New Era and a New Dean at Our Cathedral Mission Action Planning
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THE JANUARY 2017 See MAGAZINE JOURNAL OF BLACKBURN DIOCESE : THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND IN LANCASHIRE It was informal and more like a ‘greet and meet’ but for the County as well as the Cathedral for the gathering when the next Dean of Blackburn was whole of Lancashire. New era and a introduced at Blackburn Cathedral on Saturday, “Since being appointed as Acting Dean earlier this November 26. year I have been amazed and impressed with the Canon Peter Howell-Jones, currently Vice-Dean of hard work and effort put in by the fantastic staff, new Dean at Chester Cathedral, will be formally installed as the loyal volunteers and the congregation to support new Dean on March 25 next year. the Cathedral and ensure it continues to flourish.” But he made his first public appearance in In reply, Canon Peter said it was wonderful to see our Cathedral November, alongside his wife Sian and daughter so many people turning out to welcome him and Annie. his family. The family were welcomed by people representing He added: “I am looking forward to being involved many sections of the cathedral's life, including with the community of the cathedral, the town and Canon Peter, clergy, administrative staff, choirs, the cathedral the wider diocese. second right, with Blackburn chapter, bell ringers and other organisations like “To be part of a Diocese which is so clearly the Mothers' Union, Friends of the Cathedral, focussed on growth and mission through Vision Cathedral Canons Friends of Cathedral Music and many members of 2026 is very exciting and I look forward to being left to right Canon the regular congregation. The Cathedral family able to lead the Cathedral in actively contributing Andrew Horsfall; were also joined by others from across the Diocese to this work in the years to come.” Canon Ian Stockton at the welcome event. and Canon Andrew Proving once again what a welcoming bunch Bishop Julian made the introduction, saying: “I am Hindley delighted to welcome Peter as our next Dean and I we are in Lancashire, Canon Peter has already look forward to working closely with him. He brings received around 150 goodwill messages so far a great deal of experience to the role. by letter, email and on social media. He thanks everyone who has been in touch and he will “As well as looking forward to a new era under his respond in due course! leadership at Blackburn Cathedral, Peter will also be a key member of the Bishop’s Leadership Team Read more about Canon Peter’s appointment as we prayerfully move forward together as a in the news section of The next Dean of www.blackburn.anglican.org where you will Diocese with our Vision 2026: Healthy Churches Blackburn, Canon Peter Transforming Communities.” also find links to pictures on our Flickr feed from the welcome event and also a link to a Howell-Jones, in his Bishop Philip, who is Acting Dean of Blackburn, also video on our YouTube channel of welcome Cathedral after the spoke saying: “Blackburn Cathedral is an important event highlights. welcome event focal point not just for the town of Blackburn itself Mission Action Planning in the context of Vision 2026 Archdeacon Mark and Canon Mike Chew launched their recently published book ‘How to do Mission Action Planning: Prayer, Process and Practice’ at a number of events around the diocese in November, writes Dave Champness, Vision Coordinator. Copies of the book were also given to the Vision Champions and Lay Readers who attended events during October. Those of you with long memories might recall that Mission Action Planning was an initiative that was started by Bishop Nicholas and might be surprised that it has made a reappearance. But Mission Action Planning (MAP) is a process that all parishes can follow to help them discern, plan, implement and review what they are doing in support of the Vision 2026 priorities of making disciples, being witnesses, growing leaders as well examined why MAP had not worked previously in Action Plan proforma, an updated template has as for children/young people and schools in their churches, they usually found that there was an been added to the Diocesan website on the local context. The four process phases are also absence of real desire. Mission/Vision Action Planning page accessible very similar to those of the ‘pastoral cycle’ of from the homepage under ’Mission and Growth’. learning, action, experience and theological Conversely, if a local church had a real desire to be If parishes would like help in getting going with reflection. engaged in God’s mission (including discipleship, Vision Action Planning, please let me know Key to undertaking a successful planning cycle is witness and leadership), it found a way to do it and ([email protected]) and we the newly-added ‘desire’ step in the process. God blessed it. can arrange for an advisor to join your PCC or This has been added because when Mark and Mike If parishes wish to complete a standard Vision congregation meeting. 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. PARISH SHARE BUDGE 2017 The Diocesan Budget relating to Parish Share what parish share pays for and where the was presented to Diocesan Synod in October money goes … Shared finances 2016. In mid-November a comprehensive You may have thought it pays for the summary booklet about the Budget was sent upkeep of the Diocesan Cathedral in for a shared to each incumbent and each treasurer. They Blackburn. It doesn’t. Or you may think it could also order additional copies for their helped to pay for Clergy Court, the recently parish. While we can’t include all the content Vision . opened extension to the Cathedral. It didn’t. from that booklet in this edition of The See on this page (and opposite) we give an overview; You may have thought Parish Share has been some pointers of where to go if you want to paying for the various Vision 2026 related find out more and we also discuss the initiatives including the Vision Coordinator principles of good Christian stewardship. role and work with Vision Champions. It hasn’t. We have allocated funding received from All Churches Trust (Ecclesiastical In 2017 the budget presented to Diocesan Insurance) and the Church Commissioners. Synod represented a 0% increase in Parish This means for 2017 the funding for the Share although an individual parish’s share Vision initiatives has not needed to form part may vary due to a number of factors. of this budget as we have identified income This has been made possible partly by taking received from All Churches Trust a new approach to the decision process (Ecclesiastical) which can be used. The Parish Share Budget 2017 booklet leading up to the setting of the budget and additional funding from the national church. So what IS Parish Share for then? The bulk of Just log on to www.blackburn.anglican.org Our budget is about raising the resources what parish share DOES pay for includes and put ‘Parish Finance’ into the search box required to undertake our shared vision for clergy stipends, housing and training – all to find the relevant page. our parishes and the diocese. vital for the continued health of the church in On the same website page, you will also find EVERY part of the Diocese – and our work in The 2017 budget is the first in a series of the PowerPoint presentation (with parishes, church schools, hospitals, prisons budgets which will enable financial accompanying notes) which was given by and in all our communities. restructuring over time. Canon John Dell, Chair of the Diocesan Board If you want to read a full version of the of Finance, when presenting the budget for The Bishops, Archdeacons and Department budget booklet (including full breakdowns in 2017 to Synod for consideration. Leaders were involved from early in the graphic form) and you haven’t seen a printed process to ensure the budget stayed focussed That full presentation is also available to view copy in your parish, there is an online version on our Vision and, if savings needed to be on our Diocesan YouTube channel (slides which is downloadable from our Diocesan made, that they would come in places which combined with audio). Just search online for website. It can also be printed, should you caused least impact. ‘YouTube’ and ‘Blackburn Diocese’ to locate wish to produce further copies locally for the channel and click on the relevant video. Some people may have misconceptions about your parish. Vision 2026 commits us Making Christian Stewardship means seeing Disciples of Jesus Christ: giving our lives and possessions as a gift from What is generously of our time, talents and God to be used in His service, knowing money to the cause of Christ, writes that we will be accountable to Him for Christian Stephanie Rankin of the Diocesan how we have used them. As Parish Mission Support Department. Christians, giving is a sign of our love Stewardship? for God and a response to His love and Christian Stewardship is not a generosity to us. As we grow as If what I give away was given back programme, nor is it about raising disciples, we may find that God to me, would I notice? money, but it is part of our lifelong changes our thinking about giving.