Network The magazine of the Diocese of Sheffield Issue 14 Summer 2021 Petertide Eco Church One in a Ordinations Festival Thousand www.sheffield.anglican.org www.sheffield.anglican.org 1 Diocesan Development Day 2021 Save the Date Saturday 2nd October Keynote Speaker: The Rt Revd Dr Graham Tomlin The role of the church in God’s plan as an agent of the coming of the Kingdom The Rt Revd Sophie Jelley Discipleship / Lights for Christ The Rt Revd Dr Pete Wilcox Bible Study 2 Diocese of Sheffield Magazine From the editor Welcome to the Summer issue of Network - the gives an update on the vital work towards our magazine for the Diocese of Sheffield. It is a Bronze Eco Diocese award. We now have 21 feature-led publication showing the Christian registered Eco Churches from nine different faith at work in our local communities. deaneries. I do hope these features, and the other articles in the issue, inspire and lift you as Network remains in digital format, though it we look to what the future holds when national still aims to be a more traditional round-up of restrictions end. Hopefully, by the October issue, news from the previous period. The summer we will be singing again! issue of Network has strong clergy feel to it! In the previous weeks, we have celebrated the The magazine is aimed at everyone – whether a Ordinations at Sheffield Cathedral, rejoiced at fully committed Christian, a member of another the licensing of ministers and announced a new faith and those of no faith at all. We want to Dean of Sheffield. distribute it across parishes, local schools, community centres and more to increase the In this issue we have three feature articles that awareness of what great things we are doing I particularly want to highlight: early on in the as the Church of England in South Yorkshire magazine (p.6) several of our new deacons tell and East Riding. We are always looking out for their inspiring stories of their personal path great stories! So, if anyone would like to include to ordination; the Revd Jacqui Jones explains an article in the next issue then please email (p.12) how she puts into practice a nationally communications@ sheffield.anglican.org recommended tool to help with wellbeing; and later in the magazine (p.14) Dr Cathy Rhodes LJ Buxton, Director of Strategic Communications Contents Featured 4 Petertide Ordinations 6 Journey to Ordination Article Ordinations 11 New Dean of Sheffield Page 4 12 How Clergy Thrive 14 A Greener Future 16 Seeing God’s Kingdom in a Vaccination Centre 18 One in a Thousand www.sheffield.anglican.org 3 NEWS Petertide Ordinations Ordinations were celebrated on 26-27 June at Sheffield Cathedral. This year’s services followed current regulations. Across the weekend, 9 new candidates were ordained deacon and further 8 were priested. he Bishop of Sheffield, Rt Revd Dr Pete The Bishop of Doncaster, Rt Revd Sophie Jelley TWilcox, ordained nine deacons: ordained seven priests: » Susan Carol Armstrong (SSM) –to serve in » Carol Joyce Lee (SSM) - serving in the parish the parish of All Saints, Rotherham Minster and of Holy Trinity & St Oswald Finningley with St St Paul, Masbrough Saviour, Auckley » Jordan Alexander Mark Betts - to serve in the » Gillian Salter (SSM) - serving in the parish of parish of Wadsley St Lawrence, Hatfield » Christopher Boyd Bishop - to serve in the » Joshua Henry John Blunt - serving in the parish of St Peter, Warmsworth parish of St John the Evangelist, Goole » Kathleen Anne Green (SSM) - to serve in the » James Graham McNamara Crossley - serving parish of St James, Woodhouse, Christ Church, in the parish of St John the Baptist, Chapeltown Gleadless with St Peter and Christ Church, » Elizabeth Ann Langner (SSM) - serving in the Hackenthorpe parish of St Paul, Norton Lees » Amy Margaret Sinclair Hole - to serve in the » Helen Eve Terry - serving in the parish of parishes of St Timothy, Crookes and The Vine, Christ Church, Hillsborough & Wadsley Bridge Sheffield » Matthew Laurence Wood - serving in the » Stella Suzanne McHugh - to serve in the parish of St John the Evangelist, Ranmoor parish of St Francis of Assisi, West Bessacarr » Christine June Marie Moorey - St Hild College The Bishop of Maidstone, Rod Thomas ordained to serve in the parish of Christ Church, Ardsley one priest: » Benjamin Crossley Shires - to serve at St Thomas, Kilnhurst » Matthew James Lawes - serving in the parish » Claire Elizabeth Welch - to serve in the parish of Christ Church, Fulwood of St Paul, Wordsworth Avenue 4 Diocese of Sheffield Magazine New Deacons New Priests New Deacons outside Sheffield Cathedral New Priests New Priest www.sheffield.anglican.org 5 FEATURE The Journey to Ordination As they prepared for ordination, some of the 2021 Deacons shared the story of their journeys to ordination. In the meantime, I felt I owed it to my Revd Amy Hole, St Timothy’s Crookes and The congregation, and to God, to grow in my Vine, Netherthorpe theological and biblical understanding, so I thought I might do some further studying. The bout 15 years ago, I felt a growing sense very day I was contemplating applying to do an Athat I was called to preach. I wanted to MA at St Hild College, I bumped into a friend communicate and proclaim God’s message. in the supermarket. She told me that the night So I trained as a Reader at Sheffield School of before she had had a dream about me. In the Ministry and loved preaching and leading people dream, she gave me a shepherd’s staff, and said in worship, enabling people to grow closer to that it would go deep into the ground. And as I God and more aware of his presence. A few pressed on it, we watched it going deeper and years ago, I was at a small communion service deeper into the ground. and unexpectedly felt that I wanted to be the one offering the eucharist. I started tentatively At the time, I took this as God’s confirmation that exploring ordination but didn’t pursue it. I didn’t I should undertake the MA. So I started at St Hild, want to get ordained simply in order to be able and absolutely loved it – I found it so stimulating to do a few more things than I was able to do as and fulfilling. Simultaneously, I realised that I a Reader. But I never said ‘no’ – I just told God wasn’t quite so satisfied by my job as I used to he’d have to show me clearly if that was the plan! be. And then a friend of mine died in her early 30s – and I felt faced with the question: was I happy to just keep coasting through life, or was I going to really live it for God? I was writing an essay on what ‘denying the self’ means in Mark 8, and this started feeling like a personal exercise. And then I remembered my friend’s dream – and this time, I couldn’t ignore the spiritual symbolism of the shepherd’s staff. I realised that God’s calling to ordained ministry had taken root in me over the year and would continue to deepen as I ‘pressed’ it. Revd Amy Hole 6 Diocese of Sheffield Magazine FEATURE By the summer of 2018 I had started to feel a really heavy sense of God calling me to ‘full-time’ Revd Chris Bishop, St Peter, Warmsworth ministry – ministry that was no longer just ‘on the side’, but more of a commitment of my whole here have been many moments in the path self. I remember sitting in a cafe wondering how Tof my life which led to me exploring my call to tell my husband, and a nun walked in at the with the Diocesan Vocations team. There are same time as somebody wearing a Nike ‘Just Do far too many and some too difficult to share It’ t-shirt! So I did! here. Through it all, God’s plan has emerged. His plans for me have formed from a fading After I finally took the step of contacting the mist which eventually brings that longed for DDO, I found the discernment process really clarity. Many doors have been opened and supportive and productive. It was so helpful God has provided not only for me, but also my to be able to reflect with someone else on my family along the various twists and turns of the sense of vocation and how it fitted in with what story. I’m enormously grateful for the strong the church was looking for in a priest. By the encouragement and gentle support of so many time I got to the Bishop’s Advisory Panel, I felt I individuals on the way. From my Parish Priest, had been really well prepared. It was a strange friends, and family to the DDO and Bishops. experience, and quite nerve-wracking, but I loved The Vocations advisor, trusted friends, work meeting the other candidates and even quite colleagues and those with whom I disagree….so enjoyed my interviews. many individuals have played their part. Once I was accepted, it was a no-brainer to continue at St Hild for my training and formation. I finished my MA, and was hugely privileged to be invited to teach the New Testament Greek module, which I have now done for a couple of years. This has been yet another unexpected gift – and a real testament to how St Hlid enables its students to flourish and shape the college with whatever gifts and callings they bring.