The North Hampshire Child Contact Centre has been initiated by, and the management committee is made up of, members from the North Hampshire Downs Mothers’ Union. They live in the villages just outside Basingstoke and the Child Contact Centre is being held at Hook near M3 J5 and the mainline train between Basingstoke and Fleet. Both Basingstoke and Fleet have child contact centres with waiting lists.

The volunteers to support the project have come from the village church congregations and from local school connections. This has enabled outreach by Mothers’ Union members to other supporters, and from the whole community (led by the Mothers’ Union) to the communities across the area.

The Child Contact Centre’s sole purpose is to enable parents, and sometimes grandparents, to rebuild relationships with children residing with estranged former partners. Contact is usually ordered by the courts. Those who have volunteered to help with sessions have been specially trained to facilitate resident parents who are reluctant about letting estranged partners have access to their children, and also care for children who may be very torn over which parent to please.

The North Hampshire Child Contact Centre would welcome your prayers for its volunteers and clients as it starts providing this vital and much needed service to the local community.

More information about how the project has been set up will be available on this website soon, and in the summer edition of our Diocesan Newsletter ‘Archway’.

The Christian Calendar is now moving into Lent as we mark Ash Wednesday on 16th February 2010. Christian tradition encourages us to examine ourselves honestly, acknowledge our shortcomings, and seek reconciliation with God and with each other where we have compromised our relationships. Mothers’ Union has produced some material for Lent:

Lent-Easter-Meditations2010

As part of this years Mothers’ Union theme “Relationships not Rules” there is also the following prompt to our Lenten thoughts and helps us to turn them to actions: RnotR2010-LentColourChart

Many Mothers’ Union groups like to mark 25th March (known either as “Lady Day” or the “Annunciation of our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary”) with a special service.

At the annunciation, Mary made a free choice to be the bearer of a child who would bring freedom to the entire world. Traditionally, the church has characterised Mary as silent and passive, but in fact, she is a major spokesperson for those who are oppressed. In the Magnificat, Mary tells us that justice is at the heart of the Christian message. She rejoices because of the freedom God offers in lifting the humble high.

This theme was reflected in the Lady Day service written in 2007 which can still be used by groups as the theme reflects the work of Mothers’ Union members as they seek to bring forward justice for families through prayer, projects, and speak out where government policies affect marriage and family life. You can download it here: Lady_Day_Service_2007

Mothers’ Union believes strongly that marriage provides couples, and children of the couple, with the best foundation for a happy, stable family life, and that it follows that stable families provide a positive bedrock for all of us in society.

In 2002 Mothers’ Union produced a service that could be used in churches who wish to celebrate National Marriage Week: Marriage Week Service You are welcome to download and use the material.

At least one such service is being run in the Diocese this Sunday 14th February, at St. Peter’s Yateley (10am) where Lou Scott-Joynt (Trustee of Relate and Mothers’ Union member) will be the guest speaker.

Alongside this Mothers’ Union recognises the difficulties that face marriages, and that relationships do break down, causing great distress to all those affected. It therefore seeks to recognise the issues involved, works to provide people with mechanisms to help relationships under stress, and heal the wounds that are left behind.

If you want to read more information about Mothers’ Union support for marriage and family life please look at our central website: Mothers’ Union Marriage Week 2010

The theme Relationship not Rules embraces this turning point in roles, experience and gifts, and gives us an opportunity to celebrate the relationships we have, and are continuing, to build. By focusing on our diverse relationships rather than the rules with which our societies are governed and structured, we are making a clear statement about how we value relationships in the Mothers’ Union.

Mothers’ Union’s vision is to see a world where God’s love is shown through loving, respectful, and flourishing relationships. To do this, we have a set of beliefs based on the value of relationships, and the example Jesus set us in living out our faith through our relationships. More background information about the theme is available to Mothers’ Union members on the central website: Theme for 2010

There is a wealth of material available by following that link, but since this theme has significance for everyone and should have uses outside Mothers’ Union groups, some of the material is available here. Click on the links to download information and inspiration for prayer, small group work, bible study and other activities in your family and community. (We’ve used the file name RnotR2010 as shorthand for Relationships Not Rules in 2010.

RnotR2010-IntroductoryRationale An introduction to the theme RelationshipsNotRules and the material available for you to use.

RnotR2010-Blessings_Challenges_Chart A simple sheet for individuals to use to reflect on the relationships in their lives, the challenges and blessings they are bringing. A few questions will help you realise that you don’t have to face the challenges alone, and may identify where you can seek help and support. We were designed for relationship, not for acting alone.

RnotR2010-GroupMeditation_John15 A group meditation centred around a shared meal or refreshments and based on a study of Jesus’ command to love each other.

RnotR2010-BibleStudy_John8 A Bible study suitable for individuals or groups, based on Jesus’ words and actions when a group of Pharisees brought a woman to him who had been caught in adultery.

RnotR2010_Prayers A large selection of prayers and reflections relating to the theme that can be used in worship or private prayer.

RnotR2010- RulesandLawsinBible_and_Mothers’_ Union Material that makes a great resource for a local group of Mothers’ Union members to explore both the Bible and the way they approach their membership of Mothers’ Union.

RnotR2010_service – a full order of service with liturgy and readings designed to help people reflect on their relationships in the light of Biblical teaching.

Canon Andrew has recently started to ‘blog’ as a contributor to the Daily Telegraph’s “Faithbook” blog.  Today’s entry includes the words “It is the children that empower and inspire me” and is well worth reading.

Your webmistress wonders how many of us can say that about our own ministries and the churches in which we worship? Reflecting on this may require us to consider the nature of our relationship with God and with the children we have contact with.

Reading Canon Andrew’s entries at Faithbook, or subscribing to the email newsletters of The Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East which forms another part of his world changing work in Christ’s name, could form a significant inspiration to those considering this years Mothers’ Union theme: Cost of Relationship.

To make these as easily accessible as possible some of the main ones are attached to the links below (and should open in a new window), the rest are available by going to the “members” section of www.themothersunion.org and following the link to ‘Theme for 2009′.

• The rationale for the theme
• Collection of prayers and reflections on the theme
• A Bible Study on the Good Samaritan
• Bible Characters
• Jesus’ Values
• Cost of Relationship Service

The theme which Mothers’ Union is concentrating on in 2009 is the ‘Cost of Relationship.’ The phrase raises many questions:

• What is meant by cost exactly?
• Relationship to whom?
• Is the church or Mothers’ Union asking for my money?
• How can relationship be costly?

The Head of our Diocesan Faith and Policy Unit has been looking for some answers, and invites you to start exploring them with her in the next issue of ‘Archway’.

‘Archway’ is the Newsletter of Mothers’ Union in the Diocese of Winchester, which is free to members living in the Diocese and compliments information available on this website. The next issue will be available to visitors and distributed to group leaders at our Diocesan Meeting on 31st March (more details of which are available by using the events tag on the left).