Biscuit Tin extract

Extract from May's 'Biscuit Tin', a mission newsletter for the Yeovil area, with links to some good mission resources online:

Mission Resources

a) Work with the Elderly – 2 resources from the Sheffield Centre.
A treasure hunt: go to http://starttheweek.typepad.com/stw/2007/week19/index.html , click the ‘Church for the Saga Generation' link, and you’ll find a 27 page analysis of mission to the the SAGA generation. When you realise that Jagger, McCartney, Daltrey & co are all over 60, it changes the way we think about the over-60’s and how they see the world. Really good stuff. You can also get it by ringing the Sheffield Centre on 0114 2727451.

The Church Army also produces a regular Information Bulletin on the ‘Spiritual Needs of Older People’: they are online at http://www.encountersontheedge.org.uk/ follow the link to ‘Older People’, or ring the Sheffield Centre.

b) Back to Church Sunday, September 30th. This has spread across several Dioceses in the last 3 years, and involves inviting people ‘back to church’ on a specific Sunday, along with publicity materials, invitation and prayer cards etc. The evidence suggest it is quite effective in bring back people who’d dropped out of attending, and they report an average increase of 10 people per church. Bath & Wells Diocese has signed up for this, so speak to Helen Hickman at the Old Deanery (01749 670777)if you want to know more, or visit the webisite at http://www.backtochurch.co.uk/ . The deadline for ordering resources is the end of May, so you will need to act fast if you want to take part this year.

Mission Training Events:
Fresh Expressions of Church: A Rural Perspective – 24 hour conference at Hothorpe Hall, Leicestershire on 13-14th September. See http://www.ruralmissions.org.uk/ for a linked rural mission website, though various parts are still under construction.

A New Vision for Catholic Mission, Westcott House, Cambridge 17-19th September. Booking form downloadable from the Start the Week blog.

The May 'Biscuit Tin' also has the following items:
- Mission news from Yeovil
- Mission Insights: the 'Mixed Economy' church, with discussion questions.
- book reviews and summaries: Bob Jackson 'The Road to Growth', Rona Orme 'Rural Children, Rural Church', extract from 'Mission Shaped Parish'.
- Enquirers courses at a glance - brief summary of the most popular ones on the market at the moment.
...if you're local to Yeovil and want electronic or paper copies of it, send me a comment or an email.