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Continuing our series from deanery leaders, Revd Canon Simon Newham, Area Dean of Lyndhurst and Assistant Area Dean of Bournemouth, writes...
Do you remember those long summer holidays when you were young and had little responsibility and so much time? So much time spent with friends….
Friends make us better. We drink deep from joy’s well when laughter is shared. A fabulous experience is so much better when we can turn to a friend and say, ‘Isn’t this great?’ |
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Friends tell us what we don’t know and, if their friendship is deep, they tell us what we really don’t want to know. They shape us even as they disappoint, because there’s no perfect fit in friendship, and to think otherwise is naive. Friendship comforts, but also confronts our selfishness. And friendship calls us to faithfulness, to hang in there and stick close, whether we feel like it or not.
With all this in mind, how amazing it is to consider that Jesus says to us, ‘I no longer call you servants... I call you friends’ (John 15:15). |
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Inspiring Stories for Faith and Generosity Week |
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This week we're celebrating stories of generosity across the diocese, which have been demonstrated in all sorts of ways! These include sharing time and financial resources with local church communities, chaplaincy work, setting up and running community and craft cafés, as well as generosity in prayer. Find examples of generosity below - you're encouraged to share your own stories of generosity with each other and with the diocese! |
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Coffee Morning Shows Care for Carers in the Community |
8-14 June is also Carers Week, and we heard from St Peter's Church, Goodworth Clatford, whose Carers Coffee Morning is making a difference to people caring for a loved one, offering a safe space to ‘offload, to laugh, to cry, to share’. |
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How Churches Can Support People Affected by Addiction |
Star Recovery is a Christian charity, of which Bishop Philip is an ambassador, set up 5 years ago to support people affected by addiction and compulsive behaviour. We spoke with founder Emma Heath, who explained how the project began and why she believes churches can play a role in supporting people affected by addiction. |
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Southampton Lord Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast |
Church leaders, councillors and community representatives gathered at St Michael’s Church this week for the Lord Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast, joining together in prayer for peace and hope across the city. Following recent unrest in Southampton, Bishop Rhiannon encouraged guests to “root ourselves in love and prayer,” as civic and church leaders reflected on the importance of unity in difficult times. |
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Don't Forget to Complete Your Return of Parish Finance! |
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A big thanks to all those who have already completed their Return of Parish Finance - a breakdown by deanery can be seen above. Every parish is encouraged to submit their return, which can inform your mission and outreach opportunities, in turn enabling church growth. The deadline for submitting your return is 30 June 2026. |
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Resources for Faith and Generosity Week |
Faith and Generosity Week is an opportunity for us to celebrate God’s unfathomable generosity and to reflect on our faithful response. To aid with this, we've created a number of resources that can help your church community explore the topic of generosity. These include reflections, videos, colouring sheets, and lectionary readings, which can be used now or at any point throughout the year. |
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Reaching Out to Gypsy, Roma & Traveller Communities |
Last month, a small group gathered to listen, learn and share about Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities within our diocese. The conversation highlighted both the richness of these communities and the ways they can feel overlooked. Our churches can play a vital role as advocates, and by working with organisations like GRT Friendly Churches, we can ensure our church spaces are truly welcoming to everyone. |
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Please Complete Your PIFs! |
Thanks to those who have completed your Parish Information Form (PIF) via the Parish Portal - if you haven’t, it's essential you do so by the end of June. In early July the General Synod election process will begin, and new deanery synod reps won't be eligible to form part of the electorate if we've not received the details. Emails with security codes to the PIF have been sent to PCC Secretaries - if you haven’t received an email please get in touch. |
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Thirtyone:eight Safeguarding Helpline Temporarily Unavailable |
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Chaplaincy Networking Event |
7 July, 3:45pm, The Wessex Centre, Winchester Cathedral
Chaplains are warmly invited to come along to our Chaplaincy Networking event! We will hear from Canon Julian, the Cathedral Chaplain, as well as Revd Lynn Power, the Section Head of the Visitor Chaplains. There'll also be a chance to share our experiences of chaplaincy, good news stories, and a time for prayer. Find out more >>> |
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4 July, 6 July, 7 July, 7:30pm, St Mary’s Church Buriton and Online
St Mary’s Church, Buriton, in our neighbouring diocese of Portsmouth, invites you to join them, in person or online, for a series of free seminars hosted by Revd André Radmall. The seminars will look at how the Church can support wellbeing and explore pathways toward greater integration, recovery, and transformation. |
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Events Around the Diocese |
17 June, 8:15am, Old Alresford Place |
25 June, 8:15am, All Saints Ringwood |
1 July, 9am, St Paul's Winchester |
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8 July, 9:30am, St Luke's Burton |
14 July, 9:15am, Old Alresford Place |
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Archdeacons' Visitations: |
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18 June: Romsey Abbey
25 June: Christchurch Priory
22 July: Zoom |
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Around the Diocese and Beyond... |
Do you have a vacancy you'd like us to share?
Get in touch with communications@winchesterdiocese.org. |
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