Archbishop Sentamu's Pilgrimage
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
News from the Church of England between the Humber and the Tees March 2016 Archbishop Sentamu’s Pilgrimage At the time of going to print, greeting and blessing local people Archbishop Sentamu had left who were walking along the high Scarborough and was beginning the street. Harthill leg of his six-month Pilgrimage of Prayer, Witness and “The Archbishop happily joined the Blessing across the Diocese of York. regulars at Westway Open Arms for a bowl of soup at their weekly lunch Speaking of his visit to Scarborough, club. People were very moved, the Revd Sam Foster said, “It was a inspired and appreciated the time he wet and windy day as the Archbishop took to spend with them.” made his way to Eastfield, to visit Westway Open Arms and The Holy You can follow and share in Nativity Church. The weather did not Archbishop Sentamu’s journey on stop his enthusiasm for meeting, pilgrimage.archbishopofyork.org. 1 Imagine... John Lennon immortalised the word ‘imagine’, when he encouraged people to dream of a different sort of world, a better future. Such imagining is an important task for Christians, but our own vision is to be inspired by God and his values. Imagine a different world God’s vision for the future encompasses every aspect of our world and has no limits. The bible gives us an insight into God’s vision Yet, in other places, churches of a ‘new heaven and a new earth’ – struggle to imagine a different future everything will be transformed. But or to see how it could happen. Some as we look around our world and the have got stuck in past ways, an air of transformation that is needed, then despondency has set in and it such imagining isn’t always easy. In a becomes hard to see new possibilities complex world, beset with issues of or imagine how anything could be great enormity, we can feel done differently. Again, for some of overwhelmed and fail to imagine a us, there is the need to learn how to better future. Too often, we give up ‘imagine’ afresh and see a better believing change is possible, we get future. used to injustice and discrimination and they become the accepted norm. Imagining with God When this happens, let us ask God Our capacity to imagine a better to teach us how to ‘imagine’ afresh. future is deepened as we draw closer to God. It is found not in activity but Imagine a different church in prayer, silence and contemplation Most churches long to engage more – for it is here that we find God’s meaningfully with their community heart. As we journey through Lent, and to see more people’s lives reflecting upon God’s character and touched by the gospel. Churches seeking his Spirit afresh, let’s ask want to flourish, they want to God to grow our vision for a embrace mission, and they want to different world and a different grow. In our diocese there are many church. And as we imagine God’s examples of this desire being new future, so let us work together to expressed in imaginative ways, either see it fulfilled. Let’s imagine... by breathing fresh life into traditional approaches or finding The Ven Andy Broom, completely new ways to be church. Archdeacon of the East Riding 2 Northern Gospel, Northern Church Our Diocesan Director of Training for Missional Ministry, the Revd Dr Gavin Wakefield, has co-authored a new book - Northern Gospel, Northern Church: Reflections on Identity and Mission. Co-authored by Nigel Rooms, and with a Foreword by Archbishop Sentamu, there are also chapters from the Rt Revd Dr John Thomson (Bishop of Selby), the Revd Matthew Porter (Vicar of St Michael le Belfrey, York), and Su Reid (Sub-Warden of Readers in Stokesley Deanery). From the monks of Lindisfarne to the Synod of Whitby, the North is historically considered to be a cradle of Christianity in England, but in today’s society is there a “gospel for the North”? Does it make sense to talk of a gospel for a specific place when there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5)? Can we even consider the North of England as a distinct entity with its own particular identity? This book brings together prominent practitioners and academics to answer these questions and explore what it means to proclaim the gospel in the North of England from many angles: housing estates to ancient To find out more, or preorder a copy, cathedrals, Biblical reflection to visit the Sacristy Press website at street evangelism, history to www.sacristy.co.uk. economics. 3 Step Forward Booking is now open for the next As well as time for worship, prayer Step Forward event on Saturday 12 and Bible study, there will be an March. Step Forward is a day for opportunity to find out what being anyone aged 18 to 30 considering ordained is really like – its highs and ordained ministry in the Church of lows, space to look at your own England. experience and what God might be calling you to in the future, and the Archbishop Sentamu said, “Serving chance to discover how the selection God is one of the best things you can process and ordination training do with your life and there are many programmes work ways to carry out this calling. If you are a Christian aged between 18 and For more information or to book a 30, might God be encouraging you to place, visit the website consider ordained ministry in the ww.stepforwardanglican.org.uk. Church of England?” God Calling A day for young people (aged 14-18) Come and have some fun, meet to begin to explore what it might other people of a similar age, and mean to follow God for the rest of explore together what God might their lives, on Saturday 12th March have in store for us if we are willing at The Emmaus Centre, Wydale to follow his call. It will include stories of other people's experiences Have you ever wondered 'What is my and time to explore and reflect on life for?', 'How can I make a who we are and what we might have difference in the world?', 'What been made for. might God want me to do with my life?','What would it be like to For more information contact follow Jesus' call?' Jon Steel on [email protected] or 07711880042 The Revd Michael Snowball RIP It is with regret that we announce that the Revd Michael Snowball, who had the Archbishop’s Permission to Officiate, died on Sunday, 17th January 2016. Mr Snowball was 72 and is survived by his wife Cynthia. 4 On the Road in Mission In announcing his Pilgrimage of How might the church respond Prayer, Witness and Blessing amidst so much change and Archbishop Sentamu said “We are a uncertainty? church on the road in mission…” • Re-imagining church - community: How can we develop authentic In recent times there has been more community in a world shaped by and more emphasis on mission, consumerism and individualism? especially as our world and our lives change at an ever faster pace. What • Re-imagining church - discipleship does mission really mean? How do and leadership: How can we we respond to the changes around develop healthy church in today’s us? How can we see community built world? and strengthened? There are two separate courses: This Lent (and during the • Wednesdays 7.30-9.00pm at St Archbishop’s journeying around the Martin’s North Road, West Hull Diocese) a special course is being run HU4 6DD on 24th Feb, 2nd, 9th for churches in Hull Deanery. and 16th March Making use of the Mission Shaped • Thursdays 7.30-9.00pm St Introduction sessions which have Michael’s Holderness been used by over 75,000 people on Road/Marfleet Lane HU9 4TJ on every populated continent. The four, 90-minute sessions explore: 25th Feb, 3rd, 10th and17th • Rediscovering mission: How are we March. caught up into God’s mission to More info from Matthew Brailsford; His world? [email protected]. • Changing world, changing church: In the footsteps of St Hilda Get the date in your diary for a other churches named after St Hedda wonderful pilgrimage this summer. and St Mary. From 26th to 31st July, youth groups, children and families are invited to Youth groups, children and families join in the footsteps of St Hilda, on a are invited to come for all five days, pilgrimage walk from Hinderwell to just an afternoon, or anything in Whitby. between. You could do the whole route, or just a stage along the way. The 42 mile pilgrimage, St Hilda’s Toddlers, children, teenagers and Way, was created last year by the adults are all welcome to join in. Revd Nancy and John Eckersley, and Get the date in your diaries, and look it visits eight churches and chapels out for more information later in the dedicated to St Hilda, as well as two year! 5 Archbishop Holgate’s School at the heart of York’s Flood response Between Christmas and New Year mountain rescue, the ambulance Archbishop Holgate’s School was at service and the City of York Council the very centre of the relief effort to Major Incident Response Team the people of York following the (MIRT). Many rescue teams from flooding of the River Foss and River across the country showed out in Ouse. On Boxing Day the school force to help out including some swung into action as an Emergency from Merseyside, Exmouth and Rest Centre for local residents and Dartmoor as more local teams had their pets.