Cycle of Prayer 08 September 2019 - 11 January 2020 Diocese of Chester Key: C = Clergy LM = Licensed Lay Minister (Reader) (Pastoral Worker) (Youth Worker) Diocesan entries from the Anglican Cycle of Prayer are in italics. Chester Diocesan Board of Finance. Church House, 5500 Daresbury Park, Daresbury, Warrington WA4 4GE. Tel: 01928 718834 Chester Diocesan Board of Finance is a company limited by guarantee registered in England (no. 7826) Registered charity (no. 248968) Foreword I’ll never forget, after a long walk with my Dad, in Pendle, Lancashire, sipping a pint in a pub and chatting to the locals. Five minutes later I was surprised to turn to see my Dad placing his arthritic hand into the dirty palms of a particularly burly local farmer as they bowed their heads in prayer. I didn’t quite know where to look or what to do, so I lowered my head and kept quiet. It seemed like the right thing to do, and it helped me avoid the gaze of the growing number of amused boozy onlookers. That was my first and slightly embarrassing introduction to prayer. Since then I’ve travelled a long way, but I still remember the first tentative steps I took for myself. I also remember just how uncomfortable and alien praying felt to me. For those well versed in the lifelong discipline of prayer, it can perhaps be easy to forget just how strange the whole thing can be to start. I am grateful to one good colleague from many years ago who shared with me the William Temple quote: ‘When I pray, coincidences happen, when I don’t they don’t.’ As you pray during this period, please pray for those who are just starting and giving it a go. I pray that they receive the encouraging words they need from those around them. Jim Butterworth Director of Communications Welcome Welcome to the last part of the 2019 edition of the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer. Since its re-launch as a pocket-sized publication five years ago its circulation has risen exponentially and now stands at 1600. In addition, many people access it via the electronic version on the diocesan website. It is heartening that it is clearly useable and useful to people. It stands as a tangible sign of our mutual care and commitment for the communities in which we are set and for one another as members of Christ’s body. One of the consequences of its popularity is that space is often tight. Occasionally entries received from parishes must be shortened in editing. Unfortunately, it is impossible to increase the number of pages without severely increasing costs, so we ask your understanding. Do keep submitting local intercessions, however, as they are a real enhancement to our shared prayer. Ideas for Sunday entries are also appreciated – especially when they are accompanied by a copyright-cleared photograph. Topics for inclusion, whether for parish or Sunday entries, need to be submitted to [email protected] at least eight weeks prior to the cover date of the edition (for example, by 16 November 2019 for the next edition). The production team hope you continue to find this publication useful. Christopher Burkett Editor and Director of Ministry 8 September - Church of England Schools Twelfth after Trinity Church schools pride themselves in providing an education for the whole child in a Christian environment. They seek to ensure that all children and young people achieve the best of which they are capable in a caring atmosphere that recognises the special gifts of each individual. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of all is fostered within a Christian environment. Moral teaching is based firmly within the teaching of the Bible. They enable children and their families to explore the truths of Christian faith, to develop spiritually and morally, and to have a basis for choice about Christian commitment. They are places where the beliefs and practices of other faiths will be respected. The types of church school within the state education sector are voluntary controlled, voluntary aided, foundation schools (all maintained by the Local Authority (LA)) and academies. Quoted from www.chester.anglican.org/schools/about-church-schools/ where you can find more information. Pray for the special contribution of church schools to education in our country. Archbishop Ezekiel Kumir Kondo, Province of Sudan & Bishop of Khartoum 9 September - Walton C: Anita Raggett. LM: Ian Jerrard-Dinn, Stephen Clague. Bishop Andrew Haruhisa Iso, Osaka (Japan); Archbishop and Rt Hon Justin Welby Canterbury (England) (Primate); Bishop Norman Banks; Bishop Jonathan Goodall; Bishop Roderick Charles Howell Thomas, Bishop Trevor Willmott, Canterbury (England) 10 September - Aston by Sutton, Little Leigh and Lower Whitley C: Collette Jones. LM: Jean Davies, Joan Sears, Philip Littlemore. Bishop James Afolabi Popoola, Osun (Nigeria); Bishop Victor Atta-Baffoe Cape Coast (West Africa) 11 September - Sir Thomas Boteler C of E High School Bishop Abiodun T Olaoye, Osun North (Nigeria); Archbishop Thabo Makgoba; Bishop Garth Counsell, Cape Town (Southern Africa); Bishop James Scobie Newcome; Bishop Emma Ineson, Carlisle (England) 12 September - Congleton Deanery Vacant, Osun North East (Nigeria); Bishop Michael Andrew James Burrows, Cashel & Ossory (Ireland) 13 September - Alsager St Mary Magdalene C: Michelle Goodrich. LM: Mike Elkin, Christine Redstone. We pray for all in our parish and wider community of Alsager, for all who visit St Mary’s for some peace and reflection. And for our indoor Prayer Labyrinth (23 - 28 September) that it may be a blessing and encouragement to all who journey through. Bishop John Holland Chapman, Bishop Nigel Shaw, Ottawa (Canada); Bishop Michael Lubowa, Central Buganda (Uganda) 14 September - Alsager Christ Church Holy Cross Day C: Daran Ward, Heather Kemball. LM: Andrew Warren, Keith Davies, Matt Brown, Rachel Mason. Please pray for us as we discern the Lord’s vision for Christ Church and seek to be more audacious in our discipleship and witness. Bishop David Bello Otukpo (Nigeria); Bishop Patrick Wakula, Central Busoga (Uganda); Bishop Lambert Funga Botolome, Kisangani (Congo) 15 September - Biodiversity Thirteenth after Trinity Nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history — and the rate of species extinctions is accelerating, with grave impacts on people around the world now likely, warns a landmark 2019 report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). ‘The overwhelming evidence of the IPBES Global Assessment, from a wide range of different fields of knowledge, presents an ominous picture,’ said IPBES Chair, Sir Robert Watson. ‘The health of ecosystems on which we and all other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than ever. We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide.’ Compiled by 145 expert authors from 50 countries over the past three years, with inputs from another 310 contributing authors, the Report assesses changes over the past five decades, providing a comprehensive picture of the relationship between economic development pathways and their impacts on nature. Drawn from www.ipbes.net from where the full assessment is available. Pray for efforts to sustain diversity in earth’s life forms. Archbishop Maimbo Mndolwa,Tanzania & Bishop of Tanga 16 September - Astbury C: Vacant. Pray for God’s grace throughout the vacancy, and for the process of appointing a new rector. Astbury St Mary’s C of E School. Bishop Cyril Chukwunonyerem Okorocha, Owerri (Nigeria); Bishop Victor Scantlebury, Central Ecuador (The Episcopal Church, USA); Bishop Zerubbabel Katsuichi Hirota, Kita Kanto (Japan) 17 September - Barthomley C: Vacant. Please pray for the need of the parish during the vacancy, especially for church officers and PCC members’ responsibilities. Bishop Stephen Ayodeji Fagbemi, Owo (Nigeria); Bishop Gregory Brewer, Central Florida (The Episcopal Church, USA) 18 September - Brereton C: Sandi Fisher. LM: Roy Ashton. Brereton C of E School. Bishop Steven Croft, Bishop Colin William Fletcher, Bishop Andrew Proud, Bishop Alan Thomas Lawrence Wilson, Oxford (England); Bishop Russell Kendrick, Central Gulf Coast (The Episcopal Church, USA); Archbishop George Takeli, Central Melanesia (Melanesia) 19 September - Holmes Chapel C: Vacant. Please pray for continuing support during the vacancy as we prepare to meet the opportunities and challenges of renewed parish witness with our new incumbent Rob McLaren who joins us in late November. Bishop Williams Oluwarotimi Aladekugbe, Oyo (Nigeria); Bishop DeDe Duncan-Probe, Central New York (The Episcopal Church, USA) 20 September - Congleton St James C: Colin Sanderson. LM: Kenneth Hill. Bishop Joseph Maker Atot, Pacong (South Sudan); Bishop John Watton, Central Newfoundland (Canada); Bishop Samson Tuliapus, Kitale (Kenya) 21 September - Congleton St Matthew C: Vacant. LM: Geoff Scott, Lesley Smith, Eileen Walker, John Millington, Mike Hutchison. We pray as the parish adjusts to having two rather than four parish churches, we will be mindful of each other, we will grow closer together and we will work together to reach out to those as yet beyond our walls. Mossley C of E School. Bishop Isaiah Chambala, Kiteto (Tanzania); Bishop Wilson Kitara, Kitgum (Uganda); Bishop Josephat Mule, Kitui (Kenya) 22 September - Intercession and Discipleship Fourteenth after Trinity In the late 1960s Gonville ffrench-Beytagh was a prominent opponent of the apartheid regime in South Africa. As Dean of Saint