THE FEBRUARY 2020 Find out more on See MAGAZINE back page JOURNAL OF BLACKBURN DIOCESE: THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND IN LANCASHIRE When I first met Jo Gould, Vision Champion for set by the Vision. Christ Church Wesham, one of the first things We started with prayer and we held a lay-led Inspirational she said to me was: ‘Vision 2026 works!’, writes Sunday Evening prayer service to focus on Carolyn Barton, our Vision Coordinator. seeking God’s will for our Church. From this, Jo is a member of a church which, following ideas grew and every member of the church was change with faithful prayer, is seeing transformative change. asked to contribute to our Vision for the Church. I felt it was an important story as it The prayer service became a praise service, Vision 2026! demonstrates how proactive application of the exploring different styles and forms of worship, Vision principles can make a real difference to enabling us to grow as disciples. We started the life of a parish. Christ Church Wesham small, but we were determined that the service started with all-important prayer coupled with a continued, irrespective of numbers. focused drive to ensure they were making The key ideas of Vision 2026: becoming a disciples. healthy transformative church, growing Along the way their story shows how change disciples, being witnesses and growing leaders attendance is increasing and we have started a (even a clergy vacancy which can often be a were all important to us, but we focused first Junior Church in freshly renovated rooms which difficult period in any parish’s life) can galvanise upon growing disciples and seeking God’s will has had more than 25 different children attend. and create new opportunities. for Christ Church in Wesham. The Church has had building work completed Of course, changes don’t happen in isolation. We participated fully in the Crossroads Mission enabling new growth and the Sunday night in September 2016, hosting an event we called service continues. Vision 2026 has been From support from outside the parish (such as a embedded into the everyday life of the church. succession of visiting preachers); participating in ‘A Bit of a Do’; playing to the strengths of our congregation and reaching out to our We continue to pray for revival in our parish, wider diocesan events (such as Crossroads in our deanery and our Diocese. 2016); plus much more – all of their work has community. We had more than 120 people combined to create a new sense of purpose. attend which gave us a real boost. Most “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a importantly the Gospel was preached. mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, In the piece that follows Jo shares the story with 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. readers of The See magazine … Being in vacancy we had the help of very gifted visiting priests who had differing styles; we Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew It started with prayer, regular learnt that change can be good. 17:20 heartfelt prayer, from a small We began to grow together into a real team, Do you have a similar story to tell from your and committed group who asked parish? Get in touch with Carolyn to tell her for God’s help in our parish. each with their own role to play. For some time we focused on Corinthians 12: unity and more at carolyn.barton@blackburn. Christ Church Wesham had had a diversity in the body; that we were all a part of anglican.org and we may be able to feature tough few years; falling numbers the body of Christ. your story in a future edition. of regular attendees, being unable to pay the parish share, Jo Gould When the time came to write the Parish Profile, and the departure of our we went on an away day held in a neighbouring incumbent. We knew that the future of our Parish Church, beginning and ending with an act church was in question. of worship. We had gained an honest idea of where we were but more importantly where we We knew we needed help. We knew we needed wanted to go. change. So, where are we now? We have an When Vision 2026 first began I was appointed as inspirational, enthusiastic Vicar who felt called Vision Champion. I attended all the PCC to be with us. meetings I could and was inspired by so many committed Christians with different practical Last autumn we held an Alpha Course with 20 Members of the parish attended a special away ideas about how to implement the challenges people attending. Our regular weekly day to write their new parish profile People from parishes across the diocese are video message for the parishes of our Diocese being encouraged to attend the Installation and which can be viewed on our Diocesan YouTube All welcome to Collation Service for our new Archdeacon of channel (search online for YouTube and Lancaster, The Venerable David Picken. Blackburn Diocese). attend our new The venue is Blackburn Cathedral on February 4 In the video David says: “I’m so looking forward at 7.30pm and following the service to joining you and getting to know you all Archdeacon’s refreshments will be served. better; sharing with you in proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ and our Vision 2026.” David, who is married to Cathy, was previously Installation . Archdeacon of Newark in the Diocese of Bishop Julian said: “David brings a wealth of Southwell and Nottingham. The initial experience and we will all benefit from his skills announcement of his appointment to his new at what is a real time of God’s favour for our role was in October last year. Diocese in terms of the work that many people are doing. Please remember David and Cathy in David, who was installed as the Archdeacon of your prayers.” Newark in 2012, studied for the priesthood at Lincoln Theological College. A full biography can David’s fellow Archdeacon Mark added: “I'm be found on the Diocesan website www. delighted to welcome David to the team here in blackburn.anglican.org as part of the ongoing our Diocese. I am really looking forward to news coverage of this story. working with him. In the meantime, I will be praying for David and Cathy as they make the In addition, David has also recorded a short move." Archdeacon David with his wife Cathy. 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: BISHOP JILL / NEWS Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is It’s so easy to slide down the slippery sweet and so are you. slope to imposter syndrome. We listen to ‘Be who the lies of the evil one, rather than the February brings Valentine’s Day. voice from the open heaven: “You are God called In the dreary post-Christmas months, my own dear son / dear daughter and this brings a chink of light to our retailers with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3 / you to be’ and restaurant owners. But I reckon for Matthew 3) most of us, it brings a shiver down your The Spirit of God is endlessly, spine. For me it is of early teenage immeasurably creative. He brings a memories of being “left out”. myriad of different colours, voices, Why is it that in those impressionable tones, gifts. If we truly believe that Jesus teenage years, none of us feel confident was fully man and fully God, then the about how we look, talk, think, are. more filled we are with the Spirit of Imposter syndrome is rife. Jesus, then the more ourselves we become. And so life continues. The sermon at the last House of Bishops included a As Oscar Wilde brilliantly put it: “Be confession of imposter syndrome. When yourself, everyone else is taken.” persistently encouraged me to be myself. I was the Director of St Mellitus College A significant healing of imposter I have found this incredibly freeing. To North West, this was one of our most syndrome for me has come from joining be a bishop in a way that’s not been common issues for our students. Blackburn Diocese. done before. And the incredible thing One trainee vicar, a woman in her 40s, seems to be, as I am more myself in In theory the stats might have been had resisted a sense of call to ordination leadership this frees others to find their stacked against me: one of only four for many years. own voices, styles, colours, ways of Dioceses who voted against the leading and being. “I didn’t think I was a leader,” she said, ordination of women; only the 13th “because I wasn’t like Donald Trump.” female bishop in the Church of England. As Catherine of Sienna said: “Be who God called you to be, and you will set the We all breathed a sigh of relief: “We are But in a wonderful gift of God’s grace, world on fire”. glad you’re not like Donald Trump!” Bishop Julian and Bishop Philip have Bishop Jill This article contains important current The PCR2 will be a central part of the Diocese information about safeguarding for all our of Blackburn’s ongoing and proactive ‘Past Case parishes, writes Sharon Hassall, Diocesan approach to identifying any occasions where Safeguarding Adviser.