United Reformed Church Northern Synod

What we do and why we do it....

Churches Together in the Countryside

What did you think about what the Moderator wrote about Churches Together in Around the Synod? Two rural Churches Together groups from opposite ends of the Synod have written in to assure us that ecumenism in the countryside is lively, effective and wide-ranging.

Churches Together in Barnard Castle & Startforth report on an active year in which a number of new ministers have come to serve the churches, including our own Julie Martin in the Two Dales Pastorate which includes the Barnard Castle congregation. But then the report gathers pace under a whole variety of headings...

• Short term emergency accommodation for young people under the Stop2Night scheme
• A second broadcasting period of Radio Teesdale - 24 Thoughts for the Day from the Group, and four one-hour Sunday morning programmes
• A follow-up from the previous year's Lent lectures through work in Caring for the Environment and Developing Tourism
• Plans for exhibitions of Christian art in Teesdale churches
• Lent lectures on interpreting the Bible, and listening to Bible tapes as a shared project
• Developing a co-ordinated approach to worship in local care homes
• Weekly Voice of Fatih column in the Teesdale Mercury
• Shared Christmas events and carol-singing outside Morrisons - and disappointment noted that these events were not listed in the town's Christmas Festival programme
• Youth work in all shapes and sizes, including an annual service for school children to introduce them to going to church - and a hope that this youth work might feature more in the Teesdale Developoment Plan
• The only public pre-election meeting of candidates in the Parliamentary constituency
• Participation in the Teesdale Community Network
• Generous support for Christian Aid through a variety of events as well as Christian Aid week
• A Fairtrade evening with David Golding

as well as the joint services for the Week of Prayer, for Pentecost, and the Procession of Witness on Good Friday!

And as you stagger to the end of the report, you read that "Information on worship and other activities is given on our notice board outside the Methodist Church, Scartop". Churches in Barnard Castle and Startforth are truly Together!

 

Upper Coquetdale Churches Together, in rural Northumberland, have a regular programme of activities and shared worship that runs throughout the year. The Group includes our own churches at Rothbury and Thropton; and the pictures show members sharing mince pies and mulled wine after the Farmers' Carol service last Christmas held in Rothbury Mart. The picture of the church leaders in the valley lacks our own Pamela Ward, who was behind the camera.

 

 

 

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