LLM NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2015
Living the Mission of Jesus
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS FROM THE BISHOPS
As we celebrate Advent and Christmas this year we hope and pray that there will be moments of awe
and wonder, gratitude and celebration as we engage again with the Advent hopes and the promises of
Christmas.
And yet this season also contains other stories. September 2nd, a Turkish border Guard picked up the
body of a three year old refugee, Aylan Kurdi. Aylan and other children in his family had drowned in
the sea near the town of Bodrum. The Turkish newspapers called it “washed up humanity”. The image
was picked up around the world prompting individuals, this diocese and nations to respond. Over the
next few weeks we saw the largest movement of people across Europe since the Second World War.
"The Light shines in the darkness" Jesus was born into a world as dark as ours. Shortly after his birth,
King Herod sent ruthless soldiers to assassinate every child under two years old - Jesus escaped by the
skin of his teeth. He kept on escaping for the next thirty years. In the end they got him for where
Herod’s sword failed, Pilate’s hammer succeeded. As he died the land was covered in day-time
darkness, it was a though heaven itself was saying, this is the most dreadful day of all.
The message of Christmas dares to proclaim that it is here when darkness is at its deepest that we find
light and hope. God took evil things - hatred, fear, violence and revenge, and he used those very things
as the raw material from which to quarry our salvation. So the power of God is seen in symbols of
weakness and vulnerability, in a manger and on a Cross. In these enduring symbols, we find power
kept in check, power handed over, power utterly controlled by love.
One of the great Christmas titles for Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us, assuring us that God is no distant
spectator to the anguish of our world. As we turn to him in prayer and worship, we know that he
understands from the inside. God shares our sufferings, and transforms and redeems them too. Light
always dispels darkness, it is its very nature to do so, this baby in a manger is the light of the world.
These wonderful things of meaning and truth and God himself are not only at the centre of our world,
but at the very heart and centre of our personal lives. It is all captured in the great Christmas prophecy:
The People that walked in darkness have seen a great light, light has dawned upon them, dwellers in
land as dark as death, for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and his name will be called
wonderful counsellor, mighty God Prince of Peace.
Thank you for all that you are and all that you offer the Church, particularly through your teaching and
pastoral ministry to a broken world. We pray that the Christmas hope will renew and refresh you this
season.
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WELCOME TO WINCHESTER: 10 LLM NEWLY LICENSED AT THE
CATHEDRAL
On Saturday 10th October 2015, Bishop Tim, Bishop David and Bishop Jonathan were delighted to
license and welcome ten new Licensed Lay Ministers (LLM) to the Diocese, at a joyful service in
Winchester Cathedral.
Those who had completed their training and were licensed were:
Clive Ashton
Jane Castle
Lynne Payne
Jane Pelling
Jonathan Rooke
Katerina Surmova
Lord’s Hill & Lord’s Wood
Bitterne
Lord’s Hill & Lord’s Wood
Thornhill
Four Marks
Bursledon
Bishop Tim also licensed four LLM who have joined us in Winchester from other Diocese: they were:
Susan Blomley
Angela Lythgoe
Alan Thain
Geoff Wortley
Hythe
Lord’s Hill & Lord’s Wood
Four Marks
Portway & Danebury
Bishop Tim said: ““I am delighted to have welcomed our new LLM who are committed, motivated
and engaged in their calling to help the church in mission across the Diocese of Winchester. I thank
them for answering the call of God to serve their local communities and pray for them as they take
up their new ministry.”
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LICENCE RENEWALS AND PTO: IMPORTANT CHANGES
From October 2016, there will be a change in the length of time your licence will run. It will be
increased from three years to five years. This will match the DBS certificate, which also runs for five
years. We will make the change as your licence comes up for renewal; so the first change will take
place in 2016, and then yearly thereafter until everyone is licensed for a five year period.
To make the process as easy as possible, we will ask you to renew your DBS certificate at the time your
new licence is due. So, in June / July 2016, we will write to those whose licences are due for renewal
in the October and ask you to obtain a new DBS check and to renew your licence. Once you have
received your DBS certificate, please then complete the renewal form in the usual way. We hope this
means there will be less paperwork to keep track of, and ensure the licence and DBS run, as near as
possible, concurrently.
As the Reader Advisory Group is no longer in operation the Bishops have decided they are not going to
ask you to complete the Annual Return this year. The intention is that we look at how we advise on
and resource all forms of lay ministry and we will be working on this in 2016.
GOING PAPERLESS IN 2016
A huge thank you to everyone for your positive response to our initiative to go paperless for our
communications with you. Email is much more efficient and we are saving the planet! Just to remind
you that all the forms are on the Diocesan website; but if you can’t find what you are looking for, do
call or email either Sarah Tice for the Northern Archdeaconry, or Clare Heizler for the Southern
Archdeaconry, and they will be happy to help.
SERVICE OF CELEBRATION OF 150 YEARS OF READER MINISTRY
Bishop David and Bishop Jonathan invite you to join them:
Thursday 5th May 2016 at 2pm
All Souls, Langham Place
This will be a national service of thanksgiving at All Souls’, Langham Place, London on Ascension Day,
Thursday 5th May 2016 at 2pm. The service will be a Eucharist at which hopefully all dioceses will be
represented. Admission will be by (free) ticket, and the number of places is restricted to the space in
the church. The Wardens invite you to attend.
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FOLLOW 2016
Saturday 16th July from 10am – 4.00pm
DeMontfort Hall, Leicester
This is a day festival sponsored by the
Central Readers Council to celebrate
150 years of Reader Ministry, and is
open to everyone of any age or
denomination.
Speakers include Paul Gooder, writer
and lecturer in Biblical Studies, Mark
Russell, Church Army Chief Executive,
Mark Greene, author and speaker
from the London Institute of
Contemporary Christianity, Debbie
Thrower, former broadcaster and
champion of BRF’s the gift of year’s
initiative and Paul Blakey, founder of
Street Angels movement.
There will be worship throughout the day led by Pete James and Roger Jones from Christian Music
Ministries will be forming a choir and hosting a Worship Work Seminar. Activities available throughout
the day will be a taste of Messy Church from Lucy Moore, multi-sensory equipment for adults and
children from Leicester diocese, 24-7 prayer space, adult & children bouncy castles, entertainment
from Christian magician Steve Price, together with resource stalls across the site and world food
available all day.
Tickets have been subsidised to make the event accessible to as many as possible and families are
welcome to attend. Children under 5 go free. To book your tickets, which are sold on a first come first
served basis, please phone DeMontfort Hall on 0116 233 3111 or go to the booking section of their
website.
http://www.demontforthall.co.uk
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SUBSCRIBE TO THE READER MAGAZINE FOR 2016 FOR JUST
£6.00
The national Reader Magazine is available at a reduced subscription when
copies are ordered on a diocesan basis from Church House Westminster.
The current subscription remains at £6 per annum, which is good value.
To renew your subscription or to add your name to the list please complete
the reply slip below and include a cheque for £6 payable to Winchester DBF,
which should be RECEIVED NO LATER THAN Monday 4 January 2016.
If you are in training you will receive the Reader magazine free of charge – so if
you are a trainee please do not fill in the attached slip.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------READER MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION: Reply slip
I wish to renew my subscription to the Reader Magazine
I wish to take out a new subscription to the Reader Magazine
I enclose a cheque for £6 payable to “Winchester DBF”
Name……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Address……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Postcode……………………………………
Telephone ………………………………………………………………..
Email ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……
Please return this slip with your cheque to: Clare Heizler, Bishop’s House, St Mary’s Church
Close, Wessex Lane, Southampton SO18 2ST.
PLEASE RETURN BY MONDAY 4 JANUARY 2016 – THANK YOU!
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