Category: News

All the latest news from NECN!

Kids Matter – Working with Estate Churches

Kids Matter has a vision to see every child in need raised in a strong family. We engage local churches to use relational, evidence informed programmes to equip parents and carers in the community who are facing disadvantages with confidence, competence and community enabling their children to thrive. Everything we do is focused on the country’s vulnerable children. We train peer facilitators from churches and they provide ongoing support and supervision to run the programme, help churches connect with new families and to support churches to continue to build relationships with families who have been on the programme.
The parenting groups are small with no more than 4 – 8 parents. The atmosphere is informal, it is always sitting around a table together over coffee, tea and pastries, working together with user-friendly and evidence-informed booklets, all led by the trained peer facilitator from the local church. The programme has been adapted so that it can run via group video calls, along with the facilitator training which is also available online. Even though currently we can’t all sit around a table with tea and coffee we still very much encourage our facilitators to create a warm hospitable atmosphere through zoom, one facilitator even delivered biscuits to each of the participants homes beforehand

You can find out all about kids matter here (www.kidsmatter.org) where you will also find free resources that you can use with families.

Here are few comments on the impact of Kids Matter parenting programmes.

‘These weeks have been a real journey for our family, my 4 year old now says ‘I love you mummy’, he never used to do that before.’

‘It’s helped me massively to realise it’s ok to feel overwhelmed sometimes. Talking to others and realising I am not alone’

‘I realised the importance of eating together as a family we never did that when I was growing up and I felt like my mum didn’t know me.’

‘Kids Matter has proved to be an excellent way to help churches engage with families and caregivers, particularly in areas where family life is a struggle. I would recommend any church looking to ­nd ways to connect with parents in their parish to explore Kids Matter.’ Rt Revd Dr Graham Tomlin. Bishop of Kensington

Bishop Appoints Andy to Exciting New Role

New Birmingham Cathedral missioner role for NECN Executive Director
The Trustees of the National Estate Churches Network (NECN) congratulate our Executive Director, The Revd Canon Andy Delmege, on his appointment as Canon Missioner at Birmingham Cathedral announced on Sunday 10th May 2020.
Andy has served NECN for many years in various roles; as a trustee, as convenor of the local estates group in Birmingham, as NECN Chair and, for the last year, as Executive Director.
During that time, NECN has become increasingly influential in its work to support estate churches, practitioners and broader urban ministry, and now holds a leading role in the partnership of organisations helping to deliver national church estate agendas alongside urban and estate communities across the country.
Andy has been instrumental in this process and the NECN trustees wish to pay warm tribute to the contribution he has made, and will continue to make, to the profile of urban ministry nationally.
NECN Chair, The Revd Lynne Cullens, said “NECN has gained hugely from Andy’s commitment, gifting and passion for urban and estates ministry. NECN is now in a strong position, supported by a three-year grant from the All Churches Trust received in 2019, with a vision for local group development, new strategic partnerships and the building of our capacity to deliver across a broader range of topics relevant to those ministering on estates. The trustees and I will shortly be commencing the process of recruiting a new Executive Director to lead NECN through its next phase of development as a charity.”
Andy Delmege said, “I am sorry to be leaving NECN, but I know that, with an excellent board of trustees, a hugely increased number of local groups and many willing and gifted volunteers, it is in good hands and in a strong position to build on the work of recent years.”
Andy will begin his new role at the end of July and he will continue to lead the delivery of the Urban Leadership Learning Pathways Pilot in Birmingham Diocese working closely with Revd Helen Shannon who leads the Estates Evangelism course in the Diocese of London, both of which benefit from All Churches Trust funding via NECN.
Before he moves, Andy will be leading the NECN Online Conference on 1st July along with trustees Sara Barron and Robb Sutherland and other exciting contributors. Booking available via
Revd Lynne Cullens

coronavirus news

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

We are writing to you with prayers and love at this time of crisis.

The coronavirus pandemic has affected all of us very deeply.  We know only too well how it is touching us, our communities, our families and our Churches.  This is an extremely difficult time, and we know that you are all working really hard trying to work out the best way to be Church when we can’t meet physically, trying to figure out how we can continue to serve our communities, putting in place some mechanisms of care.

At NECN, we are praying for you.  We are thinking of ways in which we can offer one another helpful support.  If you have time, could you share stories and examples of what is working in your Church and your community?  It would be a wonderful resource to get things into each others hands.  If you are able to do this, please email Christine at  christinem@cofebirmingham.com  or put something on the Facebook page.
We will post things on our website here:  https://estatechurches.org/covid-19/
please keep an eye on this page for news.

One really important thing at the moment is that we don’t feel guilty about the things we can’t do.  We need to be looking after our own physical, mental and spiritual health so that we can be serving others.  And it is increasingly apparent that this will be a marathon and not a sprint.  If you can’t livestream your services, don’t worry – just publicise links to churches that are doing this, and work out other ways of keeping in touch with people.  We are all making this up as we go along, we are all making mistakes, and this is all very provisional.

Let’s continue to be a community that supports one another.  Let us know if you have any particular prayer requests or questions.  Please remember that although we might be physically isolated, we are not alone.  God is with us and we have each other.

We will be in touch again after Easter, when things have hopefully settled down a little, with some ideas of how NECN can continue to be a family and support Estate Churches through the internet, through our local groups, and through conferences and webinars.

With love and prayers,

Andy, Lynne, Sara and Christine.

What  does it mean to be a Church on the Margins in a time of coronavirus? 


A weekly space for shared reflection in these challenging times
2pm Thursday, for the next 4 weeks (2, 9, 16 and 23 April)

https://being-a-church-on-the-margins.eventbrite.co.uk

These are extraordinary times for all of us, but what does it mean to be a ‘church on the margins’ and to seek to be attentive to and inclusive of those on margins of society in the current crisis?

We are not offering any answers, but simply a space to reflect together with others on these challenging times, on our own hopes and fears, on the practical and theological issues thrown up by the crisis, and what it means for church, discipleship, ministry and spirituality to be a ‘Church on the Margins’ at this current time.

Each session will start with a short reflection, but mostly be spent in small groups sharing together our own experiences, thoughts and reflections on these questions.

The event will take place via Zoom. You can participate via any internet enabled device with a microphone (laptop, tablet, phone etc) – or simply over the phone. Once you have signed up via Eventbrite, we will send you a link or a phone number that will allow you to take part.

Sign up for one session, or for the whole series. Dip in and give it a go!

https://being-a-church-on-the-margins.eventbrite.co.uk

Whilst it is possible to participate in Zoom calls from a normal phone, we are also exploring the possibility of holding separate phone-based conversations that could be accessed free of charge from a phone – further details of this in due course.  

The Coronavirus Charity Help Fund Application

For information: deadline 25th March

The Coronavirus Charity Help Fund has been set up by Martin Lewis to help those affected by the coronavirus. Small or local charities are able to apply to receive a grant of £5-20K for specific coronavirus poverty relief projects.

We’re especially interested in projects that directly help people affected by the effects of the virus, such as by giving access to food, toiletries, basic necessities, as well as community projects to help people in isolation.

We are looking for projects that can help people now, so will welcome applications for existing projects that could be scaled up with extra money or projects that are in the process of being set up.

Speed is of the essence so we encourage you to highlight your project’s objectives and outcomes concisely – consider using bullet points rather than lengthy answers. Data will only be used for the purpose of giving grants.

Apply here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1R3JX15FRwkrLuDYW8VugIkSNpkqG50aLgEgbkGJyXi4/viewform?edit_requested=true

very early spring mailing

Dear friends,

I want to bring you up to date with the events we have planned this year. There are also some other opportunities to meet up with other folk from estate churches.

National Conferences
The theme for this year’s National Conferences is local leadership. The Midlands conference will take place at Coventry Cathedral on Thursday 4th June. The Northern  conference will take place on Tuesday 9th June at Preston Minster. Bookings for these conferences will be open soon.

London Regional Conference 

  • Thursday 8th October 2020
  • Theme/Title: Ransomed, Healed, Restored, Forgiven… With the subtitle: Reconciling and empowering our congregations for leadership
  • Location: St James the Less, Pimlico

NECN has a number of opportunities to get involved:
We are looking for a Volunteer Treasurer, a crucial role in helping us build our work supporting estate churches.  for more details of the role please contact me

We are looking for volunteers to serve on our Workstreams – Resources, Partnerships, Finance and Fundraising, Communications and Groups.  If you are interested in this, please contact Andy for a chat.

Bookings are now open for two important Estate Church Events:

Leading your Church into Growth are holding this year’s three day estate churches’ conference on 17th – 19th June at the Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick. To book visit:
https://www.leadingyourchurchintogrowth.org.uk/estates-conference-2020

The Eden Network are running a two day conference for any Christian seeking to love where they live called Proximity 2020. This will take place on 15th May – 16th May. Visit https://www.message.org.uk/proximity2020/ to book your place.

I hope you will be able to attend one of these events where we can continue to explore how to raise up and resource local leaders on the estates.

If you would like to get occasional mailing like this from NECN direct to your mailbox, please sign up ahttps://estatechurches.org/

With love and prayers,

Andy

finding the treasure – more estate church podcasts

NECN Chair, Lynne Cullens, writes:

In what ways is the Church being called to transformation by those currently marginalised within its structures, by those on our estates?

Privileged to be part of this podcast discussion ‘Finding the Treasure – Good News from the Estates’, chaired by Jamie Hawkey, Canon Theologian of Westminster Abbey; this is the culmination of a two year project from the CofE’s Estates Theology Group, pairing up local ministers with academic theologians and helping churches and their neighbours to listen and to reflect on what gifts God has given them to share.

Some sound bites…
“Alternative readings bring out aspects of scripture that couldn’t be seen by others; I would love to put the Bible in the hands of working-class people, of people from estates, and have them teach the Church how to read in the way that they might read” Dr Justin Stratis.

“We are each other’s shining touch; if one of us is down the others will pick us up” Natalie from Rubery

“Another legacy for the Church must be enduring and hot anger at injustice; our listening must never be complacent, we’ve found people living with radical social injustices, we should be angry about that…because in the end we are about transformation” Bishop Philip North.

“The boundary is the place we are transformed…to able to dance on the edges, to learn a new dance together, to be transformed by that participation feels like a necessary and rich thing” Revd Claire Turner

This and the other podcasts in the series are recommended listening for those interested in estates ministry and in the Church’s reorientation to face those currently on its margins.

Huge thanks to Al Barrett for the continued inspiration, as well as for the invitation to take part.

Listen to the podcast here