The Inauguration Event for Gartree Mission Partnership

The Inauguration Event for Gartree Mission Partnership took place on Saturday 23rd February 2008 at Burton Overy.

Over 150 attended the Inauguration Service in St Andrew's Church, led by the Archdeacon of Leicester, Ven. Richard Atkinson. Before the service began, there was a time of worship and rededication, led by Chris Pollock and the worship team from Thurnby, who also led three of the worship songs within the service itself, while the hymns were played on the organ by Arthur Whitfield, the organist at Great Glen. The closing voluntary was played by John Bence. The Intercessions were led by Hugh and Vivien James from St Paul's Oadby and the 4 readings were read by the three facilitators of the working groups and the Lay Convener, Liz Smith from Thurnby. During the service, there was a very moving celebration of the ministry and mission taking place both within all our churches and in all the communities we serve. The climax of the service was the commissioning of everyone present for the work of mission within the partnership and the anointing of all those ministers, lay and ordained, who hold the bishop's licence together with the members of the Mission Partnership Action Group for this exciting new venture - there seemed to be a very large number of people crowded round the chancel awaiting anointing which was really encouraging to witness.

The service was followed by a reception in Burton Overy Village Hall, with a splendid array of cakes provided by the ladies from Thurnby and Burton Overy and four impressive displays of mission activity in the four areas we will be focusing our efforts on, compiled by the three facilitators already appointed and Dr Hugh and Mrs Vivien James from St Paul's Church Oadby who very kindly agreed to compile the "Growing Younger Churches" display.

At 1 pm, the Partnership Forum met for the first time. It was an opportunity to put names to faces and introduce the facilitators of the four focus groups. Rev'd Ian Johnson, Priest-in-Charge of Foxton, Laughton and Gumley and Chaplain to Gartree Prison, who will be heading up the "Growing Rural Churches" group, posed the question of what mission means in the rural context and suggested that this should be the first topic to be worked on when they begin meeting after Easter. Professor Peter Williams, from St Peter's Oadby, who is the facilitator for the "Growing Family-Sized Churches" group, introduced this group's first project - looking at ways in which churches can capitalize on the mission opportunities offered by baptisms, weddings and funerals. Canon Philip Norwood from Houghton who is heading up the "Growing Caring, Serving Churches" group introduced the first topic for this group, a Diocesan Course in the Healing Ministry for the Partnership churches at St Peter's Oadby in September and early October. He also spoke about his passion for Open Churches and told the forum of a pilgrimage he will be leading to the Holy Land. It was announced that some-one has been approached to become the facilitator for the "Growing Younger Churches" and that we hope to be able to announce this appointment by Easter.

The 35 forum members present then enjoyed a wonderful lunch laid on by the ladies of Thurnby and Burton Overy, and then the afternoon was given over to Rev'd Dr Alison Morgan, an associate of ReSource, who led a most stimulating and thought-provoking afternoon on "Confidence in the Gospel." The hand-out which we were given for this session has also been posted on the blog together with links to Alison's website and the ReSource web-site. Please do look at these if you want to refresh your memory on what was said or to access it if you were unable to be with us on Saturday.

I would like to thank all who worked so hard to make this Inauguration Event the success it was and all who came and took part in whatever way. There was a lovely atmosphere of Christian fellowship and excitement at our shared purpose to "Grow together to grow God's Church".

Helen Bence

Mission Partnership Convener