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The Church in England

Diocese of Leicester.

As part of the Intercultural Worshipping Communities (IWC) project, St Paul’s Church in Oadby is trying services and events that deliberately bring people of different cultural and ethnic heritage together.

A Carols by Candlelight service at Christmas included the congregational singing of O Come all ye Faithful in Tamil, followed by a smaller group singing a Lullaby to Jesus in Tamil. This group included mostly women who come from India. As well as traditional mulled wine and mince pies after the service, Asian families in the church also provided 100 samosas.

Rupa, who organised the service, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to sing a Tamil carol. This was the first time a Tamil song was sung in the history of St Paul’s. The song we sang is a very old Tamil song and it is actually a lullaby to baby Jesus. I used to sing this song to my two boys when they were babies to get them to sleep. Now they are 18 and 14.

“The words of the song are very powerful and meaningful as it clearly explains the Godliness and humanness of Jesus’s being – he is King , yet he came down as man, born into an ordinary family of no stature, for the sake of us. We are hoping to incorporate more languages into our weekly praise and worship as we all worship the same wonderful God.”

Jovia, who was also involved in the service, said: “The build up to Christmas was filled with great celebrations bringing together different cultures all worshipping one Lord. I felt very much a part of the celebrations be it practicing carols or making Christingles and it gave a sense of inclusion within the church community. In fact I felt a bit lost after Christmas, it gave me so much joy this time that I am already looking forward to the next Christmas. Perhaps every week in church should be a time to rejoice and praise our Lord – why wait till Christmas?”

St Paul’s vision statement says it is: “A Church for all ages, backgrounds, cultures and nationalities, growing and following Jesus.”

 

 

Diocese of Lincoln.

Work is now underway to convert a former Lincoln nightclub into a place of worship and a community space.

The new facility, which will be located in the former Co-op Hall on Free School Lane, is being developed by St Swithin’s Church and the Diocese of Lincoln and will be known as ‘The Salt House’.

The two-storey building will feature community space and a kitchen and servery area on the ground floor, while the first floor will provide the setting for worship. There will also be offices and meeting rooms.

It is anticipated that these new facilities will give the church the opportunity to further develop its work in serving the local community, with a variety of activities and programmes for families, youth and students and some of the more vulnerable people in the city, as well as provide a venue for various events, such as live music. The multi-functional worship space will be able to accommodate approximately 400 people, and is much-needed as the St Swithin’s Church building remains unavailable for use.

The project is being funded through a Church of England Strategic Development Fund grant and significant funding from the diocese and St Swithin’s congregation. The Vicar, the Rev Jim Prestwood, said: “One of the things St Swithin’s was known for was throwing open the doors of the church, hosting parties for those not usually invited to parties and extending a welcome to anyone and everyone. That is how we want to be known as we work to play our part in seeing lives and communities transformed in our church, city and region. The Salt House provides us with mission-shaped facilities to do just that, and everyone is welcome.”

The Rt Rev Dr David Court, Acting Bishop of Lincoln, said: “As a diocese we are excited to be working in partnership with St Swithin’s, and for all the possibilities that this new building in the heart of Lincoln will bring. As a Church we believe we have good news to share, that like salt can bring flavour and fullness to people’s lives. It is my prayer that this exciting new initiative will enable us to do that more and more for the people of Lincoln and for those who live further away.”

 

Diocese of Gloucester.

Gloucester Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) has released new policy and guidance regarding sustainability in church buildings. It is the first time that the DAC has issued a formal policy and reflects the recent diocesan synod declaration of the current climate emergency.

At that meeting (1 February), synod agreed to bring forward dates for reducing emissions by 20 years.

The diocesan synod called on all parts of the diocese to work towards an 80 per cent reduction in emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases no later than 2030. Synod also supported an ambition for the diocese to be carbon neutral by the same date. The agreement brought forward the date from 2050 to 2030, meaning that a fast and extensive shift in current practices will be needed. The DAC policy is part of this commitment to change.

Matt Fulford, DAC Advisor for Energy and Sustainability, said: “The climate crisis requires us all to take action to reduce our impact whether this is at an international level or at a personal level and our churches cannot exclude themselves from being part of the required solution. Taking positive action on reducing the environmental impact of churches can also be a beacon in the community and act as a catalyst for others to follow.

“Historic church buildings can also be a challenge in knowing what the best actions are to take. The Gloucester DAC has now produced guidance for all churches to consider. We have clearly laid out not only what churches can do but what is expected of them when looking at important issues around energy.”

The DAC seeks to actively encourage the use of renewal energy in purchasing supplies and as a potential final step for churches to generate renewable energy themselves.

They are actively seeking to move churches away from oil heating solutions to low carbon solutions. “We are encouraging all churches to have complete LED lighting by 2025 and wish to avoid extra emissions resulting from the installation of new external floodlighting. Opportunities to improve the insulation which present themselves in re-roofing schemes must always be considered. Sustainability issues should now be covered in the statement of need when applying for faculty, and issues such as sourcing sustainable timber and trees are also covered.”

The DAC offers free advice to all churches on energy and sustainability matters.

Matt said: “This advice document clearly states the positive actions that all churches can take in being good stewards of creation at this time of climate crisis. The DAC is taking bold and positive action on providing guidance and clarity on what churches should consider when undertaking works. We should always be conscious of helping to support the diocese in achieving its environmental policy objectives.”