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Advent and Christmas 2012
Parish magazine for Holy Trinity, St Johns
Curbridge, St Johns Hailey, and St Marys
W i tney Way
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Witney Way: Magazine for theParish of Witney
Editor Ruth Sheppard Printed by LDI, New Yatt
All views expressed in this magazine arepersonal and do not necessarily reflect thoseof the editor or the Parish of Witney. The ap-pearance of an advertisement in this magazinedoes not imply endorsement of the advertiseror its products and services by the Parish of
Witney, nor does it constitute a recommenda-tion. The Parish of Witney does not accept li-ability for any loss, injury or damage arisingout of goods or services sold through any ad-vertisement in this newsletter. Any discountoffered to readers by any advertisement isdone so entirely at the discretion of the adver-tiser.
Businesses wishing to advertise in this mag-
azine should contact Ruth Sheppard,[email protected], 866127. Theacceptance of an advert for inclusion is at the
discretion of the editorial team.
Coverphoto:Byzan
tineiconoftheNativity,RicardoAndrFrantz,W
ikimediacommons.Page3meisax.
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Divinity is aimed at humanity
The Bavarian mystic, Hildegard of Bingen (10981179) was a
poetess, abbess, musician, artist, healer, scientist, theologian, and
prophet. She dared to speak of wholeness and looked to the
entirety of the cosmos. Her secretary, Wilbert of Gembloux, wasso excited by what she wrote that he said he hoped the readers
would not be like the donkey of German folklore. That is, a
donkey who merely carried the wine, without being able to taste
a drop of it!
As we enter the season of Advent, Hildegard is a reminder
of the vital place of women within the story of the Church. She
is also a wonderful person to inspire us in our Advent journey.
In one of her reflections she wrote the powerful words, Divinityis aimed at humanity.
What better place to start our Advent journey than with
these words. And also to allow the words of her secretary to
challenge us in our Advent journey dont just carry the
wine taste and see!
So often we get caught up with the end of the journey of
Advent and focus only on Christmas. What a tragedy. If only
we could taste the wine and know how delicious it is. This is thewine of the prophets living in expectation that God would truly
be aimed at humanity and come to save us. This is the wine of
the patriarchs and matriarchs who offer to us great stories of
encounter with God. This is the wine of John the Baptist,
heralding the coming of Jesus to Gods people. This is the wine
of Mary saying Yes to God and becoming the God-bearer,
enfleshing divinity in the very fabric of humanity. This is the
wine of your story your part of this great encounter of God
with the cosmos.
One of the ways in which we share in this great encounter
with the divinity who is aimed at humanity is through our
prayer lives. This communication with God opens up the
channels between divinity and humanity and reminds us of
Gods love for us. The recent parish prayer boiler was a
wonderful reminder of this for those who were able to takepart. This Advent, maybe we can commit to finding a bit of
space each day to make time for us to get in touch again with
God. To set aside the pressures of getting ready for Christmas
3
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and just to rejoice in God and the message of expectation we
see in the bible.
This Advent, perhaps we can allow ourselves to taste in new
ways the story of Advent as we prepare ourselves for Christmas.
Taste for ourselves the joy of knowing the God who comes
among us as our story too. And through this, taste afresh thetruth that divinity is aimed at humanity.
Urgent God,
breaking through the static
to speak to our hearts:
disarm our love of control
and shake the silent heavens
to reveal your dawning glory,judging all in the light of love;
through Jesus Christ, the one who is to come. Amen.
Toby Wright
4
Bigger and better!
Demand for copies of the Witney Waycontinues to increase, so
from our next issue (Lent 2013), we will be printing and distribut-ing 1,000 copies in and around Witney. We hope this will not only
inform the residents of Witney about the Parishs activities, but
will encourage people to come along to our services and groups.
Revenue from advertising goes a long way towards the cost of
printing the magazine but we are also starting a sponsorship
scheme to support this increased distribution of the magazine.
Sponsorship of 6 a year would pay for the printing costs of your
own magazine and allow us to continue to provide free copies to
visitors to our churches and people in the wider community. If
you can gift aid your sponsorship then that will help even more.
More details of this scheme will be available soon.
If you know someone who would like to receive the magazine
by post, four issues through the year can now be posted to any
address in the UK for 12. Past issues of the magazine are also
now available online: www.witneyparish.org.uk/life/witney-way/If you feel you could help distribute even just a few copies
of the Witney Way, please contact Kate Lockwood.
Ruth Sheppard
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5
New beginnings at
St Marys Infant SchoolSally Clarke is the new headteacher of St Marys CE Infants School on
Church Green. We went to find out a bit more about her and found her
helping a group of enthusiastic five-year-olds in hard hats build towers in
a role-play building site
When did you know you wanted to be a teacher?
I was born in Swindon, and when I was two, my mum had a
stroke and went into a coma for over six weeks. She was
twenty-seven. She was paralysed on one side of her body from
the neck down. Whilst she was hospitalised my brother and I
were fostered for three years, separately. I was fostered by an
auntie who lived in Faringdon. I was a very confused and angry
little girl; I thought my auntie was my mum. My dad sold the
family home in Wroughton and bought a piece of land inFaringdon, he continued to work all week then spent the
weekends building a wheelchair-friendly bungalow with my
grandfather in readiness for mums return from hospital. Because
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of the family situation I was allowed to start school early. My
first teacher at Faringdon Infant School was Mrs Lupton, and I
latched onto her as my consistent adult, she was also very
supportive to my auntie as she tried to cope with this family
crisis. Because of that experience I stayed in touch with Mrs Lup-
ton throughout my teens and into adulthood. I decided when Iwas very little that I was going to be a teacher at Faringdon Infant
School when I grew up, and I was! Ive always wanted to work
in an infant school because I know first-hand how important the
positive emotional environment is to the youngest children. Ive
been an Early Years specialist teacher for nearly twenty years. My
mum had to learn to talk, to feed herself, to dress herself and to
write with a different hand. She lost the ability to cry. The vicar
at All Saints gave dad a great deal of support during the difficulttimes of bringing up two young children, caring for mum and
working full time. I live exactly 2 minutes 30 seconds from my
parents, I need to see them regularly through every week as they
are the most jolly people you could ever meet they have had to
cope with disability since they were 27 and 29; they will be 68
and 70 in January. I take my inspiration from them thats why
Im so relentlessly positive.
Have you always taught in church schools?
Ive worked in a range of schools. At the beginning of my career
I worked in a large infant school in Weymouth, but when my
husband and I had our first child, Beth, we realised that I needed
to be near my parents, so we moved back to Faringdon. Fourteen
months later we had William, and I chose to stay at home with
the children for four years, teaching music classes privately and
running music sessions for toddlers. I was also the Oxfordshire
Representative of the Pre-School Learning Alliance. I started
working part-time at Faringdon Infant School when my children
started school, and then they offered me a full-time position as
the early years lead. There were about 140 children in that phase,
and I led the team.
In 2005, my back collapsed and I had a spinal fusion. I was
advised to stop teaching early years due to the physicallydemanding nature of the work. I thought it was a disaster; my
career was over as I was doing what I had always wanted to do,
and I never wanted to leave Faringdon. But out of it all came
6
Ive always wanted
to work in an infant
school because I
know first-hand how
important the
positive emotional
environment is to
the youngest
children.
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7
Our role is to
safeguard the place
of the church at the
core of the
community and towork alongside the
church and other
agencies, such as
the childrens centre
and early
intervention hub to
support individuals
within our
community.
something wonderful. I resigned rather than impact on the
school budget and went on to supply teaching with older, taller
children in Key Stage 2. I was spotted by an advisor from the
Swindon local authority and this led to me taking up the post as
Early Years Consultant and Area SENCO for a quarter of Swin-
don. For four years I worked within quality improvement and aspart of a multi-agency team supporting SEN children and their
families. The role also involved training and supporting teachers.
I served on the advisory board for three childrens centres and
on the Primary Mental Health advisory board for Swindon.
But then you went back into teaching?
I wanted to be a headteacher, but I couldnt get on the neces-
sary training course as a consultant, I needed to be in a school.I accepted a secondment as an Assistant Head to a school
being closed down. I was sent in to provide consistent leader-
ship during the closure as there were three headteachers across
the year. The other reason I was sent in was to provide
emotional support and effective transition arrangements for
the children, families and staff who all had to start at new
schools. I established a team working alongside the childrens
centre and the church. I taught reception, years 1 and 2, all inone class. Happily all the teachers got new jobs and Im still
in touch with them all. I then took a post as senior teacher at
a church school in Oxfordshire and I qualified as a
headteacher this year.
What are your first impressions of the school and more
generally of Witney?
Ive been delighted by not only the community spirit in the
school, but also the genuine partnership between the
headteachers of Witney. Ive never known such a positive, hon-
est, open group of senior leaders. The staff at St Marys Infants
are all passionate about getting it right for each individual child;
its an exciting place to be.
What do you feel is the role of a C of E school within acommunity?
Our role is to safeguard the place of the church at the core of
the community and to work alongside the church and other
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8
agencies, such as the childrens centre and early intervention hub
to support individuals within our community. The support from
the church in terms of governance ensures we retain and protect
our Christian ethos. That support helps me as a headteacher to
make decisions that are best for the community. The churchs
active participation in steering the school is something new tome; Ive not had that before.
Whats the best thing about being headteacher of an
infant school?
I specifically chose to apply to an infant school because were
able to focus exclusively on the emotional needs of the youngest
children and I am committed to hands-on, experiential learning.
Children have got to feel secure, and this is a small, familyenvironment. We can welcome them all by name every morning,
and we know all our families. I dont want to be upstairs in my
office. I want to be downstairs with the children, and I want to
be there to see parents at drop-off and pick-up whenever I can.
This school is a little gem; we must protect its individual identity
and history.
What are you hoping to achieve at St Marys Infant School?Were in the middle of building the most exciting new early years
classroom. So the main focus this year is to complete the build,
and to establish the best quality hands-on learning environment.
This is being built on the site of the old canteen, with indoor
and outdoor space, a hidden garden, and flexible spaces. It is
also going to be equipped with a kitchen, enabling reception
children to pour their own drinks, cut up their own fruit and
wash up. The older classes will also use it for cooking. Were
furnishing the room with the best-quality furniture and
equipment, all ethically sourced and built to last. We are focusing
upon designs intended to support children to become independ-
ent learners.
As the third head in three years, I need to provide consis-
tent leadership for the school and for the community; that is
my other main priority. The creation of the new classroomleaves us with an empty classroom, providing us an exciting
opportunity to look at the use of space throughout the school.
We will also have more outdoor space at the back of the site
I dont want to be
upstairs in my
office. I want to be
downstairs with the
children, and I
want to be there to
see parents at
drop-off and
pick-up whenever I
can.
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9
which were going to landscape resulting in enough space to
play ball games on grass. We are currently seeking feedback
from the parents, children, staff and governors about how we
should be moving forward as a school. The new build will
hopefully provide an exemplary early years environment.
And explain the childrens Builders Yard?
As a team we are determined to inject more fun and hands-on
experiential learning into the curriculum. With all of the focus
placed upon on targets and achievement it is easy for the magic
to get squashed out. I have set up an area with real bricks and
real tools where the children can experience building before
being asked to write for a whole school Newspaper Report
about our new classroom. We have to remember that childrenhave deeper learning if they have had first-hand experiences
with real and natural resources and this will raise achievement,
not reduce it. The building project is happening across the
whole school until the start of Advent. In this project were
incorporating the strategies recommended by the Pie Corbett
writing project. One of the strategies is for children to have
real experiences that they can draw upon, which will feed into
their writing. This was also a great excuse to get out of myoffice again and work with children!
Contact details
If your contact details have changed since July 2011,
please contact Rosemary Peirce,
with a copy to the office,
so that we can collate a new Parish Directory list,
and not be out of date when we go to print!
Tel: 01993 200103
8 Burwelll Meadow, Witney, OX28 5JQ.
and copy to Michelle Bayley-Wells in the Parish Office
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The co-operative funeralcareWe offer a compassionate personal service with
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The Cemetery Lodge, Tower Hill, Witney
01993 706778
Office hours: MondayFriday
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Out of hours inc SaturdaySunday 01993 706778
www.coopfunerals.co.uk
Experienced editor based in Witney
Available to copy-edit or proof-read
promotional material, articles, doctoral
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01993 866127
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Witney PCC 200 ClubA lottery club withthree monthly prizes.
Help raise funds forthe Parish of Winey.
24 per number per year.
Application froms andrules available in church
or ring John Haskell07935 763224
Good luck!
7/30/2019 Witney Way Advent 2012
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11
Nativity Service
Marys kitchen, where she was baking bread until she was
suddenly interrupted. The treasures of the wise men, and the
prophecies they knew. The scent of frankincense and the sharp
smell of myrrh. A map to show the way to Bethlehem. Theshepherds campfire in the hills, where they were keeping warm
when, suddenly, they were interrupted as well...
Once a year at Holy Trinity, we clear away all the chairs to
make room for all these scenes, and more. When Sunday
morning comes, we gather at the starting point and set off, not
just to hear the story of Christmas but also to look, smell,
and touch. This is a service for all ages, ending as we
gather around the crib. Nativity Service, at HolyTrinity, Sunday 16 December, 10.45am. Children can
come in costume if they would like to: shepherd, angel,
Joseph, Mary, wise man...
Other Christmas services especially suitable for
children:
Christingle, at St Marys and Hailey,
Sunday 16 December, 3.00 pm
Crib service, at St Marys,Christmas Eve, 3.00 pm
Posada 2012
During December, figures of Mary and Joseph on their way to
Bethlehem travel around the neighbourhood, from
family to family. This is Posada, a Mexican tradition
for Christmas. Its a great opportunity to link up
with other families and to talk with children about
the Christmas story.
Posada will be launched on Sunday 2
December at a special Advent Messy Church
event at St Marys. Mary and Joseph will travel round
families of the Batt School and St Marys InfantSchool. They will return at the crib service in St
Marys Church on Monday 24 December at 3pm.
Jeff Hill
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Church history at The Batt SchoolThe Batt School UpperJunior children have been learning abouthow the Church of England began. They have been studying the
Tudor period and finding out about how Henry Vlll broke away
from the Roman Catholic Church.
They visited Sulgrave Manor to find out about how Henry Vlll
became king. They learnt how he set himself up as the head of the
English church when the pope refused to grant him a divorce
from Catherine of Aragon so he could legally marry Anne Boleyn.
The children have been sketching and painting Tudor monarchs.The children also studied the inspirational life of William
Tyndale, who lived during the reign of Henry Vlll. They learnt
how he used his God-given linguistic gifts to serve his country-
men, by translating the Bible into English. Prior to this the Bible
12
Portraits by Jade Wright
(left), and Joelle Fenner
(right).
7/30/2019 Witney Way Advent 2012
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could only be read by a few people, as most people couldnt read
Latin. William Tyndale was concerned that the people were not
being correctly taught from the Bible and wanted the people to
know what the Bible said. He asked the church if he could
translate the Bible into English, they refused. So he risked his
life secretly translating the scriptures, until his capture and
execution in 1536. His final prayer was Oh Lord, open the King
of Englands eyes. This prayer was answered three years later, inthe publication of King Henry VIIIs 1539 English Great Bible,
which was placed in every church in England.
Alongside this work the children were considering the parable
of The Talents (Matthew 25:1430; Luke 19:1228). They
reflected on the gifts God has given them and thought about
what they hope God might trust them with in the future. Here
are some of their aspirations:
I hope God will trust me with being kind and caring for others
Emily Counter
I hope God will trust me with playing hockey for my country in
the Olympics Lily Chorley
I hope God will trust me to be a brain surgeon Alby Stokes.
I hope God will trust me to be a dance teacher Leah Jordan-
Cooper.
The children enjoyed learning about William Tyndale andwere able to see that Williams trust in God was what enabled
him to achieve a remarkable feat for which he is still remembered
today.
13
Portraits by Izzy Lewis
(left) and Millie Jackson
(right).
7/30/2019 Witney Way Advent 2012
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14
Academies: educations
new solution?
The changes that are happening to state education at the mo-
ment are likely to be some of the most important that haveoccurred over the last 150 years. The principal innovation is
the introduction of academies. Initially this was an initiative
of the last Labour government, and was designed to address
schools that seemed to be locked into a culture of failure, de-
spite anything that could be done by the local authority or by
Ofsted. The plan was to remove them from local authority
control, rebuild them at a cost of 30 million pounds or more,
replace their senior leadership team and a proportion, at anyrate, of the teaching staff, and re-open them, with mostly the
same pupils but dressed in bright new uniforms, and under
the sponsorship of an external body. Initially, the sponsor was
expected to contribute about 10% of the costs, and a number
of individuals and organisations with plenty of money and a
particular agenda signed up, but it was soon discovered that
the supply of such wealthy would-be sponsors was limited,
and sponsorship without a financial contribution was permit-ted, thus making it possible for bodies such as dioceses to be-
come sponsors; the Oxford Diocesan Board of Education is
a sponsor or co-sponsor of three such academies. The sponsor
was given important duties, particularly in relation to school
improvement. The initiative has been a qualified success. Some
schools have shown significant improvement, but others have
been more resistant to change. There have been a number of
academies that have themselves been identified by Ofsted as
failing.
The Conservative government extended the scheme. Initially,
they made it possible for good or outstanding schools to convert
to academy status, though without the need for a sponsor. This
lead to the eccentric situation that if a school was failing it had to
become an academy; if it was good or excellent it could become
an academy; anywhere in between the majority couldnt con-vert. Before long the government saw the contradiction in this,
and now, by and large, any school that is not failing can convert,
and a great number are doing so.
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15
Why the rush to convert? The government offered a number
of freedoms to academies. These included freedom from local
authority control, the ability to set pay and conditions for staff,
greater freedom to decide the curriculum, and the ability to agree
the dates for terms and the length for school days. Academies
can also set their own admissions criteria. Most of these wereof little interest to schools. What did matter was the financial sit-
uation. The Department for Education sets the amount of
money that is allocated to each school, according to a complex
formula that takes into account geography, leaving Oxfordshire
schools at a disadvantage. This sum is given to the local authority,
in our case the Oxfordshire County Council. They subtract a per-
centage, about 67%, which they use to fund the services which
the local authority must, or decides to, provide for schools: forexample, special educational needs, careers advice, HR, school
improvement support. The remainder is passed on to the
schools. As funding cuts have hit local government, so the serv-
ices that they have provided have been reduced, but they have
retained the same percentage. An academy receives the entire
grant with none being top-sliced by the local authority. The ques-
tion is whether the extra amount of money that a school receives
as an academy is greater than the extra amount that must bespent paying for what the school will no longer receive from the
local authority. The school where I am chairman of governors
calculated that we would receive approximately 250,000 a year
more, and would need to spend an additional 75,000 or so. It
was not a difficult decision to make! Oxfordshire were very clear
that they would be ceasing to provide most services for free, and
would be one among many organisations offering their services
in competition. On the whole Oxfordshire academies have found
the county to be competitive in their offer and are remaining
with them, but it is the academies decision.
So what is an academy? It may have been a failing school,
in which case it will have a sponsor, and is known as a spon-
sored academy. Or it may been sufficiently successful for the
DfE to allow it to convert without a sponsor, and is thus
known as a converter academy. In either case, it is a school in-dependent of the local authority, though not fully independent,
as the Department for Education might suggest. Academies
are still answerable to the Secretary of State, from whom they
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16
receive their grant. They are limited companies and also chari-
table trusts. There is a quite complex trustee and governance
set up, but to a large extent the governors continue to provide
the strategic direction, delegating to the headteacher the
day-to-day management of the school as before. They are still
subject to inspection by Ofsted, and must fulfil most of thelegal demands made by government. To the average youngster
in the desk or parent in the car park there will be little change
to be seen. However, the additional money can be spent on
what can make a real difference: an extra teaching assistant,
more quality in-service training, extra ICT facilities. Schools
that do not become academies may well find themselves having
to make cuts, something that certainly will be noticed.
The arrival of academies has presented a challenge to thechurch and the diocese. There is a strong diocesan commitment
to retaining the church ethos of schools that become academies,
and this has been done through the articles of association, the
legal documents setting up the new school. Different forms exist
for voluntary aided, voluntary controlled and community
schools. Thus a voluntary aided school, after conversion, will still
have to have a majority of governors who have been approved
by the diocese.What is the situation both nationally and more locally?
Unsurprisingly, the first take up of academy status has been by
secondary schools. At the start of this academic year, i.e. in
September, it is estimated that about half the secondary schools
in the country either will have become, or will be in the process
of becoming, academies. It can be expected that over the next
couple of years nearly all secondary schools will have followed
suit. In West Oxfordshire, all but two of the secondary schools
are now academies, with the remaining two having special
circumstances that are delaying the decision. In Witney, Henry
Box converted last term. It is more difficult for primary
schools, since the extra amount of money that they would
receive reflects their smaller size, but the extra financial and
governance demands on the schools do not to the same extent.
However, a number of primary schools have converted in thediocese, and we can be sure that governors are studying the
possibilities very closely.
What of the future? We can expect more and more schools
7/30/2019 Witney Way Advent 2012
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17
to convert. For primary schools, there is a need to clarify the
possible arrangements, but the Department for Education
seems to be making policy on the hoof. We can only wait and
see. As far as the Diocese and its Board of Education are
concerned, we can be sure that they will remain committed to
the flourishing of its schools, and will be supporting them aseffectively as they can, in a climate where other support will
be lacking. As far as the excellent church schools in our parish
are concerned, I know they will continue to serve their
children and their parents as well as they have done over many
years.
David Exham was formerly the headmaster of Bloxham School.
He is now the chairman of governors of the Marlborough School,a church school that has recently converted to academy status.
He is a member of the Diocesan Board of Education and
serves on its academies committee.
Rosie Mae McKay was baptised at
St Marys on 7 October.
Sienna Aaliyah Bull was baptised at Holy
Trinity on 14 October.
Autumn-Elise Helena C. Ralph was
baptised at Hailey on 14 October.
Joshua Sidney Matthews was baptised at
Curbridge on 23 October.
Logan James Bough and Benjamin
Daniel Studley were baptised at
St Marys on 4 November.
Kai William Hermon was baptised at
Holy Trinity on 18 November.
Jacob Anthony Cornett was baptised at
Curbridge on 25 November.
Alfie George Forward and Cayleigh Jane
Hodges were baptised at St Marys on 2
December.
William Charles George Hitchcox was
baptised at Holy Trinity on 2 December.
Finley James Horne was baptised at
Curbridge on 9 December.
Daniel Holding and Jackie Walker were
married at St Marys on 6 October.
Richard Pountney and Jessica Smith were
married at St Marys on 27 October.
Baptisms and weddings
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18
Holy Trinitys Auction of Promises
Acorns toddlers always knew the floor was bouncy. Victorian
damp-proofing regulations allowed wooden joists to rest on the
ground and the architect confirmed that they were now rotten
and would need major repair. This called for serious fundraising.Well? How about...? And thats how an auction of promises came
to be arranged for Friday 12 October in less than eight weeks.
The congregation at Holy Trinity was invited to consider what
they could offer: what could we do that people would bid for? Home
baking always does very well. There were lots of cakes: Christmas
cake; a cake each month for a year; chicken pies; a meal for four;
and another for six. A hive of activity commenced; promises were
listed, publicity planned and leaflets distributed. There was a weekin an apartment in Turkey that sounded warm and exotic and a
framed football shirt signed by a current member of the England
team, and a DVD of cars, signed by someone who drives them!
The list of promises was printed but then modern technology
came into its own as the online schedule needed to be regularly
updated. Fundraising is hungry work. There was a food hamper,
flavoured oils they looked like good Christmas presents and
lots of chocolate. A very good-looking joint of beef was offeredwhich would go down well with one of the half-cases of wine.
The Auction of Promises bandwagon steadily advanced and
the evening arrived. Numbers were given on registration with
refreshments available at the well-provisioned bar no bidding
required yet. Items to be bid for were arrayed on tables; books and
pictures, grasses and hampers, jigsaw and 50p Olympic coins by
local designer.
The evenings proceedings were entertainingly and masterfully
orchestrated by auctioneer, Mark Baker. His Tommy Cooper-like
manner kept us entertained and involved throughout the evening,
skilfully coaxing a further 10p or 10 to the bidding. How could we
refuse? The bidding began; bottles of oil, a metal dog, a meal at a
new Witney eatery. So thats how its done; just hold your number in
the air and a nod of the head. The purse strings relaxed and the
promises were selling; manicure and yoga, meals out, marmaladeand chutney. From the List of Promises the wider local community
could be seen giving their support: the local pub; our brewery; a
coffee shop and a pottery.
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The mid-point of the proceedings was soon reached and the
money being raised was mounting. This is serious business, but
the thorough accounting of the event throughout did provide
the framework for a fun and enjoyable occasion. Even somewho were unable to attend played their part with their proxy
bids. Talents offered were readily bid for: ironing; gardening;
taxiing; computing; tuition in mathematics and singing. Paintings
drew sustained interest, particularly the prospect of a portrait
or maybe of the house. And so proceedings concluded with
strong bidding for the final contribution of the evening: a night
cap from the House of Commons signed by our local MP.
Over 3,400 was raised during the course of the evening; a
very helpful contribution towards a sure and steady floor.
Elizabeth Bloomfield
As well as the problems with the floor, the recent quinquennial inspection
of Holy Trinity church also highlighted serious defects in the roof and
external masonry. Money is also needed for the replacment of heaters, and
an upgrading of the electrical system. Clearly these repairs can only becarried out as funds become available. Currently, estimates for the work
are in excess of 30,000. The auction of promises is one of various
efforts being made to raise the necessary money to make these repairs.
19
Congregating in Holy
Trinity ready for the start
of the auction.
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20
Giving for the work of our
Witney Team Parish
This year has been full of lively activity, with growth of manykinds taking places around the parish. Think of our mission
programme Living Faith, our Sunday and weekday worship, our
opportunities for prayer, our work with children and our
activities in the wider community. And our income from regular
giving is growing to provide the sound base that we need to
support our work.
We do not find it easy to talk about money. But let us treasure
some basic facts: We value our churches and we want them all to flourish
It is good that we can share responsibility with each other
We can each explore ways of being generous but recognisethat these may be different
Gods great generosity can inspire our own.
Last year we encouraged each other to give to the church byregular standing order wherever possible, or by using weekly
envelopes; and in either case, where possible, to sign Gift Aid
decarations to that our Treasurer can reclaim tax from HM
Revenue and Customs. There was a good response and we have
done remarakably well in raising our income from planned giving
both in 2011 and in what we can expect for 2012. The projected
income from planned giving for 2012 is around 80,000, not
including Gift Aid.
Each of our churches needs to raise money to pay for the
upkeep of its buildings, and we have a sense of duty to raise
money for the many charities supported by our churches. This
is very important but we also need to finance the day-to-day
running of the Parish. Foremost is the contribution that we make
to the Diocese towards the stipend, housing, pensions and
training of our clergy (the Parish Share, 88,741 in 2012). Thenthere are the costs associated with the Parish office; the provision
of music to accompany our services; the costs of heating and
lighting our churches and insuring them; and much more.
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It costs the PCC 420 per day to run the Parish.
We have all suffered the effects of the recent economic crisis,
the increased fuel and energy costs, and the rise in our weekly
shopping bills. The church is not immune to this and despite our
rising income, and our best efforts at saving money where we
can, we are facing an estimated deficit of 10,000 in 2012 (evenallowing for welcome income from fundraising events like the
Witney Feast). This deficit would eat up nearly all our
financial reserves.
We plan to have an annual review of personal giving, in
October, the month of our Harvest thanksgiving, and also
the celebration of One World Week. It is a good time to
delight in Gods generosity to us, and to respond generously
ourselves.So this October we made two requests. The first was
to invite all who give regularly to review their giving in
the light of our circumstances. It will be right for some to
reduce their level of giving, and others to increase (and we
hope many will be able to increase). We have many new mem-
bers in our churches, and we invite them to join us in regular
giving.
Secondly, we had a Gift Day in early November, and weinvited all those who were able, to make a one-off donation to
help ease the current predicament.
If you missed this opportunity to commence regular giving
to the Parish either by standing order or weekly envelopes, please
contact the Parish Office for a form to complete. You can also
still give a gift, either taking it (in an envelope with details filled
in for Gift Aid if relevant) to the Parish Office on a weekday
morning, or handing it to a church warden at a service. All giving
is treated confidentially.
Finally, a big thank you to all who have already responded so
generously to the Stewardship Renewal.
Toby Wright, Rector
Elizabeth Thomson, Team Vicar
James Mills, ChurchwardenElpie Lewis, Churchwarden
Chris Jones, PCC TreasurerLiving Faith event at
Holy Trinity.
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St Mary the Virgin, Church Green, Witney OX28 4AW
Holy Trinity, Wood Green, Witney OX28 1DN
St John the Baptist, Curbridge OX29 7NW
St John the Evangelist, Middletown, Hailey OX29 9UD
Team Rector Revd Toby Wright [email protected]
Team Vicar Revd Dr Elizabeth Thomson 834875Associate Priest Revd Sally Wright 704441
Team Evangelist Captain Jeff Hill 358226
Churchwardens Elspeth Lewis 703070James Mills 07917566374
Deputy Churchwardens
Curbridge Val Pole and Jean Chittey Hailey Clare Musson
Holy Trinity Jill Carter and Keith JamesonSt Marys Stu Vaughan and Charles Smith
Parish Office Michelle Bailey Wells 779492& Gift Aid 9am12.30pm MondayFriday
St Marys, Church [email protected]
Baptism Enquiries Esther Partridge 864926Wedding EnquiriesRevd Dr Elizabeth Thomson 834875
Witney Way editor Ruth Sheppard [email protected] date for next issue: 18 January.
Home and Hospital VisitsTo arrange Communion for anyone who is unwell, please
contact 708582 (Hailey), or 771750 (Holy Trinity). For
Curbridge, St Marys or general enquiries, contact the Parish
Office, or one of the clergy.
www.witneyparish.org.uk
Parish contact information
22
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These are the normal service times; please see website and the
weekly notice sheet for any changes or special events.
Sunday Services
Weekday Services
St Marys 8.00am Holy Communion
(Followed by breakfast on 4th Sunday)
10.45am Sung Eucharist
(With Junior Church)
Holy Trinity 10.45am Sung Eucharist
(Including Sunday School)
St Johns, 9.15am Holy Communion
Hailey (Occasionally Matins)
6.00pm Evensong
(First Sunday of the month)
St Johns, 9.15am Holy Communion
Curbridge
MondaySaturday
St Marys 9.00am Morning Prayer
MondayThursday, Saturday
St Marys 5.30pm Evening Prayer
Tuesday
Holy Trinity 10.30am Holy Communion
Wednesday
St Marys 11am Holy Communion
Thursday
St Johns, 10.00am Holy Communion
Hailey
23
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Upcoming events
Week of accompanied prayer, 28 June 2013 (see article
on pp.3032)
Ongoing Groups/Activities
Messy Church
46pm, Sunday 2 December, St Marys. Fun craft activites andgames for children and their parents with a Christian theme,ending with a hot tea.
Acorns Toddler Group
9.4511.45am and 12.45pm Thursdays, Holy Trinity (term time)A welcoming toddler group for 05 year olds and their carers.
Art Group
9.30am12 noon, Monday, Winchester Room, St. Marys
X Group
Get-togethers for teens of the parish. Meeting on 9 December.For more information contact Jeff Hill on 358226.
Holy Trinity House/Fellowship Groups
Groups meet fortnightly on Monday and Tuesday evening. Forinformation on the Monday group contact Malcolm Ryland-
Jones and for the Tuesday group contact Alan Gentry.
Book Circle
Third Tuesday of the month, 2.30pm, Winchester Room,St Marys. Open to all. Contact Freda Nicholls on 772564.
Mothers Union
Second Wednesday of the month, 2pm, Winchester Room,St Marys. Corporate Communion is held on the thirdWednesday of the month at 11am at St Marys.
Hailey Village Lunch
Third Wednesday of the month, Hailey Village Hall.
Parish Wives Group
Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7.45pm, Winchester Room,St Marys.
Whats going on in the Parish?
24
Nativity service 2011,
Holy Trinity.
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Weekly Prayer Meeting
Wednesday prayer meeting praying for the church at thehome of Jeff and Julia Hill, 81 Burwell Meadow, 89pm.
Contemplative Prayer Group
Every Wednesday, 4.305.00pm, St Marys.
Thursday WalksInformal weekly walks leaving from St Johns Hailey at 11am.Contact Elspeth Lewis on 703070.
Parish Surgery
55.30pm, Thursdays, St Marys. An opportunity to have aword with the parish clergy.
Acoustic Room
Third Thursday of the month, 7.30pm, WinchesterRoom, St Marys. 3 on the door, free for performers. Forfurther information contact Colin or Jean Greenwayon 705026.
Faith with Spice
An opportunity for the men from the churches to get together,7.45pm on 20 January, 3 March, 28 April at Shaan, Corn Street.Contact Jeff Hill for further details.
Choir Practice: Holy Trinity
Wednesdays, 7.30pm.Contact Paul Francis 01235 848215.
Choir Practice: St Marys
Sundays, 9.45am. Contact Francis Rumsey.
St Marys Junior Choir
All keen young singers welcome, for more details contact SallyRumsey, 779331.
Bell ringing at St Marys
Ringing on Sunday, 9.4510.45am. Practice night Tuesday,7.309pm. Contact Wendy Wastie 07773 391886
25
Make sure your events and ongoing activities are listed here, email
[email protected], or ring 866127.
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26
Weddings
Eynsham Hall is a distinctly different and
independently managed venue. Discover this
fine Jacobean Grade II listed house amongst
3,000 acres of some of Oxfordshires finest
parkland. Mature trees, manicured topiary,
formal gardens and terraces present an idyllic
backdrop for your day. Peace and tranquillityprevail for todays guests of this privileged
location.
Eynsham Hall, North Leigh,Witney, Oxon, OX29 6PN
t 01993 885 200e [email protected] www.eynshamhall.com
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and partnerships
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including beauty salon
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27
Songs of Praise
Recently, whilst listening to Radio 4, I heard a well-known song,
often heard as a football anthem, recited as a poem. This of
course was Youll never walk alone, it really worked as a poem
and listening to the words, I became aware that this could beinterpreted as a song of praise, a hymn.
I therefore looked up the definition of a hymn. The Oxford
Dictionarytells us that a hymn is a song of praise to God a met-
rical composition sung in a religious service.
I then began to wonder, how many other well-known songs
could also serve as songs of praise or hymns. There is another
song, also used as a football anthem The wonder of you
which could also fall into this category. I began to ask others forsong suggestions: You raise me up and Bridge over troubled
waters was among the suggestions, Im sure that you can think
of many more. Recently, when preaching at Holy Trinity, Joanna
played a piece of country music called Point of light. She had
first been introduced to this as a
poem, but it works just as well as a
hymn.
I am not suggesting that we beginto sing any of these songs during
Sunday service; we already have
differing views on hymns in our
churches, some people only liking the
traditional hymns (who can blame
them, we are all stirred by a good
Wesley hymn), and others also
enjoying the more modern hymns
introduced in the 1970s and 1980s.
Next time you hear a ballad on
the radio, think about the words, can
they be interpreted as a song of praise
to the Lord; do they have only to be
valid in a secular society? Surely
everything that we do, say or singshould be within the context of our
relationship with Jesus.
AP
Youll never walk alone
When you walk through a storm
Keep your chin up highAnd don't be afraid of the dark
When you walk through a storm
Keep your chin up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet, silver song of the lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk aloneYou'll never walk alone
Oscar Hammerstein II
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Churches in America are alive
and kicking!
You might think from watching Hollywood films that America
was a secular society that has turned its back on Christ. Youcould not be further from the truth. When you go to America
as we did this summer for two months, driving up the East
Coast from Florida to Maine, visiting a church every Sunday
you realise how many more Christian churches there are
there.
The population of the US is five times larger than that of the
UK But there are more than 15 times as many churches. The
UK has 38,000 churches. Half of American churches, or354,000, have national or regional congregations of 60,000
people or more. The number of small, local churches almost
doubles this figure. Every year, 4,000 new Christian churches
open their doors, while 500 close. Thats an impressive 6%
growth per annum.
There is not an established state religion in America no
Church of America so that any graduate of a Bible College or
university can set up their own church, and many do. There isno state intervention. You can find small churches above shops
in America, in shopping malls, on trailer parks, on the edge of
housing estates, on beach fronts and in private homes.
The first church in America was built by John Smith in
Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607, and John Rolfe and Princess
Pocahontas were married there in 1614. As most of the migrants
to the southern states were of Scottish or English descent,
growing rice, then tobacco and sugar, the churches tended to be
either Presbyterian or Church of England. After John Wesley
had become rector of Christ Church in Savannah, Georgia in
1736, and developed Methodism, there sprang up many
Methodist Churches. Baptist churches became popular too, while
in Pennsylvania and the surrounding states, Quakers took a hold
from 1680 onwards.
After the Declaration of Independence of 1775, the Churchof England was renamed the Episcopal Church, in order to
circumvent the need for its priests to owe allegiance to the king
of England although it remained a member of the Anglican
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Community, with the archbishop of Canterbury as its head. They
have retained the Common Book of Prayer and the Church of
Englands modern versions, plus a similar hymn book. Their
services are very similar to ours. However, to avoid paying
copyright dues to Britain during the 19th century, their printers
changed a word on each page, so that in every service weattended we were thrown by the substitution of one well-
remembered word for another. It might have been thine for
thy or something like heart for soul. Hymns were not often
accredited to their British authors either.
We visited several Episcopal and Presbyterian churches in
the south, and were struck by their size, and their wealth.
Some were built like comfortable cinemas, with big outreach
and juvenile programmes which would be the envy ofchurches back home. In the two months, we attended
churches with a membership of 3,0004,000, down to one in
New England using a converted shipbuilding shed, with a
congregation of about 30.
When the Pilgrim Fathers landed in 1620 in Massachusetts,
they called themselves Separatists, because they had separated
from the state religions in Britain and Holland. They later
changed their name to Congregationalists, and have the mostchurches of any Christian denomination in the northern states.
Other European denominations are popular too, like Dutch
Reform or Lutheran. In Plymouth, we came across The Twelve
Tribes who followed the teachings of the original Pilgrim
Fathers religious leader, Roger Williams. They share property
and grow all their own food, which they sell in wholefood cafes
and markets. They make their own clothes; the women wear long
skirts and the men let their hair grow. They home-school their
children and eschew TV, films, pop music and cars. They pray at
home twice a day and keep Saturday as their holy day. They also
called Jesus by his Hebrew name of Yahshua. We met them at
their caf, and talked to them for ages. They have followers all
across the globe, and their lifestyle was very simple, earnest and
attractive.
So, if you were ever cynical about Americans, please look atthem with fresh eyes. They are a God-loving people, and they
could teach us a thing or two!
Juliet Curry
29
Image by andrewatia
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30
That your hidden self
may grow strong
A week of accompanied prayer
offered by churches in central Witney28 June 2013
There is a story told about two sisters. It seems that someone
had come into their lives and made a huge impact. This person
was a regular visitor to their home. With their differing attitudes,
gifts and ways of relating they responded in different ways to his
presence. You will no doubt recognise the story of Martha and
Mary as told in Lukes gospel. (Luke 10:3842)Vermeer painted a picture of Martha and Mary with Jesus.
In his imagining of the story both women are looking at Jesus.
It can be helpful to see these two sisters as different aspects of
myself. In the midst of my own life, imagining myself as
Martha, what might I become aware of? In Vermeers picture
she is standing over a basket of bread which she may have just
made and carried to the table. In the gospel story Martha is
apparently resentful that she has been left to get on with thework. Jesus observes her fretting and fussing about many
things or in another translation being busy about many
things.
In the midst of my own life, imagining myself as Mary, what
would I see of myself ? In the picture Mary is sitting on the
ground apparently intent on listening to and gazing upon Jesus.
Sometimes I can recognise the depth of nurture and possibility
when in the midst of life I have stopped, listened to,
contemplated the mystery God and become conscious that here
is the ground of my being.
There are so many ways that the unique personal story of our
lives can be touched and expanded by the bigger stories
whether that be through nature, art, music or the great stories
of our culture and religious tradition.
Maybe in this story of Martha and Mary it is possible toacknowledge that both are in indeed in me, both are necessary,
somehow symbolic of outer and inner, of action and contem-
plation. Reflecting on this story might enable me to see how
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31
much in the daily run of things I long for the kind of space to
wonder about my relationship with God. A space to allow
myself to own the gifts of life as well as that with which I fret
and struggle, a space in which I can acknowledge the longing
to be more myself, less captive to patterns and attitudes which
I suspect are limiting of life and love.The Week of Accompanied Prayer encourages such a space
for listening and responding to God. It can be an encouragement
to take time for myself amidst everyday life. It also offers the
opportunity to be listened to by a Companion.
The Week of Accompanied Prayer, how does it happen?
There is an Opening Session for all on Sunday 2nd June.
Each Participant commits to at least half an hour of reflectionin silence and solitude each day. The focus of this is
Scripture-based and will be arrived at in a shared way with
the Companion.
Each day the Participant meets one-to-one with the Compan-
ion for up to forty minutes. The Companion listens lovingly
and without judgement. Their role is not to give advice or
counsel but to discern with the person where there is creative
energy in the prayer and where further focus may be invited.Venue the same each day in different churches in town.
There is a Closing Session for all on Saturday 8 June.
An integral part of the Week is the TEA ROOM! This is a
place where all those taking part can meet informally during
the week.
Who are the Companions?
The people who will accompany you are drawn from all
denominations. They are all experienced in spiritual direction and
retreat work. Their formation is founded on attending deeply to
God in their own life and prayer as well as various training
programmes.
Cost and Application
The suggested donation is 70 (this is what the week costs) butwith a sliding scale to a minimum of 40. We would not wish
finance to prevent participation and hope that anyone who
desires to take part and cant afford this will speak to their priest,
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minister or meeting leader.
A deposit of 20 is required with application.
Application forms will be available at the end of the Taster
Sessions.
What happens before the Week?There are two Taster Sessions (it will be the same content at each so you have a choice):
Tuesday 4 December 7.309.15 pmat High Street Methodist Church refreshment offered by the Quakers
Sunday 9 December 4.306.15 pmat High Street Methodist Church refreshment offered by Methodists
These are integral to the Week and important to attend if youwish to participate.
Please come if you are at all interested. There is no obligationto take part in the week.
The sessions are gentle and reflective and an introduction tothe feel of the process.
There are two sessions for participants before the Week.Theme Exploring Personal Prayer
Monday 22 April 2013 7.309.30 pmMonday 29 April 2013 7.309.30 pm
Venues to be confirmed but as this is an ecumenical projectour intention is to use as many different places as possible in thechurches in Witney. That way each community is part of thehospitality.
Isabel GregoryFacilitator of the Week of Accompanied Prayer
For further information please speak to the Rector.
32
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33
Celebration: Making a Difference
in the World
Held on 27 October, this event was a culmination of the Living
Faith initiative, an encouragement to continue the work alreadybeing done in the Diocese, and to learn from the example of
other parishes. It was held at The Kings Centre, Osney Mead, a
very large venue run by the Community Church which was ideal
for the event. There were probably around 150200 attendees
from around the diocese and beyond.
As Bishop John stated at the outset it was intended to be a
fun day, allowing us to be positive about our achievements to
date, but also accepting that there was still much to do, andallowing ourselves to be encouraged by all that had happened
and was still happening in the Church.
Ben Okafor opened the event, with original songs
accompanied by guitar, and supported by members of the
Archway Foundation, whose principal aim is to befriend the
lonely and help to give them a sense of purpose.
Following the Bishops introduction we had two inspiring
talks from Ann Morisy (author and theologian) and LorettaMinghella (director of Christian Aid). Ann set out in some detail
the importance of Christian outreach from a social point of
view and how it helped to enrich peoples lives and to be a
positive force in adversity. Loretta gave a moving account about
how she moved from a background of being brought up as a
Catholic, to working on a government compensation scheme
for the Financial Services Authority, and thence, with
encouragement from her daughter, applying for the top job at
Christian Aid.
After a very well-prepared and presented lunch, workshops
were offered on a number of subjects. The Witney contingent
attended four sessions, and we give a brief description of three
of them.
Lorna and I attended a presentation and discussion from the
Well Centre, which aims to get involved in Community andBusiness Partnerships, addressing such issues as unemployment
(particularly youth and over 50s), ethics in business, support for
those made redundant and also for those given the task of
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34
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35
communicating redundancies. The Well Centre is a company and
registered charity run in conjunction with the diocese and is
prepared to be involved with employees and employers who need
their help. It is beneficial to both parties and assists those with
difficult decisions to make and problems to overcome.
Ann Marsden went to the workshop Making a Difference inthe World run by Maranda St John Nicolle. She reports: We
were asked to choose from a selection of the teachings of Jesus
and give examples of how Christians are following his advice.
Three of us chose Matthew 25 verses 3538, which ends any-
thing you did for my brothers, you did unto me. In my group
two gave illustrations about churches or individuals within the
church in the country reaching out to others less fortunate. I
chose an illustration from India which shows the influence thatthe Christian nurses in our project had on the villages they
worked in. Most of the villages were divided. The outcaste Dalits
were apart in a separate area. But our Christian nurses went to
help anyone who was sick, and gradually the village health
workers they chose and trained from both caste and non-caste
communities moved as freely.
The disease of measles was said to be sent by the goddess
Ammavaram to punish the family; children with measles in bothparts of the village were left without food, or much water, the
mother wasnt permitted to change her sari or clean the house.
When a measles epidemic struck the Dalit village, a caste health
worker went from house to house, giving water to the sick
children and advice to the mothers, helping them take severely
sick children to hospital. It was a little complicated to tell in the
time allowed, but I think it is relevant.
Francis Newenham attended the workshop on how to be a
green church. He reports: This workshop started with us all
being asked what things we would be interested to discuss.
Participants suggested they would like advice on many issues
such as fitting solar panels, heat pumps, new lighting and heating
schemes. We were then asked what problems we found in trying
to be a green church. There was widespread agreement that many
hurdles seem to be put in our way when we tried to implementnew schemes. These included the difficulties in satisfying bodies
such as the Victorian Society and English Heritage and in the
preparation of faculties for the DAC.
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Before we got any answers, the speaker seemed to go off
onto his own agenda and suggested we thought more outside
the box. He gave examples including how one parish had made
a communal vegetable garden on a patch of unused land and
then sold the produce. He asked us to think about ideas we could
introduce which didnt involve the church or any of ourbuildings.
Finally we got back to how we could make our churches
greener. The leader felt he couldnt make any recommendations
as all our buildings are so different. However he showed us the
various publications that would help us and that there were
specialist people in the diocese who could assist us in making the
best decisions.
After the workshops and following refreshments, BishopJohn led us in the Eucharist to give thanks for all that had been
achieved and encourage us to continue the work so far
undertaken. There was a final opportunity to view the
contributions written on cards and spread out on a giant Cel-
ebration poster, and visit a number of stalls, illustrating the
initiatives undertaken by organisations and parishes before we
departed.
Andrew Whitehouse
St Marys Youth Choir
The choir has been very busy over the Autumn. They sang at
the Harvest service performing a two-part Zulu song in the
Zulu language. They also joined in the Sea Songs and Shanties
concert where they sang two numbers: When I was oneand a
beautiful two-part rendition of the well-known Northumbrian
folk song, Blow the wind southerly. They confidently led the au-
dience in a four-part round ofA nervous wreck. The choir will
next be singing at the Carol service on Christmas Eve.Sally Rumsey
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Witney Mothers Union
Witney has a thriving branch of Mothers Union, with thirty or
so members, but those not involved in the Mothers Union may
know little of the organisations history, or relevance to the world
today.The organisation was founded by Mary Sumner in 1876 in
the parish of Old Alresford near Winchester, where her husband
was Rector. She was inspired after the birth of her first grand-
child, remembering her own difficulties when she was first a
mother, she wanted to bring mothers of all social classes together
to provide support and training for one another. In 1885, Bishop
Wilberforce, the first Bishop of Newcastle, was preparing to
address churchgoing women in Portsmouth, finding he hadnothing relevant to say to churchwomen, he contacted Mary
Sumner and asked her to speak in his stead. She addressed the
women passionately about the power of mothers to change the
nation for the better. A number of women present were
encouraged to return to their parishes and set up similar womens
meetings
By 1892, there were 60,000 members in 28 dioceses which
had grown to 169,000 members by the turn of the century. MarySumner was unanimously elected president, a post she held into
her nineties. During her Diamond Jubilee in 1897, Queen Vic-
toria became patron, giving it her unprecedented stamp of
approval. Branches were soon set up throughout the British Em-
pire. Today there are four million members worldwide.
As a global movement of women (and men) the Mothers
Union supports local churches with prayers and activities. It is in-
volved with local communities through social outreach projects and
is an international campaigning charity. Mothers Union is particu-
larly concerned with the plight of women in the world; its projects
include literacy and development, parenting, micro-finance and
campaigning against violence against women and the trafficking of
women. Mothers Union is part of Make Poverty History and the
Jubilee Debt Coalition. Within the UK it successfully lobbies
government; at present it is involved in the Bye Buy Childhoodcampaign to help prevent the commercialisation and sexualisation
of children. At a recent Diocesan Social Policy Unit day held in
Deddington, the MP Tony Baldry assured his listeners that MPs
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Below and opposite:
Mothers Union Area
Festival at St Marys,
Witney.
are pleased to hear from us and that one of our strengths is that
every MP is aware of the Mothers Union and most would want to
work constructively with them.
On an international scale, the Mothers Union represents a
diverse membership and communities around the world, facing
a range of issues including family breakdown, violence, poverty,water shortages, literacy, HIV/AIDS and gender inequality. The
Mothers Union lobbies for political change to tackle the root
causes. The Mothers Union holds a special consultative status
with the United Nations, which entitles it to make a contribution
to the United Nations work in areas relating to Mothers Union
expertise. The Mothers Union exercises its consultative status
at the annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) held
in the United Nations headquarters in New York.So, back to our branch in Witney, we meet together each
month, we pray together, listen to some very good speakers and
have time to enjoy each others company. However, we are at
present of an older age group and would love to have new,
younger members join us.
There is a place and ministry for all in the Mothers Union,
those who have the energy and enthusiasm could serve in the
organisation and campaigning of the Mothers Union at a local,Deanery, Diocesan or national level, those who have perhaps less
energy, serve by their prayer ministry and concern for others.
A Platt
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Mothers Union Area Festival
On Tuesday 13 November about 100 members from all over the
Dorchester Area came together in St Marys to celebrate the work
of the Mothers Union. Bishop Colin presided and preached at
the Eucharist assisted by Toby and Rosemary. Branches brought
their banners with them and were able to process to the altar
with them at the start of the service.
There were displays of the work that Mothers Union mem-
bers undertake, both here and abroad and a stall with a varied
selection of literature and cards to purchase, which did brisk
trade. Tables had been laid up in the Winchester Room and in
the church to provide a hot lunch for all. Witney Branch
committee members provided a variety of delicious casseroles,
followed by homemade puddings and coffee.
An occasion such as this gives us the opportunity to meet
other branch members and to remember that although someindividual groups may be quite small, together we are many and
still growing all over the world.
Lorna Whitehouse
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Girlguiding in Witney
Holy Trinity is unique among all the churches in Witney in that it
is the only one with Brownie and Guide units attached to it 4th
Witney (Holy Trinity) although neither unit still meets there.
Guiding came to Witney in the early 1920s, one of the earliestleaders was Maud Logan who for many years sang in St Marys choir.
Originally units met in various places around the town, many later
moving to the Guide Headquarters building behind the Methodist
Church this led to the long-standing link with the church. In the
1980s and 1990s units began to move onto the new estates being
built around the town many meet in local schools, although five
groups still meet in the Methodist Church.
For those whove never been involved in Guiding and want toknow what we do well the answer is almost anything! We make
a lot of noise, run around, make things, stay away overnight (sleep
optional), help at community events, go on trips, raise money for
ourselves and others and generally have a lot of fun. The
difference between us and a youth club is that everyone makes a
promise to serve our country, to love God and to help other
people. Anyone can join who is prepared to make our promise (it
can be altered if a girl has another faith) regardless of theirabilities there is even an internet group for those unable to make
unit meetings due to illness or remote living. Currently in Witney
we have two Rainbow units (57 year olds), six Brownie units
(710), three Guide units (1014) and a Trefoil Guild (18 to 80+
year olds), about 220 girls and about 40 volunteer leaders. We
would love to be able to take on more girls but, like many voluntary
groups, need more leaders to enable this to happen. It doesnt have
to be a commitment to come every week many groups have lead-
ers who fit in round shift work, we need people who can do our
accounts for us, type letters, lead an occasional craft activity etc.
Its a great movement to be involved in when we celebrated
our centenary two years ago the sight of 2,000 girls each day at
the Cotswold Wildlife Park one weekend was stunning and set
off many conversations with other visitors.
If you would like more information please ask or look at thewebsite: www.girlguiding.org.uk. If you could help in any way please
contact me [email protected] or via St Marys.
Alison Spicer, Division Commissioner Windrush and St Marys
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The Ministry Team
The Chapter
Toby Wright
Team Rector
Elizabeth Thomson
Team Vicar
Sally Wright
Associate Priest
Jeff Hill
Team Evangelist
Rosemary Peirce
Licensed Lay Minister
David Exham
Licensed Lay Minister
Joanna Collicutt
Assistant Priest
Stephen Hearn
Assistant Priest
Martin Sheldon
Assistant Priest
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Lights of Remembrance
Opposite are photographs from the Lights of Remembrance
evening in Hailey, in November 2012. We lit candles in church
to remember people, and wrote names on leaves to add to thetree. We took candle lanterns out to light up the churchyard.
Then we warmed up again with mulled cider and hot dogs.
St Marys Concert
A small, but appreciative audience was given a fun evening of
Sea Songs and Shanties on the eve of Trafalgar Day in St Marys
Church.
The choir performed a selection of songs from HMS Pinafore,The Leaving of LiverpoolandMarried to a Mermaid. The Youth Choir
sangWhen I was Oneand Blow the Wind Southerly, then led everyone
in a four-part round ofA Nervous Wreck. Groups sangRolling
Down to Rio andAs I Roved Out.
Joanna Collicutt sang Tom Bowlingand Sally Rumsey sang
Martin Shaws song of the famous poem, Cargoes. Bishop Bill
Down amused us with some yarns from his days with The Mis-
sion to Seafarers.Francis Rumsey played Chanty from Plymouth Suite by
Whitlock and, in Hornpipe Humoresque by Rawsthorne the
audience tried to guess how many tunes were woven into the
hornpipe; the children enjoyed the fog-horn effect!
The audience sangShenandoah, Heart of Oak, What Shall we do
with the Drunken Sailor, Rio Grandeand a favourite hymn, Will Your
Anchor Hold?
The Evening ended with Kirsty Strange, complete withtrident, singingRule Britannia.
Our thanks to Francis and Sally Rumsey and the choirs
who put a great deal of time and effort into producing such
an enjoyable evening which raised 272 for St Marys. The
children went away still singingRule Britanniaand an array of
wonderful tunes were going round in our heads for many days
afterwards.
Helen Meyrick
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Some of the performers in Sea Songs and Shanties: Anne Walters, Philip Walters, Kirsty Strange as
Britannia, and Pirate Nat Hayes in front.
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Advent and Christmas Services 2012
2 December Advent carol service Holy Trinity, 6.00 pm
7 December Mayors carol service St Marys, 7.00 pm
16 December Nativity service Holy Trinity, 10.45 am
Christingle St Marys, 3.00 pm
Christingle Hailey, 3.00 pm
Village carol service Curbridge, 6.00 pm
23 December Nine lessons & carols Holy Trinity, 6.00 pm
Village carol service Hailey, 6.00 pm
24 December Crib service St Marys, 3.00 pm
Carol service St Marys, 6.00 pm
Midnight mass St Marys, 11.30pm
Midnight mass Holy Trinity, 11.30pm
Midnight mass Hailey, 11.30 pm
25 December Holy Communion St Marys, 8.00am
Sung Eucharist St Marys, 10.45am
Sung Eucharist Holy Trinity, 10.45am
Holy Communion Hailey, 9.15am