Happy New Year!

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Created on Wednesday, 01 September 2010 01:00

Written by Richard Avery

No, this isn't a 'lost letter' from some past Christmastide. The calendar year may be two thirds gone, but in church life as well as school the year does begin after the summer holidays. (Liturgical purists claim the first Sunday of Advent as the start of the church year, but the psychology works for September).

Some years ago I heard a church leader talking about the natural rhythm of seasons of activity and rest in the local church. He suggested that the autumn is a time for getting going again after the summer and a good season for beginning a new venture, doing a new course or starting a new worship service. Not only does the school year reflect this too, but so do adult education and leisure programmes. As summer recedes we set about a new season with energy and purpose, or so the theory goes!

A pattern of rhythm and variation has been part of the traditional cycle of seasons and festivals in churches. In the Bible we find that religious life is linked in to the flow of seasons and punctuated with great festival celebrations. Modern urban life may have divorced many people from the rhythms of nature and agriculture but we still find that people respond to the rhythm of the year. For those of us no longer constrained to school holidays, summer relaxation may extend into September but by the end of the month the season has turned and we pick up on autumn activities again.

In our churches autumn brings a variety of 'festival' occasions that we work toward and celebrate: harvest, remembrance and advent. But it can also provide an opportunity to invest in our spiritual development. How about trying something additional to Sunday worship? There will be a variety of options.

You'll notice mention elsewhere of a new series of monthly reflective worship in the style of the Taize community, an ecumenical centre France. During Easter Experience the Taize evening worship was a special highlight and feedback after Easter suggested we should offer such worship more than once a year!

Before the summer break some of the women who attend the Eleven service at St Mary's organised a couple of Ladies Evenings. They plan to pick up on this again this month, probably starting on 15th September. "The idea is that we
have coffee and cake with a short dvd followed by a discussion", If you're interested do contact Nicola Clark-Smith (511060 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) and she can keep you posted with their schedule. And Stone ladies how about following up the success of your Easter Experience pudding Evening with more?

Some of you know the value of attending a course designed to help you understand more about the Christian faith and grow as a disciple of Christ. Some have come to past 'Alpha' courses. This autumn I shall be offering 'Discipleship Explored' on Thursday evenings at The Vicarage, starting 8.00 pm on 30th September. 'Discipleship Explored' is an eightsession journey through St Paul's letter to the Philippians using group discussion, imaginative DVD input segments and the chance to ask any questions you like. If you have not been confirmed in the Church of England and would like to be, then this course will be very appropriate as preparation for Confirmation. (But for young people there will be different Confirmation preparation.) More details of the course content will be available in the church buildings by mid September.

We'll also include a few one-evening seminars on topics such as 'Cultural Influences on our Children'. Perhaps, however, you might want to get involved in some of what's already happening, such as Open the Book in Berkeley or Stone Primary Schools, helping with Diversity youth group, or the Jenner Court lunches team.

Let's take forward the impetus of Easter Experience this autumn and invest in spiritual growth: personally, and as church communities.

Richard