IN THIS NEWSLETTER - Book now for Word on the Street. Trevor Donnelly's reflections on inclusion and his work in a Young Offender's Institute. Invitation to do a sponsored walk in September. Invitation to a Book Group. Invitation to donate to Inclusive Church. And more..... This Newsletter is available below as a .pdf file for you to print, copy and distribute.

Newsletter.pdf

If you came to Drenched in Grace you'll remember what an inspiring conference it was for many people. Bookings are flowing in for our next residential conference on Monday 5th - Wednesday 7th October 2009. "Word on the Street - reading the Bible inclusively" will help us see how Holy Scripture does indeed:

• call us to a faith in God which draws all people to God

• root and ground our call on the Anglican Church to live out the promise of Jesus’ inclusive Gospel within its three-fold ministries of deacon, priest and bishop

• celebrate the gifts of all members of the Body of Christ, regardless of their gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation

With Workshops, Bible studies, Worship, Plenary, Meals and Bar

We think it's going to be an excellent conference. We're hoping that it will be even better than Drenched in Grace, with the glitches ironed out and another list of top-notch speakers.

The keynote speakers are:

Revd Prof Richard Burridge, Dean of King's College, London

SEX, RACE AND INCLUSIVE READING

Dr Paula Gooder, Freelance writer and lecturer in Biblical Studies

INCLUSION AND ST PAUL

Dr Robert Beckford, Educator, author and award-winning broadcaster

WAS JESUS INCLUSIVE?

Speaker to be confirmed

INCLUSION IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Canon Giles Goddard, Chair, Inclusive Church

INCLUSION, THE WORLD AND THE CHURCH

The cost is £195. Students and those on low income £130. Residential ordinands and stipendiary curates £90.

For a flyer and booking form click on the link below. Please print these off, display them on your church noticeboards, distribute to friends and family.....and encourage anyone you know who might enjoy it to come.

Book early to avoid disappointment!

For further information or if you have any queries please contact us.

WOTS_A4_Flyer_rev_1.pdf

WOTS_Flyer_A4_rev_Front.pdf

WOTS_flyer_A4_rev_Back.pdf

Clare writes:

Many of you know that in January I went to Sri Lanka. One result of that trip is an awareness of how much trauma is experienced by Sri Lanka’s people as the result of long years of war and the effects of the Tsunami. You also know that we trying to fundraise for the work of Inclusive Church to continue.

I have decided to put these two needs together and to invite you to come with me on a Sponsored Walk around the time of IC’s 6th anniversary.

(See below.)

What I am looking for is 40 people willing to raise sponsorship for £250 or more. We will then be able to do just a little to support the Millennium Development Goals by donating £5000 to Samutthana Sri Lanka and further our work too by £5000. Please consider coming , whether to walk 20 miles or 5, and do let me know if you are interested!

We had a great time at the Newcastle Road Show.

One exciting element of the evening was to find a group of people willing to lead a sponsored walk on the same day in the North of England for IC and Samutthana. Please let me know if you are more interested in pursuing a walk in the NE.

March has also seen the development of an Inclusive Theology Book Group.(Trevor please advertise here or give link to flyer)Do come if you can and live near central London, or use the list of books to develop a group in your own area. And at last Living Theology looks nearing completion of its first module – “Everyday Bread” which will be launched at the WOTS Conference and available from IC from then onwards. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this production!

 

A Hymn for inclusive Worship:

COUNT ME IN

 

1. On a day when all were counted,

Mary found no place to rest,

Pressing forward with her burden,

Sharing in our homelessness.

 

2. Jesus, born of exiled mother,

Healer, friend of all the oppressed,

Be with all who feel excluded

From the circles of the blessed.

 

3. You were also once at variance

With the custom of your day,

Breaking bonds of race and gender

In your friends along the way.

 

4. Sister, brother, wife and mother

Could these all be names for you?

Counsellor of ancient Wisdom,

We would to ourselves be true.

 

June Boyce-Tillman 1990 -  Tune Cross of Jesus

Reprinted with the kind permission of the author.

© Strainer and Bell from A Rainbow to Heaven

(Please list this song in your CCL license)

 

A Prayer for inclusive Worship:

Collect for Easter Day:

Living Lord, whose love displaced the gravity of stone; you entrusted women, who loved beyond death, with news of resurrection: we praise you for the open gospel which ends where Easter faith begins; accept our fear, our disbelief and take us into this new world led by the risen Son; through Jesus Christ, the firstborn of the dead. Amen.

by Steven Shakespeare reproduced with permission from Prayers for an Inclusive Church, 2008 Canterbury Press

 

Inclusive Lectionary:

Finding positive holy role models to promote Inclusion:

Saint Benedict April 12.

Saint Benedict the Black, a lay brother, was born in Sicily in 1526. He was the son of African slave parents, but he was freed at an early age. When about twenty-one he was insulted because of his color, but his patient and dignified bearing caused a group of Franciscan hermits who witnessed the incident to invite him to join their group. He became their leader. In 1564 he joined the Franciscan friary in Palermo and worked in the kitchen until 1578, when he was chosen superior of the group. He carried through the adoption of stricter interpretation of the Franciscan rule. His feast day is in April.

 

I have been editing this Newsletter for almost a year, and Giles asked me to write a bit about my work. I work as chaplain to the Medway Secure Training Centre. We house 76 young offenders aged between 12 and 17.

I am going to be returning to parish ministry in the near future, so it is a good moment to reflect on my time working in a Secular institution.

A Time to Exclude… …and a time to include

The whole work of the centre is fundamentally about 'exclusion' and 'inclusion.' We work with young people who have committed crimes and the courts have decided they should be 'excluded' from society for a time.

Our job is make sure that when the young people leave the Centre they are ready to be fully a part of society and feel fully included in all the responsibilities and rights of being a member of society again.

Practising faith is a powerful way of helping the young people feel connected with life outside, and helping them look at their past with repentance and their future with hope.

Assumption of Inclusion

'Inclusion' plays another important role in my ministry in the centre. I deliver training on several subjects such as Bereavement, Conflict Management and Team Building. One of the most substantial areas where chaplaincy is expected to input into the training and culture of the Centre is 'Inclusive Practice/. I deliver training on making work practices include people of different religion, race, culture, gender, ability, and sexuality.

On one level I am delighted that this is seen as my job, as I am passionate about inclusion. On another level it depresses me that society does not (and can not) look to the Church for a lead in these matters.

The young people in the centre can earn small amounts of money by doing jobs in the Centre. If I was to exclude a young person from a job because of their gender or sexuality I could be sacked (and rightly so!). But the Church outside is exempt from all that is best in current employment law.

We complain because the press no longer takes the Church seriously; but the Church has no one to blame but itself: It is so out of step with the best in contemporary morality, I honestly think it is often just as well that we are not taken seriously!

Inclusive Language

Another lesson the Church could learn from secular institutions is the importance of language. I work in a 'Secure Training Centre' not a 'Prison.' The young people are locked up and security is a major part in our lives, but we strictly do not use 'prison' or 'prisoners.' We follow these strict rules to help prevent our young people from being institutionalised or feeling like 'jail birds'.

So in a Secure Training Centre we don't have 'prisoners' we have 'trainees'; we don't have 'guards' we have 'training assistants'; we don't have 'cells' we have 'rooms'; we don't have 'wings' we have 'units'; we don't have 'blocks' we have 'houses'; you won't find any bars there at all (but lots of Plexiglas and windows that don't open).

Language is important, it defines us and the way we see the world, and our place in it. Language is as important in the Church as it is in an STC, but too often we are content to stick with language that is at best outdated and at worst offensive, just because its what we have always said (see elsewhere in this issue for a report on our conference on Inclusive Language).

Rules

But its not an 'easy ride' for our trainees. Because we work with very vulnerable young people (some are aged as young as 12) we are much stricter than normal 'prisons.' There is no smoking, all bad behaviour (even swearing) is challenged, because of our strict line with visitors drugs are not a problem...

We try and model normal life: The trainees have to get up (they often come from homes where they can normally go to bed in the small hours and get up at midday), go to school (again an unusual experience for some). There is a system of rewards so that their behaviour affects their access to such things as clubs, TV, pool…

Familiar story

These are young people who have committed serious crime. Some as serious as murder and rape. Having said that, and having had experience with youth in several different settings the most surprising thing about the young people ‘inside’ is not how different they are; the most surprising thing is how similar they are. Almost always they have faced more difficulties and had fewer opportunities than other young people I have worked with, but they are still just teenagers with the same hopes, fears, insecurities and attitudes as teenagers throughout the country.

Many deaths, many resurrections

Just before writing this article I was preparing a service on the story of the raising of Lazarus. The story of death and resurrection is the story I try and tell my young people every week. The young people have experienced loss and death: their time locked up, away from family and friends is like time in the tomb. But Jesus offers new life. The price is Repentance – the word literally means ‘turn around’; to start walking in a different direction. And no one is too far gone to Repent. If I didn’t believe that I wouldn’t work there.

The Christian tradition has a great deal to say to people who have broken the law. Jacob was a confidence trickster, Moses was a murder, King David arranged a contract killing, St Paul incited religious hatred when he was called Saul, and stood by while Stephen was murdered... Yet all these people went on to do great things for God.

As Christians we can never give up on people or ‘write them off.’ The image of God, however marred, is found in every human being. Even Jesus was executed as a criminal, and while he was suffering on the cross he reached out with love and forgiveness to the criminal hanging next to him.

The idea of ‘rehabilitation’ is central to our faith, and Chaplaincy writes large the story of sin, redemption and new life.

But it is not an easy path we challenge these young people to take. We ask them to think about the victims of their crime, and where possible act to restore something of what they have stolen or destroyed. We confront them with the reality of what they have done, and with the reality of a new life without crime.

What does this mean for you? What can you do?

As we try to build a better, more inclusive church I hope we will remember to include ex offenders in the groups of people we welcome into our Church communities. People may have committed offences that mean we do not give them a job in our Sunday Schools, but everyone is welcome to play a part in the life of the Church.

Please also support the work of Prison Chaplaincies, by your prayer. Please do remember prisoners and everyone who works in prisons in your prayers.

I conclude with a Prisons Week Prayer:

Lord, you offer freedom to all people. We pray for those in prison. Break the bonds of fear and isolation that exist. Support with your love prisoners, and their families and friends, prison staff and all who care. Heal those who have been wounded by the activities of others, especially the victims of crime. Help us to forgive one another, to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly together with Christ in His strength and in his Spirit, now and every day. Amen.

Stand up and being counted for the cause of inclusion!

The badge is the multicoloured windmill logo developed for the Lambeth Conference and visible below -

Badges: £1 + £2 p&p (regardless of number ordered)

Please send your orders to: The Treasurer, Inclusive Church, St Peter's Church, Liverpool Grove, Walworth, London, SE17 2HH

You can also pay by a direct transfer into our bank account: CAF bank sort code 40-52-40 a/c no 00013299 then send us an email at herbert.clare@googlemail.com with the address for postage and number of badges required.

 

Association of Black Clergy

invites you to our St. George’s Day Panel Discussion

at St. Martin’s in the Fields Church Hall Trafalgar Square

on Thursday, 23rd April 2009 at 2pm

“What does it take for Black and Minority Ethnic People to Succeed in the UK?”

£5 at the door, £3 concessions

Speakers:

Dawn Butler MP

Bishop Joe Aldred (Churches Together in England)

Very Revd. Rogers Govender (Dean of Manchester Cathedral)

Hyacinth Parsons (Government Community Cohesion Advisor)

Rudi Page (CEO RAFFA)

Chair of Panel: Revd. Jenny Thomas

All Welcome! E-mail contact: theascension@freeuk.com

 

From Easter to Advent 2009, meeting on the second Thursday of the month, 7–9pm, in the Desmond Tutu Room in the Crypt of St Martin- in-the-Fields Church, Trafalgar Square, London.

Contact Rev Clare Herbert: phone 07504 577 210 or email herbert.clare@googlemail.com if you would like to find out more about Inclusive Church go to www.inclusivechurch2.net

This group aims to read seven books and one paper, over the summer and autumn of 2009, to understand better the content of “Inclusive Theology”. Each evening there will be a different presenter who will introduce the book from their point of view and ask the group some questions for discussion.

There is one poor reason for not attending: don’t worry if you cannot afford to buy the books—we will get around that somehow!

There are some good reasons for deciding to attend:

a) You would like to read at least four of these books and attend at least four sessions;

b) You would enjoy the continuity of reading with a group of searchers along the Christian way;

c) You enjoy the prospect of working to respect the views of all—we reserve the right to ask someone to discontinue their attendance if they appear to be trying to convert the others to their point of view, or are disrespectful of a wide range of views. It’s not easy to establish inclusive ways of being in a group but this group is committed to trying!

If you are still wondering, “Should I come?” try reading the first book on the list: if you enjoy trying to grapple with its ideas, this group is for you. If you don’t, then probably the whole enterprise will irritate rather than absorb you.

Please let Clare know if you are planning to come. We have a limit of 30 because of the room size.

The group is free, but the suggested donation is £3 each time so that we can buy books for those needing them.

Thursday 14th May:

The Inclusive God, reclaiming theology for an inclusive church by Steven Shakespeare and Hugh Rayment-Pickard, Canterbury Press, 2006.

Thursday 11th June:

Space for Grace by Giles Goddard, Canterbury Press, 2008

Thursday 9th July:

Beyond Belief by Elaine Pagels, Random House

Thursday 6th August:

Subverting Global Myths by Vinoth Ramachandra (Note that this evening is the first Thursday of August)

Thursday 10th September:

What is the point of being a Christian? by Timothy Radcliffe, Continuum, 2008

Thursday 8th October:

Paper written by a member of the group on the work of René Girard, to be distributed before meeting

Thursday 12th November:

Permanent, Faithful, Stable by Jeffrey John, DLT, 1993 and 2000

Thursday 10th December:

Liberal Faith in a Divided Church by Jonathan Clatworthy, O Books, 2008

In this list of books and papers we have attempted to look at an emerging Inclusive Theology, while addressing, in part, some of the themes of the work of Inclusive Church, bringing to light work by women, gay and lesbian authors, writers from the developing world and theologians of colour. We have added a slightly more conservative writer and a paper on Girard to mix the distinctive flavour of this group into our discussions!

Occasionally an author may be invited along to give us their view of their book.

 

A sponsored walk for 20 miles along the Thames Path national trail

For Inclusive Church UK and

Samutthana , Sri Lanka

On Saturday 12th September 2009

Starting at Kew Bridge at 10.00am and ending on the steps of St Martin-in-the-Fields.

Via St Mary’s Putney , the site of the founding of Inclusive Church for coffee,

The London Eye , waving at Southwark Cathedral, for lunch, and St Paul’s,

Passing King’s College on the Strand , the site of the founding of Samutthana,

And ending at St Martin’s in Trafalgar Square for tea.

Do you think YOU?

Or YOU and a friend?

Or YOU as part of a small group walking together?

Can walk 20 miles , or 5 miles?

And raise £250 , or more, for the work of Samutthana and Inclusive Church

“Samutthana” means Renewal or Regeneration

The people of Sri Lanka suffer the trauma of loss, injury and displacement by war and by the Tsunami.The Charity Samutthana works to bring psychological support to shattered lives. It is a Charity desperately in need of funds due to the increase in workload caused by the present strife. Inclusive Church seeks to offer Samutthana support – will you?

Inclusive Church works for the full acceptance of difference within the Church of England and the society it seeks to serve. Bishop Duleep of Sri Lanka supports the work of Inclusive Church – will you?

Will you walk with us?

Contact Clare Herbert , National Coordinator Inclusive Church

St Peter’s address

herbert.clare@googlemail.com

 

A report from a Day Conference in Rochester Diocese

A conference was organised on Saturday 28th February, at Christ Church Gravesend, to discuss the nature of Anglicanism and issues facing the Anglican church today.

Ven. Mark Oakley, Archdeacon of Germany and Northern Europe, has described the Anglican Church thus:

“… was built to be a large ark where every weird and wonderful animal had to budge over a bit to let another one find some straw.”

The conference set out to explore the roots and nature of Anglicanism, and how that might affect the way with which we deal with the controversial issues now facing the Anglican Church.

Two papers were presented during the morning – one about the nature of God and his involvement with his creation; and one, presented by the Rev John Perumbalath, Vicar of All Saints, Perry Street, entitled ‘Demythologising Global Anglicanism’, exploring the history of the Anglican Communion and offering some very Anglican tools for functioning together.

A lively discussion of these papers, related case studies, and of the way forward for a listening process in Rochester Diocese, followed. Representatives of a wide spectrum of Anglican traditions were present, and the opportunity to share and to listen together was much appreciated.

Further meetings will be arranged to continue this process… if you are in Rochester Diocese and would like to be invited to future events, call Rev Michael Camp on 020 8460 6275 or email vicar@bromleyparishchurch.org

Participants are needed to take part in a survey of people who identify

with the following:

1) You have feelings that others would describe as lesbian, gay or bisexual

2) You are younger than 45 years old

3) You grew up attending a UK church

If you fulfil these criteria, please email me for your entry code to a

fully anonymous (and confidential) survey. Please forward this message to

any other people who might fulfil the criteria too.

Thank you, Peter Crawford - peter@ylgc.org.uk

 

Our vital work towards a church of wholeness where all are welcomed and all are included is entirely dependent on donations.

This month we want to thank all those who have responded to our appeal for funds. We also want to remind all those who are thinking about donating but haven’t quite got round to it yet. If you would like to help us, please do it now. Inclusive Church could not exist without the generosity of our supporters!

Please can you consider whether you could set up a standing order of £5/£10/£20 month? Or increase the standing order you set up last year? Or send us a one-off donation? It’s very easy. You can set up a standing order on-line:

Our bank account details are

CAF Bank, 25 King’s Hill Avenue, West Malling, Kent ME19 4TA.

Sort code 40-52-40. A/C name The Inclusive Church Network. A/c no 00013299

If you’d prefer not to do that on line, standing order forms are at www.inclusivechurch2.net/Donate-Inclusive-Church-fa30197

So are Gift Aid forms, in case we don’t already have one from you.

Could you also ask your PCC if it can make a regular or one-off donation as part of its charitable giving? That might offer an opportunity for your PCC to adopt the Statement and ask to go on the directory of Inclusive Churches on the website www.inclusivechurch2.net/Directory-3e2f10e We’re hoping larger churches could give as much as £1,000; smaller ones, anything up to £500. We can provide leaflets and further information if you need it.

A gift-aided donation of £20 per month could help us do much, including:

• Develop new modules of our Living Christianity course and pay towards the development of course materials;

• A day conference on hearing the voices of black and minority ethnic people;

• Run additional road shows around the country to promote the work of Inclusive Church;

• Produce better publicity and campaigning materials for parish distribution;

• Equip and train a team of regional Inclusive Church key supporters to widen the reach of our work.

A gift-aided donation increases the contribution to us by 28% so if you are a UK taxpayer please remember to complete the Gift Aid declaration.

For further information contact Giles Goddard at gileswgoddard@googlemail.net or Clare Herbert at herbert.clare@googlemail.com or ring 07504 577 210.

If you think the work we’re doing is important and worthwhile, PLEASE SUPPORT IT FINANCIALLY. We think we’re doing a great deal on very little, especially when compared with some of the more conservative groups in the church.

If you don’t, please let us know!

Thank you very much indeed.

 

Thursday 2nd April, at 1.00pm

Liverpool Parish Church

LENTEN LECTURE BY THE REVD CANON GILES GODDARD

Thursday April 23rd 2.00pm – 5.30pm

St Martin- in - the Fields on St George’s Day

“BEING BLACK IN BRITAIN - WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SUCCEED?”

Overcoming barriers in society and church to success for black and minority ethnic people

An afternoon conference hosted by the Association of Black Clergy

Supported by Inclusive Church

Saturday May 16thb>

ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH NOTTINGHAM

“ALL OF US - INCLUSIVE CHURCH ROAD SHOW”

Saturday 13th June

Church of the Resurrection, Churchway, MACCLESFIELD

“ALL OF US - INCLUSIVE CHURCH ROAD SHOW”

Saturday July 4th Day Conference

LIVERPOOL Quaker Meeting House, 22 School Lane L1 3BT

“ALL OF US - INCLUSIVE CHURCH ROAD SHOW”

Special theme – the LGBT agenda

Saturday August 1st

BATH

INCLUSIVE CHURCH ROAD SHOW

August 29th – 31st

Inclusive Church at Greenbelt

September 12th

INCLUSIVE CHURCH “IC THE FUTURE” ANNIVERSARY WALK, LONDON

Monday October 5th – Wednesday October 7th

SWANWICK, THE HAYES CENTRE

Second National Residential Conference

“WORD ON THE STREET” – THE BIBLE IN OUR FAITH AND LIFE (booking from February 11th)

Saturday 17th October

Old St Paul’s Edinburgh

“All of Us” The Inclusive Church Road Show

Welcome from the Most Rev Dr Idris Jones , Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church

Friday 20th November

Sheldon, Devon

Revd Clare Herbert presents the

INCLUSIVE CHURCH ROAD SHOW

at the “Friday Fringe”

The Society of Martha and Mary, Sheldon

January / February 2010

Birmingham

“Consuming Passions”

Reflecting Responsibly on the Sexual Journey

An Inclusive Church Day Conference

Supported by The Centre for the Study of Christianity and Sexuality

If you would like to attend any of these events or know more about them,

please contact us on office@inclusivechurch.net

or telephone Revd Clare Herbert, National Coordinator for Inclusive Church 07504 577210

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