Diocesan News April 2018 www.leeds.anglican.org Putting prayer at the heart Welcome for of the diocese digital ‘accord’ Prayer has been at the heart of Bishop Nick has welcomed diocesan life during February a national agreement and March as a series of Lent between the government prayer events have taken place and the Church of England each Saturday at a different encouraging greater use of cathedral or church led by each church spires and towers to of our six bishops in turn. boost mobile connectivity in Spending five hours in silent rural areas. prayer, each bishop has also invited anyone to join them for Bishop Nick said, “We a short simple liturgy on the already have a number of hour. will be an ongoing sign of our Bishop Helen-Ann Hartley, the commitment to love, live and Bishop of Ripon launched the learn together.” series at Ripon Cathedral. She said, “The Diocesan Vision The following week, Bishop ‘Loving. Living. Learning’ Paul Slater was joined by others begins in prayer, and this year, at Leeds Minster. “I really the six bishops decided that welcome the opportunity to we needed to model that in pray in the heart of Leeds for a visible way. Prayer is not an the diocese.” Bishop Jonathan end in itself of course, it leads Gibbs led prayers at Dewsbury to action and a constant search and Halifax Minsters on for peace and justice. We Saturday 3 March. hope that the pattern of prayer churches across our diocese, which we commit to this Lent Bishop Toby Howarth is particularly in rural North leading prayers March 10 at Yorkshire, which have installed Bradford Cathedral, whilst on Wi-Fi transmitters to connect Saturday 17 March, Bishop remote communities and Tony Robinson will be praying boost the local economy. This at Wakefield Cathedral. On accord will encourage more Saturday 24 March, Bishop Nick churches to do so, helping Baines will be at Holy Trinity, to tackle two of the biggest Skipton. All these prayer events issues rural areas face - run from 10am until 3pm. isolation and sustainability.” I Easter Cathedral serves challenges up surprises Bishop Helen-Ann at Wakefield’s Hartley Rhubarb I’m a bit of a Dr Who fan, and I vividly remember the Festival scene during Christopher WAKEFIELD Wakefield is at Eccleston’s tenure as the ninth the centre of the Yorkshire Doctor, when the Daleks said places I have encountered on Rhubarb Triangle and the that fateful word: ‘elevate!’ my travels as a new bishop cathedral has been celebrating Interestingly, one thing I’ve in this diocese. There are the famous pink vegetable had to get used to again since some incredible faithful and during the city’s rhubarb returning home is climbing committed people in our festival, with a rhubarb inspired stairs. Not an obvious thing midst. menu, a rhubarb trail, and a you may think, but in a rhubarb theme to the Sunday context where earthquakes There are also hard questions are prevalent, homes don’t that need to be asked. The tend to be built on more than cross (as priest and writer Sam one level. So I’m enjoying Wells puts it) is itself more of becoming reacquainted with a question these days, than steps and stairs of varying an answer. We must have types. It’s the little things, so courage to reimagine where the saying goes. we are, to let go of things that we have held dear, but not let One thing is certain about go of the places to which God morning service with Bishop Easter, and it’s not a little calls us. Nick. thing at all: Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is a bold Each one of us in the light of More than 2000 people challenge to the level playing the resurrection is invited to visited the cathedral over field of life. The wrench from galvanise the courage and the festival period. In the death to life elevates each one strength that it gives us. With cathedral kitchen, catering of us into a new reality, and wisdom and imagination we manager, Ea Nielsen, created nothing can ever be the same are called to live in this age, rhubarb inspired sausage rolls, again. That has some serious ‘for such a time as this,’ and hot pork sandwiches with implications for how we live to be a support and resource rhubarb sauce, rhubarb scones, in the here and now, and how to one another. What a gift crumbles and tarts. They all we plan for the future. Easter of new life that is! I for one sold out early and takings is good news for each person, can’t wait to see what God exceeded expectations. and it is also startling news has in store in this season of for those who think that the resurrection and hope. While welcomers guided game is up for Christianity. cathedral visitors on a Rhubarb +Helen-Ann Trail, the cathedral also held I have been constantly Bishop of Ripon an outdoor procession and inspired by the people and thanksgiving led by Bishop Nick on the Sunday of the Festival. II £5m investment for St George’s Warmth of the Crypt housing plan Spirit LEEDS Leeds City Council living units for people who are RIPON Lay and clergy leaders has approved a £5 million homeless or in housing need. from churches in the diocese investment through a mix of have been among those taking grant and loan funding, to St. George’s Crypt is the part in the national New enable St George’s Crypt and council’s main provider of Wine leadership conference Latch (Leeds Action at Harrogate. Despite heavy to Create Homes) to snow, 1500 church leaders met provide supported at the Harrogate Convention accommodation for Centre where the focus was on some of the city’s ‘transforming communities’. most vulnerable adults, young The Archdeacon of Bradford, people and families. Ven. Andy Jolley, was one of the conference speakers and It’s the first time is New Wine’s Head of Urban Leeds City Council Ministry. “We have been has provided loan funding emergency accommodation looking at how lay discipleship to support new affordable, and works with partners is a really important way in supported housing to be to prevent or alleviate which churches can transform developed in the city, enabling homelessness. It aims to communities. It’s not just what St. George’s Crypt and Latch develop a total of 150 units churches are doing, but the way to acquire and develop 45 of supported and affordable individual Christians work in new affordable, supported housing over the coming years. their respective spheres.” Crossing the threshold Oh yes it is! BRADFORD The Bishop of “Crossing the threshold of a HUDDERSFIELD Cries of “It’s Bradford, Toby Howarth, was different place of worship can behind you!” rang out from one of many Christians who be an important step in learning the parish hall of St Thomas’s visited a mosque last month as about and getting to know our Greetland last month as part of the neighbours,” church and community come ‘Visit My said Bishop together to uphold the long Mosque’ Toby. held tradition of the village initiative. pantomime. Bishop Toby A recent poll is pictured commissioned Since WWII there has been at the Madni by the MCB a church pantomime, begun Masjid found that by the Cross Hills Methodist in West almost 70 per Church but now a joint Bowling, cent of Britons endeavour and held in St Bradford, one of nearly 200 hadn’t seen the inside of Thomas’s Parish Hall. The hall mosques across the country to another faith’s place of worship, was transformed into Treasure open their doors. Visitors got to and almost 90 per cent hadn’t Island with its cast drawn from learn about how Muslims pray, been inside a mosque. (Photo the Methodist Junior Church, and the importance of mosques credit: Bradford Telegraph & youngsters from St Thomas’s, to the faith. Argus.) and local schools. III News......News.....News.....News.....News.....NewsDiocese of Leeds news ‘A new chapter’ for Lay Ministry Digging deep as Lay Conference bookings open into digital Website and Facebook users from nearly forty churches and cathedrals across the diocese have been learn- ing how to make the most of social media as part of a CofE campaign to encourage the church to make the most of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The course at Church House, Bookings have opened for the The Lay Conference will also be Leeds is part of a national Diocesan Lay Conference which the launch pad for new ways will bring together more than of supporting and training lay 1600 participants from across ministers. Director of Ministry the diocese. and Mission, Canon Andrew Norman, Director of Ministry The first diocesan conference and Mission and Chair of the for lay people in the Diocese planning team, says that plans of Leeds is being held on being developed will aim to campaign to train people Saturday 9 June 2018 at the offer training and support for from 500 parishes before the Harrogate Convention Centre many different forms of lay July General Synod. As well and is designed to support ministry. “The Lay Conference is as going into the basics of church members and boost going to be a really exciting day creating Facebook pages and their efforts to live out their in itself, but it also marks a new Twitter accounts, the course, faith in parishes, schools and and exciting chapter for Lay led by the CofE’s digital workplaces.