All Ages Flock to Festival of Prayer
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THE MARCH 2018 See MAGAZINE JOURNAL OF BLACKBURN DIOCESE : THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND IN LANCASHIRE Our conference will explore The Mystery of Faith Later this year, November 26-29, a Blackburn communicate that faith more effectively to the Diocese ‘first’ will take place – our very first people whom Christ has called us to serve. diocesan conference, writes Rev. Toby Webber, “We are very excited about all that is being Chair of the Diocesan Conference organising planned, so please pray for the work of setting it committee. all up. I look forward to seeing you there.” We’ve had lots of clergy conferences over the We have secured some excellent speakers to years (though not for a good few years now); laity launch each part of the conference – Professor conferences and conferences for specific groups Ben Quash (of King’s College London); the Rt Rev. such as children’s workers. Dr Graham Tomlin (the Bishop of Kensington, But for the first time this November the bishops whom you may have seen on tv in the aftermath of will gather all the licensed clergy plus a lay person the Grenfell Tower inferno) and the Rt Rev. Dr from each benefice for a residential conference. Pete Wilcox (the Bishop of Sheffield). We’re going to The Hayes Conference Centre, Each morning will include a biblical reflection given Swanwick in Derbyshire pictured below – because by Rev. Dr Jennifer Strawbridge of Oxford its big enough to take us all (just about)! University. The rest of the morning will offer The prayer of the bishops and the organising workshops of all kinds exploring the theme of the committee is that the conference will refresh, day. For more info and to keep up-to-date see the inspire and encourage us as we explore ‘The conference page on the diocesan website. Mystery of Faith – Believing It, Living It, Sharing Inevitably, there is quite a cost to the conference – It’. and we have asked PCCs to consider kindly making This year’s Vision 2026 Prayer Card has been The conference will run from Monday to Thursday a donation towards the cost (information has distributed to all parishes in a pack of and is organised into three 24-hour periods, each already been sent to incumbents and PCC mission-related goodies sent out by the focussing on one of the big areas of our Christian treasurers). Diocesan Parish Mission Support team a few faith: The investment of both time and money will be weeks ago. The first is incarnation – God coming amongst well worth it if the conference fulfils its purpose us as one of us in his Son Jesus Christ. and we all return to our parishes renewed in faith, The image on the front is of the altar canopy deepened in our love for the Lord, and equipped in the Chapel at Whalley Abbey which was The second is the atonement – how in Christ to live out and share these beliefs in today’s world. God was reconciling the world to himself. designed by artist Laurence King. The canopy Please do pray for all those who will take part in is facing the floor so the angle of the picture The third is our future hope – for ourselves, the conference. for the Church, for the whole creation. is unusual and really shows off this work of And, finally, ask your vicar and nominated lay We will be helped to think about these big art to its full extent. The photographer is representative to tell you all about it and to share Clive Lawrence. doctrines and their implications for today. The fact some of the highlights when they get back. that it is a conference involving lay people will mean no jargon; we will need to speak clearly, in a On the reverse of the Prayer Card is the way that can help us to express our faith beyond Vision Prayer and a Bible verse: Matthew 5: the church bubble. 16. In a recent communication about the conference Each parish has received 30 copies of the to parishes Bishop Julian said: “Vision 2026 calls us to be confident witnesses, but as we know, card initially. More copies (up to a further witnessing to a revealed faith in a fast-changing 100) can be ordered by emailing culture can be complex. karen.ashcroft@ blackburn. anglican.org and “Our conference will therefore aim to refresh us in for orders of more than 100 please call Karen our own Christian faith and equip us to on 01254 503070. The County’s Anglican Cathedral in Blackburn delivered by well-known broadcaster Canon hosted a Festival of Prayer recently and everyone, Angela Tilby. A Facebook Live link to watch a All ages flock from the youngest to the oldest, from parishes recording of the whole address is available on the across Lancashire was invited! Diocesan website – as well as the full text of Canon Tilby’s address. to Festival of More than 300 people came to the event. You can view a full album of pictures taken during the day Bishop Philip said: “Without prayer, the ministry by photographer Clive Lawrence on our Flickr site and mission of the Diocese will come to nothing. Prayer (search online for Flickr and Blackburn Diocese). The Diocesan Festival of Prayer on February 3 included a Messy Church event all day for The all-age event was a chance to explore different youngsters and 10 fantastic workshops for ways of engaging everyone else. with God through prayer. It “This was a day to introduce people to new ways followed a similar of praying. Many people struggle to pray and event entirely many others are unaware of the vast range of focussed on the ways of praying. This all-age event helped make Eucharist in 2017. people more effective disciples and witnesses through more effective prayer.” The Eucharist celebrant at the Jackie Farrand of Ten prayer workshops were held in the One year-old Holly Prayer Festival was Blackburn; Judith Angzodo afternoon. The workshops were led by guest Shepherd of Darwen hard at work in the Messy Bishop Philip and of Buckshaw Village; Joy speakers including Bishop Julian and Archdeacon Bishop Philip and Prayer Festival keynote speaker, Church with mum Helen the event keynote Swarbrick of St Anne’s and Michael. Canon Angela Tilby Shepherd address was Jean Duerden, the Logistics Organiser for the Festival The See can also be found on the Diocesan Website: www.blackburn.anglican.org under News, or scan the ‘QR code’ on the back page with your smartphone to be taken to the Diocese website page which contains the current and archive editions of The See. COMMENT: ARCHDEACON MICHAEL / NEWS So how are you doing? March this knows what we are like. year is two weeks into Lent and I “The spirit is willing, but the flesh Challenge for wonder how you are doing with is weak.” your Lenten discipline? us as God’s Not only does God know what we Has it gone the way of your New are like he calls us to turn away Year resolutions? Are your family from that which destroys and disciples and friends benefiting or suffering leads us away from him. He calls from your change in behaviour? In us again and again. this Lent are you becoming a better disciple of Christ? God’s invitation to us is there every day and means we don’t I know what I am like, my Lenten ever need to pretend. disciplines tend to take a bit of dip at the two or three week mark. So if you have lapsed in your Lenten discipline there is still time Then there is Mothering Sunday to take it back up, whether you and my focus returns with Passion are reading this at the start or end Sunday and of course Palm Sunday. of the month. However, I never was a fan of long- distance running and weeks two If we feel it is too hard, we need to and three are those weeks where I never lose sight of Christ’s struggle to keep up the pace. commitment to us, shown most clearly on Good Friday on the Cross. Lent gives us the chance to repent, Our advantage as Christians is that His faithfulness and commitment is God knows what we are like. amend and receive his forgiveness total. as we strive to be faithful witnesses Jesus’ experience of the first We are challenged as disciples to to him in his world. This we can do disciples: failing to understand him; follow in his way and that involves daily and if needs be can always getting things completely wrong; us journeying with him on the way start over. even falling asleep at key times, of the Cross. means that we know our God fully Archdeacon Michael You may have heard the law regarding the should be aware of when responding to GDPR. protection of personal data is changing. Where you rely on consent as the lawful basis for Your parish and On May 25, 2018, the General Data Protection processing any personal data to be valid under the Regulation (GDPR) will replace the Data Protection GDPR, consent must be freely given, specific, Act 1998. informed, unambiguous and able to be GDPR planning Parishes, in common with the Diocesan Offices, withdrawn. need to know what things they should keep doing Also, you will need to record how and when the and what things they should do differently in order consent was obtained (and review this over time). to comply with the new law.