A New Year - a New Beginning !
On Sunday 28th January 2007 the Revd Maz Allen was inducted into the ministry of the URCiC. We are delighted to to welcome Maz and look forward to our journey of Faith together. Maz can be contacted on 01242 238273 or via email
Maz Allen has degrees in education as well as a Youth & Children’s Work Certificate and Certificate of Religious Studies. She has a B.Th. from Oxford and has recently completed a part-time M.A. in Christian Spirituality.Her career has been varied, from teaching, through working for herself, to working for the URC as a Church Related Community Worker (CRCW). It was whilst she was working in this demanding role in a deprived area that she realised that she was being called to a different ministry. She was ordained in 1997 and was at Chandler's Ford URC until coming to Cheltenham.
Her previous church was well known for its mid-week children’s work and summer holiday club. Maz believes that Church does not only need to happen on Sundays and that the mid-week work should be supported by the whole congregation.
She encourages the involvement of members of the congregation in services. Her preaching is Bible–based and relates to today’s social and moral structures. Maz has always had Christians of various persuasions in her congregation and is not afraid to listen and learn from differing viewpoints. At Chandler's Ford she ran short study courses and supported the work of the active House-Groups.
Here, as at Chandler's Ford , she is a committed member of local Churches Together.
Maz attends Health & Healing conferences and holds Healing services, but believes that every service is an opportunity for Healing.
Maz has had a link with a children’s home in Kenya since 2001. She has organised and led two visits there by Fury members to improve conditions for the children and this December’s visit involved an ambitious project to build a new dormitory in one home and a new playground in another.
Chandler's Ford URC identifies strongly with social justice issues and she was on the rota for cooking at the local homeless shelter.
Maz has led groups of young people on pilgrimages to Taize, led Taize workshops and enjoys Taize and Iona music. She often uses modern words to familiar tunes in worship.
Her priorities are to affirm the Christian Faith; to enable established and new Christians to deepen their relationship with God; to strive for inclusiveness in the church; to help the church look outwards to the wider community and to uphold the values of the Reformed tradition.
Maz describes pastoral visiting as a joy and takes this responsibility seriously. She also enjoys music (singing being a passion), preaching, relating to children and young people and enabling people to recognise their potential. Maz lists her strengths as imaginative worship, rapport with the young and the elderly, energy and enthusiasm, administration and a sense of humour!