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Welcome to the Department of Mission and Unity You will find us housed in Prebendal House 1 Kings Orchard ROCHESTER ME1 1TG Contact us on 01634 844508 jean.kerr@rochester.anglican.org Or simply pop in! Who s who Canon Jean Kerr, Bishop s Officer for Mission & Unity and Canon Missioner contact details as above Rev Ross Garner, Mission Growth Team Leader 1 St Barnabas Close GILLINGHAM ME7 4BU 01634 322924 ross.garner@rochester.anglican.org Carol Evans, Department Secretary 01634 844508 carol.evans@rochester.anglican.org There are many other people working in parishes who also work alongside us supporting the missional work of the department. Why this leaflet? To help you realise what areas of work are covered by the department of Mission and Unity and to show you what is on offer to you in your local situation and which is often tailored to meet the specific needs of your parish. Often the work comes to you free under your parish share. Where there is a charge for a national course we can sometimes help you find financial support. Please ask and do not assume that if you cannot afford it you can t attend. 3
Ecumenical officer: Rev John Currie - LEPs, local churches/christian together groups aiding the diocesan/ecumenical response to key issues. Contact: 01634 684666 revsjc@googlemail.com Interfaith Officer: The Ven Paul Wright - assisting parishes who engage with peoples of other faiths in their communities. We also keep a watchful eye on national developments. The diocese is a part of the Presence and Engagement network. Contact: archdeacon.bromley@rochester.anglican.org Music: The diocese has a Music Advisor who works alongside The Royal School of Church Music (West Kent Area) in providing training courses for choirs and other musicians and in assisting parishes with the selection of new musicians / organists to lead worship. Contact: Alan Mitchell : alanbryce.mitchell@tiscali.co.uk Diocesan Liturgical Committee: supporting, encouraging and developing the liturgical life of the diocese in the recognition that mission comes out of worship. Delivering training on aspects of worship and being available to help parishes to review their worship provision. Contact: Rev Canon Neil Thompson 01634 843366 precentor@rochestercathedral.org Diocesan Evangelists - Warden Rev Canon Jean Kerr, responsible for encouraging the recruitment, selection, training and deployment of Diocesan Evangelists and Associate Evangelists in the local setting. 4
Deanery Mission and Ministry Plans - helping deaneries take a strategic overview of the deanery in order to help all parishes to flourish and respond to the five marks of mission. Parish Development, Mission Action Plans, for parishes - often referred to as vision days, helping parishes seek the next steps in their development. mission shaped intro course: five session starter course on mission which by the start of 2011 will have been held in a venue suitable for every deanery. Contact: Rev Ross Garner or Carol Evans mission shaped ministry course: one year - 8 evenings, 2 Saturdays and a residential weekend. Contact: Rev Ross Garner or Carol Evans Leading Your Church Into Growth: Now in its fourteenth year, this highly popular course is specifically designed for clergy and lay leaders from across different traditions and denominations who are looking for help and encouragement in leading their churches into growth. The delivery team are: Rev Alyson Davie, Rev Paul Kerr, Rev Brian Senior, Rev Canon James Southward, Rev Ross Garner, and Rev Canon Jean Kerr. Contact: Carol Evans Local Evangelism Resource Group: Back to Church Sunday Contact: Veronica Rees btcs@rochester.anglican.org Coming Home for Christmas, Experience Easter, responses to London 2012, the Big Jubilee Lunch and other national evangelistic and outreach activities. Contact: Rev Ross Garner 5
Everybody Welcome: How many people 'try out' your church each year? Do they feel welcome? Do they come back? What would happen if 10%, 25% or even 50% of your visitors became regular members of your congregation? Everybody Welcome is the complete course to transform your church by improving your approach to newcomers. In five teaching sessions, it will help you review your attitudes to newcomers, learn new approaches and identify areas of improvement and change. This is delivered in your local setting. Local Faith Sharing: courses tailored to meet parish need, available in your locality from a couple of hours to a whole day event. Intercessions Calendar: The department produces a monthly cycle of prayer not just for the diocese but also accommodating the world -wide Anglican communion. It is available on the web or emailed directly to you monthly. Contact: Carol Evans Diocesan Pray-ers: The diocese has over 300 people who regularly pray for the work of the parishes and departments. The prayer co-ordinators enable the Praying the Way section in LINK and organise events that support and enabling prayer. Contact details: Bromley & Bexley Archdeaconry: Ms Lorna Kahan lorna.kahan@hotmail.co.uk Rochester Archdeaconry: Jenny Smith jenny_mary@btinternet.com Tonbridge Archdeaconry: Mrs Judith Howard judithhoward@weald.plus.com 6
Pioneer Ministers: This newer form of ordained ministry is beginning to appear in the diocese. The department provides missional supervisions and development. Fresh Expressions of Church: The department is working to enable and encourage the development of church for those who as yet we are not reaching. One type of Fresh Expression for reaching families with primary school age children is Messy Church. There are now over 30 of these in the Diocese supported in a network. Contact: Rev Ross Garner Parish Weekends: individually tailored events for your parish over a weekend either at home or away to help your people grow spiritually or address specific issues, nil cost to you for the speaker input. Outdoor Events Team: A group of evangelists who work with their own tent and equipment at any outside events that you put on that would welcome spiritual support and engagement with the community, e.g. at the War and Peace event at Paddock Wood Hop Farm. Contact: Geoff Baker bakerg2@sky.com Community Celebration Events: helping your local community to celebrate together. Events that help community groups to work together supported by the local churches. Working alongside Department of Ministry and Training in the delivery of the Lay Training core programme Certificate in Theology 7
Servant Evangelism Events: These are random acts of kindness events. The department helps your parish to understand this principle and set up and deliver Servant Evangelism events. Gossip the Good News: A new five session course designed to help ordinary church members to feel comfortable talking about the good news of Jesus to people who are not yet active worshippers and to know how to put this into ordinary everyday language. Contact: Rev Ross Garner Weddings Project: Research has shown that we can improve our ministry with couples marrying in church with a few timely cards and helpful literature. The Wedding packs and guest cards can be obtained from Rev Ross Garner. For more information about the Wedding Project look at http://justforvicars-yourchurchwedding.org/ Mission in New Housing Areas : Over the past few years we have been supporting a number of Parishes which have large numbers of new homes recently built or where there are plans for large developments such as the Ebbsfleet Valley. Grants are available for outreach events to people in new homes from the Community Mission Champions Fund. Contact: Rev Ross Garner 8