TIRUNELVELILINK

NEWSLETTERNews from the link of

Churches Together in ALL Lincoln shire with the Church of South India dioceses of Tirunelveli

and Tuticorin/NAZARETHNo.8 . December 2010

Visit of Bishop Christdoss of Tirunelveli and Party to Lincolnshire - October 2010

Bishop J. J. Christdoss, Mrs Christilda Christdoss, the Revd Packiaraj Asirvatham (son-in-law) and Mrs Hannah Packiaraj (daughter) began their visit in North Lincolnshire as guests of the Revd Peter Liley and Keith and Nerys Johnson.

The group began their visit in Scunthorpe with Morning Prayer at St Lawrence’s Church, Frodingham, before spending the morning at the St Lawrence Academy. The visitors had a tour of the school with the Principal and spent time with a group of students, who shared their views about life in the Academy and their plans for the future. The visitors were particularly impressed with the positive attitudes and aspirations of the students, and the culture of respect in the Academy between staff and students.

The later morning took the visitors to The Forge, New Brumby, a community outreach project run by the Methodist Church, where they spent time talking to participants in the Engage programme over lunch.

Bishop Christdoss and party at the Indian Restaurant, Scunthorpe

The afternoon saw a visit to Westwoodside CE School, near Doncaster, where Bishop Christdoss and Christilda enjoyed the harvest festivities and sale of produce from the school’s harvest festival that morning. Meanwhile Packiaraj and Hannah spent time with the Revd Susan Walker, chaplain at John Leggott College in Scunthorpe. All the visitors had tea at Cottage Beck Café Church, where they learned about the Street Pastors in Scunthorpe. The busy day was rounded off with a delicious home-cooked Indian meal at the house of Mr and Mrs Jim Reid in Elsham.

The following morning was spent in Epworth, beginning with Morning Prayer at St Andrew’s Church and the opportunity to see around the church where John Wesley grew up. There was a tour of the Old Rectory, sometime home of the Wesley family, before a visit to Wesley Church for fun at the Messy Church Harvest Festival.

The afternoon was spent in Barton upon Humber. The visitors were invited to meet members of the Mothers Union at St Mary’s Church, where they were treated to a delicious array of homemade goodies for afternoon tea. After a visit to see the Humber Bridge, the evening was spent at the Salt & Pepper Village Restaurant in Scunthorpe with members of churches from the area.

Sunday was spent in different churches for the visitors. Hannah went to worship at the chapel at Scunthorpe General Hospital, whilst Packiaraj was invited to preach at Scunthorpe Congregational Church. Bishop Christdoss and Christilda went to the Church of the Holy Spirit, Riddings, where the Bishop preached at the United Holy Communion with the Bottesford with Ashby Anglican team ministry. This was followed by a bring and share lunch where members of the churches could get to know the visitors.

The afternoon was spent at the harvest festival at Keadby Methodist Church, followed by tea in Scunthorpe at the home of Mr Aravind Kumar, Mrs Sony Angel Pandian and their baby daughter Mishal, who come from the visitors’ neighbouring diocese of Tutticorin.

In the evening the visitors went to the Church of the Resurrection for a service about Bishop Grosseteste with the North Scunthorpe Group of Anglican Churches. After the service the visitors were invited to speak to the group about the church in Tirunelveli Diocese.

After a busy few days in North Lincolnshire, the visitors departed for Mablethorpe via Immingham with a visit to the Mission to Seafarers.

Rev. Ellen Wakeham

Among other places the Bishop and his party visited were:-Stones Place Methodist Home, Lincoln

The Bishop and family came down to visit Stones Place and were greeted warmly by Home Manager Anna Golightly and her staff. After coffee, Sandra and Margaret took them on a guided tour round the Home, meeting some of the residents and looking at their rooms. We then joined an activity session of carpet skittles which provided much merriment! Rosemary and Carol joined the group for lunch with the residents, and Sally the cook even tried to 'spice' up the fish for them. They left after lunch for the next part of the programme - Hill Holt Wood, and the Bishop Grosseteste lecture in the Cathedral. Meal at The Woodcocks, nr. Saxilby

On their final Saturday evening (Oct. 9th) as many of us as could make it joined the Indian friends for an early evening meal. There were 17 of us altogether. It was a special delight that we were joined by Fiona Griffiths, her mother Vera Dye, and their Indian guests Rev Dr Gnanavaram and his wife from Tamil Nadu Theological College in Madurai. There was plenty of chattering in Tamil and English around the table! We ended the evening early, as our guests had to be up before dawn to travel by taxi to Gatwick airport, on their homeward journey.

Sandra Clack

Summary of News from South India from Rev. Samuel Manickam

A list of the mission priorities has been received from the Tuticorin/Nazareth diocese and the following is a brief resume: * Pastoral Ministry The number of ministers has increased since bifurcation from 83 to 103. The number of pastorates [and there are usually between 8-10 congregations in a pastorate in rural areas] has increased from 78 to 87. There are now 1239600 baptised persons and of those 102000 are communicants. *Evangelism The diocese has started a missionary movement namely "Global Missionary Society" and has at present 63 missionaries working in Tamil Nadu and in other states of India. *Socio-economic concern They have a social welfare department which has various programmes to uplift the poor, needy and downtrodden irrespective of caste or creed. These include: Home for women abandoned by husbands & society School for deaf and dumb School for visually challenged Women workers' training centre Relief development programmes

* Medical help St.Luke's Hospitals at Nazareth St. Barnabas Hospital Raphael Hospital St.Luke's Leprosarium * Education Technical: 2 engineering Colleges, 1 Polytechnic, 1 Art Industrial School Arts Colleges (3), 1 Community College, 3 Colleges of Education, 1 Teacher Training School * Their future plans include: A Diocesan Administrative Block A Theological Resource Centre A Retreat Centre A B.Sc College of NursingAnd they conclude: "The Diocese is growing by the Grace of God. In our faith journey we hope these priorities will help us to establish God's mission. We are sure that God will lead and guide us towards His mission in the years to come."

Bernard Stonehouse

Meeting of the CTAL India Link Committee with Bishop J.A.D.Jebachandran and Mr. D.Mohan(Diocesan Lay Secretary) from the Tuticorin/Nazareth Diocese

18 th October 2010

The Bishop affirmed their wish to strengthen the Link with Lincolnshire and outlined some of the problems facing his diocese. Among the most pressing is the need for a Diocesan Office which would also act as a co-ordinating centre for ministry and training. At present they are working from limited quarters in Bishop Caldwell Higher Secondary School which they will soon have to vacate.

They have plans for a purpose built administrative building which will cost around £500,000 and are urgently seeking funding. Individual rooms or areas which could be name after the donor person or organisation would cost around £15-20,000.

Extract from a letter from Rev. Sam. Manickam - 19 th October 2010

Greetings from CSI Tuticorin-Nazareth Diocese. Just I would like to sum up what the Archbishop of Canterbury spoke in Chennai Public Reception held at CSI St George's Cathedral Premises on 17.10.2010: " The reality is that we need one another's gift and to speak to one another. In fact, in the whole world of religious diversity we need to listen to voices of other faiths without letting go of our own convictions. The role of a Bishop is not one of power or dominance but holding together the deep diversity and bringing out of it good news for everyone. Underscoring humility as a central trait for Pastoral or Presbyterian leadership if the church is there for all ,the Church had to be a humble Institution willing to learn, sometimes even to repent, and prepared not to be safe, wealthy or comfortable but always

willing to love one another. Though churches might like to believe that they had assimilated the fullness of Christian truth, none of the churches alone can preach the whole Gospel to the whole world. The most important thing to be said about a Church or a Pastor would be that it does not run away from people in need whether they were Dalits, disabled or people of other faiths, or even if these people did not call themselves Christian". The CSI is enriched by his visit to South India.

Project at St Luke’s Leprosarium

The Rotary Foundation’s Future Vision has, for a selected number of Rotary Districts, provided a way for the Foundation to support Rotary Clubs in their aims and ambitions for local and international projects. The Rotary Club of Sleaford Kesteven took the opportunity to bid for a grant and its successful bid was for a project to provide medical equipment to extend the range of treatment available in the outpatients clinic at the Leprosarium.

The equipment to be provided will be an ECG with interpretation; a nebuliser; a pulse oximeter; two oxygen cylinders and a Gluco-meter. In order to meet government standards six fire extinguishers will produce a fire station approval certificate and six aqua guards (for clean and safe drinking water) will gain a sanitation approval certificate. The total cost of the equipment is IRs 156,750 which at current exchange rates equates to £2,300. The grant from Rotary Foundation is £971 and the remainder will come from fund raising efforts within the Club. Santa’s sleigh will hopefully be profitable as it tours the streets of Sleaford. The money for the project has reached St Luke’s and in time we will have photographs of their new facilities.

Don Fletcher

Extracts from the Chittenden Deaf Centre Newsletters of Summer and Christmas 2010Rev.A. Raja Christopher, Diocesan Chaplain forDear People.

Throughout the year the Deaf Centre in Tirunelveli Diocese has continue to grow.

On Christmas Day 2009, 200 deaf people receive new dresses and presents.

In December 2009 the foundation stone of the Sankarankovil Transit home was laid and the construction work has been started with help in part from the Church Mission Society, Jesus Redeems Ministries,Tamil Nadu, St.Peter's, Eastgate, Lincoln, Miss MacDonald, USA, Miss Dot McMilan and Mrs. Purves.

A new deaf congregation has been started at Samaria.A marriage was arranged at the Deaf Centre Chapel between Asumtha

and Nicholas.

There is now a tea vending machine in the bakery supported by Don and Anita Fletcher, Mrs. Elaine Robinson and Mr. Claude Gourmel.

The tailoring unit is functioning well.

The farm employs 4 deaf people and grows fruit trees such as mango, guava and gooseberry.

Adult deaf women who have been abandoned are accomodated at the Gwenda Chittenden Home.

In 2010, the construction work at the Transit Home continues with donations from Mrs.Fiona Griiffiths, Rev. Yi Ok Hee, Mr.Allen Rigby and the Birmingham Deaf Church.

During the year three teams of students from Warwick School, Royal Grammar School an Lincoln Minster School visited the Centre as part of their study exposure programme and helped with the construction and renovation of school buildings.

Employment projects continue at the Agro based project, the bakery, the Ephphatha canteen and the Linda tailoring unit.

They look forward to the usual Christmas celebrations on the evening on 25th December and hope that more than 600 deaf people with a time for prayer, fellowship and friendship with a meal and distribution of gifts.

Our prayers are requested for:-1. Spiritual ministries, social works and employment projects.2. The construction at the Transit Home.3. the families of deaf people.4. That the Deaf Centre building will remain undamaged by the construction of the overbridge at the

railway level crossing.5. Future plans to construct a small bakery showroom .6. The plans to construct buildings for an employment project at the Sankarankovil deaf centre.

Jean Mounter