Report on June meeting of Chelmsford Diocesan Synod

This report is submitted by Trevor Ireland, who has also added his own estimate of the value of each item.

Report on Diocesan Synod AD 16th June 2007

We met in a marquee at Bishopscourt and were welcomed personally by the Bishop and his wife. In our hymn we asked God that we might know what it is in Christ we share, for God to help us to seek true discernment sustained by Christ and in an age of change and doubt, to keep us faithful to the Gospel. In our Psalm we asked God to defend our cause against an ungodly people, to be delivered from the deceitful and the wicked. In our Responsory we asked God to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins. In our prayers we asked to follow Christ more nearly. Very encouraging.

Notices

Synod was directed to a motion from Havering Deanery. The motion calls upon Diocesan Synod, "in view of widespread ignorance of the Bible in society......," to reaffirm its confidence in Articles of Religion 6,7,19,20 and 21, to express its appreciation for the work of The Bible Society, to look for the gift of the Bible to remain central in ordination and coronation services, to encourage clergy and readers to give teaching the Bible a high priority in the nurture of God's people, and to request Church of England Synods to adopt a symbol of this confidence such as The Year of the Bible recently celebrated in France. The motion suggests 2011, the 400th anniversary of the Authorised Version as a suitable occasion. Those who know how I have worked for Bible study to be central to all church meetings (currently dropped by both Deanery and Diocesan Synods, though part of both for many of my years of involvement) will expect my support for this motion. I have signed and will support the motion. If you advise your views to me I will endeavour to present them in debate.

2008 Budget

Synod received a presentation of the 2008 draft Budget paper DS(07)9. This has been submitted as a consultation document to the parishes. Deadline for responses, 31st August 2007.

Reports

The Bishop's Council Report DS(07)4 and Finance Committee report DS(07)5 were presented and received. Reports available if required.

Good News Story

Peter Hillman told us of Legacy XS, a "Fresh Expression of church" which was, for me, "mind blowing". Creating a community is key to the ethos of the organisation and the heart of Legacy is the worshipping community. This community meets at the XS Centre where "church" is an indoor skatepark. As part of their "services" young people use the sports they love (mainly BMX and skateboarding) to express themselves in worship. Consider these comments from their publicity : (Legacy) is a church plant and mission organisation rolled into one.....for without mission the church can degenerate into a special interest group or social club....it is always Him that brings people to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.......our task is to help people along the way by sharing our lives with them, telling our own story and more importantly His.....the truth is this is all very experimental.

Whilst I would not want a skateboard ramp in my church, I also do not want liturgy turned into a concert (however beautiful the voices or the music), however the key to the use of both is mission and this experiment is doing it!! See http://www.legacyxs.com/

Annual Reports to Synod

This document was received and should be available to every parish. In 28 pages it reports on the work of the Diocese. Obtainable from the Diocesan Office.

Questions

These included: What percentage of clergy who have completed enhanced CRB checks? - just under 50%. Why is Diocesan correspondence still wrongly address? - being addressed!!! How many churches are admitting children to Communion and when will this be Diocesan policy? - numbers being obtained and currently a parish can choose to do this.

Ministerial Review

The Archdeacon of Southend presented paper DS(07)6. Clergy will obviously watch points, but it was emphasised that training and review go together. In response to the suggestion that candidates for ordination should be examined in their ability to proclaim the Gospel, for therein lay the "freshness", the Archdeacon confirmed that "proclaiming afresh" was not scope for a rewrite. Praise the Lord.

Deanery Visions

Paper DS(07)7 was noted and although the timing is slipping, Steven Webb is committed to painstaking review of Deanery submissions. Bishop John linked the Diocesan work with that of General Synod, where a Diocese will have to reflect what has been put up in Deanery Visions to allow greater local freedom, so start planning your use of GREATER LOCAL FREEDOM now.

We were joined by those who were to receive the DAC Design Awards 2007.