A year in the Lincoln Circuit

Deacon Helen Gardner reflects on her first year in Lincoln Circuit.

It's a well-worn phrase, but time really does fly by when you're enjoying yourself. The prayers, support and encouragement of everyone around me have carried me through my first year of ministry. Lincoln is a beautiful place full of extraordinary people.

I have pastoral care of Skellingthorpe, Moorland Park and Navenby while Rev. Richard as Superintendent has Pastoral Charge and oversight because as a Deacon I am called to bring ministry with a specific focus.

That focus essentially is: on prophetic witness: seeking the will of God in my life and others, on prayer: talking to God and on service: helping others. In essence, I am here to notice where God is at work and join in, encouraging others to do the same.

The Diaconate is a religious order which is separate from but sits within the Methodist Church. It's a grouping of Ministers, each with a specific background or skill set that is useful in Ministry. I worked as a Psychotherapeutic Counsellor in private practice, specialising in Grief and Loss and a Family Worker within the Methodist Church before being called as a Minister.

This has enabled me to establish some helpful partnerships in the last few months: I work with Lincolnshire Community Mental Health & Wellbeing Transformation Programme, connecting with NHS groups. They help me to advertise our groups through the How Are You Lincolnshire network: haylincolnshire.co.uk.

Through a partnership with Voluntary Centre Services, Moorland Park now host a drop-in once a month where people can come and talk to the Lincoln Social-Prescribing Team and access the support they need.      

I am a Voluntary Session Leader at a number of the Night Light Cafes run across the city by Acts Trust and love working alongside colleagues from all faiths and none on this. www.actstrust.org.uk

I am linked with the Lincolnshire Armed Forces Covenant Partnership to support the civilian community in matters of faith and spiritual well-being, helping to ensure that all family members are recognised, represented and supported by the services offered.

All of this has encouraged me to establish some new groups from September. Craft-ernoons will begin in Navenby on a Monday 1-3pm and Moorland Park on a Wednesday 1-3pm each week. (See poster!)

These were inspired by something that Skellingthorpe Methodist Church already do on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays between 2pm and 4pm.

We will offer a safe, inclusive, welcoming space to see and chat to the Minister and others once a week, where we can signpost to social prescribing and other helping services, where we offer company, compassionate conversation and care for one another and where the kettle is on!

People can bring their own creative activity or can learn one while they are there through a network of generous volunteers who have already offered to share. This will see people coming together from across the city to share skills, love and hope in a way that will feed back into our worshipping community. Many will know that I don't have a handicraft as such, but I doodle and colour as a therapeutic tool and am happy to show others. I detail this on my blog at moorlandpark.com

Deacons generally work alongside those on the margins. But the question of where that margin begins is an interesting one! Part of my calling is to help us all to recognise and find the words to explain God at work in our lives. Often through the simplest of conversations, we discover examples of miracles and faith stories that have gone unspoken.

The future is to be a church without walls to a certain extent...we’ve had buildings close but through initiatives like the Methodist Way of Life and God for All there are ways of sharing our faith when we are dispersed and we have an important ministry of presence.

Conversation and listening should never be underestimated. I want, above all else, people to know that they matter not only to me and to our church but, more importantly, to God.

Prophetic Witness, prayer and service.

So, if I think I have something God is trying to say to you or through you. I’ll tell you.

If you want me to pray with you I will but don’t be surprised if I’m already doing it.

If there’s anything I can do to help, then I am here to serve you

I look forward to seeing you soon

Deacon Helen