Recently the Church of England has introduced Prayers of Love and Faith. These are prayers which can be said with and for a same-sex couple to celebrate their relationship. Bishop Helen-Ann Hartley (Bishop of Newcastle) describes them with these words “The Prayers of Love and Faith are resources to pray with and for a same-sex couple who are committed to one another in faithfulness and love. They are intended to enable those who wish to give thanks for and joyfully mark that commitment before God and their community of faith.” At present these have been approved nationally to be commended for use. This means that they aren’t something each church has to use, like the order of service for Baptism. But each church must make their own decision to offer them or not. At St. Mary’s we discussed this at our last PCC, and we are keen to offer these prayers. At present we can only offer them in the context of a regular service (Sunday Morning), rather than as a standalone service, though there is hope that soon we will be able to offer these. For me it’s therefore a sadness that we cannot yet offer either a standalone service or a service of marriage for a same-sex couple. This recent change feels like half a step in the right direction and there is much further to go. I would therefore like to extend a warm welcome to any same-sex couple who would like to join us for Prayers of Love and Faith. As a time to celebrate your relationship and to bring it before God. If this is something you would like or would like to talk about more you can contact me on 0191 3882228 or revjestall@gmail.com Grace and Peace Rev. John Estall
National Churches Trust Grant Application, November 2023Supporting Information - Church of St Mary the Virgin, West Rainton St Mary's Church Mission Statement Through the Grace of God, we aim to follow Jesus as individuals and as a caring community, proclaiming by word and example the love of God in Christ. In order to achieve this we will: Grow in faith and share our faith with the community we serve and the world around us; Strive to be an 'open-door' church, actively reaching out and welcoming all persons; Give our very best efforts towards our weekly corporate worship services; Provide opportunities for service, outreach and improvement in our community as well as in the global community of which we are part; Encourage inclusiveness for all persons and in our relationships with one another in thechurch community and beyond; andMaintain the fabric and contents of our listed church building for future generations of the parish we serve. To fulfil the Church of England's Marks of Mission we will: TELL the Good News of the Kingdom in our community and beyond; TEACH, (baptise) and nurture new members; TEND to human need by loving service; Seek to TRANSFORM unjust structures of society; and Strive to TREASURE the integrity Of creation and sustain and renew the earth through safeguarding, inclusion and making fair and good choices. These marks of mission require us to tend and treasure the premises where our mission can be fulfilled and to this end, we must secure and protect the listed building of St Mary's Church for future generations.
Yet another theft of lead from the roof of St Mary's has resulted in more damage. Local resident Gemma Niles was so upset that she started a JustGiving page with an initial target of £500 to help the church with the repairs and damage caused. Within days this target had been reached after Gemma asked for just £1 from every adult in the village!The Church Council, meeting yesterday, expressed their deep thanks to Gemma and every single person who donated.
