February Deanery Synod Minutes & June Synod date
Hi All,
I do hope you enjoyed the last synod looking at Volunteers and I’m sure you’ll all join me in thanking both our speaker the Venerable Richard Frank and Christ Church Turnham Green for hosting. If you were unable to attend but would still like to hear the talk then it’s still available to watch via Christ Church’s YouTube channel here.
The Meeting minutes are here for your review – do let me know if you see any issues or would like to request any changes.
June Synod Meeting
The June Synod will be held on Monday the 3rd of June, starting at 7.30pm with refreshments from 7pm, hosted by Holy Trinity Hounslow. The theme of the Synod is Working with Hounslow Council and so that we can encompass all the many different areas your church can work with the council, the format of the evening will be a little different from normal.
The synod will start with an introductory presentation from both Holy Trinity and Hounslow council. This will then be followed by a marketplace where you can meet service providers, get contacts, and ask questions. We encourage you to come along and bring any volunteers in your church who might benefit from this event. Due to the unique nature of the event, it will not be broadcast via zoom so being there in person is the best way to get answers to all those burning questions!
2024 Deanery Synod Meetings
Topics for the year have been tentatively agreed and there are two meetings left;
- 3rd of June – Partnering with Hounslow Council, Holy Trinity Hounslow.
- 9th of October – Discipleship, Hope Church Hounslow
Please do reach out if you have any suggestions.
Deanery Updates & Notices
Kensington Office move – It’s the end of an era… the Kensington Episcopal offices have moved. As of 20 November, the new address is:
Bishop of Kensington / Kensington Area Office
3rd Floor, Regal House
70 London Road
Twickenham
TW1 3QS
An Easter message for children and young people – A message from Bishop Sarah has been released for churches and schools to use in services and assemblies across the Diocese. You can watch and download the video on Vimeo here.
How to use Canva for your church, April 4, 3pm – 4pm. Canva is a free design tool which offers a number of great features to help you create logos, flyers, posters, social media posts and much more. This webinar is ideal for those who are new to Canva, for more information or to sign up, please click here.
EV Charging Points at churches – webinar, Tuesday 9 April, 2pm. Parish Buying is running a webinar for any church interested in installing EV charging points at some of its parking spaces to serve either parishioners or the wider community.
The minimum number of parking spaces to be converted to EV charging is two, and you must own (not rent) your car park. For more information or to register click here.
Living with Backpain in Ministry, Tuesday, 20 April, 10am-12.30pm, LDF, 36 Causton Street, London, SW1P 4AU. Back Pain effects about one-third of the adult population of the UK and can leave people feeling depressed and frustrated by the ways it limits their activities and their working lives. To book click here.
Prayer Spaces experience and training – Week commencing 22 April at Diocesan House, Causton Street, SW1P 4AU. Prayer Spaces are an amazing way to help young people (and in fact all ages!) in schools and churches experience how to pray in different and creative ways. There will be an opportunity to experience a prayer space and attend a training session during the week commencing 22 April at Causton Street. To find out more about Prayer Spaces, click here.
Finding Home: Christian responses to homelessness, Tuesday 23 April, 10am-2pm, St Mark’s Church, Kennington, SE11 4PW. Do you support those who experience homelessness, or are interested in starting a ministry in this area? This talk is a space for parishes across the Dioceses of London & Southwark to come together and discuss their responses. Hosted by the Diocese of London’s Compassionate Communities Team and the Diocese of Southwark’s Together Southwark. For more information click here.
Kensington Area Youth Event, Friday 26 April, 7pm-9pm. The next Area Youth Event will be at HTB Onslow Square site (SW7 3NX) from 7-9pm on Friday 26 April, for those in school years 6-13. A great opportunity to gather with lots of other young people, and totally free! Further details available soon – but if you think you might like to bring young people from your church along, get the date in your diary!
Listening for God’s Call – a vocations day for women, Wednesday 27 April 11am-3pm, St Botolph without Aldgate, EC3N 1AB. For women in the Diocese of London who are beginning the process of discernment of a call to ordained ministry. The day gives an opportunity to understand the process, and to discuss some of the particular joys and challenges of ordination for women. Lunch will be provided, for more information click here.
Kensington Youth Weekend Away 2024 – 21-23 June 2024. The annual Kensington Youth Weekend will take place at Oakwood Youth Challenge, Wokingham. This is a fantastic opportunity to bring young people (Year 6+) and leaders from different churches across the area together, to enjoy worship, teaching and a range of outdoor activities. Particularly aimed for churches who don’t run their own residentials. Further information will be sent out in due course, and contact Jo Jones for further details.
Cooks needed for the Youth Weekend Away! – Do you like cooking? Are you happy to cook for large numbers? Do you like having fun? If this is you, the team are looking for a couple of people who would be happy and willing to join the Youth Weekend Away to cook the meals. Training is available if needed and support will be provided with menus and shopping. If you or anyone you know might be interested, please could you get in touch with Jo Jones as soon as possible.
Kensington Area Growing Younger Day – Saturday, 12 October, 10am-2pm at St Mellitus, Courtfield Gardens. An excellent opportunity for churches to bring their children and youth teams, or anyone interested in ministry to children and young people, to be inspired, encouraged and equipped. Panel discussion, input from Bishop Emma, a range of seminars, resources, networking – and a free lunch! Further details to follow.
Warmest wishes and God bless,
Kathleen McQuarrie
Hounslow Deanery Secretary