Part of the process of forming the new parish of The Upper Skerne involved the creation of a Parish Development Plan : below is an extract.  How do you think we are doing so far? What would you like to see more of? How would you like to be involved? Do let PCC representatives or Ministry Team Members know what you feel.

We believe that God wants a thriving and flourishing Christian community built around the six churches in the Parish together with our ecumenical partners.  By coming together, our joint resources and energy will ensure the continuation of worship in all the churches of the Parish and enable us to focus more effectively on our Christian mission. In this way we will form a stronger and more vibrant community than any of us can achieve on our own.  The Vision will be worked out and supported through the structures that are put into place recognising that each member of the church has an essential part in this work.

“Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours; yours are eyes through which he is to look with compassion on the world; yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good; and yours the hands with which he is to bless us now”. (St. Teresa of Avila)

We will seek to contribute to the Kingdom of God in the Parish of the Upper Skerne by:

• Being the people of God, engaging with each of the communities in the Parish and making the message of hope brought through Jesus Christ accessible to all.

• Supporting one another as Christian people in the mission of the Church to the world with a real partnership between the laity and clergy.

• Affirming that all are equal in the sight of God and that we are called to be part of the wider community, supporting and cherishing it; being Christ’s body in his world.

• Seeking out those who have a calling to any vocation for God’s work in the Parish.

• Becoming a Parish which:

* learns about the gifts and grace of God for all people.

* teaches theology, morality & ethics.

* grows in faith and in confidence

* broadens horizons.

• Creating an organisational structure that supports the ministry of the Church.

• Developing a specific focus on working with young people in the Parish.

• Supporting those traumatised by life events or restricted by old age.

• Ensuring that there are opportunities for regular worship within and for our communities.

• Developing our stewardship of the buildings we have inherited without being constrained by them.

We all pay lip service to the notion of prayer. “We must pray for our new parish” says one person. But, how? In this month’s Locality News you should have received a prayer diary with the name of your church and the parish name on the top. It consists of three prayer topics for each day and it runs in a monthly cycle. The church in the parish of the Upper Skerne is the topic of the first column. The second column lifts are eyes from the parochial inviting our prayers for the Diocese and for the Mission and Charitable organisations supported by churches of the parish. The third column consists of a list of all the streets in your district (or parish as used to be).

Please remove the prayer diary from the newsletter. Why not put it by your bedside, in your Bible or in the place that you regularly use for prayer.  Sometimes daily prayer, using a prayer diary, can be joyful and exciting, at other times it can feel like a dull routine to be endured. So, here are some tips which may help you in praying every day

1. Try to make a regular time every day which suits your commitments. Recognise also your bodies’ natural rhythms. If you fall asleep each night as soon as you get into bed, maybe praying at that time is not a good idea. Get into the habit of looking forward to prayer.

2. Try using the same place each day and think of that place as the special place where you talk to your heavenly father.

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