Letters to our Churches

On July 9th, we had a particularly inspiring meeting of Dorking Deanery Synod. Canon Hazel Whitehead led us all in a session which aimed to build a vision for our churches, parishes and deanery. The session was based on John's letters to the churches in Revelations 2 & 3, which were written to be read aloud in churches and shared with other churches nearby.

Canon Hazel Whitehead introduced us to the theology of the letters, emphasising that they were full of hope and placed Christ at the centre of each church's story. They are also challenging; each letter begins with an acknowledgement of what is going well in the church, followed by a "but", suggesting areas for improvement or development.

Two of our members, Revd Andrew Coe and Nick Hands-Clarke presented their own letters to the deanery in the style of John, which led us into a time of lively discussion about our own vision for our churches. We were invited to write our own letters to the church following John's format. If you wish you can send these to Diana who will collate them.

This was a very thought provoking session and it would be a brilliant way to fuel discussion about vision in PCC meetings.

Thanks to Diana, for the minutes of the meeting which I have 'borrowed' for this article!