19 Oct

October Deanery Synod

Hello Everyone,

Just a quick message from your friendly neighbourhood secretary. The October Deanery Synod is in less than a week, and the first Synod to be held in person since the start of the pandemic. We’ll be meeting on Monday 25 October at St Michael’s Church, Elmwood Road W4 3DY. Don’t forget that we’re starting with the Lay Reps meeting at 6.30pm, with clergy welcome to join for refreshments from 7pm.

If you are planning to attend and have not yet received the meeting pack including both the agenda and minutes from the June meeting, then please reach out to me here.  

Please make sure to mark the 25th of October into your diary and I look forward to seeing you all there!


WhatsApp Groups

The Deanery now offers WhatsApp groups for clergy, PCC Secretaries, Treasurers, and Churchwardens. They’re a great resource for problem solving and sharing solutions with others, do let me know if you would like to join one of these groups!

Kathleen McQuarrie 
Hounslow Deanery Secretary

Hounslow Welcare Trust
 The Houslow Welcare Trust exists to make grants to help Deanery churches. The next trustees meeting is coming at the end of November – take a look at the criteria and get in touch if you’re interested.

New Triennium Starts Soon!

If you would like to nominate someone for the Deanery Synod Standing Committee (even yourself), please out to me or our Area Dean, Martine. Both clergy and lay members are needed.  

Lay Chair Election
The election for the new Lay Chair is now well underway and all Lay Reps should now have been sent voting papers via the post. Please make sure to have your paper returned by the 22nd to have it counted!

28 Sep



As you may remember, the October Synod meeting marks the beginning of a new triennium with the election of a new Lay Chair. If you would like to stand, or know someone who you think would be a good candidate, then please complete a nomination form and return it to Kat by email to pa@hounslowdeanery.org.uk NO LATER THAN 6 October.

Nomination forms can be found here in word format (to fill in on a computer) or in .pdf format (to print off and fill in by hand).

The Deanery Synod Meeting is still planned for Monday 25 October, with the section for Lay representatives starting at 6.30pm.  Clergy will join from 7pm for refreshments followed by Holy Communion (sharing bread only) at 7.30pm. Following this, Rev Derek Winterburn, Vicar of St James’s Church Hampton Hill, will facilitate a conversation about how we are caring for God’s creation.  Finally, we’ll have some brief notices and the appointment or election of our Deanery Synod Standing Committee.  An agenda will be sent round nearer the time.

Warmest wishes and God bless,


Martine Oborne
Area Dean
27 Sep

Oct Deanery Synod CHANGE OF DATE

We have had to change the date for the October Deanery Synod meeting and we will now been meeting on Monday 25 October (NOT 28 Oct.)  The meeting will still be IN-PERSON and still be held at St Michael’s Church, Elmwood Road W4 3DY.

Lay representatives, please do come for 6.30pm for the Lay Only Meeting (no clergy please!) to elect the next Lay Chair. Everyone is welcome from 7pm for refreshments followed by Holy Communion (sharing bread only) at 7.30pm. Following this, Rev Derek Winterburn, Vicar of St James’s Church Hampton Hill, will facilitate a conversation about how we are caring for God’s creation.  Finally, we’ll have some brief notices and the appointment or election of our Deanery Synod Standing Committee.  An agenda will be sent round nearer the time.


Please remember!
The Hounslow Deanery Common Fund Meeting is still going ahead by Zoom on the 5th of October, 7.00-8.30pm. Do invite anyone in your church who you feel would benefit from attending and I look forward to seeing you there! If you would like the zoom detail for this meeting then please reach out to Kat here.


Warmest wishes and God bless,

Martine Oborne
Area Dean

Hounslow Welcare Trust
 The Houslow Welcare Trust exists to make grants to help Deanery churches. The next trustees meeting is coming soon – take a look at the criteria and get in touch if you’re interested.

New Triennium Starts Soon!
If you would like to nominate someone for the Deanery Synod Standing Committee (even yourself), please out to me or Kat. Both clergy and lay members are needed.  

Christian Mindfulness and Contemplative Prayer
This course comprises two Thursday morning sessions on 7 & 14 October at St Peter’s Church in Southfield Rd W4.  Please contact Fabrizio Pesce to find out more.  Or book here.

20 Sep

Hounslow Deanery Synod news and updates….

As many of you know, I have recently been appointed as Hounslow Area Dean. Thank you so much to everyone who has sent good wishes and offers of support. I’m looking forward to getting stuck into the role and I hope that our Deanery Synod meetings will be both enjoyable and helpful to your ministry and mission.

I am the Vicar of St Michael’s Church in Chiswick where I’ve been in post for ten years now.  Before this, I served my curacy in Islington and, before that, I had a career in the City.  I’m married to Peter and we have five children, but with only one still at school.

A new triennium!
We are at the start of a new three year cycle of Deanery Synod meetings, so this is an ideal time to have a rethink about what we do and why.  If you’ve got any comments or suggestions, please be in touch.  

I’m hoping that we’ll be able to focus on some of the new Kensington Area priorities such as: mission in the community; the environment; ministry to children and youth; and mental health and wellbeing.  If you would like to play a role on the Deanery Synod Standing Committee, possibly as a rep for one of these priorities, do please let me know.  We need both clergy and lay members.  Standing Committee meets three times a year by Zoom and is responsible for planning events, talks and the agenda at the Deanery Synod meetings.

Next Deanery Synod meeting – Thursday 28 October – IN-PERSON at St Michael’s Church, Elmwood Road W4 3DY at 7pm
I am looking forward to meeting and welcoming reps, particularly new ones, to Deanery Synod at this first session.  Do please join us if you can.

We’ll start first with a Deanery Meeting of Lay Representatives at 6.30pm to elect our Lay Chair.  Then there will be refreshments at 7pm for both lay and clergy reps, followed by Holy Communion (sharing bread only) at 7.30pm.  Then Derek Winterburn, Vicar of St James’s Church Hampton Hill, will facilitate a conversation about how we are caring for God’s creation.  Finally, we’ll have some brief notices and the appointment or election of our Deanery Synod Standing Committee.  An agenda will be sent round nearer the time.

Subsequent Deanery Synod meetings
The new Deanery Synod Standing Committee will meet in November and make plans.  We will probably have a Deanery Synod meeting by Zoom in February and an in-person one in June.

Welcare applications
Applications for grants for community projects are welcome.  If they are submitted by 15 November, they will be considered at the next meeting of trustees on 29 November.  More information and application forms can be found here.

I look forward to seeing you soon.
Warmest wishes and God bless,

Rev Martine Oborne
Area Dean

25 May

Message from Archdeacon Richard Frank

(For a PDF version of this letter, click here)

Dear Friends in the Hounslow Deanery Chapter,

Resignation of The Revd Sarah Guinness as Hounslow Area Dean

Sarah Guinness has been a wonderful colleague and friend to many of us during this past year as she has so ably carried the role of Hounslow Area Dean. Bishop Graham asked Sarah to take on the task at the beginning of 2020 and she agreed to serve for a year to see how it sat alongside settling into her time at Brentford. Little did she, or any of us, know what that ‘initial year’ would involve!

As the new Archdeacon (and her predecessor in Hounslow, of course), I have had good reason to be grateful for her willingness to say ‘yes’ and I know that her fellow Hounslow clergy, the other Area Deans and Bishop Graham have felt the same.

This week, Sarah has decided, after much consideration, not to continue as Area Dean. She wants to focus her time and energy on the parish of Brentford as she anticipates a new curate starting this summer, the reopening of the St Paul’s café and plenty else in the pipeline. I know you will join me in praying for her in this next chapter of her ministry and time in Brentford. We are very glad to continue as her colleagues and partners in ministry and mission.

Bishop Ric (Acting Bishop of Kensington) and I feel that appointing a new Hounslow Area Dean should be for Bishop Graham on his return. I am grateful therefore that Elis Matthews, at St Mary’s Osterley Road, who has been Assistant Area Dean for much of the past year, has agreed to continue in that role and ‘hold the fort’ until the summer. When Bishop Graham returns, he will consult with the Chapter and make his decision on whom to appoint longer term.

In the meantime, may I thank you for all you have done over these past months to pray for, minister to and lead your churches through the astonishingly difficult and tiring time we have been living through. Please do be in touch if I can support you and those you serve in any way.

Every blessing

The Ven. Richard Frank
19th May 2021
cc. Bishop Graham; Bishop Ric; Fred Michell (Hounslow Deanery Lay Chair)

08 Nov

New Guidance for Lockdown 2.0

For you quick access, below is the most recent information on the new lockdown and how they pertain to Churches.

Regulations – we are sure you’ll have all seen over night that the regulations went live (available here). They set out:

  • that you can leave home to attend a Place of Worship
  • how Places of Worship can open for a number of specific purposes i.e. for individual prayer and funerals etc – each purpose will be explained in the guidance. Relevant extract from the regulations below:

(7) A person who is responsible for a place of worship must ensure that the place of worship is closed, except for uses permitted in paragraph (8) and regulation 11(18).

(8) A place of worship may be used—(a) for funerals,(b) for commemorative events celebrating the life of a person who has died,(c) to broadcast an act of worship, whether over the internet or as part of a radio or television broadcast,(d) to provide essential voluntary services or urgent public support services (including the provision of food banks or other support for the homeless or vulnerable people, blood donation sessions or support in an emergency),(e) for childcare provided by a person registered under Part 3 of the Childcare Act 2006,(f) for individual prayer, and for these purposes, “individual prayer” means prayer by individuals which does not form part of communal worship, or(g) to host any gathering which is permitted under regulation 8 or 9.

(9) A person who is responsible for a community centre or hall must ensure that the community centre or hall is closed except where it is used—(a) to provide essential voluntary activities or urgent public support services (including the provision of food banks or other support for the homeless or vulnerable people, blood donation sessions or support in an emergency),(b) for the purposes of education or training,(c) for the purposes of support groups, or(d) for the purposes of—(i) childcare provided by a person registered under Part 3 of the Childcare Act 2006, or(ii) supervised activities for children.(10) A person who is responsible for a crematorium or burial ground must ensure that the crematorium or burial ground is closed to members of the public, except—(a) for funerals or burials,(b) commemorative events celebrating the life of a person who has died, or(c) to allow a person to pay respects to a member of their household, a family member or friend.

Q&A – We thought it would be helpful to share the answers to these with you:

Who can be involved in the broadcast from a place of worship?

  • Attending a place of worship for broadcasting or filming an act of worship is permitted but should only involve those people working or volunteering who are essential for the content of the service, and for technical support to enable people to watch and worship online or via a television or radio.  
  • If musicians or singers usually form part of the act of worship that is being broadcast, they may participate but only if they are essential to the delivery of that act of worship. The numbers or people involved should be kept as small as possible to minimise risks and participants should follow social distancing guidance.  

What about Out of School Setting activities for children?  

  • The guidance from DfE covering off the impact of the new national restrictions on the education sector has just been published here
  • As such, out-of-school activities may continue to operate if their primary purpose is either/and/or: 
    • providing registered childcare 
    • offering other childcare activities, where this is reasonably necessary to enable parents to work or search for work or undertake training or education 
    • for respite care, including for vulnerable children. 
    • to be primarily used by home educating parents as part of their arrangements for their child to receive a suitable full-time education (which could include, for example, tuition centres, supplementary schools, or private tutors). 
  • Youth support services, including 1-1 youth work and support groups, may also continue to operate. 
  • All other out of school activities, not being primarily used by parents for these purposes, should close for face-to-face provision for the duration of the national restrictions. 

What constitutes a support group such as continue to take place in a Place of Worship?

  • To ensure support for the most vulnerable during this period, support groups that provide mutual aid, therapy or any other form of support can take place with up to 15 people attending, if the support group is organised by a business, a charitable, benevolent or philanthropic institution or a public body.  
  • Examples include support to: 
    • victims of crime (including domestic abuse); 
    • those with, or recovering from, addictions (including alcohol, narcotics or other substance addictions) or addictive patterns of behaviour; 
    • new parents; 
    • those with, or caring for persons with, any long-term illness or terminal condition or who are vulnerable; 
    • those facing issues related to their sexuality or identity including those living as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender; 
    • those who have suffered bereavement; and 
    • vulnerable young people, including to enable them to meet youth workers. 
  • Anyone working is not included as part of the 15 person limit. 

Hope this is helpful and do reach out to myself or Rev Sarah if you have any specific questions that aren’t answered in these documents.

With thanks,

Kat

Deanery Secretary

14 Aug

New CofE Pandemic Guidance

Hi Everyone!

To assist churches to function in line with the latest COVID requirements the following advice documents, together with relevant FAQs have now been updated on the Church of England Advice page.

Please note that this advice is currently issued in draft form, awaiting confirmation of the exact wording of government guidance for places of worship on the use of face coverings. The guidance may change as the situation evolves and we’ll let you know as soon as we’re sent the final versions.

Hope this is helpful and do reach out to myself or Rev Sarah if you have any specific questions that aren’t answered in these documents.

With thanks,

Kat

Deanery Secretary

24 Jul

Updated Guidance documents

Dear all.

Following Government Guidance updates in the past week, we wanted to let you know that the Church of England website has just been updated to include the following:

Please do familarise yourself with these documents and feel free to reach out to Sarah or myself if you have any questions.

Kat

Deanery Secretary

23 Jul

COVID-19 Government Guidance

Dear all,

Today’s update is just a quick message to take a look at the government guidance on the safe use of community facilities. So many of us use our church buildings not just for worship but as community spaces and it’s important to take guidance to keep these spaces both safe and welcoming during this time.

The guidance can be found here

If you have any questions, please do feel free to reach out to me or Sarah, we’re here for you as much as you need us.

Kat

Deanery Secretary

14 Jul

Message from the Archdeacon

Archdeacon’s Update

The speed with which things are changing means that any detail I might write about re-opening our churches & buildings could be out-of-date within days (hours?)…

However, the main CofE Covid-19 page contains links to all the relevant guidance (church and government) and is updated very regularly. In the meantime, a few key links to note and use:

If in doubt, do contact your Area Dean Sarah Guinness and/or me – between us we’ll find a sensible way through the complications and questions that we’re all dealing with.

Praying for wisdom, energy, and grace in the coming days.

Richard