In the celebration and living of the Christian faith, saints as heroes of the faith are a source of encouragement, Fr Peter Tinney writes.
Samaritans primary mission is to provide unconditional support to people in need. Some 480 employees, nearly 700 volunteers and a network of parish-based caring groups across the diocese support this mission.
Volunteers and parish caring groups work in recycling stores, emergency relief centres, parish pantry, meals for lonely people, hospital visiting, telephone contact, respite care, home maintenance, craft groups, community transport, foster families, support for people leaving prison, working with refugees or supporting Grandparents as Parents.
The word “saint” comes from the Greek word "hagios" which means “consecrated to God, holy or sacred." It is almost always used in the plural, “saints.” "…Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to your saints at Jerusalem". (Acts 9:13) So, scripturally speaking, the “saints” are the body of Christ, Christians, the church. All Christians are considered saints.
In the celebration and living of the Christian faith, saints as heroes of the faith are a source of encouragement, inspiration and an example of how to respond to God’s call to each of us. Saint Paul referred to saints as those who were members of the household of faith, the Church. So when we think of saints we recall the faithfulness of discipleship, the expression of their own commitment to living a godly life. Christians are saints by virtue of their connection with Jesus Christ. Christians are called to be saints, to increasingly allow their daily lives to more closely match their position in Christ.
One example is Bill, one of a team of Samaritans volunteers supporting people leaving prison. Volunteers assist residents to find accommodation, organising visits to employment agencies, probation and parole, buy clothes, seek medical assistance and develop relationships of support and friendship.
The aim is to help residents to make a successful transition back into the community. Bill finds this ministry a refreshing experience in his Christian journey and a vocation that is “real”, practical and helpful. He has become more understanding of other people, and achieves a sense of purpose that comes from engaging with people who might otherwise have no-one.
At Samaritans there are so many stories that can be told of the blessings added to people’s lives by those who volunteer in serving and caring for their neighbours. The gospel needs to be lived in the lives of modern saints, people like you and me, ordinary Christians. Come and join us.
Sue Sneddon writes about the allocation of funding to school chapaincy.
After the latest allocation of school chaplaincy funding there will be a total of 83 new chaplains in the region covered by the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle. The federal government has allocated more funding to the National School Chaplaincy program: up $50 million to $165 million over three years. In fact 27% of schools around Australia have been awarded grants.
In the second round, NSW had a total of 256 successful applications, with 52% going to non-government schools and 48% to government schools. Most of the successful applications from non-government schools in our region come from the Catholic system.
Chaplaincy is still a very new idea for our government schools to grapple with. The principal of Carrington Public School, Teeny Blatchford, is looking forward to appointing someone who can assist with problems often encountered in a lower socio-economic area. She said, “There are a lot of children accessing the school counselling service and our present services are inadequate. We anticipate that the chaplain will attend the school one day a week. He/she will give individual support to children experiencing problems, run group workshops, such as grief counselling and bully-busting, and also provide community liaison to families who need assistance.” There is already SRE (Scripture) in the school and Teeny sees chaplaincy complementing this.
Another one teacher school in the upper Hunter with just seven pupils has already appointed a chaplain who is a local church leader and, according to the school administrator, has been doing the work voluntarily for some time.
The Rev’d Hugh Bright is delighted that Cameron Park, a special school for about 40 severely disabled students, will now be able to employ a chaplain. Dealing with life and death are very real issues for many of the families he has met through connections with the school. He observed that there are many ways that a chaplain will be able to provide assistance and support to both parents and staff.
Fr David Battrick offers some possibilities for developing our Christian understanding in the year ahead.
In September and October I had the opportunity to visit the ten local support groups of the Bishop’s Certificate in Theology for Ministry. Participants in the program have been meeting together in local groups every month since the start of their studies in February.
It became clear as I travelled around them that each group has taken on a unique identity and life of its own. Some groups begin with worship, others incorporate a meal. Across the Diocese these groups have become forums for participants to seek mutual support as they learn together, discuss the issues raised in their studies and reflect on how these issues relate to the ministry of their parish communities. If all of that sounds very serious, there has been a lot of laughter as well as friendships that have developed and grown.
Many of the participants in this year’s program have described their studies as “stretching” experiences. A number of those involved have not been in any organised learning scheme since they left Sunday School. A common phrase in the local group meetings has been, “Why have I never been told these things before?”
The current Bishop’s Certificate participants will complete their studies at the beginning of December and the program will be offered again next year commencing in April. A second new program, the Bishop’s Diploma in Theology for Ministry, will be launched in 2008 to offer an opportunity for further study for those who have already completed the Bishop’s Certificate. Brochures describing these two programs as well as application forms are available from your parish priest or from the Diocesan Office. Further details are also available on our new website at www.schooloftheology.net<//link>.
The future shape of mission and ministry is firmly on the agenda of discussions across the Diocese – all of us can be involved – but we need to ensure that we do not engage in those conversations from a position of ignorance. We will be able to make more informed decisions if we have had the opportunity to reflect on what might be possible.
During the last month over 60 people in the Parish of Southlakes have been studying the booklet, A New Vision for Our Church in home groups. Parishioners are also currently using this resource for group study in the parishes of The Entrance, Toukley-Budgewoi and Harrington-Coopernook.
Unlike the Bishop’s Certificate and Bishop’s Diploma programs this study can be completed in parish groups in five sessions (a total of ten hours). There is a small amount of home reading each week with some suggestions for topics for discussion in the groups. The program has been designed to be accessible to all Anglican adults and is an ideal resource to help us reflect on what the vision of Ministering Communities in Mission in this Diocese is all about. A complimentary copy of the booklet is available from the Diocesan Office.
November is a great month for making plans for the year ahead. If you are ready to stretch your Christian understanding to a new level in 2008, why not explore the possibilities that are available?
David Battrick is the Diocesan Ministry Development Officer davidbattrick@angdon.com
Call to Ministry
Kelcey de Lyall
The last article in The Encounter’s series about the ordinands introduces Kelcey de Lyall.
Kelcey is 24 and previously lived with her family at Raymond Terrace. She previously studied a BA at Newcastle University, worked at Big W and has been a swimming teacher.
How did you decide the priesthood was for you? My Dad is Roman Catholic and my Mum is Uniting Church. My siblings and I were baptised both and grew up attending alternate services every Sunday. Eventually I began attending beautiful St John’s, Raymond Terrace with my grandparents and over the years God began pestering me with what I now recognise as a call to ordained ministry in his Church. The road has been quite a winding one in which I have, at times, tried to ignore God, questioned him, argued, trusted and finally accepted that he has my destination in sight.
How have you been involved with the Church? I have been involved with St John’s as a reader, server, chalice assistant, youth group leader and parish council member. I generally have a go at anything, except singing – God is merciful after all! I have also been a task force member and small group leader for various Youth Synods and have represented the Diocese at National Conferences. I am currently learning the ropes at the lovely parish of St Augustine’s, Merewether.
What is one significant thing you have learnt along this journey so far? I have learned that you cannot try to become what you expect a “typical priest” should be because there is no such thing. It is important to be true to who you are and be authentic and honest – that’s who God is calling to ministry.
What do you hope to learn from your ordinand training and experiences? I hope to gain further insight into what is great about the Church so that it can be cherished and nurtured but also about what is needed in the Church so that it can be encouraged to grow and move forward. I am also enjoying getting to know many of the wonderful people who make up this Diocese and I look forward to learning where my place may be among them.
Remembering St John's
The Rev'd Sheila Bourne promotes the Remembering St John's Book to be released in December.
“The site is more than the trees, the views, the buildings; the site has memories of relationships and people, and the people and relationships are not directly connected to the site. They probably could have happened in other places, but Morpeth is unique in its closeness to urban development and its serenity to the Hunter Valley. The quietness, the chapel, the history of the place, the fact that it is part of our individual stories makes it a special place.” The Rev’d Ken Youman
“The place for me has always been one of refreshment. It is good to come back home, to rest in memories and to recharge to go out again. This is how I have felt about the Conference Centre as I have attended retreats, parish weekends, Synod and Cursillo events or whatever the reason I have gone to Morpeth. I have always driven there with a feeling of expectation.” Ruth McFarlane
“Some of the ministry I have exercised since 1995 has come about because of my involvement with St John’s College. As a result of doing Clinical Pastoral Education as part of my diploma, I became the voluntary Anglican visitor at Berkeley Vale Hospital for a half day a week for a couple of years. This was because I was encouraged to see each subject as equipping me for ministry rather than just allowing me to pass exams. Sue Wilkinson
So many of us could contribute something to the Morpeth story from our own experiences of spending some time at the site. These three excerpts from the book Remembering St John’s are from a section headed Reflections.
Beginning with Establishing the Dream which relates the founding of St John’s College in Armidale in the late 19th Century, the book continues with the development of the site as a place of significant theological training and formation of priests for the Australian Church. As understanding evolved that lay people also had their place in the whole ministry of God, the college and the conference centre offered many different opportunities for the nurturing of these vital and varied ministries. With the erection of Tyrrell Lodge to provide accommodation for retreats and weekend courses, the site was used extensively by many individuals and groups from a wide selection of the community.
On December 8 from 10.30am until 3.30pm there will be an opportunity to buy the Remembrance book and to celebrate what St John’s has meant to you. Bring a picnic lunch and rug and meet your friends.
The Rev’d Sheila Bourne (for the Remembering Editorial Committee)
