2010

Tributes to pioneer church worker with love for children :

Tributes have been paid this week to a ‘Pioneer Missioner’ for Bestwood Park with Rise Park Church, who died on Wednesday, 11th August 2010, after a life-time dedicated to helping people discover faith.

Mrs Stella Tyers (55) who leaves a husband David, spent many years working in different communities across Nottingham. She qualified as a dietitian in Leeds and later trained as a primary school teacher. Stella originally worked within the NHS but later as a teacher at Seely Infant School (Sherwood), Robin Hood Infant School (Bestwood Park), Southwark Primary School (Basford) and in Nottingham Prison.

The Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham, the Rt Revd Paul Butler, said: “Stella Tyers was an outstanding person whose life spoke of the love of Jesus to all whom she met. Her ministry in Bestwood was excellent. Our love and prayers are with David in his loss.”

Both Stella and David were involved in a number of church projects over the years. Stella was a mentor on a lay discipleship programme run by the Diocese of Southwell & Nottingham, a mentor for the Education for Ministry Programme in the UK and they were also both active members of St Andrew’s Church in Nottingham. It was while they were there that Stella became involved in the Jericho Road Project, reaching out to women on the streets. As a dietitian she was concerned about their diet too, and used to take fresh fruit to hand out to them during the evening, along with other essentials.

David and Stella also spent several years working in Africa in both Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa and in Swaziland. They worked in three different hospitals, with people infected and affected by HIV, with children orphaned by AIDS as well as being involved in a number of other community development projects. They have maintained strong links with the Pasture Valley Children's home in Swaziland where Stella has a children's house named in her honour. Stella and David were founders of a small charity, Vula Amehlo Trust, which continues to support projects in Southern Africa including Pasture Valley.

Through teaching and children’s work at churches, Stella’s passion for sharing faith with children shone out. In her most recent post as Pioneer Missioner in Bestwood Park & Rise Park, she helped raise some £10,000 to set up a special youth and children’s facility at the church. Associate Priest, the Revd Canon Nigel Rooms, who worked alongside Stella most recently, said: “She had an incredible heart for people and for knowing about God and that just shone out of her. Her role included working with children and young people and families and particularly networking in the schools to help people re-connect with the church. She did some fantastic creative work with the children and was an inspiration to us all.”

Stella became ill in January 2009 but continued to be actively involved in the parish until very recently.

Her funeral has been arranged for Tuesday, 24th August at 2pm at St Mary’s Church, Bulwell, when former colleague, the Revd Haydon Wilcox will be the preacher.

Stella's funeral service will be held at St. Mary's Church, Highbury Road, Bulwell, Nottingham NG6 9AD at 2pm on Tuesday 24th August.
This will be followed by a cremation at Bramcote Crematorium at 3.30pm (this will be for family & close friends).

Stella has requested family flowers only. Any donations in memory of Stella should be made payable to "Vula Amehlo Trust" who will use the money to support Pasture Valley Children’s Home for orphaned and vulnerable children in Swaziland. Stella has a house named in her honour at Pasture Valley in recognition of her work and love for the children there.  The children know her as “Aunty Stella”.  It was Stella’s wish that any funeral donations should support this very special project which was close to her heart. (Stella & I established Vula Amehlo Trust (Charity Number 1098877) in 2003. I am treasurer and a trustee and can assure you that any donations will be well-used for the care of the children).

You can donate on-line via Vula Amehlo Trust website at www.vula-amehlo.org.uk/support.html, by sending a cheque or making a donation at the funeral service. (Please consider signing a gift aid form if you are a UK tax payer).

For more information about Pasture Valley visit www.pasturevalley.com

Cheques payable to "Vula Amehlo Trust" may be sent to our home address or to: AW Lymn Funeral Directors, St. Alban’s House, High Street, Arnold, Nottingham. NG5 7DZ

Getting there & parking:

St. Mary's is close to the centre of Bulwell. The church has a small car park for about a dozen cars - please leave these for those with mobility problems as the path up to the church is quite steep. There is limited on-street parking on Church Lane alongside the church and a larger car park behind the Wilkinson's store in Bulwell (access via the light controlled junction just down from the church). The church is well served by public transport. It is on a main bus-route and close to Bulwell Tram stop. See http://www.thetram.net/maps/route_diagram.asp for details of the tram system.

Thank you again for your support, thoughts and prayers during Stella's illness. You have been a great blessing to both of us.

New job for Area Dean :

Revd Ruth Worsley will be taking up the post of Parish Development Adviser for the Southwark Diocese at the end of october. Ruth is currently on study leave until that time. We wish her, Howard and the family well.

University chaplain & city priest become cathedral canons :

A University chaplain and a Nottingham priest will become honorary canons of Southwell Minster following appointments by the Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham, the Rt Revd Paul Butler.

The Revd John Bentham, Senior Chaplain at the University of Nottingham and the Revd Joan Whysall, Priest-in-Charge at Christ Church, Cinderhill, will be installed as canons during a service of Evensong at Southwell Minster on Saturday, 9th October 2010 at 5.45pm.

Joan Whysall, who is originally from Derbyshire and worked as a teacher before becoming ordained, felt drawn towards ordained ministry for many years.  After joining St Helen’s Church Trowell, she became involved in leading children and young people’s groups and in pastoral care. She eventually resigned from teaching and trained at East Midlands Ministry Training Course (EMMTC), based at Nottingham University, gaining an MA in Theological and Pastoral Studies.

After being ordained at Southwell Cathedral  in 2001, she became curate at the new united  Benefice of Trowell, Awsworth and Cossall. In 2006 she was appointed as Priest-in-Charge at Christ Church Cinderhill –  a large and busy Nottingham city parish.

Over the years she has explored questions about how the church can be relevant in the local community and has set up outreach and family events, including schemes such as  ‘Messy Church’ and  the ‘Life is for Living’ course. Joan is passionate about community involvement and is a Governor at Rosslyn Park Primary School,  Aspley, as well as being on the board of Aspley Community Training Centre, and a member of Aspley/Bells Lane Partnership .

Joan became involved in the healing ministry after her own eyes were healed from problems she had since she was 19. She is also involved in training in the diocese and lectured on ‘Mission in the local Church’ at the Easter School for EMMTC as well being a mentor for the Diocesan Certificate course.

She said: “It is such an honour to be invited to be a Honorary Canon of the Cathedral and I am very humbled by God’s hand on my life and grateful to so many people who have traveled with me on my journey of faith. I pray that I might be able to contribute to the life and mission of  the Cathedral in the years to come.”

Joan is married to Don and they have three children - Peter, Steven and Joy.
In her spare time she says she enjoys visiting family, gardening, walking, cycling, photography and creative IT.

Joan Whysall will take the stall of ‘Woodborough’ in the cathedral, taking the place of Linda Church, who has moved to another diocese.

John Bentham is the Senior Anglican Chaplain at the University of Nottingham. Originally a graduate of Loughborough University, his study of Urban Geography fostered a calling to inner city ministry. He studied theology at St John’s College, Bramcote and after being ordained into the Church of England, he worked in two parishes in Leeds as a curate, before becoming vicar of St Saviour’s church in the Meadows from 1990 for eight years, where Notts County's floodlights lit up his vicarage lounge (amusing to a West Ham fan). John moved to be an Anglican Chaplain at the University of Nottingham in 1998. In recent years he has combined this with being Area Dean of West Nottingham and now West Bingham (an area whose northern reaches are lit up by Trent Bridge's floodlights.) John was one of the team which set up the Soul Survivor  Christian youth festivals, running their seminar programme for a number of years and still contributes to their summer festivals. He is also an advisor to student Alpha. His research interests have included the Social Conscience of the Charismatic Movement, and the ethics of the use of laboratory animals. His Christian passions include intelligent, questioning Christianity for the 21st century that relates faith to all academic disciplines and everyday life, and encouraging new ways of being church.

John has served on the council of St. John’s Theological College in Bramcote, Nottingham (where he trained) for the past 9 years and is on the trustees of the Malt Cross cafe bar in the city centre, encouraging Street Pastors and the centre’s other work. He is married to Marianne, a nurse, and is father to Alice (17) Henry (15) James (12) and Rosie (8). His personal passions include, West Ham United F.C., Real Ale, second hand bookshops and U2.. His main hobby these last few years has been as a ‘taxi driver and supporter’ for his children at Nottingham Youth Orchestra, Nottingham Youth Jazz Orchestra and just about every Nottingham theatre and dance venue!

John said: “It is an honour to be asked to contribute to the Cathedral and Diocese in this way. Standing squinting in the summer sun outside another cathedral 25 years ago, I never imagined the curious paths that ministry would take me. Southwell can seem a different world to the churches of the inner city and the young students of the University which I have served, and I hope in a small way to bring along the riches of those communities  such as these which have shaped me."

John Bentham will be taking the stall of Oxton Prima Pars in the cathedral, from Alan Payne, who recently retired.

Living Oasis
Nationwide Christian Trust are opening the  Wesley Owen shops under the new name of Living Oasis.
We will be selling a  large variety books, dated materials, gifts, music and /dvds  and will be in a position to order from a variety of publishers, unlike in the past when sources were limited.

We hope to supply the needs of the individual churches and offer to provide book stalls or resources for parish weekends/special events. It is also our intention to inform the churches of any discounts or special offers.

The cafe will not reopen, but there will be tea and coffee making facilities for our customers and we hope to sell Fair Traid snacks in the future. We hope to move into larger premises in the future in line with the vision of the Nationwide Christian Trust.
                                                                                                  

New Bishop tram ‘pilgrimage’ - to get to know the city

The new Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham will be taking a special journey of discovery on Friday (5th March 2010), when he makes his own personal ‘pilgrimage’ on the Tram from Hucknall into Nottingham City Centre.

The Rt Revd Paul Butler, who was installed as the new Anglican Bishop for Nottinghamshire on Saturday at Southwell Minster, will be visiting projects, meeting people and finding out about a range of communities along the tram route during his seven hour ‘pilgrimage’.

The day will include visits to a weekly market, various community projects, a supermarket and a school, finishing up with a ride on the Nottingham Wheel with the Lord Mayor of Nottingham, before his last stop at the new Nottingham Contemporary Gallery.

Bishop Paul said: “I am looking forward to getting out and about around the city and county in the coming weeks. The tram ride will give me the chance to meet all kinds of people, both on and off the tram; but this is more than a sightseeing visit for me, it’s about praying for people and places during the day.”

The Bishop, will be returning to the city where he was a student in the 1970s and expects to see many changes from his days at the University of Nottingham.
His full schedule for the day with approximate timings is listed below.

For a leaflet introducing Bishop Paul, click here

In September 2009 St Martin of Tours Church in Bilborough submitted an application to the scheme: Repair Grants for Places of Worship in England, jointly funded by English Heritage and The Heritage Lottery Fund. Just before Christmas we found out our application had been successful and on the 18th February St Martin’s hosted the Press Launch to announce the successful applicants in the East Midlands Region.

The event was attended by the Regional Head of English Heritage, Dr Anthony Stretten , Jon Breckon EH grants Administrator, Amanda White EH Architect, Ben Robinson, EH Archeologist and Joan Bray representing The Heritage Lottery Fund. The Archdeacon of Nottingham, Peter Hill, and Nigel Spraggins, CEO for the Diocese also joined us, along with Keith Goodman, Treasurer for The Notts Historic Churches Trust who are also interested in helping fund the repair project.
It was a marvelous day. Many people from the congregation attended and laid on a delicious spread for our assorted guests. The enthusiasm of all concerned was commented upon and thanks were given to the church for making all the guests ‘feel so welcome’.
Funding under the scheme comes in two stages; a Development Grant of £18,000 to help pay for detailed inspection work to provide accurate repair costs and a Repair Grant in the region of £89,000. This will help fund restoration work to the tower, the removal and replacement of damp damaged internal plaster and replacement of corroded and condemned electrics.
The grant does not cover the whole cost of repairs and the church must raise its own funds and seek further charitable funding for the work to go ahead. However, we would strongly encourage other listed churches in urgent need of repair to apply to the scheme. The new round begins in April 2010. The application form can be a little daunting but the English Heritage team are extremely helpful and supportive. Working together we can preserve our churches and our heritage for future generations.
POSTSCRIPT: Pauline Lucas, biographer of the 20th Century artist Evelyn Gibbs also joined us on the 18th February. In 1946, as part of the effort to raise morale after the Second World War, Evelyn Gibbs completed 2 large wall paintings at St Martin’s Church. The beautiful paintings depicted the Annunciation and were positioned either side of the East window. Sadly, in work to expand the church in 1972 the new, low pine ceiling cut across these works. However, we have discovered that the upper half of the paintings exist above the pine ceiling and we are now seeking funding to carry out a specialist condition report to see if the paintings below ceiling level survive behind the 1970s layers of paint and possibly plaster. This is very exciting for St Martin’s, Evelyn Gibbs has work in the Tate Gallery and her work is well known to the art world.
Pauline Lucas is as excited as the congregation about the possible restoration of these special paintings and we are currently considering dates for an illustrated talk at the church, presented by Pauline, about Evelyn Gibbs and her work. The biography, published by Five Leaves, is entitled ‘Evelyn Gibbs Artist and Traveler’ and is a fascinating and enjoyable read.

Revd James Purdon Neill – Sadly, Jim, former Vicar of St Ann with Emmanuel, Nottingham, died at the Queen’s Medical Centre on Saturday 30th January 2010 after a short illness.

Jim was deaconed in 1964 and priested in 1965. He was Curate at Kendal from 1964-68, and Chaplain at Park Hill Flats in Sheffield from 1968-71. He was Priest-in-Charge at Mansfield from 1971-77 and then moved Vicar at Nottingham St Ann w Emmanuel from 1977-2009 after which he retired.

Click here for a tribute

Deanery Quiet Day at St Helen's Church, Stapleford with Paula Gooder

For Paula's notes, click here

For the Audio files,

click here for session 1

here for session 2

and here for session 3

They will take approx 5 minutes per session to download.

Haiti Emergency Appeal - Tearfund
Tearfund has dispatched emergency funds to help survivors of the devastating earthquake that has hit Haiti, including the densely populated capital Port-Au-Prince and the surrounding area. Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and millions of people live in the affected area. Many buildings have been destroyed or badly damaged in the capital Port-au-Prince, including the presidential palace and the five-storey UN offices. The death toll, currently in the hundreds, is expected to rise significantly. Many more people are without shelter and basic facilities. Communications have been severely disrupted, making logistics extremely difficult for emergency and relief agencies.
Tearfund says, "With so many buildings destroyed and so many people made homeless, the need for shelter and basic essentials such as food and water is extremely urgent. We are sending disaster specialists to help our partners assess immediate needs, including emergency shelter, clean water and sanitation, nutrition and health care.
"Please support our partners in prayer, as they themselves face the immense scale of disaster, the trauma, the destruction and loss of life that this earthquake has brought". You can find out more about our work in Haiti and give to Tearfund's appeal at www.tearfund.org.  

Christian Aid

Christian Aid has launched an emergency appeal for Haiti after a major earthquake struck the country.  Thousands of people are dead, many are buried alive and countless have been left homeless. It is thought that in the area of the city where Christian Aid had its office, 97% of the housing has collapsed. It is still too early to know the full extent of the damage, but Christian Aid is expecting very high loss of life, widespread destruction of homes, schools and other buildings, and major damage to key water, electricity and road systems. There is concern that there may not be enough food in the country to last longer than three to four days. 
Christian Aid partners in Haiti are very experienced in emergency response work, and will begin emergency relief activities in the affected areas as soon as possible. The need is massive.  People urgently need food, water, blankets, shelter and medical supplies.  Many colleagues from Christian Aid’s local partner organisations are dealing with their own personal tragedies, as well as starting to co-ordinate their disaster assessments and response. Haiti is already the poorest country in the Americas, ranking lower than Kenya or Bangladesh on the UN’s human development index. Most people in Port-au-Prince live in flimsy slum housing, so an earthquake of this magnitude is catastrophic. Click here for the website

Good News about Wesley Owen - click here for flyer

I'm delighted to let you know that the shop that was Wesley Owen in Castle Gate will re open again in the very near future. The Nationwide Christian Trust has stepped in and is endeavouring to save all 26 of the Wesley Owen shops that were due to close. Please pray for Ray George and his team that the vision they have will be successful and that God's name will be praised. Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us, how much more proof do we need -'those who call on the Name of the Lord will be saved'. God bless you all
Sue

Message from Sue Barrett, Branch Manager, Wesley Owen, Nottingham

Out of the 40 shops in the Wesley Owen chain 26 are now in Administration, the shop at  8 Castle Gate, Nottingham is one of these. All the stock has to be sold and there is currently 50% off all Christmas Cards, Nativity sets and Christmas books, there is a 40% discount on all other books, cards, CD's, DVD' and gifts. We have not been given a closing date, but as you take advantage of the bargains, please spare a prayer for the staff who are trying to keep cheerful knowing it's only a matter of time before our jobs will come to an end. The fact that we will be unemployed is something we share with many other people, but our sadness comes from the fact that there will no longer be a Christian bookshop in the centre of Nottingham.   

For the deanery newsletter, click here to download