Around the Deaneries - Claydon

THE Revd David Meakin has been Rector of the Schorne Team in rural Buckinghamshire for 10 years.

He is also Area Dean of the Claydon Deanery.

The Revd David Meakin, Area Dean of Claydon.

He moved from Sunderland and knew it was the right job for him as he drove down south, through Winslow and Buckingham to the Aylesbury Vale and immediately loved the place. I met David in his Rectory in Whitchurch, where he told me how he had worked in London and at Durham Cathedral, where he first met Bishop John, before working in post-industrial Sunderland.

"It was time to move and I knew this was the right place.

In Sunderland, David's patch had a population of 7,500 with one church.

Here, the benefice has a population of 7,500 with 11 church buildings.

That means 11 buildings that are steeped in history, but at the same time are a challenge to maintain. And, proportionally, a high number of people attend church.

"In a small village where 18 people attend church out of 100, that is 18 per cent of the population.

If that had been the situation in my last place, which was more urban, we would have had to knock the building down and build something a lot bigger. "The populations of the villages are broadly made up of either retired people or those aged 35 to 45 who commute to London or Oxford or Milton Keynes. For these rural areas Christmas and Harvest are the biggest festivals and as I drove out to Whitchurch from Oxford I noticed the high number of harvesting vehicles out on the roads and in the fields.

The people buying houses are successful and not working locally. "David said: "In these little villages the church is one of the last public buildings and much more at the heart of the local community.

It's as much about ministering to a population as a congregation and the line between the sacred and the secular is much more blurred.

We are being called to look at how we use our buildings for the sake of the community. "As a Church school growsA VILLAGE infants' school that had just 17 pupils and looked set to close has now got 75 children and is a thriving school.

Westcott CE School was one of Buckinghamshire's smallest with just four to six children per year group, for children aged up to seven.

However in 2008 a nursery class opened and since then has expanded to become a primary school, providing education for children aged up to 11.

The school has forged strong links with St Mary the Virgin Church, starting with holding its end of term performances there, but is also looking into using the building for more activities.

Barry Grace, headteacher, said: "This was a vision that was shared with the Revd Mary Cruddas, Anne Davey, Diocesan Director of Education and Lesley Turville, the Diocesan Schools advisor.

They helped to visualise how the school and church could work more closely to support and grow with one another. "Now the school holds collective worship in church four times each week, with the Wednesday assembly open to parents and villagers.

The church also has a breakfast service for families once a month on a Sunday, which has helped forge links with families in the village.

Barry added: "We are always looking to make more use of the wonderful facility that is right on our doorstep.

The expansion of the school and the work with Mary has certainly brought the community closer together.

I feel that we have certainly been blessed. "The school was featured in the Door last year when it won a High Sheriff's Award Certificate for its Forest Garden. (Picture above, by . ) ;In the Schorne Team MinistryTHE Revd Jim Gorringe is a Methodist minister who is a team minister in the Schorne Team which recently celebrated the 700th anniversary of its patron, the Revd John Schorne. The story, featured in the Door, made the national Telegraph with a picture of a lead alloy pilgrim badge found near London Bridge in 1982.

The Schorne Team of 11 churches celebrated the 700th anniversary of John Schorne's death with a huge festival earlier this year, raising £4,000 for hospices in Aylesbury and Milton Keynes.

(See the June 2014 edition of the Door for the full story.

Bishop Alan is pictured right with the Schorne well.

(

Heidi Meakin. ) The pilgrim badge was made into a chancel floor stone which was dedicated by Bishop John at a special service. Jim joined the Schorne Team in 2011 and despite being a Methodist minister, is called 'vicar' by the people who worship in his church.

"When I retired I was officially appointed to this house for duty post," he said. "I have been here coming up for three years and the positive thing is that working in the Schorne Team feels very much like a Methodist Circuit.

We all meet on Tuesdays and get on incredibly well together. "The longer you are in a place the more people know you and I am a vicar as far as they are concerned.

My wife, Pamela and I both felt very much that this was the right move for us here in North Marston.

"We have developed a café church when we take a service in the village hall. " As he spoke to the Door Jim was setting up a tea time service for Oving, and hoping to encourage families to attend."A Christian ethos at the heart of the schoolA CHRISTIAN ethos group puts students at Waddesdon CE School at the heart of planning how to ensure the school maintains an Anglican identity. The group was set up in response to a 2006 SIAMS inspection.

The statutory inspection of Anglican and Methodist schools focuses on the effect the Christian ethos of a church school has on the pupils who attend it.

The school has strong links with local churches and even has its own Christian Ethos Group.

Peter Norman, the Principal, said: "It gives students the opportunity to move forward ideas of how to ensure the school has a Christian identity. "The group meets five or six times a year and plans Holy Communion services for students as well as praise and thanksgiving events.

Sam and Holly are both year 12 students who have been members of the group since they were in year nine.

Sam says: "Our thanksgiving service is a celebration of everything that the school does.

We will all go down to the church and have a bit of a celebration.

Last year we had dance and music in the service.

It works really well celebrating everything that the students have got to offer.

It's a little reminder, especially as you are taking A levels and studying less subjects, of what other departments around the school are doing. "Holly says: "We organise Holy Communion.

I was in year nine when it started and we thought it would be a nice way of getting the local vicar involved.

It gets bigger and better every time.

After each service we look at what we could have done better. "The group also ensures Christian signs and symbols are displayed around the school.

Sam says: "Where we have got various spaces in the school it's nice to think actually that one is looking empty and we have been able to put some art work up there.

One of our media students produced a canvas cross.

The things we use are symbols that embody our religion but in a non-intrusive way. "Each year a Bible verse is given to students, staff and visitors.

This year it is Jeremiah 6 vs 16: "This is what the Lord says: stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. '"Mr Norman offers suggestions and the students vote on which they want to adopt.

Holly, along with another student, Kate leads prayers every Friday in assembly. Sam says: "It is good to be in a school where religion can be discussed.

It broadens our horizons for later life.

If you come from a different religion that is completely fine.

Every background is accepted here and we know that everyone is different. " A representative of Aylesbury Mosque has been among the speakers at Waddesdon.