invition for folk from other churches.

The course enables us to explore the fundamentals of mission - outreach, nurture, service, justice, and creationcare - with input on Kintsugi Hope and Being With alongside the Beyond The Walls Leader for New Life Church, the Diocesan Racial Justice Officer and the Diocesan Environment Officer.

• October 5th - Proclaiming the Good News of God’s Kingdom - Rob Purnell
• October 12th - Responding in Loving Service - Joel Harris, Kintsugi Hope
• October 19th - Nurturing new believers - Revd Jonathan Evens
• October 26th - Challenging injustice - Revd Sharon Quilter
• November 2nd - Caring for God’s Earth - Revd Sandra Eldridge

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Delirious? - Find Me In The River.

Holy Week, Easter, Unveiled, Concerts, Arts Festival, Being With and Quiet Days

Here is a list of upcoming services and events in the Wickford and Runwell Team Ministry:

Holy Week (3-8 April): Stations of the Cross and Night Prayer – 8.00 pm St Catherine’s (Monday), St Andrew’s (Tuesday), St Mary’s (Wednesday); Eucharist with footwashing – Maundy Thursday (6 April), 8.00 pm, St Catherine’s (followed by The Watch); Good Friday: Walk of Witness – begins from Our Lady of Good Counsel at 10.00 am; At the Foot of the Cross – 2.00 pm, St Andrew’s.

Easter Day (9 April): Service of Light – 5.30 am St Mary’s, followed by breakfast; Eucharist – 9.30 am St Mary’s; Eucharist – 10.00 am St Andrew’s; Eucharist – 11.00 am St Catherine’s.

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2023 AT 2 PM – 4 PM: One Voice Choir Community Performance, St Andrew's Church - One Voice Choir community performance presented by The Grange Care Home. Please come along for an afternoon of songs performed by residents of The Grange care home. Free entry. All welcome. Cream Tea at the end of the performance.

Unveiled Summer Programme 2023 - Fridays, 7.00 pm, St Andrew's Church: 

• 28 April – One Beautiful World exhibition launch evening: Meet Jackie E. Burns and hear about her work as a Space Artist. Jackie is a Fellow of the International Association of Astronomical Artists whose members are dedicated to creating images of space - galaxies, stars, planets, moons – combining science and art to expand the human mind and soul.
• 12 May - Talk: New Town, New Collection: Join British artist and curator George Morl for a talk about their collection as displayed in the exhibition 'New Town, New Collection'. Reflecting on experiences as an artist and through their role as Programme Assistant at Firstsite in Colchester, Morl shares their joy of acquiring art, and motivations for building a collection to share for others.
• 26 May - Simon Law in concert. Simon has fronted the rock bands Fresh Claim, Sea Stone and Intransit, as well as being a founder of Plankton Records and becoming an Anglican Vicar.
• 9 June - Talk: Changing Face of Basildon. Ken Porter, author, historian and Chair of Basildon Heritage, will talk about the Plotlands in Essex.
• 23 June – Talk: A Walk in the Park. Kim Oakes, Chair of Friends of the Wickford Memorial Park gives a visual tour of the Wickford Memorial Park, a little history of the park and the past work and future projects of the Friends of the Wickford Memorial Park Volunteer Group formed in 2019, including the development of the Beauchamps Meadow and nature reserve. The presentation will take the route of the walking tours of the park, covering the whole park.

These events do not require tickets (just turn up on the night). There will be a retiring collection to cover artist and church costs.

One Beautiful World is an Arts Festival exploring aspects of our one beautiful world from the creativity of human beings to the beauty of the natural world, while remembering the challenges that human activity poses to the planet. The Festival is a mix of art, dance, music, photography, poetry and spoken word. Churches are providing venues for the Festival events and the Festival has received funding from Essex County Council’s Locality Fund. For more information about the Festival see https://onebeautifulworldfestival.blogspot.com/:

• Friday 12 – Friday 26 May, St Catherine’s Church: One Beautiful World exhibition by Tim Harrold and Way to the Coronation display by Wickford & Runwell Mothers Union - Tim Harrold is an artist who works with bric à brac, flotsam and jetsam, the discarded or misplaced along the journey of life. He finds lost objects and gives them new meaning through his three-dimensional assemblage style which brings together found and sourced elements into visual parables. The Mothers Union for Wickford and Runwell will show a display on the Way to the Coronation.
• Friday 12 – Sunday 14 May, St Andrew’s Church: New Town, New Collection: Tales from George Morl’s private art collection - This exhibition brings together works acquired by artist and curator George Morl. Through founding a collection which reflects on the communal legacies of New Towns, Plotlands, and the possibility of human connections across the virtual world, it visions a future art collection centring support. 'New Town, New Collection' features works by contemporary artists such as Grayson Perry, Michael Landy, Elsa James, Madge Gill, Rosie Hastings & Hannah Quinlan, Uma Breakdown, as well as work by Morl.
• Friday 12 May, 2.00 – 4.00 pm, St Andrew’s Church - Six Hands Together - An afternoon tea with entertainment from Six Hands Together at St Andrew’s Church and Centre. A retiring collection will be taken.
• Friday 12 May 7.00 pm, St Andrew’s Church - Talk: New Town, New Collection - Join British artist and curator George Morl for a talk about their collection as displayed in the exhibition New Town, New Collection. Reflecting on experiences as an artist and through their role as Programme Assistant at Firstsite in Colchester, Morl shares their joy of acquiring art, and motivations for building a collection to share for others. 
• Saturday 13 May, 4.00 pm, Miracle House: One Beautiful World performance by Steven Turner (Next Step Creative) - Steven Turner has trained in a variety of dance styles, including contemporary, street, mime and moving with props. He has founded Next Step Creative to promote collaboration between dance and other creative arts. Choreographing and teaching for Dance 21 (a dance company for children and young adults with Down’s syndrome), he has taught in Rotterdam and performed across the UK and Europe including at Project Dance Paris.
• Sunday 14 May, 3.00–5.00 pm, St Mary’s Runwell: In the Shadow of Your Wings - A unique event combining performances of new sacred music with discussion. Performed by acclaimed violinist Emma-Marie Kabanova, this interactive event features new psalm-inspired works written by an international collection of Jewish and Christian composers. Curated and produced by Deus Ex Musica.
• Tuesday 16 - Friday 26 May, St Andrew’s Church - One Beautiful World Exhibition - An exhibition of Space Art by Jackie E. Burns, Fellow of the International Association of Astronomical Artists, fostering the inquisitive joy of art and astronomy and inspiring people to the awe and beauty of space and astronomy.
• Friday 19 and Saturday 20 May, Salvation Army: One Beautiful World photographic exhibition by Compass Photography - Photographs by Mike Fogg (Compass Photography Group) whose approach is summed up as: “Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing beauty is what separates a snapshot from a photograph.”
• Friday 19 May, 7.30 pm, Christ Church: One Beautiful World concert with Yardarm Folk Orchestra - The Yardarm Folk Orchestra plays British and international folk music throughout the region and celebrates Folk from around the world through its lively and spirited appearances appealing to audiences both young and old. They have played at over 650 community, charity and fundraising events including the Leigh Folk Festival and Tenterden Folk Festival. They have also performed at well-known venues including the London Palladium and Cliffs Pavilion.
• Saturday 20 May: 9.30 am – 4.00 pm, Wickford and Runwell Art Trail - See artworks by Val Anthony, William Butterfield, Enid Chadwick, Antony Corbin, Christine Daniels, David Folley, David Garrard and Julia Glover at St Andrew’s, St Catherine’s and St Mary’s churches, plus the photographic exhibition at the Salvation Army, Jackie Burns’ Space Art at St Andrew’s, Tim Harrold’s assemblages at St Catherine’s and paintings by Pam Jones at St Mary’s. Art talks/tours at St Andrew’s (10.00 am), St Catherine’s (11.30 am), and St Mary’s (2.00 pm).
• Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 May, St Mary’s Runwell: One Beautiful World exhibition by Pam Jones - An exhibition of paintings by Pam Jones at St Mary’s Runwell – 9.30 am – 4.00 pm Saturday 20 May and 9.00 – 10.30 am Sunday 21 May.
• Saturday 20 May: 4.00 pm, St Catherine’s Church: One Beautiful World poetry reading with Tim Harrold and Jonathan Evens - Tim Harrold is a poet who creates images of profound challenge and change, of pause and process, of chrysalis and catalyst. His most recent publication is ‘Verses versus Viruses’. Jonathan Evens is a creative writer whose poems and stories have been published by Amethyst Review, InternationalTimes and Stride Magazine.
• Sunday 21 May, 3.00 – 5.00 pm, RCCG Spring of Hope Church at the Nevendon Centre, Nevendon Rd, Wickford SS12 0QG: One Beautiful World music event - A music event featuring local musicians and RCCG Spring of Hope Church choir.
• Thursday 25 and Friday 26 May, 11.00 am – 3.00 pm, Wickford Christian Centre: One Beautiful World art exhibition - Open call for artworks to display in an exhibition at Wickford Christian Centre.
• Friday 26 May, 7.00 pm, St Andrew’s Church: Simon Law in concert - Singer-songwriter Simon Law has fronted the rock bands Fresh Claim, Sea Stone and Intransit. He is a founder of Plankton Records and an Anglican Vicar.

Being With: Discover Christian faith in a positive and inclusive group. No special knowledge or religious language needed. Just what you have learned in life so far. Dates: Thursdays, 25/05 - 27/07. Time: 7.30pm. Location: St Andrew's Church, 11 London Road, SS12 0AN. To join, contact Revd Jonathan on 07803 562329 or jonathan.evens@btinternet.com

Quiet Day: Creation - Wednesday 31 May, 10.30 am – 3.30 pm, St Mary’s Runwell. A day spent reflecting on creation and our environment in the beautiful environs of St Mary’s Church and its churchyards. Led by Revd Sue Wise, Team Vicar, Wickford and Runwell Team Ministry. Cost: £8.00 per person, including sandwich lunch (pay on the day). To book: Phone 07803 562329 or email jonathan.evens@btinternet.com.

Quiet Day: Poetry & prayer - Saturday 1 July, 10.30 am – 3.30 pm, St Mary’s Runwell. Explore prayer through poetry, with poems about prayers and poems that are prayers. Enjoy poems by John Berryman, John Donne, Carol Ann Duffy, George Herbert, and Ann Lewin, among others. Led by Revd Jonathan Evens, Team Rector, Wickford and Runwell Team Ministry. Cost: £8.00 per person, including sandwich lunch (pay on the day). To book: Phone 07803 562329 or email jonathan.evens@btinternet.com.

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Yardarm Folk Orchestra - South Wind.

Parish Study Day and 2023 Lent Course

 

JANUARY 28th – WICKFORD & RUNWELL PARISH STUDY DAY

St Andrew’s Church, 9.30am - 2pm

“All Ages are Welcome”

As a result of feedback from the 2022 Study Day we will focus on how faith experiences change over the ages, and the 'intergenerational possibilities’ we might have.

We have two speakers. Jamie Sawtell from Bar’n’Bus will help us look at how we might reach out to the young people in our community. The Revd Canon Hugh Dibbens will help us look at the ministry of the more senior among us.

There will plenty of time for discussion and questions and a light lunch will be provided. Please sign up on the sheets at each of our churches.

Lent Course 2023: Ways to Pray (Pray how you can)

We all need prayer, yet all struggle to pray. Experience different ways to pray, and find a way to pray that’s fits you! A five-week course exploring some different ways of praying: Being Still with God, Prayer Through the Day, Using the Imagination, Multi-sensory prayer, Using Art. 

These will be offered on Tuesday evening and Thursday afternoon and evening, depending on numbers, starting the week of 27th February. Please complete the sign-up sheets at our churches and hand them back to a member of the ministry team.

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Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus - Prayer.

humbler church Bigger God

It was a real joy to be at St Edmund's Roundhay last week for the HeartEdge Humbler Church Bigger God conference. The conference included the launch of the Being With Course and the Course books. Here's some of who and what I saw and heard from the full and fascinating programme:

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Great Sacred Music - Vivaldi Gloria.