Chester December 2009
Transcription
Chester December 2009
Chester Diocesan News December 2009 www.chester.anglican.org Youth funding success Page 3 Growin g s t r o n g e r p a r i s h c o m m u n i t i e s Prepare for Christmas, a time of journeys and visits BISHOP PETER considers God’s saving journey to us, and our journey to Him We associate Christmas with journeys. Mary and Joseph travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem – no fun there, travelling heavily pregnant for 100 miles over rough terrain. The Wise Men travel to pay homage to Jesus. Mary and Joseph take Jesus to Egypt, to avoid Herod. We in turn travel to see relatives, or they travel to us. Today journeys are usually much easier, and we need to remember how difficult and dangerous travel used to be in former times. The whole Bible is full of journeys: of Abraham wandering to and from the promised land; of Moses leading the people of Israel from Egypt to the promised land; of Israel’s later exile in Babylon and return. In his ministry Jesus never stays long in one place, but is constantly on the move from village to village, and occasionally to Jerusalem. And then there is Jesus’ final journey to the Cross. What a puzzling and mysterious journey this is. The Bible gives only one explanation: this is God’s journey to us, into the sin and separation between us and God, and finally into our death, to overcome it and to promise us a new and eternal life. To be a Christian is to allow God’s journey to us and our world, as set out in the Bible, to become our journey to Him. We are baptised into Jesus’ death and resurrection. God’s journey into the world, through Mary, makes sense of our journey to God. That’s what Christmas is all about. + Peter STOP PRESS... Archdeacon Donald to become a bishop The new Bishop of Peterborough is to be the Ven Donald Allister (pictured), the Archdeacon of Chester, No 10 Downing Street announced as CDN went to press. Donald, aged 57, was a vicar in Birkenhead and Cheadle, and Rural Dean of Cheadle before becoming the Archdeacon of Chester in 2002. He will be consecrated and installed as Bishop of Peterborough next spring. Full story on back page; plus hear an interview with Donald on www.chester.anglican.org Judy Hunt’s collation as Archdeacon of Suffolk Judy Hunt with Bishop Nigel and Bishop Peter at her collation as Archdeacon of Suffolk Judy Hunt is pictured after being collated as Archdeacon of Suffolk at St Mary’s Church, Woodbridge back in October. She is responsible for about 200 parishes in the east of Suffolk. The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, the Rt Revd Nigel Stock, said: “Judy is extremely able. As a former vet she will have great empathy for the agricultural community. Chester diocesan news Published monthly by the Diocese of Chester – the Church of England in Cheshire, Stockport, South Tameside, South Trafford and Wirral EDITOR: Stephen Regan, tel 01244 681973 ext 233. Post news items to him at Church House, Lower Lane, Aldford, Chester CH3 6HP or email stories and pictures for the February 2010 issue, by December 18, to: [email protected] 2 But she also has impressive strategic ability and an eye for detail.” Judy was one of the first women to be ordained in our diocese. She became our Director of Ministry in 2003 and the Mission portfolio was added three years later. Bishop Nigel knows Judy well. He was previously the Bishop of Stockport. DESIGNER: Steve Freeman, based at Church House, tel 01244 681973 ext 255 PRINT and DISTRIBUTION enquiries: please phone Cowdalls Printers on 01270 212389 • Chester Diocesan Board of Finance is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England (no. 7826) and a registered charity (no. 248968) Big funding successes for youth projects A year of outreach, designed by young people of the Christian Union at Upton-by-Chester High School, has been funded by the Church of England’s Youth Evangelism Fund (YEF). The project has taken inspiration from Romans 10.15: “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things.” And the whole project is using socks as a leitmotif for that passage from Romans, which is itself a reference back to Isaiah 52:7. Among the evangelism events the young Christians at ‘Upton High’ will put on are: Random acts of kindness, such as helping teachers; giving out chocolate; giving out bottles of water to sports teams; and offering to paint the RE department’s corridor. Every time an act of kindness is carried out by the young people, a card will be given out directing recipients to the CU’s website which explains the gospel – using sock puppets! The students will also be putting their personal faith stories on the website … along with pictures of their favourite pairs of socks! The project is being helped by Greg Condon, a Youth Worker at St Michael’s Church, Plas Newton, Chester, which supports Christian mission at the school. The idea for the project, Greg Condon and all the foot-slogging practicalities and the acts of kindness, are down to the students themselves. Mark Montgomery, our Diocesan Youth Officer said: “I was very happy to support the many creative applications for funding that came to us before being sent on to YEF’s national panel, and I am especially pleased that the sock project, which is backed by Plas Newton parish, has received national recognition. “Altogether nine projects from our diocese have won funding, including a project of film evenings in Bunbury, a youth café in Sandbach, and a night at the Crocky Trail (an outdoor adventure and obstacle course) by St Mary’s in Eastham, South Wirral. YEF funding is supported jointly by the Archbishops’ Council (50 per cent), the Henry Smith Charity, the Laing Family Trusts, and the Jerusalem Trust. ery Mark Montgom 3 Church history society welcomes new members The Warrington Church History Society meets five times a year. It holds regular outings to sites of great church history interest throughout our diocese and further afield, and each year two lectures for members on subjects linked to church history. The society was founded in 1980 by John Isherwood, a retired college lecturer, who now lives in Willaston, South Wirral, and several of his fiends. Mr Isherwood, a member of Christ Church, Willaston, said: “The Christian heritage, in terms of buildings, architecture, literature and denominational history, in Cheshire and the North-West, is very rich indeed. “Anyone interested in deepening their knowledge and appreciation of church history will find our society very welcoming and useful.” The society charges a modest annual subscription. Its next meeting is likely to be held in early February 2009, at the Methodist Mission in Bold Street, Warrington. Those who wish to find out more, or join the society, should phone John Isherwood on 0151 327 1851 or email [email protected]. NB The society will hold its carol service, starting at 7.30, at Stockton Heath Christian Fellowship in the centre of Stockton Heath, Warrington, on Wednesday 16 December. St John the Baptist Church – the original cathedral of Chester. Training and ministerial development Called to Serve This is an annual event held at Chester Cathedral that’s designed to help people who are seeking their vocation to a licensed ministry. The next Called to Serve will be on Saturday 23 January from 10am to 1pm. There will be workshops on Reader ministry, Pastoral Worker ministry and ordained ministry. It will be possible to attend two of the workshops. There will also be input from the Church Army. For more details or to book a place, please contact the Revd Ray Samuels, our Diocesan Director of Ordinands, on 01244 346945, or email [email protected] The Annual Cathedral Lecture for Chester Theological Society takes place on Saturday 30 January at 2pm in the Chapter House of Chester Cathedral. The Revd Canon Prof Loveday Alexander, Canon Theologian, will lecture on Ten for Today: Do the Ten Commandments offer a practical ethic for the 21st century? 4 Being There In the spring term two courses will be offered for those working with people in a pastoral capacity. Bereavement ministry is for individuals and for parish groups. It will run for five weeks on Thursdays at St Luke’s Church, Huntington, Chester CH3 6BT on 14, 21 and 28 January; and on 4 and 11 February 2010. The course will take place in the afternoons (2pm to 4.15pm) or in the evenings (7.30pm to 9.45pm). Baptism is for those who work with families who bring children for baptism. It will run for five weeks at St Paul’s Church, Compstall Brow, Compstall SK6 5HU on Tuesday evenings (7.30pm to 9.30pm) on 12, 19 and 26 January and on 2 and 9 February. Each course costs £40. Please phone Gerri Tetzlaff at Church House on 01244 681973 ext 229 or email gerri. [email protected] to book. Introducing our new Worship Adviser The Revd Colin Randall was born in Fareham, Hampshire, and raised in Gloucestershire. He was a secondary school maths teacher before becoming a priest 25 years ago. He’s spent much of his ministry so far in Carlisle and Oxford dioceses, but arrived in our diocese back in summer to take up his new dual role as Priest-in-Charge at Barrow – and Diocesan Worship Adviser. Colin previously worked in a wide variety of parishes with all sorts of traditions and worship styles – from robed choirs to worship bands, and from use of incense to Youtube clips. Married to Judith, the couple have three sons, of which only one is still a teenager. Colin’s interests include rock music (he’s a fan of Coldplay, U2 and Muse) and science fiction (especially Dr Who and Star Trek). He has had a long interest in worship and liturgy. While in Oxford diocese he taught the Readers course on worship, and last year he attended the Willow Creek (church) Arts conference in Chicago. Colin told CDN: “I want to help churches have worship which is truly God-centred and mission-shaped and which values its Anglican heritage. “We live in an era of very rich resources for worship. I can, hopefully, be a guide to help parishes find what works for them. The Revd Colin Randall – a guide to the rich resources of worship “I’m also happy to help with worship audits, and to offer assistance to any parish that’s looking at its worship as part of the GAP process.” If you would like Colin’s help and advice please phone 01829 740263 or email [email protected] A new memorial to those who served A war memorial of red Cheshire sandstone has been erected at St Peter’s Church, Hargrave, near Tarporley. The idea for the monument came from the Vicar, the Revd Paul Barrow, with support within the parish and from the villages of Hargrave and Huxley. The vicar said: “These days, commemorating the sacrifices of HM Forces is considered somewhat unfashionable and jingoistic, but we think otherwise. “On the top of our memorial is a cross. We don’t glory in war, any more than we glory in the hatred, cruelty and sheer evil that did the Jesus to death on Good Friday. “But we can and should be profoundly thankful that there were young men and women who followed the way of the cross to its ultimate conclusion by giving their lives to defend us.” The memorial was dedicated by Army padre, Father Andrew Lloyd, the Deputy Assistant Chaplain General, who also preached at the parish Eucharist on Remembrance Sunday. • Another parish commemorates the sacrifices made in war – see page 7. 5 Introducing our new Head of Counselling Services Jane Knight has taken up her new position with our diocese. A professional counsellor/ psychotherapist, Jane was born in Ambleside, Cumbria, and grew up in St Anne’s, Jane Knight Lancashire. She was brought up in the Church of England and currently worships at St Mary’s in Nantwich. Jane is married to Rob, a head teacher, and the couple live in Willaston, near Nantwich. They have two grown-up children, Beth and Ruth. Jane has taken over as our Head of Counselling Services from Gill Carding, who has retired. Around the Diocese An organist is required for Holy Trinity, Blacon, Chester, to start as soon as is practicable. The duties include Sunday morning Eucharist, plus funerals and weddings. The parish has a choir which the new organist might like to work with. For details or to apply please phone the PCC Secretary Pam Tushingham on 01244 373694 or email [email protected] In aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care, an evening service of Advent songs, anthems and readings, led by the Tisley Church Singers and friends, will be held at St John the Baptist Church, Aldford, CH3 6HW. The event will start at 6.30pm on Sunday 6 December. 6 Jane said: “Counselling is for everybody – for clergy, their families and laity. Most of us have times in our lives when we feel overwhelmed by events and circumstances. “I can provide help, advice and consultancy for clergy and lay workers in pastoral situations, especially with regard to mental health issues. “I am also keen to promote and develop a range of strategies for clergy and their families to promote good mental health and well being. “The Mental Health Forum is already developing a resource document to provide information and advice to clergy and parishes.” If people would like to talk to Jane, please phone her on her dedicated, confidential numbers, 01270 652034 or 07918 732806. Or email [email protected] In Crewe, Christ Church’s 31st season of Wednesday lunchtime concerts continues on Wednesday 9 December with a Christmas concert given by the Sandbach Ladies Choir under the direction of Valetta Cranmer and accompanied by John Axom on the organ. There will be a retiring collection. For further information phone Emma Janes on 01270 215866 or email [email protected] St Helen’s Church, Tarporley will hold a sponsored hymn-athon on Saturday 5 December (also Tarporley Country Market Day). Between 11 am and 4.30pm, fifty favourite hymns and carols will be sung to raise funds for the Church Tower Repairs Appeal. Visitors are welcome to take part. There will be regular breaks for refreshments. For details please phone Chas Hardern on 01829 732595, email [email protected] or phone the Revd Keith Hine on 01829 732491 or email [email protected] Readers and Pastoral Workers licensed The annual Reader Licensing service at Chester Cathedral (pictured above) took place back in October when 16 new Readers were admitted and licensed. Bishop Peter officiated and the Very Revd Ken Riley preached. The service was attended by many supporters from family and parish. Admitted and licensed were: Val Bond, Bev Boulton,Trish Cope, Anne Draper, Malcolm Evans, John Fenton, Pip Horne, Alan Jones, Hugh Jones, Ron Jones, Alison Linfield, Alan Lowe, Susan Nykorak, Kath Wentel, Julie Withers and Elisabeth Wye. Last September ten new Pastoral Workers were admitted and licensed at a service of celebration at the cathedral. Bishop Keith led the Pastoral Workers in a quiet afternoon as part of their preparation and then preached and presided at the service which was well attended by family, parishioners and friends. Admitted and licensed were: Lynn Alexander, Marjorie Burden, Elaine Curnock, Margaret Darbyshire, Amy Haigh, Carol Jordan, Kathleen Jubb, Margaret Kitchen, Julie Lillicrap and Janice Lupton. Making history, preserving history Anne Lawson, Vicar of Crewe Green. Made of Welsh slate to complement the dark decorative bricks in the wall, it balances the post box on the opposite side of the church gate. The plaque gives thanks for the men and women of Crewe Green who served their country during times of conflict. Residents of Crewe Green had a new war commemoration plaque in place in time for their Remembrance Sunday service. The plaque, which has been placed prominently on the churchyard wall along Narrow Lane, is the result of cooperation between St Michael and All Angels’ Church and Crewe Green Parish Council. The cost of the plaque has been covered by the Leadbetter Trust which is administered by the parish council. The plaque has been worked by Bob Parry, stonemason at Co-operative Funeral Care, Crewe, from a design by the Revd 7 Donald Allister to become Bishop of Peterborough Donald and Janice Allister Archdeacon Donald, who has served 29 years in ministry in our diocese, is to become the new Bishop of Peterborough. Liverpool-born Donald, aged 57, is the son of a Mersey docks manager and a nursing sister. He grew up in Birkenhead, Bromley (Kent), Heswall, then Birkenhead again before studying at Cambridge University and later at theological college in Bristol. He is due to be consecrated and installed as Bishop of Peterborough next spring. He will succeed the Right Reverend Ian Cundy, who died last May. Donald said: “Christian ministry is a huge privilege and for me it has also brought many joys. I have loved my roles in various churches and in the Diocese of Chester. “I am overwhelmed by this new job but believe that it is the Church’s call and God’s call to me. I will certainly miss the Diocese of Chester and my many friends and colleagues here.” Donald is married to Janice, a GP. They have a son, the Revd John Allister, who is Curate at Hurdsfield, near Macclesfield, and two grown-up daughters, Rosie (a vet) and Susan (who gave up her academic career in recent months to become a full-time mother). The Bishop of Chester, the Rt Revd Dr Peter Forster, said: “I am delighted at Donald Allister’s appointment to the See of Peterborough. Donald was brought up in the Diocese of Chester, and has served most of his ministry here. We shall miss him very much indeed. 8 “Donald had a most creative incumbency at St Mary’s, Cheadle. He played a major role beyond the parish, as a Rural Dean and in the wider diocese. The current flourishing of the parish owes much to Donald’s wise leadership. “The years as Archdeacon of Chester have allowed Donald’s ministry to develop and grow. He has won respect and admiration from all parts of the Diocese, and in the elections to General Synod topped the clergy poll by a wide margin. He has combined the administrative, pastoral and teaching roles of Archdeacon in a remarkable way.” The Bishop of Birkenhead, the Rt Revd Keith Sinclair, said: “It has been a great privilege to work with Donald Allister over these past two-and-a-half years. He is a great colleague with a passion for the Gospel and a love for the Church. “Donald’s ministry has been valued by men and women in ministry across the traditions. He is pastoral, a great preacher and teacher, and the Diocese of Peterborough can look forward to receiving a godly and gracious bishop. We shall miss him tremendously.” As Bishop of Peterborough, Donald will oversee the mission, ministry and administration of an ancient diocese that has more than 360 parishes and covers Northamptonshire, Rutland and most of the city of Peterborough. He will join 43 other diocesan bishops of the Church of England.
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