Monthly Archives: November 2021

The autumn meeting of the United Reformed Church (URC) Assembly Executive opened on 22 November at at High Leigh Conference Centre, Hoddesdon, with a welcome by the Revd Clare Downing, Moderator of the URC General Assembly. 

Opening worship was led by the Revd Helen Everard, Moderator’s Chaplain. She introduced a hymn by Graham Adams, ‘We come to praise our God’. Its assertion that “we who commit to Christ… love diversity” was the focus of the reading from the book of Acts – the story of Cornelius, a centurion who accepts the gospel preached by the apostle Peter and is remembered as the first named gentile to convert to Christianity.

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The December/January edition of Reform is a 48-page bumper issue.

It’s full to bursting – reports from COP26, childhood Christmas reminiscing, Assembly Executive, Philip Yancey’s extraordinary memoir, Sanctuary Cafe, Christmas giving guide, therapy in Palestine, slavery in your local church community, and fond memories of Reform‘s 1980s editor, Norman Hart. And, of course, more.

Reform will keep you going through Christmas, and be back in the new year for more news, comment, inspiration and debate.

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In response to the deaths of 27 people who died while attempting to cross the English Channel last week, Roo Stewart, United Reformed Programme (URC) Support Officer for Church and Society, offers ‘27’ a reflective poem and suggestions for action.

27

27 people – and more – have lost their lives
in search of a better one:
27 children and adults at sea.
Others were content to take their money:
an empty promise, a false hope,
set adrift on a flimsy inflatable boat.

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We are devastated by the tragic deaths of 27 people attempting to cross the Channel to seek sanctuary in the UK this week. This is yet another warning cry that a compassionate and just asylum system in the UK is … Continue reading →

COP26 was the most significant climate summit since Paris in 2015. The measures outlined in the COP26 Glasgow Climate Pact are critical if we are to set a course to keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees. Members of churches, in … Continue reading →

Worship was led on the final morning of Assembly Executive by the Revd Helen Everard, Chaplain to the Moderators of United Reformed Church General Assembly. The Revd Andrew Mudharara read from Genesis from the story of Hagar and Sarah.

Session seven 

The Revd Dr Jill Thornton, a hospice chaplain, had recorded a video reflecting theologically on experience of pandemic. Technical problems prevented Assembly Executive from watching the video, but it will be available on urc.org.uk

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Day two of Assembly Executive opened with worship led by the Revd Helen Everard, Chaplain to the Moderators of United Reformed Church General Assembly, who introduced the hymn ‘Christ Be Our Light’ by Bernadette Farrell.

Tim Crossley, Yorkshire Synod Clerk, read a Bible reading from Genesis 42 1-8, where Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to buy grain during a famine. Helen then gave a reflection on the theme of masks worn by both heroes and villains (heroes and villains being the theme for URC Youth Assembly 2021). How if we didn’t know Batman was a hero, but if you didn’t know he was a hero, because of his mask he could be seen as a villain. Helen compared Batman to Robin Hood who was seen as a villain but how was actually a hero stealing from the rich to give to the poor.

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The autumn meeting of the United Reformed Church (URC) Assembly Executive opened on 22 November at at High Leigh Conference Centre, Hoddesdon, with a welcome by the Revd Clare Downing, Moderator of the URC General Assembly. 

Session One

Opening worship was led by the Revd Helen Everard, Moderator’s Chaplain. She introduced a hymn by Graham Adams, ‘We come to praise our God’. Its assertion that “we who commit to Christ… love diversity” was the focus of the reading from the book of Acts – the story of Cornelius, a centurion who accepts the gospel preached by the apostle Peter and is remembered as the first named gentile to convert to Christianity.

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Free tickets are now available for the United Reformed Church (URC’s) 50th Anniversary Service of Celebration and Thanksgiving taking place on 1 October 2022, at Methodist Central Hall Westminster, London, where the Uniting Assembly of the United Reformed Church took place in 1972.

The day starts at United Reformed Church House at 86 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RT with an Open Church House event, packed full of jubilee related talks and activities, as well as to meet the team that work at the office.

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The autumn meeting of the United Reformed Church Assembly Executive is taking place at High Leigh Conference Centre from 22-24 November. 

At General Assembly 2021, the name of Mission Council was changed to Assembly Executive and will meet once a year to reflect on the life of the Church and make decisions about its day-to-day life.

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