Coronavirus Ad Clerum 5th October 2020 Dear Friends In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me; turn your ear to me and save me. Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. Psalm 71: 1-3 Psalm 71 from Morning Prayer today, reminds us of God’s constant protection in our lives. By now many of us will be feeling weary of the impact of Covid 19 and as the weather changes and evenings are longer, the challenge to remain hopeful and trusting is perhaps more demanding. The image of God as our refuge is one that is repeated throughout scripture. The Hebrew word for refuge ‘chs’ means ‘support’ as in a wall against which we can confidently lean our whole weight. That is rather different from us hiding away and hoping the threat will pass. Rather it encourages us to act, confident that God is with us and will carry us in and through all that we face. Clearly we continue to heed all the guidance to stay safe in this time, but my prayer today is that you know God to be your refuge both personally and professionally, for yourself and those you live with and for the people among whom you serve. Church of England guidance update On Friday the C of E issued further guidance see here • New FAQs ‘Can we turn our heating on?’ (in the Fabric and building maintenance section) • Updated document on Mission and ministry with children and young people • Updated document on Outdoor Worship and Churchyards • New Document on Church Heating IICSA report to be published The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) will publish their final report on safeguarding in the Church of England tomorrow (Tuesday 6th October). Both Archbishops, the lead Bishops for Safeguarding and the Director of Safeguarding have written an open letter for public distribution here . As we recognise and work together on the significant challenges ahead, for some this may be a difficult time, so please do be in touch with our diocesan safeguarding team if you need support. Diocesan Development Day We are very much looking forward to our Diocesan Development day on the theme of ‘Lights for Christ - Bringing Hope’ next Saturday 10 October 9.30 – 12.30 With restrictions on gatherings still in place, a decision has been taken to run this as a virtual Development Day event using Zoom. The keynote input will be from Ruth Valerio the author of ‘Saying Yes to Life’, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s 2020 Lent book, and Global Advocacy and Influencing Director for TearFund. She will help us to reflect on how as Lights for Christ we respond to climate change. Bishop Pete will be helping us think about our Hope in Christ and Bishop Sophie will focus on Sharing our Hope with Others. It promises to be a great morning so please do book now if you haven’t already and encourage others to come along too. Read more. Giving Officers Living as we are in challenging times financially, we were delighted to be successful in becoming recipients of new bid for two giving officers to work directly with our PCCs over the coming years (one in each Archdeaconry) to help us continue our culture of generous giving and sustain and grow our common fund; resourcing all our parishes and clergy and statutory services such as safeguarding. The job descriptions will soon appear on diocesan website vacancies section, and applications close 3 November if you or anyone you know has the relevant skills and a passion to help us grow in generosity please consider an application. Very Rev Peter Bradley At the end of the service at Sheffield Cathedral yesterday morning, the Dean of Sheffield, the Very Revd Peter Bradley, announced his resignation from the role of Dean. He said: “It is with great regret that I tell you that I have resigned as Dean of Sheffield, with effect from 31 December 2020. I know this will come as a shock. You may be aware of the tremendous pressure I have been under over recent weeks which has seriously affected my health. After prayerful reflection and conversations with people who know me well, including the Bishop, I have decided that the time has come for me to move on. I love the Cathedral, our City and our Diocese. I hope that together the Cathedral, City and Diocese, with prayer, that there will be a thriving future and I am confident of that great future under God. It has been a great privilege to have served as Dean of Sheffield since 2003, as it happens today is the 17th anniversary of my installation and I want to thank you all for the support and love you have given me.” In response to the news the Bishop of Sheffield, the Rt Revd Pete Wilcox said: “Cathedral Chapter has faced many issues this year with the pandemic, the fire and the difficult challenges over the summer in relation to the future of choral music and Dean Peter has been under extreme stress for a prolonged period. I was therefore not surprised to have received his resignation, with effect from 31 December 2020. Dean Peter has given himself wholeheartedly to his ministry as Dean of Sheffield for 16 years. During that time, the Cathedral has been transformed, not least by the Gateway project, so that it can realise more fully its vision to be a place for all people. His contribution to the College of Deans, the General Synod, and Sheffield’s public and civic life has been considerable and valued by many people. I support Peter’s decision to resign and wish to place on record my thanks to him for all the support and encouragement he has offered me as the Bishop of Sheffield during the past three years.” Foundations course If you know of someone who is wondering if God might be calling them into some form of ministry – in the church or wherever they find themselves, they may benefit from the ever popular Foundations course. Through Foundations, there is the opportunity to explore what it means to be called to serve God and others Monday to Sunday, as well as through recognised ministries in the church. In addition, there is the opportunity to learn more about the foundations of the Christian faith and dig more deeply into what it means to be a follower of Christ in an accessible and enjoyable way. Subjects covered include: The Bible, Mission and Christian Belief. The next course begins in early January 2021 - sessions will take place either face to face one whole Sunday a month or via two monthly online sessions (using Zoom) – one weekday evening and one Sunday afternoon (tbc) . Closing date for application is October 31st application forms and more information are available at https://www.stpeterscollege.org.uk/courses/foundations Ordained vocations Following on from our 11 wonderful ordinations services last weekend, it may be that you or someone you know has been prompted to consider offering themselves for potential ordination. Please do encourage any who you feel may have sensed God’s call to ordination to make contact with our DDO Stephen Hunter ([email protected]) who will be pleased to hear from them As ever our CRT inbox continues to be available for general queries in relation to any matters relating to our response to Covid 19. In the meantime, we continue to give thanks to God our refuge for all the ways in which he is our support at this challenging time. With every blessing The Rt Revd Dr Pete Wilcox The Rt Revd Sophie Jelley Bishop of Sheffield Bishop of Doncaster .