Forward! – in the pews!

The long-awaited launch of the Forward in Faith Pew Sheet is on the horizon at last. After months of planning, the trial run is beginning this month. Some twenty parishes will be receiving our new catechetical pew sheet FORWARD! for use on the five Sundays of Lent. Each week’s sheet will contain an element of biblical commentary together with teaching material on a variety of subjects – doctrine, liturgical and social issues, church history and much more. Printed in full colour on one side only, leaving the reverse free for the photocopying or duplication of parish notices etc., it will be a valuable teaching resource for our constituency. Once we have digested the feedback from the trial run, we will be fine-tuning the production, ready for a launch at Pentecost. Unlike many other suppliers, we will be able to takes weekly orders in multiples of just fifty and the all-inclusive price will certainly be most competitive. FORWARD! will be supplied to parishes on a quarterly basis, covering each Sunday as well as the principal weekday Solemnities.

Sample packs of the trial run Pew Sheets, covering the Sundays of Lent, will be available from Faith House after Ash Wednesday. Please send an A5 size, stamped addressed envelope, clearly marked Pew Sheets, to the Director of Forward in Faith if you would like to receive a set and price list.

FORWARD! will be a major opportunity for our constituency to spread its message of orthodoxy in our Church as we approach the millennium. Please support all involved in its production with your prayers and please help to make it a success by supporting it in the most tangible way available – by ensuring that your parish agrees to use it!

Forward! – in circulation!

The Forward in Faith Council held its second annual residential meeting at All Saints Pastoral Centre, London Colney, in Hertfordshire recently. Among the very considerable amount of business transacted, a decision was made to run another membership drive later this year. Including its distribution with The Church of England Newspaper, New Directions now has a circulation fast approaching 18,000 copies each month, thus making it one of the largest circulation journals of its type in the country. What is more, circulation is steadily growing each month, both at home and overseas. But the Council is determined that we should not rest on our laurels! It is clear that both the membership of Forward in Faith and the circulation of New Directions can both still be increased significantly and our new membership drive will hope to add many new members and, thus, readers of New Directions.

Forward! – in democracy!

One absentee at the Council meeting was Julian Litten, from the diocese of Chelmsford, who, owing to pressure of work, felt that he should resign from the Council. His lively contributions to the work of the Council will be much missed and we are grateful to him for all the work he has done for Forward in Faith since his election in 1994. We are glad that the catholic movement will stay have the benefit of his wisdom in the General Synod. In the ensuing by-election, Mr David Morgan was elected unopposed to the Council. David is also a member of General Synod, as well as Vice-Chairman of the Church Union, and we look forward to his contribution to the work of the Council. The Council now comprises the following:

The Reverend John Broadhurst (Chairman) S.Michael’s Rectory, Bounds Green Road Wood Green, London N22 4HE Tel & Fax: 0181 888 1968 Mrs Anne Williams (Vice-Chairman) 30 Blackhills Terrace Horden, Peterlee Co. Durham SR8 4LJ Tel: 0191 586 7238 The Reverend Geoffrey Kirk (Secretary) S.Stephen’s Vicarage, Cressingham Road London SE13 5AG Tel: 0181 318 1295 Fax: 0181 318 1446 Stephen Parkinson (Director) Faith House 7 Tufton Street , London SW1P 3QN Fax: 0171 976 0737 Mr Cyril Wood (Treasurer – Co-opted) 9 Albany Road, Leighton Buzzard Bedfordshire LU7 8NS Tel: 01525 375297 The Venerable George Austin 7 Lang Road Bishopthorpe York YO2 1QJ Tel: 01904 709541 Fax: 01904 701685 Major Patrick King 10 Bridewell Street Walsingham NR22 6BJ Tel: 01328 820709 Mrs Joanna Monckton Stretton Hall Stafford ST19 9LQ Tel: 01902 850288 Geoffrey Wright 205 Merlin House Napier Road Enfield, Middx EN3 4QN Tel: 0181 805 5107 Fax: 0181 292 4520 The Reverend Prebendary Sam Philpott S.Peter’s Vicarage 23 Wyndham Square Plymouth PL1 5EG Tel & Fax: 01752 662110 Mrs Anne Ellis 33 Leat Walk, Roborough, Plymouth PL6 7AT Tel: 01752 793397 Fax: 01752 774618 The Revd Canon Beaumont Brandie S.Martin’s Rectory Upper Wellington Road Brighton BN2 3AN Tel & Fax: 01273 604687 The Revd Ian Brooks S.Paul’s Vicarage Delabole Road, Croxteth, Liverpool L11 6LG Tel & Fax: 0151 548 9009 The Revd Beresford Skelton S.Mary Magdalene’s Vicarage Millfield, Sunderland SR4 6HJ Tel: 0191 565 6318 Mr Leslie Barras 9 West Auckland Road Darlington Co. Durham DL3 9EJ Tel: 01325 361311 Mr John Barnett Lyndhurst 5 Francis Road, Carlton Nottinghamshire NG4 3DS Tel: 0115 952 6478 The Revd Ronald Crane The Vicarage, 266 Washwood Heath Road Birmingham B8 2XS Tel & Fax: 0121 327 1461 Mr Hugh Pratt Marchioness Building, Commercial Road Bristol BS1 6TG Tel: 0117 926 4100 Fax: 0117 925 4555 The Revd Prebendary John Brownsell All Saints’ Vicarage, Powis Gardens London W11 1JG Tel: 0171 727 5919 The Revd Robbie Low S.Peter’s Vicarage, 19 High Road Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire WD2 1EA Tel: 0181 950 1424 Fax: 0181 950 1547 Mr David Morgan 25 Newbiggen Street Thaxted, Great Dunmow Essex CM6 2QS Tel: 01371 830132 The Revd Nick De Keyser The Rectory, St Alphege Road, Dover CT16 2PU Tel: 01304 201143 Mrs Mary Nagel 25 Gossamer Lane Bognor Regis PO21 3SD Tel & Fax: 01243 262049 Mr Tim Handley S.Stephen’s House, 16 Marston Street Oxford OX4 1JX Tel: 01865 247874 Mr Colin King Oldfield Lodge, Doddington Park Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 7NJ Tel: 01270 520344 The Revd John Corbyn The Vicarage, Dalton Parva Rotherham S65 3QL Tel: 01709 850377 The Right Revd John Richards Leigh Rectory, Stoke-on-Trent ST10 4PT Tel & Fax: 01889 502366 The Right Revd John Gaisford 3 North Lane, Roundhay, Leeds LS8 2QJ Tel: 0113 273 2003 Fax: 0113 273 3002 The Right Revd Edwin Barnes 14 Hall Place Gardens St Albans Hertfordshire AL1 3SP Tel: 01727 857764 Mother Teresa, SSM (Co-opted) Priory of Our Lady Walsingham NR22 6ED Tel: 01328 820340 The Revd Jeremy Sheehy (Co-opted) S.Stephen’s House, 16 Marston Street Oxford OX4 1JX Tel: 01865 247874 Fax: 01865 794338 The Revd Francis Gardom (Co-opted) 79 Maze Hill Tel: 0181 858 7052 London SE10 8XQ Fax: 0181 293 4407 The Reverend Dr Roger Beckwith (Observer) 131 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7AJ Tel: 01865 57340 Mrs Margaret Laird (Observer) Keysoe Vicarage Bedford MK44 2HW Tel: 01234 708251 The Revd Ivan Clutterbuck (Observer) Redlynch Lodge, Redlynch, Salisbury SP5 2NJ Tel: 01725 510353 The Reverend David Streater (Observer) Dean Wace House, 16 Rosslyn Road Watford WD1 7EY Tel: 01923 235111

Forward! – even in the snow!

Hard on the heels of the Forward in Faith Council meeting came the first residential meeting of the Forward in Faith College of Regional Deans, also at London Colney. Despite heavy snow, all the Deans so far appointed were able to be present, giving them a first opportunity to get to know one another and to begin to gel as a group. Among items discussed was the vexed question of ministry to those of our integrity who are isolated and already steps are being taken to ensure provision for those no longer able to attend their parish churches. It will be a major task to achieve what is needed, but we are confident that the Deans will not shirk it! (For a full list of the Regional Deans, please see New Directions November 1996)