CONTENTS
- New Lincoln Diocese Facebook Page - MU Chaplain Carolyn
- A New Diocesan President for Lincoln Diocese
- About Lincoln Diocese Mothers' Union
- Theme for 2022: Transformation Now! Dates for your Diary
- MU Spring Newsletter 2022 - click on link at the bottom of the page to open the Newsletter
- Map and Groups in Lincoln Diocese
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New Lincoln Diocese Facebook Page
Hi Everyone
I’m Carolyn and I have the honour of being the MU Chaplain for the Diocese! How did that happen? I just wanted to say hello and to share some thoughts with you.
I know that Sylvia Rice Oxley our President has a vision for the next triennium but I wanted you to know that I have a vision too, that we will have a higher profile and will become more visible in our communities, in the Diocese and in our churches.
We are blessed in having the support of Bishop Nicholas and we have so many branches doing great work in our communities, we have our website and our newsletters, so now I am adding the Facebook page. If you use FB please pop on to our page and like it, let’s spread the news of what we get up to, it is a great way to see what we are all up to and if you are a Diocesan member it will help you to feel a part of the community..
If you would like to post but not sure what to do send your news and photos to me at lincolnmuchaplain@gmail.com and I will post for you.
Let’s get going and spread the joy!
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A NEW DIOCESAN PRESIDENT FOR LINCOLN DIOCESE
The Bishop of Grantham commissioned our new Diocesan President, Trustees and Postholders at a wonderful service in St Peter at Gowts Church in Lincoln.
We had the Diocesan Banner there and our hymns were accompanied by our new MUzic group. Bishop Nicholas encouraged our membership and showed he was proud and inspired by all MU does in the diocese and worldwide.
We begin a new Triennium with great joy and hope of spreading the Good News of Christ through our work and prayers, work of MU in our branches, clusters and amongst our growing number of Diocesan Members.
Our new Diocesan President is The Revd Sylvia Rice-Oxley who is a retired priest. Along with her husband Richard, also a retired priest, she hopes to encourage the work of MU in the diocese and build up membership. One of her aims is to inform and aid clergy and lay ministers in the work and value of MU, with the guidance of our Diocesan Chaplain, Revd Carolyn Bailey. Sylvia also hopes to visit branches and clusters as well as meeting with Diocesan Members.
We are grateful for the great work which Elizabeth Page did during the last 6 years as Diocesan President. Elizabeth is continuing to support Lincoln Diocese as Administrator, for which we are very thankful.
Everyone is welcome to join us in our activities and we welcome suggestions of new ministry and ways of doing and being MU in our beloved Diocese. (See bottom of page for photos of the event.)
ABOUT LINCOLN DIOCESE MOTHERS' UNION: We are a small diocese whose members mainly live in rural settings. There are a variety of different memberships to meet personal needs.
We are organised geographically into 12 clusters overlapping deaneries. Each cluster has between two-six branches; the cluster leader often also being a trustee who feeds information back from meetings to members.
Clusters generally organise programmes for Lady Day, Mary Sumner Day and other special events.
Branches generally meet monthly for worship, sharing information and fellowship. They keep in touch with the indoor members in their parishes. The Indoor Members Prayer Circle (IMPC) coordinator keeps in touch with all IMPC members sending cards for Christmas, Easter and birthdays along with letters from the worldwide president or our diocesan chaplain or president.
Diocesan members can be part of a diocesan fellowship group or individual members who join through the diocesan office with a diocesan members coordinator keeping them in touch with Mothers' Union activities. Diocesan members are invited to join branches nearby, when they can, or diocesan activities.
Our work:
- In January 2019 The Mothers' Union Centre moved to a new office at St Peter at Gowts Church Hall. This office is currently closed due to COVID-19.
- We support The Mothers' Union Wave of Prayer between 16th and 18th November
- A diocesan contact with Stocken Prison Chaplaincy started in 2017 and involves members with the week-long Kairos Bible study, prayers and life reflections on a one-to-one basis for the inmates involved, also cooking hundreds of cookies for the course supported by many local churches
- Members support the local refuges providing toiletries, towels, bedding, emergency rations and other requirements
- Mothers' Union has linked with a local Lincoln-based baby basket charity, providing Moses baskets, knitted garments, toiletries, and everything needed for the new baby and mother in the first three months following delivery. Sent to any needy family recommended by midwives, social workers or Mothers' Union members
- Mothers' Union support maternity units across the diocese knitting for premature babies and newborns, and knitting pockets and blankets for stillborn babies
- Links with hospitals, care homes, nursing homes and at-home dementia sufferers are provided with fiddle blankets, muffs and aprons as required. The dementia coodinator works with NHS staff and provides talks for Mothers' Union groups
- We provide student recipe books, Mothers' Union information at Freshers' Day at Bishop Grostesste University and support the chaplaincy-run "Tea and Toast" once a month in term time providing snacks and a listening ear if required
- Members take part in the Thy Kingdom Come movement in the clusters and attended the diocesan service at the end of the initiative at the cathedral
- In November members meet at the cathedral chapel for prayers before walking down Steep Hill and High Street to St Peters holding placards and giving out leaflets supporting the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
- Along with the majority of Church of England Dioceses, we are involved with The Clewer Initiative which seeks to bring recognition and support by raising awareness of all aspects of modern slavery and helping to mobilise the local church, both in detection and helping to provide victim support and care.
To get involved, contact our Diocesan President to become a diocesan member. Following recent changes, all members will be receiving the prayer book, which has information about our wonderful global Christian organization and prayers for our members worldwide. In addition, there will be an exciting new publication as part of membership subscription which will be posted to members of the Britain and Ireland zones directly twice a year with information of the many activities, work and life skills which are making a huge difference to our 4 million members worldwide.
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SO WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT THE MOTHERS’ UNION?
I think we need to remember that no two MU groups are the same and neither should they be. The purpose of a group or branch is to have a framework to meet together, to pray together and to get involved in making a difference to family life and our own communities in any way we are able. MU members meet together for Faith, Fellowship and Friendship. Being part of a group or branch should provide the opportunity to be actively involved in your local Community and Church activities and to discover more about what is happening to Mothers Union locally and globally, something we have found hard to do over the last year.
To help this aim, as from 2021 MSH will be posting to every member the prayer book, which has information about our wonderful global Christian organization to which we all belong, and prayers for our members worldwide.
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Theme for 2022: Transformation Now!
Dates for your Diary
Jan 25th Monday Trustee & Cluster Zoom meeting 10am
Feb 7th-14th National Marriage Week
March 14th Monday Trustee & Officers Zoom meeting 10am
March 25th Friday Lady Day
March 27th Sunday Mothering Sunday
April 17th Sunday Easter Day
May 16th Monday Trustee & Officers Zoom meeting 10am
June 3rd ff Friday HM The Queen's Platinum Jubilee
June 25th Saturday Summer Council and Members' Day (including Diocesan Members) 10.30am-3.00pm with packed lunch followed by a Celebration Service and afternoon tea St Peter at Gowts, Lincoln
July 19th Tuesday Clergy & Lay Ministers' Lunch at Washingborough Community Hall, 4 Fen Road, LN4 1AB 12.00-2.00pm
August 9th Tuesday Mary Sumner Day
September 12th Monday Trustee & Officers Zoom meeting 10am
Oct 10th-16th Prisons Week of Prayer
October 13th Thursday Retreat at Bishop Grossteste College 10.30am-3pm
October 18th Tuesday Slavery Day
Nov 16th-18th Tues – Thurs Diocesan Wave of Prayer
Nov 14th Monday Winter Council & Celebration Eucharist at St Peter
at Gowts 10.30 am
Nov 16th-18th Wed-Fri Diocesan Wave of Prayer
Nov25th-Dec 10th Fri - Sat Days of Activism against Gender Violence + Global
Day
Dec 14th Wednesday Carol Service by Zoom
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PHOTOS:
1. Bourne
2. Gift of Baby Clothes from Lincoln MU to New Mums in Kenya
3. March through Lincoln against Gender Based Violence
4. Baby's Basket
5. Bishop of Grantham, Diocesan President and Chaplain
6. New & Retiring DPs
7. MUzic
