Youth mental health wellbeing session at the House in the Basement under the Stag on April 5.

April News from the Church of England

The latests editions of inReview and inFocus are now available to download Our aim is to keep people in touch with the activities of the Archbishops’ Council, Church Commissioners, the Pensions Board and other bodies which serve the Church at national level.

inReview April's edition of inReview, including Bishops on a mission across Durham, Godparents' Sunday, Live Lent and more, is available here. inFocus May's edition of inFocus, including how to boost confidence in evangelism and more, is available here (a 4 page version is available here)

Copyright © 2017 Archbishops' Council, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up on the Church of England website Our mailing address is: Archbishops' Council Church House 27 Great Smith Street London, England SW1P 3NZ United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

News from the Diocesan Conversations on our strategic framework

The Diocese of Rochester is engaged in Our Conversation; Our Future to help us develop a new strategic framework. These conversations will help Bishop James and his team discern God's will for the Diocese.  Diocesan Synod was given a flavour of the activities and responses to Our Conversation; Our Future at their meeting on Saturday 18 March. Members from Penge, Twydall, Tonbridge and Bexley shared their experiences of meetings, lent courses, house group sessions, worship and preaching and more.

We want to ensure everyone has an opportunity to speak and be heard. You can respond to Our Conversation; Our Future through the website, by email, by writing to us, or more creatively. We'd like responses by Easter please, so we can begin the discernment process. Our Conversation; Our Future is built on a foundation of prayer. Please continue to remember these conversations, and all who are taking part in them, in your prayers. The prayer (left) written for this can be found on the website and in the toolkit.   Printed copies of the Place In the Crowd course and course leaders books are available to order online or from the Diocesan Office. If you use Twitter, search for #PlaceInTheCrowd to join the conversation, see how others are using the course materials, and other resources you might consider.  Hear how one church discussed Our Conversation; Our Future during their evening service with young people. Click here for media file from Tonbridge Parish Church and listen to the views of young people about their community, church, and the will of God. Help us spread the news! Please share this newsletter with others who might want to know more about Our Conversation; Our Future. If this email has been forwarded to you, you can sign up at http://eepurl.com/cmthkH.

Copyright © 2017 Diocese of Rochester, All rights reserved.

A request for help with research

The Diocese have passed on the request (below) for regular churchgoers to take a survey as part of the PhD research project of Jennifer Brown. If you can help, the link to the survey is here. 

https://coventrypsychology.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_1SLTCn9jBn76vNb

From: Jennifer Brown [mailto:brownj68@uni.coventry.ac.uk]
Sent: 02 March 2017 13:14
To: Lindy Mackenzie <lindy.mackenzie@rochester.anglican.org>
Subject: For diocesan mailing: request for people to take part in survey as part of PhD research

Dear Ms Mackenzie

I am writing to ask if you could include the information below in any routine mailing/emailing to clergy and churches that you might have. I am looking for individuals who regularly attend church to take part in a survey as part of my PhD research, and am hopeful that those who receive your regular communications will be able to pass the information on to their congregations. I’d be very grateful if the information about the research and the link to the survey (both below) could be sent out in your mailing.

Thank you for your help.

Jennifer Brown

PhD Student

Coventry University

Notice and Information about the study:

Request for people to take part in an on-line study as part of a PhD research project.

I am inviting people to take part in an on-line survey as part of my PhD research. I would be delighted to have clergy and licensed lay ministers taking part in the survey, but it would also be very helpful if the information below could be passed on to congregations and congregation members encouraged to take part.

Previous research has shown that religion affects people’s attitudes in different ways. The aim of this study is to investigate this further by asking regular church-goers questions about their church attendance and their attitudes towards a variety of issues. Participation in the survey is voluntary and all responses are anonymous. If you are willing to take part, just click on the link below to be taken to the survey. Thank you for your support of this research.

Jennifer Brown

to take the survey click here.

March News from Churches Together in Kent

Do visit the Methodist Art Collection at the Beaney Museum and Art Gallery in Canterbury. If you like art, you really will not be disappointed in this stunning, world-quality collection. Do watch the video... For more infor do contact Rev. Dr. Paul Glass.

Thy Kingdom Come is an initiative from Archbishop Justin Welby and other national church leaders. It is simply asking us to pray that people we know will come to know Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. We are asked to pray between Ascencion and Pentecost. Churches and individuals are being invited to join in with this global wave of prayer viawww.thykingdomcome.global, and Pledge2Pray individually, as a family, as a church or to run an event. Over 10 days (25th May-4th June), people around the world will be coming together to discover new ways of praying that their friends, family and neighbours come to know Jesus Christ. There are some truly amazing resources for helping families, individuals and churches to pray over the ten days. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could see many Christians in Kent praying in unity? Lent starts today. The Churches Together in Britain and Ireland 2017 Lent resource explores how Christian faith has been deepened and enriched by encounters with people of different religions. This is not a resource that necessarily emphases common ground or that is about dialogue but how Christian faith has burned brightly following an encounter with the religious other. You will find familiar Lenten themes in this material but with, what we hope, is a different approach.This year, resources are only available as adownload – there are no printed versions. Thanet Prayer Net (an ecumenical prayer initiative for the district) are running a course on "The 7 Hebrew Words For Praise"  starting on Thursday 2nd March.  This will run for 3 weeks on Thursdays (2nd, 9th, 16th March) at their new premises at 68 High Street, Ramsgate. They will be from 10am to 12noon. Women's World Day of Prayer 2017follows the theme of "Am I being unfair to you?". On 3rd March, find your nearest Day of Prayer event here. Strange Weapons: An evening with Garth Hewitt Drawing on his extensive catalogue of songs old and new, Garth sings songs of struggle and hope, regrets and homecomings. This event on Saturday 4th March is from 7-9pm at Crayford Baptist Church, Bexley Lane, Crayford DA1 4DD. Tickets are available form John Monk on 07852 351406 or by email on johnmonk28@gmail.com £7 booked, £8 on the door. Concessions £5; family ticket £18." Just a couple of days to book your place at BOOST tour 2017. With workshops exploring emotional wellbeing and mental  health among children and young people on Saturday 4th March 2017 at Cheriton Baptist Church, Folkestone. Book online for only £5 per person atwww.separtnership.org.uk/boost.   He said it, he will do it" Prayer Event . Hearing from prayer initiatives from across the county, this regular gathering prays for the county of Kent. As part of the Kent Prayer Partnership folk gather from across the area to pray. Thursday 27th April, 10am - 12.30pm. All are welcome to this ecumenical prayer initiative at Life Church in Folkestone which meets twice a year. Philippa Lavender will tell you more if you ask her.  TOOLBOX Conference 2017 on Saturday 22nd April at John Wallis Academy Millbank Road Kingsnorth Ashford, Kent   TN23 3HG from 10am to 3.00p.m.  Are you wanting to see young people and children grow in their faith? Then this day conference is for you. A day conference for those involved in ministry with children and young people exploring the question: “How do we encourage faith to grow?” What if our programmes and resources are getting in the way? Come for a series of short talks with opportunities to explore more deeply in workshops and seminars. For more information go towww.keycog.co.uk   and to book! This year Christian Aid Week is 60.  It’s the largest witness in the UK to God’s love for the poor and the longest continuously running fundraising campaign in Britain and Ireland.  This shortanimation tells the story of World War II refugee Theodor Davidovic and it highlights the work Christian Aid was involved with at the time.  Today we continue to work with refugees around the world, as we show with Nejebar who fled Afghanistan with her family after the Taliban threatened to kill her husband.  Our refugee work will be the focus for Christian Aid Week this year. Churches Together in Kent to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.  There will be a service of worship at Canterbury Cathedral on Sunday 15th October, 3.15pm, with both Catholic and Protestant participation. It would be great to see a good number of folk attending, showing our unity in Christ as we look forward to the future of the Body of Christ.  Please do put this date in your diaries. It would be wonderful to see folk from all parts of the Churches Together scene in Kent involved, both geographically and theologically. Passionate about doing mission ecumenically? A communicant member of the Church of England? Church House are looking for an Ecumenical Officer for Mission and Evangelism. An exciting development to the role of National Ecumenical Officer, based at Church House. Deadline 3rd March. Information here The Family Trust is a Christian youth and children's work charity that is seeking to employ a CHristian schools worker in the Maidstone area. The contract is for 12 months to cover maternity leave. For more information and an application pack, please contact alex@familytrust.org.uk. Closing date for applications is 13th March. Interviews to be held on 17th March.

Six short prayers for the Lenten period Lord, as we enter Lent help us to draw near to you in praise, stripping away all that distracts us from worship. Amen As Jesus resisted temptation by the devil in the wilderness, help us reflect on his faithfulness to God, his rejection of worldly values and hold these thoughts in our hearts throughout Lent and beyond. Amen Jesus, you prayed and fasted. As your disciple teach me about spiritual discipline in my relationship with you. Amen Lord may Lent be a time of inward searching that makes me more able to look with compassion at the needs of the world. Amen Thank you Lord for desert experiences, when being confronted with myself makes me realise my need of you. Amen Lord, you've guided us through the difficult days of Lent, encouraging us along the way. We pray as we move towards the darkest day, that you'll not forsake us but remind us of our Saviour's ultimate gift and promise of new, abundant, eternal life for all who believe and trust in him, your precious son, Jesus. Amen The Methodist Church in Britain