SCC Deptford

Merged

We have now successfully merged with the lovely High Street church called the Bear. Praise God.

Pruning?

Karen resigns as Explorers Leader! She reluctantly took the job on when Margaret handed in her notice and otherwise our junior youth club would have folded over a year ago, after running for something like seventeen years. With no obvious successor to Karen it looks like the era will finally come to an end. I won't be working with kids anymore, that makes me personally sad, but also I feel very bad for the core group of kids who've been coming regularly and who will miss it awfully.

We'll run to the end of the Summer Term and then the club's future will be decided at the next SCC Leadership Team Meeting. Karen first brought the matter up at the last LT meeting but this was the first I'd heard of it. I'm still taking it in and my blocked ear made me more internalised than usual at tonight's Explorers pre-term planning and support meeting otherwise I would have said more, perhaps unwisely. An early thought is that perhaps something else should spring up in it's stead like Badminton Club? I could certainly do with the excercise! Another thought is why not thow a big party for past and present members of the club?

I remember reading about the exponential growth of St Thomas' Church in Crookes, Sheffield, and one of the secrets of their success was not to artificially keep an activity going after someone stepped down from running it. Another was the successful initial merge of two small congregations and that's good to hold in mind as we go through the process of joining with the Bear (similarly the successful three fellowship merge that wound up as St Lukes of Lodge Moor, Sheffield, is an inspiration).

Bear/SCC Businees Meeting

This was another important milestone in the merge process. We'd been invited as a church to the Bear's business meeting and the unification of the two congregations would be the major topic on the agenda. I was proud of us and our attendance, we were thirteen in all, but no doubt the fact that it would normally have been house-group night contributed to our good turnout.

The Bear's leader, Paul, had prepared well and a copy of his notes should shortly be available here so I won't report much besides that it was a lovely atmosphere throughout. He spoke for most of the meeting before letting us discuss as small groups what he'd been talking about. Then he asked us, group by group, for input. At one point he asked George to say something into the meeting as leader of the SCC. George never preaches without notes and it was lovely to see him speaking freely from his heart. He didn't go on long but there was a rousing applause and cheers when he'd done.

I drove home extremely encouraged.

joint intercession

The plan is that this Sunday the two fellowships come together mid-service for praying over the ground and buildings of the Gloucester Hall. We'll both start our services normally and in our own premises then somethime after 11.30am the Bear will come over. They are organising that side of things and no doubt we will organise the refreshments. :-)

answered prayer

Jenny will receive Herceptin on the NHS. Praise God!

Metro article

Sent by DJC

Europe beset by self-pity, Pope says in first interview

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Europe beset by self-pity, Pope says in first interview:

In his first interview as pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI warned yesterday that Europe was caught up in a crisis of “self-pity” and lacked belief.

Speaking ahead of World Youth Day in Cologne, which begins today, the Pope said he hoped to inject new faith into the thousands of young pilgrims gathering in Germany. But he also spoke about the problems facing the Catholic church, saying that in “modern western society” there were many “lead weights” that were turning people away from Christianity.

Ragged School Blog

Do we know anything about this?

Deptford Ragged School Blog

Pope reaches out in first message

Details on Benedict XVI's inauguration, mainly for Alan:

BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Pope reaches out in first message:

Catholic Revival?

The BBC is reporting that Catholic churches are seeing a massive upswing in attendance in the aftermath of the Pope's passing:

As cardinals gather in Rome to elect a new pope, the Catholic Church in Britain is riding a wave as lapsed members return to the fold, inspired by John Paul II's legacy. But is this the start of a renaissance, or merely a blip on a downward curve?

When Father Tom Connolly, the parish priest of St Kentigern's in Manchester counted the collection last Sunday, he found it was £180 up on the usual takings, a 25% increase. The four masses of the day had drawn capacity congregations, including faces not seen in church for years.

"The Pope's death, and the manner of his dying, have brought people to their senses," he explains. "It reminds them of their laziness. They never lost their faith, just put it on the backburner."

You can read more here.