TheWay The FREE newspaper of the Church in Cumbria – Winter 2018/19 One woman and her May you all have a dogs – and her flock wonderful Christmas PAGE 12 and Christ-filled 2019! ‘IN PRISON BUT FREE!’ By Dave Roberts n The chief executive of The “I REMEMBER sitting in a police station and saying, Well Communities describes ‘God, if you get me out of this, I won’t commit another crime’. I was bailed, walked how finding faith put an end to out, then just laughed it off with ‘God! God who?’” a spiral of drug-fuelled decline Dave Higham, founder and chief executive of The Well sentences followed while his able to fight and look after Communities in Barrow, re- cravings for the next ‘high’ myself. I’d told him, ‘Don’t calls just one of the many times grew ever stronger. Drugs were you come near me’. he was arrested for stealing easy to come by inside prison “But that was years ago and and burgling to feed a as well as outside. now I was stood here looking at crippling heroin addiction. But starting another four- this Bible. So I said ‘Alright, if Plagued by self-hatred and year sentence, and by now in you’re there I want you to low self-esteem both as a child his mid-30s, Dave found hope. come into my life right now’. and young man, and living A fellow prisoner mentioned a And it happened. It was as if within a dysfunctional family 12-step rehabilitation my whole body had come alive. in Liverpool, he sought programme run at the former It’s so hard to describe but it comfort elsewhere, but in Lancaster Castle prison. He felt like my blood was full of terribly self-destructive ways. applied and was accepted. bubbles. There was such inten- On the programme were sity and power and I now know Aged just 12, Dave began to that was the Holy Spirit. Dave Higham: experiment with household people he knew as former Overcame a addicts, learning how to be “God knew that’s what I substances such as glue. By 14 needed; I’m someone who crippling heroin he was addicted to heroin. Two clean from drugs. Then one day he walked into the dorm needs hard facts in order to be- addiction to years later he was serving his lieve something. That was establish a first sentence - three months at he shared with seven other men to find a Bible on his bed. when God came into my life. It programme for a Young Offender Institution was the most free I’d ever felt; other former having been convicted of “In the past I’d told God I was in prison but I was free!” drug users attempted burglary and theft. where to go,” he explains. “I His life spiralled out of wasn’t interested in him. I was DAVE n Turn to page 5 ROBERTS control; repetitive prison inside prison, I needed to be 2 The Way, Winter 2018/2019 www.carlislediocese.org.uk INSIDE EVENTS AT Leading clergy walk CARLISLE THIS CATHEDRAL EDITION together in mission DECEMBER Fri 7 – 7.30pm, The Eden Valley Hospice Carol Service. Carols for MUSIC MAN all with the Cathedral Carliol Choir n Group will visit Mon 10 – 7pm, University of Heralding Cumbria Christmas Celebration every Mission Fri 14 – 7.30pm, Gala Concert for Christmas Christmas with the Cathedral in Carlisle Community Choirs Sun 23 – 3pm, Festival of Readings PAGE 7 and Carols with the Cathedral area, or where Choir Mon 24 – 3pm, The Christmas Eve APPOINTMENT one is planned Crib Service with the Cantate Children’s Choir; 6.30pm, A Festival of Readings and Carols Craig takes By Rev Mike Talbot, with the Cathedral Choir; 11.30pm, up cathedral Evangelism Enabler Christmas Midnight Eucharist with the Senior Girls’ Choir and Lay position Clerks, Preacher: Canon Jan BISHOP James, along with Kearton PAGE 10 the other ecumenical Tues 25 – 8am, Holy Communion; 10.30am, Christmas Morning church leaders who will Eucharist, President: The Dean of accompany him along parts Carlisle, Preacher: The Bishop of RUGBY LEAGUE of the way, will be taking Carlisle; 4pm, Said Evening Prayer Chaplain the opportunity to increase Sun 30 – 10.30am, Eucharist sung their step count through by the Cathedral Carliol Choir for Barrow Lent when they set out to Raiders walk across Cumbria. JANUARY 2019 The group will visit every Sun 6 - 3pm, Carols for the Feast PAGE 15 area where there is either a of the Epiphany with the Senior Mission Community, or one Girls’ Choir and Lay Clerks being planned. Tues 15 – 7.30pm, Christingle CONTACT US Joining them for some of the Service time will be the newly EDITOR & consecrated Bishop of Penrith, FEBRUARY ADVERTISING: Emma Ineson. Sun 3 – 3pm, Evensong for Dave Roberts Planning to cover around 10 Candlemas attended by the miles a day, their visits aim to Friends of the Cathedral, Preacher: Tel: 01768 807764 support local churches in build- Mobile: 07469 153658 the Dean ing on the work that took place Sun 10 – 10.30am, Plus Eucharist Email: communications@ during Moving Mountains – carlislediocese.org.uk looking for ways in which we can help those around us MARCH The Way is the newspaper of the Church in discover more of God and his Ash Wednesday, March 6 - Cumbria. It is produced in partnership purpose in their lives. 7.30pm, Eucharist sung by the between the Church of England Diocese of Senior Girls and Lay Clerks Carlisle, the Methodist District of Plans are already afoot for Cumbria, the United Reformed Church in tea parties, grill-a-bishop Sun 17 – 3pm, Evensong and the Cumbria and Churches Together in evenings in local pubs, Installation of the Bishop of Penrith Cumbria. Through Churches Together in storytelling in libraries and Sat 23 – 7.30pm, Cumbria Rural Cumbria, we ensure coverage of and Choirs concert: Mozart’s Requiem distribution to the Roman Catholic, meetings with local council- Stepping out: Bishop James DAVE ROBERTS Salvation Army, Quakers and independent lors to explore how the church and Haydn’s The Seven Last churches. The editorial team is made up can support the community. Words of Christ of representatives from across the The best events are those denominations. DATE MORNING LUNCHTIME EVENING The purpose of The Way is to reflect the which build on what is already APRIL Church in Cumbria to itself and to our happening – using the visit of Mon 11 March Launch event Penrith Inglewood Sun 14 – 10.30am, Palm Sunday communities more widely. the church leaders to support Plus Eucharist with procession We do not seek to promote any and resource us as we seek to Tue 12 March Walk to Wetheral Holme Eden/Scotby Brampton particular theological viewpoint, but rather Wed 13 March Walk to Lanercost NE Brampton MC Carlisle Central Our Holy Week Preacher for 2019 aim to stimulate debate by featuring writers embed outreach as a way of will be The Very Rev Dr Frances from a variety of church traditions and from life within our Mission Thu 14 March Walk to Kingmoor/Houghton Kingmoor/Houghton Carlisle South Ward, Formerly Dean of St society more widely. Communities. Fri 15 March Walk to Burgh by Sands Carlisle Rural Carlisle Rural Edmundsbury. She will preach at While we are happy to consider Sun 17 March Moresby unsolicited submissions, we operate As the group walks the the services marked * below. largely on a system of commissions and do county, local people will be Mon 18 March Walk to Solway Plain Solway Plain Maryport/Criffel View Mon 15 - 7.30pm, Holy Week not guarantee to publish any materials encouraged to join them for Tue 19 March Walk to Workington Workington Grassmoor Eucharist * received. parts of the journey – walking The views and opinions of contributors Thu 21 March Walk around Derwentwater Tues 16 - 7.30pm, Holy Week and advertisers do not necessarily reflect together, discovering God in Fri 22 March Walk Beacon Edge to Langwathby East of Eden North Appleby Eucharist * the views and opinions of the partners. the thin places which prolifer- Sat 23 March Tebay South Appleby South Appleby Wed 17 - 7.30pm, Holy Week The publisher takes no responsibility ate across Cumbria, and learn- Eucharist * for losses arising from information in ing from one another what it Sun 24 March Western Dales Western Dales Rainbow advertisements in The Way. means to be a pilgrim people. Mon 25 March Walk to Kent Estuary Kent Estuary Grange Maundy Thursday, April 18 - 11am, Tue 26 March Walk to Kendal Kendal Kendal Eucharist with renewal of What are the ways in which ministerial vows and blessing of Wed 27 March Kendal Kendal Kendal you might be able to make the oils; 7.30pm, Maundy Thursday most of this opportunity, both Thu 28 March Walk to Windermere Windermere Windermere Eucharist * The Way in your community and for Fri 29 March Walk to Ambleside Central Lakes Central Lakes Good Friday, April 19 - 12 noon, yourself? Sat 30 March Walk to Crake Valley Crake Valley Ulverston Meditation; 1.30pm, Good Friday For details, talk to your Sun 31 March Walk to Urswick Dalton/Urswick Dalton Liturgy * Newspaper of Mission Community leader (or Mon 1 April Barrow Sat 20 - 7.30pm, Easter Eve local minister) or get in touch Tue 2 April Barrow Barrow Millom Eucharist and Confirmation with Mike Talbot via mike. the Church Wed 3 April Seascale South Calder Central Calder Sun 21 (Easter Day) - 10.30am, [email protected]. Thu 4 April Hensingham East Whitehaven Whitehaven Sung Eucharist, President the n The proposed itinerary Fri 5 April Binsey Binsey Keswick Bishop of Carlisle, Preacher the in Cumbria can seen in the orange panel Dean of Carlisle; 3pm, Evensong on the right.