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The Magazine
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The Vicar Writes
When Big Ben strikes twelve in the first seconds of 1 January 2010, we might wonder (if we are awake) what the New Year will hold for us. No human knows the future, of course, and so we can only wonder. On the other hand, we may have a pretty good idea of what the new year will hold – if we are due to have school exams, for example, or if we are engaged to be married, or if we will be reaching the age for a free bus pass or state pension.
Similarly, while we don't know our parishes' future for definite, we can be pretty sure that at least one matter will feature prominently for our parishes this year – and that's what the diocese calls the 'mission community'.
The term 'mission community' comes from the diocesan report 'Moving On in Mission and Ministry' of 2003, produced by a committee chaired by our very own Archdeacon of Plymouth, Tony Wilds. The report is available both in long form and summary form on the diocesan website. It set out a number of specific hallmarks of healthy Christian communities, and asked parishes to form 'mission communities' in which all the hallmarks could be exhibited between constituent parishes. Larger parishes, which exhibit many of the hallmarks, would naturally be asked to work with smaller parishes which do not, so that all parishes might together exhibit all the signs of healthy Christian life.
It has been up to deaneries to decide how the parishes within them might be grouped into mission communities. In our own Tavistock deanery, this decision proved initially difficult, as by 2006, what the deanery was proposing was not compatible with the number of clergy that the diocese had allotted it.
The arrival of a new rural dean in 2007 – Geoff Lloyd, the priest-in-charge of Horrabridge – provided the opportunity to work on a new deanery plan, starting with the input of churchwardens. The resulting plan, after consultation with clergy and parish church councils, was agreed by the deanery synod in March 2008. It provided for three mission communities in each deanery, each staffed by two full-time priests-in-charge: in the north, the current benefices centred on Buckland Monachorum and Yelverton, with the addition of Horrabridge and Sampford Spiney (and, most recently, Princetown); and in the middle, the current benefices of Tavistock and Gulworthy, and Whitchurch, with the addition of Brent Tor, Peter Tavy and Mary Tavy.
The deanery plan was honest enough to recognize genuine areas of uncertainty: which mission community, for example, the parish of Lydford would join (it subsequently decided to leave Tavistock deanery and join a mission community in the deanery of Okehampton); and which mission community, the 'middle' or 'southern' one, the Bere peninsula would join (which has yet to be decided).
In our own mission community, progress towards working together has been tentative simply because for most of the time since the deanery plan was agreed, our partners in Whitchurch have been without a parish priest. But now, as I write, it looks as though a new appointment may be made this year, 2010, and therefore all the cogs will be in place for taking our mission community forward.
One aspect of this is that we will get to know friends at Peter Tavy and Mary Tavy, just as we have been getting to know friends at Brent Tor since Easter 2009, I am delighted that the two Tavy parishes will be joining Tavistock for worship at 9.45am on Sunday 31 January, when the feast of Candlemas will bring the Epiphany season to a close.
Another aspect is that the parishes of Tavistock, Gulworthy and Brent Tor will be assisted by no less than three additional clergy – the new priest-in-charge of Whitchurch, whoever that is; the Reverend Miranda Donne, assistant priest at Whitchurch, and the Reverend John Higman, assistant curate of Mary Tavy and Peter Tavy. So I am likewise delighted that at our Tavistock Candlemas communion, John Higman will act as deacon. 'Epiphany' means manifestation, or showing forth – and as the Epiphany season of January involves the 'showing forth' of Jesus to the whole world, it's rather nice that his minister John will be shown forth to us at the season's climax!
These aspects are but the tip of the iceberg of what working together as a mission community will involve – so there is much to which to look forward this year.
There is just room here to give hearty thanks to Liz Watkins, who is stepping down after some years as co-ordinator of Sunday morning coffee. Supplying us with caffeine after church could not be more important, and we are hugely grateful to her for this ministry. Christine Everett has kindly agreed to lead a small team taking over the co-ordination.
And thanks to Christine Melville, who is stepping down after leading the parish prayer group for three years. We are immensely appreciative of her prayerful ministry. The group is finishing for the time being – but that does not mean that our prayer life is neglected, as the new intercessors' prayer group bears witness.
With my warmest best wishes for the New Year and all that it will bring,
Michael
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