East Midlands SynodE-Letter 22 - 10 January 2008Edited this week by Elizabeth Nash

It may be 10 days late, but Happy New Year to you all. All of us in the synod office hope that 2008 is a good year for you all, although no doubt it will actually bring the same mixtures of good, not so good and downright difficult and unpleasant things as every other year!! What we do know is that God is with us at all times, what ever they are like, good or bad! And talking of good times – we are delighted to share the news with you that Hannah is expecting a baby in June. She plans to be on maternity leave from the end of April to the end of December 2008. I have no doubt that we shall be pleased to welcome her back in 2009 and in the meantime will be looking for someone to cover her absence. Surprisingly there are lots for this email. We’ll begin with news from Buxton and Tideswell. Then there is: A Thank you, Learning Opportunities, Useful Information, Job Opportunities, General Assembly, An Appeal for Palestine, Items for Offer and finally Updates for your Yearbook

News from Buxton and Tideswell

Buxton and Tideswell URCs welcomed guests from the Evangelische Kirche in Bad Oeynhausen, Westphalia in November. Their Trombone Group visited us for four days, sightseeing, playing a concert for us and playing in our worship on Sunday. Our fellowship was very deep and special. We returned the visit in December, meeting many members of the church there, attending a concert - Handel's Messiah - and taking part in Sunday worship. One of the elders from Tideswell served communion and two elders, one from each church helped with the prayers of intercession. I co-presided with one of their ministers - Bernd Silaschi. It was a most wonderful visit. After thinking about it for twelve months, their full time minister, Lars Kunkel and I are recommending to our elderships that we form a Twinning between our pastorate and their parish. The relationship began last year, when I went with two German members of our Buxton church to the Auferstehungskirche, (Resurrection Church) to share in the ceremony which awarded them with the Cross of Nails, which was given by Coventry Cathedral in recognition of their work for peace and reconciliation.

Thank you

Irene Wren has asked us to thank all of you that contributed towards the gift of a cheque for her service as Synod Clerk. Irene says: “It was a lovely surprise to receive the cheque…I have invested in a Lap-top computer…I plan to use it as I will be Church Treasurer at Abbots Road this year…”We wish Irene the best of luck for the future.

Learning Opportunities

Religious Conflict is the theme of the theology study day on Wednesday 18 June 2008 at Nottingham University. It will look at Sectarianism in Ireland - a growing problem, the Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle East and Islam in Conflict with the West. Full details are on the Synod web site. You do need to book in and this year we are providing lunch. www.urc5.org.uk Fresh Expressions will be running their Mission Shaped Ministry course from 12 April for a year. 3 Saturdays and 7 Mondays in Rugby and a week-end at Hothorpe Hall, Theddingworth, Leicester. It’s for everyone in the church who is interested in exploring new ways of doing and being church. Cost £300, but there are grants available. Information and bookings with Jane Cain, 01536 501645 missionshapedministry [at] googlemail [dot] com (missionshapedministry [at] googlemail [dot] com) Are you interested in developing further your skills in Conflict Resolution? Bridge Builders are running a course ‘Skills training from mediation and facilitation in the church’. It is in Scotland from 29 June – 4 July. www.menno.org.uk/bridgebuilders David Tatem is giving a lecture at Cornerstone, Milton Keynes on the 24th January at 7.30 p.m. in the small hall on The Contrast between Superstition and Faith. It is hoped that this will lead to an ongoing ecumenical group which will look at the question of 'Giving account of the hope that is in us'. First Aid Training for Children and Youth Leaders – Enliven - 29^th January 2008, Led by John Ritchie at Crossways, Yardley Hastings, NN7 1ELFor booking information, contact details and directions, please visit: www.nymo.org/enliven

Useful Information

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is only next week – if you need any information go to www.ctbi.org.uk

Poverty and Homelessness Action Week 27 January - 3 February. 2008 For more information www.homelessness-sunday.org.uk/ or 02077237273 (Housing Justice) or 0161 236 9321 (Church Action on Poverty)

Annual Week-end of services for World Peace and Disarmament: February 8 – 10. www.world-disarm.org.uk or email editor [dot] worlddisarm [at] ntlworld [dot] com (editor [dot] worlddisarm [at] ntlworld [dot] com)

Have you thought of hosting a post office in your church? Contact www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk or www.churchcare.co.uk or www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk There is a copy of the guidelines in the Synod office if you can’t get the information from the web.

Would you like to arrange an Audio Conference Call at no extra cost? Dial 0844 8484840 and give a 6 digit room’ number of your choice. Then all the participants ring in at an agreed time and give the room number. This then costs only the local rate for each number.

Do you live in a Manse or drive a church owned car? If you do and if you give other people a lift or meet with them in your house, then by law you must have a no-smoking sign. This is not a joke and you can get fined. The sign does not have to be up at all times, but it must be up when you have other people there. I have no idea what happens if you smoke yourself, but you really don’t want to get fined, so put up the signs.

Job Opportunities

The Synod is looking for the following volunteers – please think if God is calling you to any of these:

Synod Personnel Officer – to check the initial, and arrange the review of, the terms of settlement of ministers and CRCWs. Wanted ASAP!

Synod Safe Church Advisors (2), to be available to help churches deal with any situation involving a complaint of sexual misconduct by someone in a position of ministerial or pastoral leadership within the church, other paid employees or volunteers. ASAP

Lay Preaching Commissioner in Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire ASAP

Synod Search Group needs more members, especially in Leicestershire.

Synod Listed Buildings Advisory Committee needs a minister as a member now and a secretary for March 2008.

Synod Press Officer – to promote the mission of the URC, and particularly of churches with the East Midlands Synod through press, radio, TV and other media.Full details of the job descriptions are on the synod website. www.urc5.org.uk Please respond to modpa [at] urc5 [dot] org [dot] uk (modpa [at] urc5 [dot] org [dot] uk) by Thursday 24 January.

General Assembly

Are you interested in going to General Assembly? Synod is responsible for making the arrangements in 2008. The group needs to be balanced, lay and ordained, men and women, young people. If you are interested, send a brief two line statement about yourself, age and background in the URC to the Synod office modpa [at] urc5 [dot] org [dot] uk (modpa [at] urc5 [dot] org [dot] uk) before 15 Feb and you will be considered.

The Conference of European Churches is looking for a Researcher in European Mission based in Geneva. For more information contact: vio [at] cec-kek [dot] org (vio [at] cec-kek [dot] org)

The URC needs a new General Secretary. Is God calling you to this? Do you know who you think would be a good General Secretary? The only limitations are that they must be a minister of the URC and they must be not older than 58. If you would like to apply yourself or nominate anyone else, then contact Rev Stephen Orchard (General Secretary Appointment) at Church House before 31 January.

The Gaza Humanitarian Crisis Appeal

After months of collective punishment through a de-facto siege, repeated military incursions and the closure of its borders, Gaza’s economy has collapsed. MAP, Medical Aid for Palestinians is seeking to provide food packages for families, surgical kits for hospitals and an emergency blood donation tent. Can you help? www.map-uk.org 0207 226 7691 This really is an urgent crisis.

Items for Offer

South Wigston URC building will be redundant from late February. We have eight stain glass windows, some oak paneling, oak communion table, Pulpit, Lectern, Presidents chair and readers chairs. There has been little commercial interest; we have one bid from a dealer. If anyone would like to make us a reasonable offer for any of the above, please contact Mrs Di Statham (Church Secretary) for details, viewing can be arranged if necessary. Thank you. Richard Eastman Saffron Lane have a defunct organ. It has been declared electrically unsafe and is beyond economic repair. It has been out of commission for years and needs to be disposed of. If any church has a use for it for spares, they would be welcome to have it but they would need to collect it. It is a Hammond organ with a B438/0300 console, 2 manual full pedal boards. If interested please contact Mrs Sandra Clay (Church Secretary) on: **available from Synod Office**. Thank you. Richard Eastman

Updates for Your Year Book

Mrs Gaynor Nunn, Church Secretary at Holymoorside, Chesterfield has a new email: **available from Synod Office**

Irene Wren will be joint Treasurer at Abbots Road, Leicester, alongside Mrs Marie Wilford. Irene’s details are in the year book. Mrs Wilford’s details are as follows:- **available from Synod Office**

Mr Maurice Gardner is now Church Secretary at Abbots Road, Leicester. Maurice’s details are also in the year book.

Revd Ed Rawlins has a new email address: **available from Synod office**

Revd Paula Parish-West has moved to Grimsby. Her new address w/e 15^th January is: **available from Synod Office**

Revd David Miller now has a new telephone number: **available from Synod Office**

Finally, if you have any feedback on this or other e-letters, please contact Hannah Willey at the Synod Office, to whom any news for future editions should be sent: modpa [at] urc5 [dot] org [dot] uk (modpa [at] urc5 [dot] org [dot] uk)