Latest News Re Baptism, Weddings and Funerals  Visit life Events Dated 08/10/22

Worship in Church

Sunday worship is at 10.30am, when the Euchirst will take place. 

Welcome to St Matthew’s Church

For the comfort and confidence of those around us,

please note the following;

• A plate is available for your donations at the entrance to Church. We would prefer to keep cash donations to a minimum. Cheques should be made payable to St Matthew’s PCC. Donations can also be made to St Matthew’s by standing order or via our Just Giving page.

• The Priest will continue to maintain current hygiene measures and will wear a face covering when administering Communion.
  

• COVID 19 RESTRICTIONS UPDATE            
  

Wearing Masks in Church is now optional but still advisable. We would ask that everyone is mindful of those choosing to wear masks, especially when speaking face to face, singing or moving around the building.

Thank you for your support and understanding

Supporting St. Matthew's

Your donations are valued. Please go to Just Giving on the Home page or contact the Church Warden for information about giving via standing order.

Christmas Shopping online ?  Help St Matthew’s by registering with easy fundraising and nominate St Matthew’s Donnington Wood as your chosen charity. it does not cost you anymore. Sign up here 

https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/stmdonningtonwood/

Latest News re Shaping for Mission 

We are writing to you to update you with some of the most recent thinking in the Shaping for Mission process which has now included a conversation about future patterns of ministry between the Bishop of Shrewsbury, the Archdeacon of Salop, and the team appointed to assist in the stage of implementing the Deanery vision.

In terms of deployment, Telford can afford 7.3 posts and so there needs to evolve a pattern of ministry across the Deanery which as far as possible evenly distributes stipendiary ministry. In this pattern clergy will work alongside and as part of the overall church leadership and ministry available to all the parishes. With a smaller number of ordained ministers there is bound to be a different ‘feel’ to the way ministry is exercised and received.

The basic idea is to create three of what might be called ‘zones’ in the Deanery, each served by two full time stipendiaries. At this juncture all those stipendiaries are clergy though that may not be the case in the future.  In addition to this the existing Lay Parish Mission Enabler at All Saints, Wellington who has a stipend of 0.5, will continue.

The 0.8 of a stipend that remains will be directed towards the appointment of a youth or schools worker to support the Deanery’s aim to connect with the younger generations.

The zone called East Telford is the one that faces the greatest change. The idea here is that two stipendiary clergy will serve St George’s, Wombridge, Donnington Wood, Oakengates, Wrockwardine Wood, and Priorslee.  The proposed legal/parish structure is that of a United Benefice with each Parish retaining their own PCC.

Central Telford will be served by two stipendiary priests in the current parish and West Telford will also have two stipendiary priests across its two existing parishes.

The aim will be to develop ministry leadership teams across each zone who can share responsibility for the worship and pastoral care in each parish. This will take time, patience, understanding and generosity of spirit as it takes shape and settles down.

As the process of implementing the deployment plan is worked, we continue to focus locally on our five areas of mission focus.   Each of these have a champion on the Shaping for Mission Team, who is coordinating cross-Deanery initiatives and would be happy to help facilitate your mission and ministry in their area of work.  

• Children and Primary Schools is championed by Pam Spellen, who is focussed on helping churches put on “Experience” events. 
• Youth and Secondary Schools is championed by Tim Carter, who is working with a small team to develop plans for the 0.8 post focussed on this area. 
• Families is championed by Debbie Loughran, who is coordinating the sharing of resources and expertise in Messy Church. 
• Social Action is championed by Sue Rawlings, who is developing a Deanery directory of Social Action initiatives that folk across the local churches are involved in.
• Bereavement Care is championed by Lisa Harper, who is working to roll out Gravetalk and Bereavement cafes across the Deanery.  

If you have any questions about these plans, please do raise them through your Deanery Synod representatives.   If you would find it helpful for a member of the SFM team to attend a PCC or DCC meeting to discuss this, we would be happy to organise that.  Please do continue praying for the SFM team, and for the churches across Telford Deanery as we continue Following Jesus, Loving Telford, Renewing Church and Growing Younger.

If you have questions about the future of St Matthew’s please use the email address on the Contact Us tab.