Synod Snippets Summer 2022
Synod Snippets is designed to help Synod members communicate what’s happening at Swindon Deanery Synod with their PCCs and wider congregations and provide points for discussion at and feedback from PCCs.
Please share all the information below widely in your parishes. Cutting and pasting the information into notice sheets and parish magazines as appropriate is encouraged!
If you want further information about anything below where there is not a contact listed, please email
Area Dean Sally Robertson Sally.robertson27@btinternet.com
Assistant Area Dean Phill Harrison Vicar@wroughton.com
Lay Chair David Cain TwelveTwentyFive@msn.com
Our most recent synod was on 21st July. Here are some snippets for you to digest.
Harbour Project – Supporting Refugees and Asylum Seekers
We heard about the work of the Harbour project from its Chief Executive Claire Garrett. Please consider how you and your congregation and help asylum seekers and refugees in your area. Claire’s most basic message was a plea for us to be kind – but there are many other opportunities too. You’ll find her presentation here, containing lots of interesting fact and figures and their website is here : https://harbourproject.org.uk/
Supporting people in Swindon: 18 things
Swindon Borough Council and the Citizens Advice bureau have identified 18 things that could help people who are struggling with the cost of living. Please publicise using the attached poster, also available here
Supporting people in Swindon: From the bottom to the top
Bishop Lee and a friends are cycling from Land’s End to John O Groats to raise money for the disadvantaged in Swindon. You can follow his progress on his blog and make a donation, but also attached is a paper which he introduces as follows
Dear Friends and colleagues
I am not sure how much you’ve heard about “From the Bottom to the Top”- the Fundraising ride which I am currently engaged in and which I very much hope will bring a blessing to some of the most disadvantaged in our town this coming Christmas. Attached is a fairly lengthy piece which sets out the background, and which will be appearing in smaller doses via some blog pages which are also mentioned. We have a very small team currently riding from Land’s End to John O’Groats which you can read about here. Initially a friend who goes back to our school days in Crawley was acting as our driver, then Simon Robertson, Sally’s husband, took over from 17 July.
I would be very grateful if you would commend this endeavour to your congregations, and pray for us and the outcomes we hope for, which you will get a sense of from the attached piece.
Hoping that you are able to make the best of these coming days when the general pace of life slows down. “From the Bottom to the Top” ride needs plenty of commendation over the next two weeks to try and maximise the levels of funds which come in. That said, there is a lot of work which can and will be done in the months leading up to Christmas, which I very much hope will be a blessing to your parishes and people. I know you have some great stories about people who are living very challenging lives, which both help us to admire them and also recognise our need to support them in their challenges. I hope that some of the stories will be told in the coming months as we lead up to Christmas and what we are doing together makes a real impact for the Kingdom of God.
Yours, as ever, in our True and Living Way
+Lee
Eco Challenge
Wroughton and Wichelstowe parish have just achieved their silver eco award. To find out more about how they did this contact Phill Harrison.
The latest diocesan eco-news can be found here
Racial Justice
Rashida Hartley has recently starting working 2 days a week as the Diocesan Racial justice officer.
The Biannual report of the Archbishop’s commission on racial justice has been published and you can find it here
There is a walk of witness along the Bristol City Slave Trail at 11am on Thursday 15th September at 11am to Bristol Cathedral. Look out for more details soon.
Facebook page
Please don’t forget to like Swindon Deanery facebook page. If you have an event to promote, please send us a message via the page.
Next Synod Meeting
Wednesday 19th October at St Francis Primary School, Taw Hill. We will be focussing on Education and how churches can support schools well, so please invite everyone who has an interest in education.