News from the Church of England between the Humber and the Tees July 2012 Martin Warner next Bishop of Chichester and portfolio holder for Social Responsibility. I give thanks to God for our partnership in the Gospel. We will certainly miss him. The short time he has been with us has been great fun and he goes with our love and prayers. As I have often said we must always expect the unexpected, for our God is a God of surprises. Bishop Martin said, "The news of my appointment as Bishop of Chichester fills me with a range of emotions. The Queen has approved the "The appointment presents nomination of the Rt Revd Dr challenges and opportunities for Martin Warner for election as the ministry as a bishop that are next Bishop of Chichester in formidably diverse and exciting. succession to the Rt Revd Dr John Hind on his resignation on 30 "But I am heart-broken to be April. leaving the North East so soon after arriving here. The priests Archbishop Sentamu said, "I give and people of the Archdeaconry thanks for the ministry Bishop of Cleveland have taught me Martin has shared with us, his what it means to be a bishop. commitment to the people of They will remain in my affection Cleveland Archdeaconry, my staff and prayers as those for whose team, his Chairmanship of the example and instruction I never Diocesan Board of Education, cease to give thanks.” 1 Change and the Church “You must have seen a lot of changes here,” said the bishop to the churchwarden who was just starting his fiftieth year in post. “Yes, I have,” said the churchwarden, “and I’ve resisted the lot of them.” Or, how about, “The Church of England is all for change as long as it doesn’t make any difference.” I was told recently that we are four times more resistant to change than we are receptive to its benefits. Quite how that calculation was made I don’t know, but the assertion is worth thinking about. those days) what he himself had done. Nowadays, with so much change, often Change is one of the major issues it is much more of a mutual exchange facing us in the church. I guess it of ideas and experience. always has been: no change there then. Is it to be resisted, or to be embraced? It is, of course, a caricature to Whether we like it or not, it is emphasise the church’s resistance to inevitable – stand still and tomorrow change. It was Groucho Marx, not a we are in a very different place, churchwarden, who said, “Whatever it whether we like it or not. is, I’m against it.” In fact, there has been an enormous amount of change It’s often said that it’s older people who in the church in recent years. are most resistant to change. But that is by no means always the case. The challenge comes in discerning Teenagers can be extraordinarily what is timeless and what should reactionary in their own way. change. Similarly, a member of a fresh expression of church can be just as “The Church of England professes the resistant to change, say by never being faith that is uniquely revealed in the prepared to try anything traditional, as bible and set forth in the Catholic an old stager is who resists innovation. Creeds.” Yes, indeed: the unchanging gospel – but it is to be proclaimed Not so long ago the role of a training afresh in each generation. incumbent in relation to a curate was to teach him (and it was only him in +Richard Hullen 2 Ordination of Deacons Archbishop Sentamu will ordain • Barbara Ryan: Hessle twelve people to the Deaconate on 1 • Dan Sladden: Ingleby Barwick July at York Minster: • Justine Smith: Elloughton & Brough • Stuart Grant: Great and Little • Matthew Strand: Linthorpe, Driffield, and Langtoft with Middlesbrough Foxholes, Butterwick, Cottam and • Carol Sunley: North Ormesby Thwing • Martyn Weaver: Selby Abbey • Peter Hallsworth: Christchurch, • Adam Young: Saltburn Bridlington • Ned Lunn: St Stephen's with St Please pray for them as they begin Aidan's, Acomb their ministry as Deacons among us. • Linda Robinson: Hull, St Matthew Grants for Young People A new Diocesan grant scheme - Why are we doing this? Each year XLS150 - is available to help we normally hold a big XLS event children and young people share in York Minster, but this year we their Christian faith or haven't and the money put aside something of God's love in their for that is what we are using, so own way, with other people that there are lots of local within their own community or projects this year instead of just school. We want young people to one big one. We have £6000 to think creatively and perhaps have give to young people this year. a go at something completely The money is going to be awarded new. So to help them we are to those who have ideas of how giving one off grants of up to they are going to share God's £150 to successful applications to love. It's not for drum kits or help them make their ideas get data projectors, or for something off the ground. Young people they are already doing. need to be connected in some way with an Anglican Church There are two rounds for (such as in youth or children's applications, and the second clubs, local school). We ask that closing date for applications is clergy and/or PCCs support the 30th August. Visit the Children application as the money will be and Youth Work pages of the directed through the local website for more information and church. an application form. 3 Whitsun in Whitby Over a thousand people from the Archdeaconry of Cleveland joined Archbishop Sentamu and Bishop Martin Warner at Whitby Abbey on Saturday 26 May to celebrate Pentecost. The day began when Archbishop Sentamu arrived at Whitby RNLI Lifeboat Station onboard the charity’s lifeboat Corinne Whitely, where he led a short service, with music from young people from Ingleby Barwick. He was joined by representatives from Cleveland churches, and they processed up the 199 steps to St Mary's Church carrying banners especially made for the service. The Abbey was packed with over a thousand people from the Archdeaconry of Cleveland, young and old. We renewed our baptismal vows and were sprinkled with water - which was very welcome on such a sunny day! There were contributions in the service from all the Deaneries in the Archdeaconry and young people from St Barnabas Church in Middlesbrough. The Archbishop preached about the Holy Spirit, reminding us we need to be filled with God's Holy Spirit if we are to be truly alive. 4 Hull church helps people struggling with debt St John's Newland in Hull have partnered with nearby Hull Community Church to offer money management advice to people struggling with debt, as well as those who are looking for ways to help them better control their finances. Jake Belder, appointed last year as Assistant Minister in charge of Community Action said, “We know that the current economic situation means that many families within the parish are struggling financially and we want to help them. People have been affected by redundancy or and support for local centres relationship breakdown and often around the country. Advice is have fallen victim to loan given freely and without any companies or to over- strings – there is no pressure to commitment on credit cards. We attend church. However, as Jake can help them stabilise their (pictured above) explained, “We situation by negotiating with want people to hear the gospel, lenders on their behalf.” and we want them to see how the gospel transforms everything, Integral to the strategy are basic including how we relate to money management courses, money. Our work is attached to a which help people keep on the vibrant church with a range of right track. These have been gospel-centred activities where popular with church members as folk can experience Christian well – indeed, one of the other St community naturally at their John's ministers testified that own pace. We trust that as we after attending the course their help people out of debt, they will household spending patterns had be drawn to question our faith been transformed! and motivation and then to investigate for themselves.” The Newland scheme is part of the 'Community Money Advice' For more information, visit network, which provides training www.cmanewland.co.uk. 5 Coventry Cross of Nails for St. Martin le Grand, York On Sunday 29th April, the 70th of Nails, which is a network of anniversary of the Baedeker air raid churches and Christian organisations on York was commemorated with a who, inspired by the story of Service of Remembrance, Peace and Coventry Cathedral, which was also Reconciliation in the Church of St. destroyed by bombs during World Martin le Grand, Coney Street, York. War 2, share a common During the Baedeker air raid, on the commitment to work and pray for night of the 29th April 1942, more peace, justice and reconciliation. than hundred citizens lost their lives and many others were injured. Along Pictured above - presenting the Cross with the nearby Guildhall, St. Martin of Nails to the secretary of the St le Grand church itself was badly Martin's Church Council, Monica destroyed during the raid. Lawrence, is the Precentor of Coventry Cathedral, the Revd Canon During the Remebrance Service, the Dr David Stone. Looking on is the community of St Martin's Church, Revd Jane Nattrass, Priest-in-Charge received a 'Cross of Nails' from the at St.