This page is being updated as we receive contributions from our project partners.
Generations - Solihull
How do those who are resident in Care Homes continue in their life of discipleship? Those who have lived a life connected to the Christian Church are not generally well served. Local clergy might conduct eucharistic worship, but this may be from an unfamiliar tradition. Pastoral visits are brief and usually do not touch on significant issues. People, whose faith has shaped a life of serving and giving, suddenly find themselves totally dependent, with little opportunity to share with and support others. Generations, a project amongst the Central Solihull churches that is sponsored by the United Reformed Church, seeks to enable the Church in Care Homes - helping personal links with particular churches or traditions to be maintained - enabling Care Home residents to continue to contribute to their church life, even though they cannot attend - encouraging congregations to take some of their usual activity into Care Homes, so that residents can participate. Resources are being gathered and training undertaken to explore significant issues: - the challenges of growing older and how spirituality is influenced - spirituality and dementia - end of life care - and more…The background and progress of the project is chronicled on the website: www.generationssolihull.org.uk, where resources and links can also be found.
- Revd Mark Fisher (Project Co-ordinator)
- Revd Mark Fisher (Project Co-ordinator)
St Mary's, Ross on Wye & St Michael and All Angels', Walford
St. Mary's Ross on Wye, a market town church and St. Michael and All Angels, Walford, a village church are a joint benefice in South Herefordshire. The ministry team had planned for 2013 to be a year when disicpleship in all its forms would be the focus of developmental work. The link with Through Life Discipleship has been foruitous in one sense but as materials have become available they are being incorporated into our planning. The outline for the year is that during Epiphany a series of sermons in both churches will explore ideas of discipleship and then the Lent course will give an opportunity for congregations to think about prayer, reflection, bible study and action planning as tools for greater personal and group growth as disciples. During the period from Pentecost to Harvest all church groups will be asked to undertake a self-evaluation survey concentrating on their specific action as disiciples and their building of bridges between age groups and life stages in the local context. An away-day for reflection will then bring this audit together and will be used for future planning and the subsequent Advent reflections will evaluate our growth as disciples, and move towards 2014.
- Derek Glover (Reader, St Mary's Ross-on-Wye)
- Derek Glover (Reader, St Mary's Ross-on-Wye)
Hodge Hill Church, Birmingham
Reflecting on how we nurture people’s discipleship here in Hodge Hill, at least two things emerged as significant: firstly, that we ‘gather’ to meet, worship and engage in mission in a number of different places and groupings around the parish; and secondly, that not many people are keen on ‘courses’ or regular ‘study groups’. What we are seeking to develop is, then: a shared ‘rhythm of life’ that unites us in our different meeting places and activities; and an offer to individuals of a kind of ‘spiritual companionship’, focused on an annual, reflective conversation around the person’s passions and gifts and how they might be shared, and how a good, healthy ‘life balance’ might be nurtured and sustained. For us, the Saltley Trust ‘learning community’ around ‘through-life discipleship’ offers an opportunity to learn from the experiences and wisdom of other people and places, and to have a ‘supportive, questioning friend’ journeying with us as we develop our own approach here. We’re looking forward to learning together!
- Al Barrett (Church of England Priest, Hodge Hill)
- Al Barrett (Church of England Priest, Hodge Hill)
Diocese of Lichfield
In the Diocese of Lichfield, we have “Age on Agenda”, recognising the significant changes that are taking place in society as we adapt to more of us living for longer. As we approach the age of retirement, our spirituality develops in response to new challenges and opportunities, often with changing patterns of private prayer, public worship and personal discipleship; there is the need to establish healthy life-styles and embrace life-long learning; volunteering in church and community, and intergenerational support for relatives and others becomes increasingly important; and this is a time to plan ahead, looking forward to changes that may occur over the coming years. All these issues we are seeking to address through a short course, “There is More to Life”, prepared for those in the late 50s and 60s. We are also preparing a course, “Sharing Ministry with Older People”, to help our pastoral work with people in deep old age, recognising their spiritual journey as their relationships undergo profound changes. In addition, over twenty churches are exploring what it means to be “dementia-friendly”. We look forward to sharing this material with you.
- David Primrose (Director of Transforming Communities, Diocese of Lichfield)
- David Primrose (Director of Transforming Communities, Diocese of Lichfield)