Around the Deaneries: Milton Keynes

MILTON Keynes is a deanery with a difference.

The Anglican deanery that is part of the Diocese of Oxford is involved in a number of ecumenical partnerships and its centre, Christ the Cornerstone Church, right in the middle of the city, is shared by the Baptist Union, the Church of England, the Methodist Church, and the Roman Catholic Church.

The Revd Tim Norwood poses outside Christ the Cornerstone.

The Revd Tim Norwood, Area Dean, puts people at the centre of what he does, regularly arranging informal gatherings of five or six people, including Anglican ministers, ecumenical partners, chaplains and others.

He says: "People can all share properly and conversation can often be deep.

We keep it to about five or six people who can get to know each other better.

They often talk with each other about what they are doing, what they might be able to work together on and what they can learn about a particular issue.

I wish I had done this years ago. "Capacity buildingThe deanery works with ecumenical partners through an organisation called the Mission Partnership.

The partnership has been through a lot of changes recently and is now concentrating on bringing churches together for mission.

One key ecumenical priority is capacity building"The Mission Partnership recognises that churches need a bit of support if they are to grow and develop.

The website has been redeveloped.

A new approach to adult learning has been introduced under the name CoMPass which is proving popular.

We are also working on a leadership development programme for ministers from all denominations modelled on the servant leadership course that Keith Lamdin used when he was in Oxford.

We asked him for advice on it, took some of his ideas and we are now setting up our own programme," says Tim. Prayer CycleA new multi platform prayer cycle will involve booklets, leaflets, with reflections and readings on the website, Facebook and Twitter.

The prayers are set up in advance using an automated system.

See MKPrayer. net. MissionTim says: "Mission only really works if it's done in partnership.

One of the big parts of our work is currently with ChurchAds. Net for Christmas.

We have been told that we are the best area in the country in terms of the number of churches involved and the money we raise. " ChurchAds. Net are the organisation behind the Christmas Starts with Christ campaign which raises funds for a variety of posters and adverts, billboards, television and the radio to raise awareness of the true meaning of Christmas.

"Last year our area raised more than £3,500.

One of the things we are talking about is how to expand that. "For more see mkchurches. co. uk - originally set up to advertise Christmas campaigns but now with a renewed emphasis on church events throughout the year.

One event being advertised was Making Waves with Ali Burnett - a day of media training. "A lot of churches have a long way to go in terms of how to use media effectively and it is one of those things that builds over time," says Tim. Live entertainment with a twist of faithSUNDAY Night Live is a Christian outreach phenomenon that has been running since 2009 and has, so far, brought the message of Christ to 250,000 people across the nation.

Music entertains the crowd at Sunday Night Live in Bletchley.

Churches Together in Bletchley, which includes St Mary's Church, launched its own Sunday Night Live in May at the Starbucks Café at Bletchley Leisure Centre. A live band performs and a brief interview provides a Christian message of inspiration and hope. Kathy Smith, from St Mary's, said: "The first evening was a great start.

The Café was bustling and the manager was delighted.

The band was great and even managed to get some audience participation. "The event takes place on the third Sunday of every month and the next one will take place on Sunday 20 July.

Photo Ricky RewA Church Without WallsTHE Revd Ruth Maxey left her role as Chaplain at Keele University to become a Pioneer Minister working ecumenically on the Broughton and Brooklands area of Milton Keynes.

It is an area with around 2,800 relatively new homes and where new developments are expected to see another 3,000 built. Ruth's home is provided by the Oxford Diocese and her stipend paid by the United Reformed Church and her work is supported by an ecumenical partnership comprising one Catholic and three Anglican/free church congregations. Ruth, a URC minister, has established an emerging community Church Without Walls with a monthly Café Church at the pub attracting around 40 people, a fortnightly contemplative prayer group and a new monthly meeting, Eat, Pray, Chat.

The Easter Sunday service in a medieval church Ruth occasionally uses attracted more than 100 people. Ruth says: "At the heart is the fact that I am the community minister not just the leader of Church without Walls .

I did not arrive on the estate and start a church, I arrived and began to get to know the community, to meet people where they were and build up relationships.

I did that through going to 'events' (coffee mornings at the local community centre, parent and toddler groups at the school, attending Parish Council meetings).

I also, crucially, used my own natural networks; I am a mum with a nine-year-old daughter.

The school pick-up and PTA meetings were all places to build relationships. " With two teenage sons on the autistic spectrum, Ruth is also getting to know other parents with special needs children. "From all those connections I am now helping organise summer events for families with special needs children at the local community centre and I helped get a youth club for ASD kids set-up by the Youth Service in the area," says Ruth, who tries where possible to respond to people's ideas.

One of these was for Open Houses throughout Advent to bring the community together.

After the Philippines disaster Ruth organised a fund raising event, a hustings event for the elections and a Big Lunch food sharing event.

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