May we take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Happy and Christmas and New Year! Painting by Mary Foulger The Office will be closing from noon tomorrow Friday 23 December and will reopen again on Tuesday 3 January, so that we can enjoy this festive time with our families and friends 🙂
Read More
Southern Synod Office will close at 12 pm on Friday 23 December and reopens at 9.30 am on Tuesday 3 January 2017. During this period, we will be checking for URGENT messages left on voicemail. All at the Synod Office wish you a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.
Read More
London church leaders have launched a social media campaign#LondonUnited in response to the refugee crisis. Nicola Furley-Smith, Moderator of URC Southern Synod, was among those signing the following statement: St Nicholas Day Statement – 6 December 2016 #LondonUnited This morning, we as London Church Leaders met to share our grave concerns about the growing […]
Read More
The URC’s Joint Public Issues Team have asked us to share their Campaign Video for Christmas. If *only* there was a seasonally appropriate story about a family seeking refuge #averybritishnativity. Mary and Joseph have just arrived in the UK and are looking for somewhere safe to stay – what sort of welcome will they receive? […]
Read More
Christmas 2016 Dear Friends, Last Christmas I was given a Fitbit in the vain hope that I might walk more. Walking is not only good for your health I was told but it has a biblical imperative! The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, so says the prophet Isaiah. The truth […]
Read More
From URC Communications Sign up for daily devotions in time for Advent! Daily Devotions from the United Reformed Church is back – and not just for Advent! Starting this Sunday – Advent Sunday – Daily Devotions will be available on the URC website and sent direct to the email inbox of everyone who signs up […]
Read More
A message from the Synod Clerk Dear friends I pass on to you a very sad and unexpected news which arrived from Scotland today. John Humphreys, who was Moderator of the National Synod of Scotland until his retirement a few months ago, died early this morning at home. John had been ill for just a […]
Read More
Please see the attached information the Croydon Churches Forum circulated today Please find details below of places where the young (11-16) are welcome to find additional support this week: Friday 11th November: 15.30 – 18.30 CDI Talkbus at Waddon Leisure Centre CR0 4RG – 020 8680 0404 www.croydondropin.org.uk 19:00 – 21:00 Goldcrest Youth Club CR0 0PL – 07908 252035 [email protected] Saturday 12th […]
Read More
Download the flyer hear – feb-conf-2017-flyer-single-page
Read More
Facebook Page – https://business.facebook.com/events/1615632062070428/ Claire Crowley Ecumenical Officer Churches Together in South London www.ctslondon.org.uk www.facebook.com/CTSouthLondon www.cte.org.uk
Read More
Continued from The Moderator’s Blog – Trip to the Presbyterian Church of Korea: Oct’2016 Day 5 29.10.16 After a hearty breakfast with the President of Honam Theological University and Seminary we reflected with Professor Song InDong on the influence of Christian forefathers on Korean Christian thinking especially Eugebe Bell a missionary sent by the Presbyterian Church […]
Read More
Here’s Nicola’s blog from her trip to the Presbyterian Church of Korea 🙂 The final two days of the trip are covered here. Day 1 – 25.10.16 “At Noryangjin Church for the meeting of the Seoul-Nam Presbytery of the PCK” Day 2 – 26.10.16 “Outside the PCK Centennial Memorial Building with our brilliant […]
Read More
The Conversation is an conference being held at St Pauls, Canterbury on 24 -25th February 2017. It is ‘– a gathering that will create space for cutting-edge, innovative, even risky conversations about children, young people and the church. The Conversation will bring together people who are open to change; to reimagine God’s good news for this generation, who want children and […]
Read More
Some of you may already be aware that the Moderator is in South Korea this week. You can follow her travels here – Moderator’s PCK Blog Here is news about the trip from URC Global and Intercultural Ministries: “The Revd Dr Michael Jagessar, Secretary for Global and Intercultural Ministries, is currently in Korea, visiting our partner […]
Read More
Agents Assemble – Challenge Afternoon 3rd December at Reigate Park Open to all young people aged 11-25 in the Synod run by the Southern Synod Youth Executive. Please put the flyer up in your church and tell your young people about it . It is a social event and should be lots fun and a […]
Read More
CLOSING DATE: 31/10/2016 There is a job opportunity in Southern Synod for a new Children’s and Youth Development Officer (CYDO). Details can be found in this CYDO Job Advert. The Job Application Pack can be downloaded in the Documents Library under ‘Job Opportunities in Southern Synod’. The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Monday 31 October 2016. The […]
Read More
We pass on the message from Revd Andrew Sellwood It is with regret I have to inform you of the death of the Reverend William Connelly at 11:30 am. on Monday 10th October. After a long illness he is now at peace with his Lord. His wife Mary was at his side during the […]
Read More
Further to Gill Nichol’s message below from September, Gill inform us more bags have been found! Hello everyone, The great Church House clearout continues – and during the latest visit to the basement more URC carrier bags have been discovered! We have five boxes of URC carrier bags (each box containing 600) up for grabs […]
Read More
The next Southern Synod Together Meeting is being held at Christ Church URC, Petts Wood on Saturday 8 October, from 10.30 am to 4.30 pm Invitations from the Synod Clerk went out yesterday and today (either by e-mail or by post if you do not have an e-mail address), and go to everyone on the Synod Roll, including […]
Read More
For all of you Called to the next Synod Together Meeting on 8th October at Christ Church URC, Petts Wood, papers are now available for download on the website in the Documents Library under “Synod Together. Papers were also e-mailed and sent in the post to those of you without e-mail. For details about the meeting […]
Read More
Saturday 29th October 2016 Parkgate & Neston United Reformed Church, Moorside Lane, Parkgate, Wirral It is not often that URC Music Day is held at a church where one of the members is a leading hymn writer. So it is a great pleasure to have been invited to Parkgate & Neston URC by Alan Gaunt, […]
Read More
The URC General Secretary – The Revd John Proctor has brought our attention to the Friends of Dr Williams’s Library event on 25 October 2016. The Library is a major resource for church history in the Nonconformist tradition. Here are details of how to book from Alan Argent. The lecture will be preceded by the Friends’ AGM […]
Read More
From the Revd Dr Michael Jagessar, Global & Intercultural Ministries (Mission) | The United Reformed Church, 86 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9RT Dear Friends , Our sisters and brothers from the Presbyterian Church of Korea send us greetings and they are kindly requesting the following: “This year August 15th marks the 71st anniversary of Liberation of […]
Read More
Glory to God in the High St with Revd Dr Peter Stevenson Prayers and Contemplation with Revd Jenny Snashall Saturday 19 November 2016 From 10.30 am to 3.30 pm at Trinity United Reformed Church, Wimbledon Mansel Road, London SW19 4AA See Church website for details of how to get there Meet with other Lay Preachers and […]
Read More
Please note that the electronic version of the Record of the July meeting of General Assembly is available on the URC website: http://www.urc.org.uk/images/General-Assemblies/Assembly2016/RECORD-2016w.pdf You will find on page three a list of matters of particular concern to Synods and Local churches, which might be of particular interest to those organising “feedback” meetings.
Read More
Andy Twilley, our new Training and Development Officer (TDO) started yesterday. We all wish him a very warm welcome to Southern Synod! Andy has written the following for our website:- “Ever since a teenager, when God called me to full time ministry, I have had a passion for local Church, and a desire to see […]
Read More
The Retreats Fellowship of the United Reformed Church, Southern Synod Quiet Day. 1st October 2016, 10am – 4pm. Swanley URC. Download booking form here and return to Revd Ken Lynch.
Read More
A message from the General Secretary Dear Friends, Many people in our Church have appreciated the work done by Lawrence Moore as the Windermere Centre’s Director for the last fourteen years, and have wondered what arrangements are being made to thank him when he steps down from this role in a couple of months. […]
Read More
For more information or a booking form please contact Danny Goodall [email protected] or Cathy Glazier [email protected].
Read More
North Western URC Synod are seeking to make an appointment jointly with Northern College for a Learning and Development Officer/Support and Development Tutor. Application from URC ministers of Word and Sacraments or CRCW, and from ministers of Word and Sacrament within CTBI and/or WCRC, will be welcomed. The closing date for applications (which should […]
Read More
Please see the following advice from the Metropolitan Police (circulated by London Churches Social Action) that is relevant to all churches in the UK. Dear London church leaders, Boroughs Deans and other church social action contacts, Following the murder of Fr Jacques Hamel in Normandy yesterday, Archdeacon Luke Miller has circulated a message from the Metropolitan Police […]
Read More
From URC Website 28.7.16 Church leaders in Britain have expressed their deep sadness at the ‘brutal murder’ of a French priest, Fr Jacques Hamel, in his church near Rouen. The joint presidents of Churches Together in England say in a statement: ‘That a man of peace who had dedicated his life to serving people, could […]
Read More
From the URC Press Office Please find below the links to the electronic version of GA round up and a selection of GA images Round up: http://www.urc.org.uk/images/General-Assemblies/Assembly2016/General_Assembly_2016_News_round-up.pdf Image gallery: https://flic.kr/s/aHskDdNCZM These are free to use and disseminate across your networks and websites. If you do download and use the photos please add the following credit: […]
Read More
From URC News 11th July 2016 Resolution 38, that the proposed budget of the United Reformed Church for the following year should be brought to General Assembly to be debated, was presented by the Revd Dr Alan Spence and the Revd Nicola Furley-Smith on behalf of Southern Synod.It was brought with a […]
Read More
From the URC News Release 9 July 2016 ©URC 2016. Used with permission. On the afternoon of Friday 8 July, on the opening day of its General Assembly, the United Reformed Church inducted its two new moderators – the Revd Kevin Watson and Mr Alan Yates. Both men will serve as moderators for two years, […]
Read More
From the URC News Release 9 July 2016 ©URC 2016. Used with permission. This afternoon, Saturday 9 July 2016, the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church (URC) voted in favour of allowing its local churches to conduct and register marriages for same-sex couples. This means that the URC is now the largest UK […]
Read More
Details of the URC Music Celebration Day 2016. The programme is not yet finalised but it is hoped to explore some of the more recent hymns of Alan Gaunt. Full details will be published in an edition of Joyful Notes and will also be available on the website http://www.urcmusic.org.uk
Read More
From the URC News Release 7 July 2016 The General Assembly of the United Reformed Church, the denomination’s executive body, meets from 8 to 11 July at Southport Convention Centre to consider and decide on a range of issues including the marriage of same-sex couples. The URC’s General Assembly meets every two years to […]
Read More
This is taken from St Andrew’s URC Cheam’s Church Magazine (July / August 2016 issue) with the kind permission of the Editor and Laura Barker. IN MEMORIAM PETER GEOFFREY BLAKE BARKER 9th July 1928 – 13th May 2016 There were many tributes to Peter at the Service of Thanksgiving for his life held at St […]
Read More
To commemorate today’s 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, here is an article that Trinity URC Wimbledon posted on their Facebook page:- Trinity remembers those of our number who died at the Somme, especially Herbert Mackenzie who died 100 years ago today. Herbert was the son of Trinity members who lived in Quicks […]
Read MoreUpdate 12 July 2016 It was confirmed at General Assembly on 8 July 2016 that the Revd Nicola Furley-Smith would continue her tenure as Moderator of Southern Synod until 1 March 2023. Nicola Furley-Smith began her ministry as Southern Synod Moderator in March 2011, and is now in the sixth year of […]
Read More
Dear friends, I bring you good news. We have a new Synod Training and Development Officer (TDO). The Revd Andy Twilley, a Baptist minister, has been offered the job by the Synod Appointment Panel after a successful interview and he has accepted. Andy comes to us as an exceptionally experienced minister who would work well […]
Read More
Don’t forget tomorrow’s meeting! Originally posted on 1 June 2016 The Synod Clerk invites members of Southern Synod to a Synod Pre-Assembly Briefing on Saturday 11th June 2016 from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm in the David Sweet Hall, East Croydon URC. The invitation is not exclusively for those going to Assembly, and has been distributed […]
Read More
Some of you may have experienced difficulty accessing the website in the last few days. This is because you may have a shortcut on your computer that directs you to the old website address, and the automatic redirection stopped working a few days ago. This has now been resolved, but so the same thing does […]
Read More
A message from the Synod Clerk Dear friends It is with the hope of resurrection to eternal life, yet with deep sorrow, that I inform you about the death of the Revd Peter Geoffrey Blake Barker. Peter passed away peacefully in his sleep in hospital, this morning (Friday 13th May 2016). Peter has left his body […]
Read More
Revd Alex Mabbs is organising a Memorial Service for Revd Zam Walker, and has set up a Facebook Page to log interest:- https://www.facebook.com/events/1211622305523490/ “Zam was minister of Brighthelm, with her husband David, from 2007-2010. She died in April after being ill with cancer and her funeral service was at Greenock URC. Some of us, her […]
Read More
A new Synod Staff blog item and an addition to the Gallery of Christian Art in Southern are available to read on the website. Just click on the links below! Synod Staff Blog – Nick’s friend’s ambitious artwork project for Church in Aldershot Gallery of Christian Art – Paintings by Robert Senior – at […]
Read More
A message from the Synod Clerk Dear Friends We received, in the Synod Office, the news of the death of the Revd Andrew Lorimer, a retired minister of the United Reformed Church, who was a member at the Bay URC Birchington, where his friendly and fatherly presence was well appreciated. The news of Andrew’s death also […]
Read More
Peter Stevenson, a Special Category Minister at Crossway United Reformed Church has been appointed Site Chaplain to the Lend Lease Elephant Park Development in South London. The existing church is currently on the site but the congregation will be moving later in the year to a new building 400 metres away. The development currently employs […]
Read More
Crossway United Reformed Church will soon be “walking the way” from their current address in the Elephant and Castle to a newly built site 400 metres away. The journey has been challenging but God has been an ever present help in time of trouble. At a recent site visit Martin Hayward, Southern Synod Mission Office […]
Read More
During the Croydon Churches Together ‘Walk of Witness’ on Good Friday the Moderator Revd Nicola Furley-Smith preached on ‘Were you there when they crucified my Lord?’. Toni Suffolk who organised the Walk has sent some pictures. A video has also been uploaded to YouTube.
Read More
The terrorist attacks this week in Brussels are the most violent to hit Europe since the November attacks in Paris that killed 130 people. Yet this is not the first, or even the second or third, terrorist attack in that time. We must not forget Bamako, Tunis, San Bernadino, Istanbul, Jakarta, Ouagadougou, Ankara, […]
Read More
Please note that the Minutes of the Synod Together Meeting that took place on Saturday 12th March at East Croydon URC as well as Richard Church’s presentation notes are now available in the Documents Library under ‘Synod Together’. Grace Marriott – Secretary at East Croydon kindly provided these photos from the day. Registration A break for tea […]
Read More
You may have noticed a page called “Synod Staff Fun Pages”. The idea of this, apart from introducing some light relief is to allow people in Synod to get to know the Synod staff better and help build a strong relationship between the Office and the Synod. The first contribution is the start of a […]
Read More
A report from Revd Helen Matthews about their wonderful annual exhibition! This is the fourth time that St Andrew’s URC in Balham have put on their Knitted Bible exhibition and it has been another successful year. Throughout the week local primary schools have brought classes and by the time the exhibition finishes next week over […]
Read More
News from Revd Bill Bowman about a forthcoming exhibition of Photographs & Memorabilia of People and Places in Elmers End’s past Details as follows:- Sat 16th April 10-4pm Sun 17th April 1-4pm Elmers End Free Church, Goddard Road, BR3 4AE FREE ADMISSION and Refreshments Available A flyer is available here for download.
Read More
The first of this year’s Synod Together meetings took place on Saturday and the minutes will soon be available, together with a short report on how it went. In the meantime, you might enjoy this video that Revd Richard Church showed during his presentation on “Missional Discipleship”. It is called “This is Discipleship”. Revd Richard […]
Read More
Further to the News item on the next Synod Together Meeting on 12th March at East Croydon URC (posted on 22nd February), the Agenda and Papers are now available for download here in the Documents Library. If you have received the calling letter and are unable to attend, and have not yet sent your apologies, please […]
Read More
The next Southern Synod Together Meeting is being held at East Croydon URC on Saturday 12th March, from 10.30 am to 4.30 pm The theme of the meeting will be Missional Discipleship and the Revd Richard Church, the URC Deputy General Secretary, Discipleship is the guest speaker. Invitations from the Synod Clerk are going out […]
Read More
(More details have now been given in another News item published on 22 February 2016) Details and papers will be sent to all those on the Synod Roll, including church Synod Together Representatives (as shown on the 2016 Annual Church Returns)
Read More
We are very pleased to announce that our new website has won the iChurch Website of the Year Award 2016 for ‘Best use of iChurch’ ! These are newly instigated awards that were judged and awarded during last week’s Windermere On-Line Festival. The judges thought:- “This site offers an attractive web experience, with lots of […]
Read More
Dear Friends, January. A New Year. A new website. Once again we have begun the cycle of events through which we re-enact the story of our salvation. We have celebrated the wonder of the birth of the Christ-child. We journey through the season of Epiphany, embracing those moments of sudden and great revelation or realization […]
Read More
We have taken advantage of the wonderful URC iChurch initiative to create a new website. Lauren and Nick headed off to the URC Windermere Centre in November so they could be trained in creating and running the site. The hope is that now we can do our own updates, the website will become a more […]
Read More