Bishop's Blog

FROM DAVID THOMSON, THE BISHOP OF HUNTINGDON

Monitor your church’s energy use with sMeasure

sMeasure is an online system for churches to monitor their energy use. I mentioned then that it might be possible to join a diocesan ‘community’. This has now been set up.

If you do wish to register your church and start recording your energy use, please follow the following instructions:

Churches should sign-up for free access by visiting www.smeasure.com<http://www.smeasure.com> and putting in the code:
elymeasure to ensure they get the free access.

They register with username and password and code as above, then they need to set up their ‘business’ details as for where they are based, then the buildings they would like to include, so might be a community hall, church and perhaps another church. Once the invitee has done this, they can request to join the community – Church of England: Diocese of Ely. We also ask at the same time, they request to join the National Church of England Shrinking The Footprint Campaign community at the same to be part of the bigger picture.

I do hope you can persuade your church to have a go and let me know how you get on.

Nigel Cooper
Anglia Ruskin University Chaplain
0845 196 2398
07860 407721

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Latest Ely School Bulletin

Please find our latest bulletin at the following link: http://ely.anglican.org/education/schools/documents/14May2012.pdf

As well as our usual items, we have information on:

  • The opportunity for your children to have they say in "Imagining the Future"
  • Olympic resources to link into the torch relay through our Diocese
  • Pray for Schools fortnight 2012
  • How to register for Green Day 2012
  • Advance notice of "Circle the World"  – celebrating our links across the Globe.
  • Celebrating 200 years of the National Society – the Bicentenary book which has just been published.

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Sermon at the SSM relicensing service, Great St Mary’s, Cambridge

1 Thessalonians 2.2b-8

As you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. 3 For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; 6 nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, 7 though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. 8 So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.

Paul in the reading we’ve just heard was writing to the young church in Thessalonica. They were going through a hard time, and it seems they were not too sure about the status of Paul’s ministry to them – but before looking at all that, and before the passage Lesley read, Paul takes time simply to give thanks to God for them.

And above all, before we think about anything else, and perhaps more importantly than anything else, today is a wonderful opportunity for all of us in the diocese to give thanks to God for all of you! Alleluia! We’ve one day left to shout them out so let’s make the most of it. Alleluia!

Today we remember you, your faith and your work, just as Paul remembered those of the Thessalonians, who were as dear to him as children, and we pray for you and commit ourselves to keep on praying for you. We say thankyou!

The Thessalonians must have really needed this assurance, since Paul clearly says they are facing great opposition, in fact persecution. I trust that things aren’t quite as bad as that for you. But the fact remains that the gospel and its ministers are more on their mettle as they live and work outside the comfortable confines of the gathered church, or within them but outsie the cadres of the stipended clergy.

Your calling and ministry are a wake-up call to those of us who are more locked into the insider structures of the church not only to open eyes wider to your ministries, but also to remember that we too need to continually be re-sharpening ourselves, to seek first again the kingdom of God and his righteousness. The gap between a proper sense of security and an off-putting self-satisfaction, or at least self-preoccupation, can be wafer-thin; and the world can pass us by if we are not alert to its challenges and its needs.

This means that there is a mutuality between what I might call the inner and outer ministries of the church. We all share in both in varying proportions, and as a church need both, and need both to be in constant dialogue, holding home and away together so that we can be a church that both gathers as Christ’s body and is active as that same body in the mission of Christ.

Giving value to both halves of that balance is one reason why it is entirely fitting that you should be now be licensed not as Assistants but Associates. We are yoked together equally in the work of the Lord.

Such work is often hard and costly. So why did Paul do it (after all, he could well be deemed the Patron Saint of self-supporting ministers), and why do you do it? Paul says in reply that it is for love not money, which is I suppose the one thing that unites you as a body of SSMs in all your diversity; he is simply pleasing God and following God’s commission. He does sound a bit defensive as he says this, and perhaps some people doubted his motives as they may doubt ours, but that simply drives him back even more strongly to the language of love, and beyond the often fickle love of mortals to the love of God, which leaves us no choice but to love and live for Him. He first loves us, and in our love for him we then have the power to love others too.

No surprises by affirming his love for them, finds himself laying open the roots of his loving in his own belovedness by God, the belovedness that any apostle and any preacher must first find in themselves before they can offer it to others with authenticity.

So the gentleness Pauls speaks of matters, and the deep caring, and that the loving is not just in words but deeds. You like him become the Gospel on legs, let loose in the world, and are called into a costly sharing of yourself as your share its good news.

In the words of Paul a chapter later, “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other, and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.”

An important insight in more recent missional thinking is precisely that this work has an authenticity in itself, that it is not just a means to the end of gathered church membership, but a sharing in the mission of God, through his Pentecost Spirit, who simply keeps on pouring himself out for us, whatever the cost, whatever our response.

Of course we hope and pray for a fruitful response, because as we share God’s love for His world so we share his hope that every corner of it will return to his just and gentle rule, will enter his Kingdom. But precisely because it is God’s love that we are sharing and his gentle rule we are seeking, we will often call people into that kingdom but never co-erce them, rejoicing in the justice of their free choice as we do in our own.

So this Pentecost Eve the dismissal at the end of the service maybe its last part but is by no means its least. Let the Spirit of truth lead you. Go in the power of the Spirit to take God’s love to a world in need. Go like Augustine beyond the boundaries, to our whole nation, to people where they are.

But let me leave you with one last thought about love from St Bernard of Clairvaux. He imagined love as a ladder and we begin, he said, on the bottom rung by loving ourselves for ourselves’ sake. We all still do, at least some of the time. Then perhaps in a time of need we turn in love to God though still for ourselves’ sake, the second rung.

Then perhaps as we grow in the love of God we come to love God for his own sake not ours, the third rung, just as in a good marriage or friendship we may begin with our own interests but become caught up in the being of the other, loving them for who they are not what they do for us.

But we have still not finished. There is one final rung to the ladder. We moved from love of ourselves for ourselves’ sake, to love of God for ourselves’ sake, to love of God for God’s sake. The last step is the hardest: it is to come to love ourselves for God’s sake not ours. To glimpse just how eternally beloved we are, just because we are the children of God.

And that is my last prayer for you and last word to you. Go – but as you go, remember, you are the beloved children of God, no matter what happens, no matter what is said, no matter how others rate you, no matter how you are tempted to rate yourself – high or low: you are beloved, and in the strength of that love you can go indeed in peace to love and serve the Lord. In the name of Christ. Amen.

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Connecting Cambridgeshire launches new broadband campaign

A major campaign launched on  May 8, is urging residents and businesses to do their bit to help secure superfast broadband for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Superfast broadband will help boost local businesses and the economy, reduce isolation in rural communities and help improve health and access to services.

Councils from across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough as well as the Government are investing millions of pounds in the Connecting Cambridgeshire project.

But to secure vital support from broadband providers we need residents and businesses to simply click and show them we want improved broadband.

The more people that register the fact they want superfast broadband the more chance of it being delivered.

You can click on the link on the new www.connectingcambridgeshire.co.uk website to show their support.

I would really appreciate your help to distribute this link and encourage as many of Huntingdonshire’s residents and businesses to visit the site and register their demand on this web site for superfast broadband.

Alternatively, for people without internet access (or sufficient speed to register!) Freepost reply forms will be available at your local library or here at the council’s office.  If you would like to have a few of these available in your parish or town or posters to help promote the campaign please contact Patricia.Bradbury@huntingdonshire.gov.uk  (Tel  01480 388 488).

Why do we need better broadband?

Superfast broadband is essential to helping our local economy to thrive so that everyone benefits.

Telecoms providers generally offer good broadband coverage in urban and commercial areas, but this does not reach enough rural areas in our region.

Investing in superfast broadband will help our existing businesses to grow, bring innovative, new companies to the area and create new jobs.

Increasing broadband coverage in rural areas will encourage local enterprise, give more people the flexibility to work from home, save transport costs and reduce congestion.

Wider access to broadband will also bring opportunities to provide health, education and public services in better ways such as supporting elderly and vulnerable people to live independently, and helping learners to develop new skills.

Connecting Cambridgeshire is the project to provide access to superfast broadband to at least 90% of homes and businesses across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and better broadband connections for all other premises by 2015.

To attract investment, we need residents, businesses, parishes, and community groups to show suppliers where there is most demand for broadband.

Contact:

Sue Bedlow MIED
Economic Development Manager

Huntingdonshire District Council
Pathfinder House
St Mary’s Street
Huntingdon
Cambridgeshire
PE29 3TN


Direct dial tel: (01480) 387096

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Houghton Hunts Youth name their Hopes

More great hopes from our great young people.

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Women Bishops: Statement from the Archbishops of Canterbury and…

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued a joint explanatory statement about the amendments made to the Women Bishops legislation at a meeting of the House of Bishops earlier this week.

There has already been a lot of discussion about the amendments agreed this week by the House of Bishops to the draft Measure concerning the ordination of women as bishops.  Although the senior officers of the Synod (the ‘Group of Six’) have determined by a majority that these amendments do not alter the substance of  the proposals embodied in the Measure, much anxiety has been expressed as to their implications, and it may be helpful to set out what the House attempted and intended.

The House fully and wholeheartedly accepts that the draft legislation voted on by the dioceses represents the will of an undoubted and significant majority in the Church of England.  They did not intend to make any change in any principle of that legislation or to create any new powers or privileges for anyone.  They believed that, if certain clarifications and expansions of the wording were made, the Measure might be carried with more confidence, and, out of that conviction, agreed the new wording, which affects two questions.

To take the simpler one first: we decided to make no change to the provision in the Draft Measure by virtue of which the arrangements made by diocesan bishops under diocesan schemes for the exercise of ministry by a male bishop take effect, as a matter of law, by way of ‘delegation. But we believed that it would help to spell out what is and isn’t meant by the ‘delegation’ of the power to perform acts of episcopal ministry.  Bishops are bishops because they are ordained in the name of the whole Church; but they are enabled to act as bishops in this or that particular area in virtue of various legal provisions.  For those who are not diocesan bishops, this means that a diocesan gives them the legal authority to act as bishops – as pastors and teachers and people responsible for other ordained ministers.

‘Delegation’ describes the giving of that authority.  It does not take anything away from the diocesan bishop who delegates; it just allows another bishop to minister legally in the diocesan’s area of oversight.  The amendment simply declares what the law and practice of the Church already is, and what we mean by delegation in other contexts.

The second amendment  requires rather more explanation.

The earlier draft of the Measure already allowed parishes to request the diocesan to provide a male bishop to minister to them if their theological convictions were such as to make it impossible in conscience to receive a woman’s ministry in this role.  For this to operate effectively, a diocesan would obviously have to do what could be done to find a bishop who could work constructively with such a parish.

The amendment requires the Code of Practice which the bishops will draw up to offer guidance as to how this might be achieved. This was already something the bishops and the Synod would have been able to include in the Code.  The change is that they will now have to include such guidance.  It does not give parishes the right to ‘choose their own bishop’ or insist that their bishop has a particular set of beliefs.  It allows them to ask for episcopal ministry, as spelled out in Clause 2 of the Measure, only on the grounds of theological conviction about women’s ordained ministry.  The precise wording in the Code remains something for the Bishops and Synod to determine but it attempts to take seriously the fact that, as has been clear all along, simply providing any male bishop would not do justice to the   theological convictions lying behind requests from some parishes.

The bishops have listened to a great many diverse voices in the process of finalising these amendments, and they are aware that their decision to reject some amendments and accept others may be difficult for a good many people on all sides of the argument, for very different reasons.  They were painfully aware that whatever decision they came to would surprise or disappoint some, but they believed that some helpful modifications could be made without sacrificing any aspect of the Measure’s main purpose or changing any of its fundamentals, and so allowing the legislation to command a wider degree of support and welcome.

So they hope that the new wording now presented will be considered carefully and dispassionately by the Church at large.  We have tried to keep in view what might be for the good of the whole Church’s mission, and we commend these amendments to the Church’s reflection and prayer over the coming weeks as the moment of decision approaches.

Women Bishops: Statement from the Archbishops of Canterbury and…

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Government agrees £30 million extra to resolve VAT concerns for church buildings

The Church of England has welcomed today’s agreement with the Government over the future funding of alterations and repairs to its 12,500 listed buildings, which will provide £30 million a year extra money. This is on top of the £12 million already in the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (LPWGS).

The Bishop of London described this as an acknowledgment from Government of the unique heritage value to the nation of cathedrals and churches and the way in which these alterations are enabling them to serve their local communities in a range of ways alongside being centres of worship.

Despite not persuading the Government that maintaining zero rated VAT for alterations is the best way forward, church leaders today said that the £30 million a year extra money that the Chancellor has committed to the LPWGS will enable the equivalent to the VAT bill to be paid out on all alterations and repairs to listed church buildings. The Scheme pays out to those denominations and faiths with listed buildings

The LPWGS will in future be ring fenced and no longer vulnerable to cuts in departmental budgets and it is planned to re-introduce monthly pay outs from October. The scheme will be guaranteed for the duration of this Parliament. Parishes have shown they need a much greater degree of certainty in the funding they receive and this will now be met by ironing out some of the more unhelpful characteristics of the current LPWGS.

The Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres who chairs the Cathedrals and Church Buildings Division and who led the discussions with the Treasury said “We owe a debt of gratitude to the Second Church Estates Commissioner Tony Baldry, for his role in brokering this agreement, and to Anne Sloman, and Janet Gough who have worked tirelessly in a very short window of opportunity but the Chancellor made it very clear that he was moving to ease the impact on the churches in recognition of the massive contribution made by congregations up and down the land to the life of their communities”.

Anne Sloman, Chair of the Church Buildings Council said, “the fact that the Treasury offer went from £5million to £30million is a recognition of the tremendous value for money to the nation as a whole that our buildings represent. We are grateful to parishes up and down the land who have lobbied so hard since the Budget to bring this point home to the government, and even more grateful for the massive contribution volunteers make by their efforts, week in and week out, to keep our beautiful churches in good repair for worship and adapted to serve the community in so many creative ways.”

Notes

Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme

A House of Commons Library note on ‘VAT & Churches’ (13/4/12) sets out the background to the establishment of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, administered by DCMS, which currently refunds the VAT paid on repairs (not alterations) to UK listed places of worship, up to a specified amount: http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN01051.pdf

Prior to the Budget DCMS funding for the LPWG scheme was cut from £23 million during 2010-11 to £7 million during 2011-12.

Additional information about the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme and the effect of the Budget announcement on listed churches can be found on the Churchcare website at: http://www.churchcare.co.uk/news.php

Impact on Churches and Cathedrals – Further Detail

  • In 2010-11 £120 million was spent on repairs, of which £23 million of VAT was reclaimed from the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme.
  • Across the English dioceses an estimated £100million is spent on alterations to listed church buildings each year.
  • 45% per cent of England’s Grade I listed buildings are Church of England churches.
  • 12,500 churches are listed, out of a total stock of 16,000 (78%).
  • These listed churches are heavily biased towards medieval structures – the CofE has 8,000 of these (60% of our listed churches) yet nationally, medieval buildings form only 15% of listed buildings.

Listed Places Worship New Grants Scheme

Q & A

  1. What are the new arrangements?
    • HM Treasury has guaranteed an extra £30 million per year for the rest of this Parliament for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme – in addition to the £12 million per year – for alterations and repairs to listed places of worship. I.e. the total annual value of the new scheme will be £42 million.
  1. When does this come into effect?
    • From 1 October 2012.
  1. What does this mean for claimants?

· From 1 October 2012 all claimants should receive a full payout on the equivalent of the VAT they have incurred on repairs and alterations to listed places of worship. The scheme will be reviewed in October 2013 to check it is on target, we hope no adjustments will need to be made but it is very difficult to estimate demand at this stage and the fund is cash limited.

· The aim is to move to monthly disbursements (current quarterly payments) for the new scheme.

  1. What protections are in place for this new scheme?
    • The Government has promised ring-fenced funding of at least £42million per year, guaranteed by HM Treasury and the DCMS for the rest of this Parliament.
    • The LPWGS will be protected from any further spending reductions affecting the current Spending Review period.
    • The scheme will be reviewed every six months from October 2013.
  1. What are the transitional arrangements to protect projects at an advanced stage?
    • The Government has stated that all projects with a signed contract by Budget Day i.e. 21 March 2012 will be honoured under the current arrangements (zero rate VAT on alterations to listed buildings).
    • As part of a consultation it is prepared to consider other criteria to identify projects at an advanced stage and also to accommodate large projects by extending the period within which these projects must be completed.
    • The Cathedral and Church Buildings Division has proposed that the transitional period be extended to March 2014 to accommodate larger projects and that the granting of a faculty or other planning permission and/or a written application for funding be accepted as indicators that projects were at a sufficiently advanced stage on Budget Day to qualify for zero rating on alterations to listed buildings.
    • The HMRC consultation closes 18 May 2012. We have been promised “generous transitional arrangements”. As soon as we know what that means in practice we will disseminate details.
  1. Who will manage the new LPWGS?
    • A “dual key” is being set up with details of the scheme and subsequent changes needing formal sign off by HM Treasury and DCMS ministers.
    • The funding for and operating the scheme will continue to flow via DCMS.
  1. What is included under the new scheme?
    • The new scheme will retain the current restrictions on which VAT costs associated with the repair and maintenance of listed places of worship are not eligible for compensation – i.e. professional fees, organs, bells, and clocks and other listed buildings owned by cathedrals and churches.
    • These categories will be kept under discussion in future six monthly reviews.

Janet Gough

Director, Cathedral and Church Buildings Division

17 May 2012

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A Day of Encouragement and Renewal in the Spirit, at Bishop Woodford House on 11th June

bishopwd_01We’d love you to join us for this special day of encouragement and renewal!
We’ll be mixing together sung worship, teaching on the Spirit from Luke and Acts, prayer and silence, with a chance to share your personal reflections too. I’ll be leading the day and am really looking forward to finding new encouragement for us all as we move into God’s good future for us.

This day will start with coffee at 9.30am and end after tea at about 4.00pm on Monday 11th June 2012. The total cost will be £22.00 per person including coffee, lunch and tea.

How to Book

To book, please send the names of the people attending together with a cheque for the full amount to Bishop Woodford House. Cheques are payable to Bishop Woodford House. If you wish to receive confirmation of your booking please enclose a SAE or an email address. Lunch is provided so please let us know of any special dietary requirements at the time of booking.

If you are booking within 7 days of the day please ring to enquire if there are places still available.

Bishop Woodford House

Retreat & Conference Centre

Barton Road

Ely

CB7 4DX

Tel: 01353 663039

E-mail: office@bishopwoodfordhouse.com

Website: www.bishopwoodfordhouse.com

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Imagining the Future: Eastertide poster

image

Another lovely design from Rachel Nicholls.

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Come and help us Circle the World

Circle the World A4

Join us for a fun day of world culture in Ely Cathedral on Saturday 21st July, 11am – 3pm (free admission), as we celebrate the links our parishes have across the world. There will be fairly-traded goods on sale, amazing food to share, Olympic-themed activities, mission opportunities to learn about, and a central act of world church worship.

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