25p CRUX Issue 49 Church for a different world July 2019 DEVELOPING OUR GIFTS, VOCATION AND CALLING Church for a different world CRUX July 2019 REMEMBERING PETERLOO BURNSIDE AWARD Mike Leigh’s film, Peterloo, We commemorate the 200th anniversary The Burnside Community Centre Manager, Kerry Edwards, said brought back memories of my of Peterloo with a service at the Cathedral has recently achieved the Trusted “It has been a worthwhile, but challenging school history lessons. We were at 2pm on Sunday 7 July. Join us if you Charity Mark award in recognition two year journey with lots of lessons taught about its significance in can, or support the memory of Peterloo of the effectiveness of its work and learned. I would like to thank all staff and leading to the prominence of through prayers in your own church. meeting standards in governance, volunteers for their continued dedication Manchester and surrounding towns leadership and management. and the Diocese of Manchester for funding in the Industrial Revolution. The anniversary is a chance to look back my post for the last three years.” at a key date in our heritage, and an Trusted Charity is part of the National The massacre of men and women in opportunity to pledge ourselves to sustain Council for Voluntary Organisations the city centre by a drunken rampaging a society in which all are given the rights (NCVO) and is the only UK quality standard militia, supported by prominent clergy and dignity for which the speakers in St designed to help third sector organisations magistrates, changed everything. A Peter’s field were calling that day in 1819. operate more effectively and efficiently. society obsessed by fears (or hopes) of a French-style revolution engulfing Britain, Chair of Burnside Centre, Revd Philip Miller, began to realise that violent suppression said “This process has involved hard work was no more the answer than violent and a dedicated commitment to raising uprising. Instead, reform and renewal in and maintaining high standards across our democracy and religion proved the way whole organisation. It is certainly a time forward. Within a generation Manchester for celebrating all that we do well together, had both its own Members of Parliament David Walker as we now turn our attention to the future.” and diocese. Soon it was at the leading Bishop of Manchester edge of the Trades Union movement Burnside Centre will be celebrating its and the campaign for women’s rights. fiftieth anniversary in September. Burnside A FIRM OPEN FOUNDATION CHURCH On Pentecost Sunday, 25 people who had Churches on the Trans Pennine Trail completed the Foundations for Ministry course are opening their doors on Saturday celebrated their achievement at St Nicholas 17 August to offer a fun family day Church, Burnage. They were joined by Bishop out - all accessible by bike! David, course leaders, friends and family. Climb our soaring bell towers, relive Everyone had a chance to be involved in Peterloo history, relax and listen to some the service which included a wide array of uplifting music, take some time out in CHURCH FOR A DIFFERENT cultures, languages and backgrounds. There our beautiful churchyards - discover the was even a special blessing from Bishop Bertin hidden secrets of the churches on the Trans WORLD AWARDS 2019 of Katanga who was visiting the diocese. Pennine Trail! Visit all six churches, or just stop in at one that takes your interest. Foundations for Ministry is an exciting course What excites you about your church? open to anyone active in church life who feels Applications are invited for the Church some sense of vocation or calling to Christian for a Different World awards 2019. ministry, and needs some time and space to unpack what this might mean or look like. The The deadline is 31 July and course runs over three terms, and includes 23 further details and an application evening sessions and four Saturday course days. form can be found at www. manchester.anglican.org/awards/ STARTING SEPTEMBER! The next course, starting in September, will run in Oldham, Bolton and South Manchester. Check the diocesan Cover picture: Bishop David celebrates with people who completed the diocesan Foundations for Ministry course. website for more information. PAGE 2 PAGE 3 PAGE 2 CRUX June 2019 Our final day was in the city of Tampere So, after an uplifting and energising itself, with its 200-year industrial time when we enjoyed the incredible heritage, brick mills, water power and hospitality of our Finnish friends, what modern commercial districts. Here the are we bringing back home that is useful sights and sounds were of construction for Manchester Diocese? Ideas that we projects, traffic, people going to work are eager to explore further include: and children going to school. • Offering similar silent retreats in As we thought about heading back to nature for parishes and clergy, Manchester, we listened for the prophetic either in England or in Finland, to voice of God in creation, calling us to develop our own spirituality repentance and action. We asked, “What is Jesus saying to us about our mission • Strengthening parish links between in Manchester with Him?” There was a churches in Manchester and Tampere desire to build bridges to connect different factions of our communities (the young • Developing spiritual pilgrimages for and old, rich and poor) and to create a people to enjoy, including young movement that others want to join. people and uniformed organisations, FINDING GOD IN NATURE around different parts of Greater Manchester and Rossendale Listening to birdsong, watching the sun glint off fresh green leaves, feeling the crumbly bark of trees and seeing • An urgency in caring for God’s creation: a yellow butterfly flutter over a lake. These were some of continuing our journey to becoming the delights of spending time in the forests of Finland on Eco Churches, supporting Eco days organised by the wider community silent pilgrimage, under the guidance of Jussi Holopainen, and introducing a ‘cycle to church’ day a spiritual director from our link Diocese of Tampere. • Creating prayer cards and art guides to help people in church feel A small group from Manchester was After our silent time we shared with an what they experience in nature. privileged to spend time with Finnish Emmaus partner what we had learnt about hosts, who opened our senses to ourselves through the nature, including For more information on the nature, and through that experience a spring of fresh water, an old wall, a Tampere link, please contact Revd opened our hearts to God. tunnel and a beautiful ‘fluttering elm Jo Farnworth, 0161 330 4925. tree’. At the end of the day, after a time For Eco Church please call Revd On day one we took one of the 23 of prayer, we each shared our favourite John Hughes, 0161 872 0500. pilgrimage paths that have been moment before extinguishing a candle. devised by the diocese for people to enjoy around the city of Tampere. The silent pilgrimage continued for two Designed for individuals, families more days, led by Mari Leijo and Jussi. We or work teams to do together, each heard a cuckoo and a woodpecker, foraged ‘well-being’ pilgrimage invites people for mushrooms, saw deer and touched to listen to themselves in nature. trees. We heard God speaking to us about ourselves, our work and our worship, and How often do we slow down, feel free we shared a Eucharist at the Church Rock to explore the space around us, breathe in the forest. There, we laid down an item deeply and ask ourselves “How am we had gathered from the forest floor I today?” The rewards can be rich: that reflected something in our lives that “When you listen to yourself in nature, was unhelpful to our wellbeing that we no you can hear God”, says Jussi. longer needed to carry around with us. PAGE 4 PAGE 5 Church for a different world CRUX July 2019 ADDING TO THE FLOCK BRIEF When Revd Aaron Jackman and his wife Gemma moved to Dobcross a couple of years ago to begin his curacy ENCOUNTER: in the Saddleworth Team, they had some unconventional JASON LAWTON ideas for getting to know the community. Inspired by Gemma and her passion I dragged Aaron along with me and for animals, the couple asked a local he’s come round to the idea!” “I hope individual change landowner for permission to graze sheep will translate into something on the fields next door to vicarage. They Aaron said, “Because we’re right in bigger that benefits the city” now have 13 ewes, a ram and celebrated the middle of the village, local people the addition of 14 new lambs this season. get to experience some life and God’s creation right here. It draws them Jason Lawton has responded to a strong Now in Gorton, he says, As well as looking after the flock, Gemma in. School and Sunday schools are sense of call from God by moving keeps ducks, chickens and geese on coming to visit, and get the chance to with his family from High Wycombe the 9 acre small holding, and makes a hold the animals and celebrate life! in Buckinghamshire to Gorton, where modest living by selling poultry and lamb. he is tasked with planting a new She is getting used to people wanting “Having the animals widens the scope church as part of the Antioch Network I feel a sense of relief that to take a peek at the farm and runs of what it means to be a Christian. It’s Manchester that was set up last year.