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"We have to meet the world as it is - not how we would like it to be." Anon
(CRCW Steering Group 5 May 1998) This report describes some of the ways
that we have been able to "meet the world as it is"
It's a great start. Our worker is a very keen and busy person, both in the
office and in the field. But still there is much to do. It's a slow process
that in fact never ends.
1. It began with a Vision Workshop.
2. The Elders and Linthorpe Church Meeting agreed the project.
3. Exploration by the Steering Group.
4. Ecumenical links investigated.
5. Statement of Intent Declared June 98.
6. Formal Application to the National Church for the setting up of the CRCW
Project July 98.
7. Interview a candidate for CRCW March 98.
8. Church Meeting Issues a call to Simon and Teesside District Council
concurs.
9. Simon's Commissioning at Linthorpe 4 September 99.
10. Simon takes up the post as CRCW 7 September 99.
11. 20 September 99-First Management Committee Meeting. (We have had 6
meetings so far. At the moment they are about every two-month.)
I would urge you to support your CRCW as he finds out what the locals want
and as he builds up partnerships with them. There is still room on the
Management Committee for you to do your bit, whether it is from the Church,
the local Community, the Local Council or Ecumenical. The Northern Synod of
the United Refomed Church has a policy for the promotion of at least three
CRCW's in the Synod by 2005. This project is a fine example of how it should
be done in other locations. Please advertise this!
Peter Etwell, Jan Harper, Fred Lappin, Dian Leppington &
Jane Tomlin
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Simon writes:..
A new beginning in Middlesbrough! It was a sobering experience, moving
again to an area we were not familiar with, to a congregation we didn’t know
and a community totally unfamiliar to me.
In Manchester
I was part of various training initiatives, both in Manchester and Finland.
During these exercises, it was emphasised how difficult community work is at
the beginning. I experienced this in Hulme 10 years previously, but had
forgotten the reality of it. I can now say from fresh experience how
difficult, slow and frustrating beginning in a new community can be. A year
on, we as a family are settled, the community work is now bearing fruit and
we feel at home in the church family.
AREA OF WORK
The Church is situated
about a mile south of the town centre of Middlesbrough. Traditionally the
church has always look to the south of its building as its mission field,
but over the last couple of years the focus changed to take more account of
the more socially deprived area lying in the area immediately to the North
of the Church and south of the town centre.
Most of the Church
congregation live to the south of the church in the leafier areas of
Linthorpe and Acklam. Very few are from the area the Church Related
Community Work Project is engaged in.
The Churches contact with
the community has been as a part of the Uniformed Organisations based in
the building (Scouts, Cubs, Beavers, Guides, Brownies) & the slimming club
and after school kids clubs which are church rentals.
There has been very
little other contact with the community which a Church Related Community
Work could build on., therefore the project has had to begin from scratch.
Below and on the other pages are the details of the first 14 months of work
of Linthorpe’s Church Related Community Worker
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