January News from Rochester Diocese

Thursday 9 January 2020 Happy New Year! Welcome to the first edition of Rochester Diocese's monthly e-newsletter in 2020. Resources Events and Training Finding God in the everyday  With the start of a New Year, are you looking for a new approach to finding and following God? On the 12 January, The Church of England launches 'Everyday Faith'. A series of reflections and prayers shared over 21 days, to help us all find and follow God in everyday life.  To tie in with this, three new films have been produced to highlight the Diocesan-wide Life Together initiative. Like #EverydayFaith, it aims to help deepen relationships with God across the Diocese, by encouraging a rhythm of listening, commitment and regular prayer, inspired by Benedictine spirituality. Watch all three films here, or look out for them on our social media channels over the coming weeks. We'll also be highlighting stories of #EverydayFaith throughout the year too, as part of our committment to Grow Disciples, as expressed in our shared Called Together vision. Watch this space! Diocesan Update All you need to know this month from the Diocese and National Church THE 'TRUSTING TWENTIES'? 'We need a decade that warms our rapidly cooling relationships.'  As we begin a new year, Bishop Simon Burton-Jones considers what needs to define the decade ahead. Read more LOOKING AHEAD TO LENT We'll be joining in with the national church's, Care for God's Creation, Lent materials this year. A series of films throughout Lent will highlight local church eco-initiatives. Get ready. Sign-up for daily reflections or order material here DR RUTH VALERIO LECTURE On 23 February, the environmentalist, theologian and author of Archbishop Justin's 2020 Lent Book, Dr Ruth Valerio, will give a lecture following her installation service Canon Theologian at Rochester Cathedral. All welcome. More here NEW ENERGY AUDIT TOOL Churches across the Diocese are invited to test a new tool to help them measure their carbon footprint. Designed by the national Research and Statistics team, it is available through the Online Parish Returns System. More here DON'T MISS GRANT DEADLINE The deadline is fast approaching to apply for grants from the Church of England for fabric repairs  and the conservation of paintings and wall paintings. The deadline is 27 January. More here WHICH MAGAZINE IS BEST? The search for Britain's best church magazine is on. The Association for Church Editors, is now welcoming entries from any church magazine, large or small but not printed in colour. Closing date 3 February. For details, email: associationforchurcheditors@gmail.com YEAR OF THE BURIAL GROUND Want to get more out of your churchyard as an educational resource, a place to nurture bio-diversity and more? 2020 is the Year of the Burial Ground. For a host of resources, as well as the different ways you can get involved, click here News in brief Stories from around the parishes

Parishes tackle domestic abuse Raising awareness of domestic abuse across the Diocese. Read more South Gillingham goes live First steps with Facebook Live prove positive. Read more

Events and Training For more local and Diocesan events, visit our What's On Calendar. Add your own event too. You can also explore the full range of courses and events available at: St. Benedict's Centre here St. Augustine's College of Theology here The Diocese of Rochester's Spiriitualty Network here For listings of forthcoming Safeguarding training, click here HIDDEN VOICES Saturday 18 January, 1pm to 4pm Bessels Green Baptist Church, Bessels Green, Sevenoaks, TN13 2PS. Help end modern slavery in your community. A day for anyone who wants to learn more about modern slavery, how to spot the signs and how best to respond to it locally. Parking will be available at Riverhead Infants School, Worships Hill, Riverhead, Sevenoaks, TN13 2AS. Free of charge. Please bring your own packed lunch and refreshments will be provided. Full disabled access, including an accessible toilet. Email: caroline.clarke@rochester.anglican.org QUIET DAY WITH FILM - CANDLEMAS Saturday 1 February - 10am to 4pm Companions of Christ, 65 Maidstone Road, Chatham, ME4 6DP For the feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, come and watch a full-length feature film that deals with matters we are presented with in life, and asks what it means for us to live in the present. The film is in German, with subtitles. Come with an open mind and a readiness to use your imagination. Some Ignatian exercises will be used to explore scenes from the film. Please bring a packed lunch, drinks will be provided. Email: susannecarlssons@hotmail.co.uk LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS Saturday 1 February, 4pm St Matthew’s, South Gillingham, ME8 0NX   An opportunity to remember and to pray for those living in the Holy Land in the 21st century, with pictures and recent reporting back from the land. Whether you consider yourself to be well informed or only slightly aware, you are invited to come along and be updated on the current situation, and to learn of the work of Friends of the Holy Land, who give practical support to our brothers and sisters in need. Email: Brian: revbriansenior@gmail.com BAME VOCATIONS CONFERENCE  22 February, 1pm to 5.30pm St. George's, Beckenham An event aiming to bring together people of BAME heritage from the local church to talk about vocation in the Church of England. Be inspired in your vocational journey, be equipped with knowledge about the various ministries in the Church and be informed about the current state of BAME vocations nationally. Speakers include, Rosemarie Davidson-Gotobed, National Advisor of BAME Vocations for the Church of England. For more details and booking click here Resources Top resources to support you in your work, life and faith - or just to share with others. DISCOVER ANGLICAN PROVINCES  The 15th Lambeth Conference takes place in July. To mark this, the Anglican Communion will be featuring blogs each week written by Primates of the Anglican Communion, to introduce their Provinces, set out prayer pointers, and help us learn more about our worldwide family. More here DIGITAL TRENDS IN 2020 Digital offers us a unique opportunity to meet people where they are. Is your church ready to make the most of this incredible tool in 2020? The national Digital Team has collated a list of online trends they think churches should be exploring over the next 12 months. Read it here Vision and aims RESOURCE: Administration & Support – ‘Making it Easier’ Make it easier for parishes to work with the Diocese Office and legal requirements As a Diocese we take our safeguarding responsibilities seriously and we are committed to ensuring that our churches and buildings are safe places for all. A new quarterly safeguarding bulletin, aimed primarily at Parish Safeguarding Officers, Incumbents and Church Wardens where a parish is in vacancy, has recently been launched. Through these regular bulletins, we hope to keep those with a particular parish responsibility for safeguarding up to date with the latest safeguarding developments from the national church and the Diocese, as well as support and affirm them in this vital area of work. Find it here If you need safeguarding advice please visit our safeguarding pages at: www.rochester.anglican.org/safeguarding/ Vacancies and appointments Archdeaconry of Bromley & Bexley Archdeaconry of Rochester Lay and volunteer posts Archdeaconry of Tonbridge Volunteer & other posts Appointments CONNECT WITH US. FIND US AT: Copyright © 2020 DIocese of Rochester, All rights reserved. communications@rochester.anglican.org  Tel 01634 560000