Chester
Diocesan News
February 2017
News, features, jobs...
chester.anglican.org
Gr owing str onger par ishes
Your invitation to be part of
Thy Kingdom Come 2017
with the whole family of God the Father, to
pray for the empowering of God the Holy
Spirit, that we may be effective witnesses
to God the Son, Jesus Christ.
How you can be involved
Thy Kingdom Come 2017 will run from
Friday 25th May to Sunday 4th June. The
Diocese has been encouraged to plan a
series of Beacon Events and every parish
and congregation member
is being
invited to be involved. See below for more
details.
Your Parish
In 2016, the Archbishops of Canterbury
and York invited parishes across England
to join a great wave of prayer between
Ascension and Pentecost. The plan was
for the week of prayer to culminate in
Beacon Events around the country over
Pentecost weekend, where people would
pray for the renewal of the Holy Spirit and
the confidence to share their faith. The
response was overwhelming.
For 2017 the vision is even bigger
This year the Archbishops are inviting
every parish, fresh expression of Church,
school, chaplaincy, retreat house, and
praying community to join in Thy Kingdom
Come 2017 - ten days of prayer for
evangelism and witness in the run up to
Pentecost. The aim is to join in prayer
The Archbishops are suggesting various
ways churches can engage with this
global movement of prayer. Ideas include:
hosting special prayer events; holding a
day or week of continuous ‘24/7’ prayer
as parishes, teams or deaneries; prayer
rooms; v holiday clubs; saying special
prayers in Sunday worship; rrayer
walking; handing out a novena prayer
card to every congregation member.
Cathedral
During the ten days deaneries will
be invited to help lead worship at the
Cathedral, bringing their prayers and
taking part in special services. On Sunday
4th June there will be a Diocesan service
for all churches. Prayer boxes will be sent
out in March to each deanery and brought
back to this event.
...cont pg3
The Church is the Body of Christ, the
counterpart in history to the human body
of our Lord himself... Writes Bishop Peter
‘led’. From one perspective, the Church
is an institution, comprised of human
beings, which does need appropriate
management and leadership. We ignore
this at our peril – but the opposite danger
is of slipping into thinking that the human,
institutional dimension of the Church is its
most important aspect. It isn’t.
The Church is the Body of Christ, the
counterpart in history to the human body
of our Lord himself. It is fundamentally
a spiritual and mystical reality. We know
this most directly when the Church is
engaged in its worship. The true and
lasting renewal of the Church will always
spring from the renewal of its prayer
and worship. That puts everything else
in the right register and perspective. It
also helps us to recognise the limits to
what planning, and human strategies can
achieve.
And there’s no better time to remind
ourselves of this than as the season of
Lent approaches ....
The Archbishop of Canterbury has initiated
a wide-ranging ‘renewal and reform’
programme in the Church of England.
It is well underway, and has a number
of strands: making ministerial training
more flexible; simplifying unduly complex
or outdated aspects of Church law and
practice; focussing the financial support
from the Church Commissioners for
economically poorer dioceses in a more
accountable way; a renewed emphasis
upon the discipleship of everyone in the
Church, ordained and lay; and much
better training for those in positions of
senior leadership, or who have been
identified as potential candidates for
senior posts (of all sorts).
It’s an ambitious programme, which
will absorb Archbishop Justin throughout
his archiepiscopate. To my mind, it is
overdue, and many blessings will flow
from it.
The
danger
with
all
renewal
programmes in the Church is that we
will slip into thinking of the Church as
mainly, or essentially, a human institution
which needs to be better ‘managed’ and
+ Peter
Chester Diocesan News
EDITOR: Stephen Regan, tel 01928
718834 ext 233. Email stories and pictures
for the April issue by 18 February, to:
[email protected]
DISTRIBUTION: phone Inprint Colour on
01270 251589 and ask for Mark Heywood.
Chester Diocesan Board of Finance is a
company limited by guarantee, registered
in England (no. 7826) and a registered
charity (no. 248968)
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St Peter’s, Crewe Lenten Labyrinth
Between 27th Feb to 4th March St Peter’s,
Earle Street, Crewe will be holding a
Lenten Labyrinth. Karen Bratley, PCC
Secretary of St Peter’s said; “We first did
this in July last year as part of Crewe’s
Love Crewe Mission and have decided
to repeat it with a Lenten theme. A great
many people appreciated Walking The
Labyrinth but many others had to miss it
due to being involved in their own church’s
mission ministry that week. We’re hopeful
that many people will read about it and
come to experience for themselves
just what Walking the Labyrinth really
means, just how close it brings you to
God. Different people have different
experiences, it’s wonderful. For some, it’s
the Stations around the outside, for others
it’s the walk itself. Refreshments will be
provided so if you travel a distance, you
can rest, relax and be comfortable before
starting your journey.”
Full dates and times will be available on
www.stpeterscrewe.org.uk
Capesthorne Hall, Cheshire on the 2nd
and 3rd June 2017. The festival style
event is all about worship and creates
an inclusive space for families, fun and
music.
Upwards of 15,000 are expected to
attend, and it has proved to be a popular
event for church groups to attend. For
further details look at the event website
http://bigchurchdayout.com/2017.
Lyn Weston, Diocesan Missioner,
said; “This represents the beginning of
a new adventure. As we ask God for His
Kingdom to come, with such intensity of
prayer and with a real sense of unity in
prayer as a Diocese, we must prepare
ourselves that He may answer those
prayers in unexpected ways, and we
need to be ready to respond.”
Continued from pg 1
Foxhill
Foxhill will hold a period of prayer from
Ascension Day to Pentecost. People from
across the Diocese of all ages and from
all contexts will be invited to join in.
Events including overnight prayer vigils
will be organised and Bishops, Clergy,
and others will be asked to lead prayer
time throughout the week. A pilgrimage
will be led from Foxhill to the Cathedral
on Pentecost hopefully made up of a wide
age range including lots of young people.
Big Church Day Out
The Big Church Day Out is planning
a significant ecumenical event at
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Mission Possible is the 2017 Lay
Conference. We would like as many
parishes as possible to be part of the
conference, with delegates attending from
all parts of the diocese. One free place
has been reserved for every parish but
this offer is time-limited so put the dates
in your diary and register your parish’s
interest now: Friday, 19 May to Sunday,
21 May 2017. The Hayes Conference
Centre, Swanwick, Alfreton DE55 1AU.
To register your interest please visit
www. goo.gl/L1vOyR
It’s a new year and time to ask if
you are ready for Mission Possible?
Your chance to make a difference!
Foxhill Retreats
To book call 01928 733777
Contemplative Photography with
Claire Egan. 21 - 23 April 2017
New Brighton spire repair wins Prize
The King of Prussia Gold Medal for church
repair and conservation architecture has
been awarded to architects Lloyd Evans
Prichard for their work to restore the spire
of St James’, New Brighton. St James’ church was designed by the
eminent Victorian architect, Sir George
Gilbert Scott, in gothic revival style.
Weather and time have taken their toll
on the structure and, in particular, the
magnificent 52 metre high spire.
Architects Lloyd Evans Prichard’s
repairs to the spire involved the careful
dismantling of the top two thirds of the
stone work and rebuilding the spire
using lime mortar, and incorporating
internal stainless steel bands to brace
the masonry structure. The repairs also
provided an opportunity to reinstate
the lost George Gilbert Scott masonry
details, based on careful examination
of the original perspective sketch of the
church and documentary evidence from
historic photographs. Prince Nicholas
von Preussen presented Lloyd Evans
Prichard with the King of Prussia Gold
Medal. St James’ church received a £500
prize.
Professor Bob Munn, who chairs the
Diocesan Advisory Committee which
advises on church planning issues
in the Diocese of Chester, said; “It
was a pleasure to see the successful
collaboration between the church and the
architects on the project. This is fitting
recognition for the careful work and the
high quality masonry repairs achieved
with great accuracy and attention to
detail.”
The King of Prussia Gold Medal was the
gift of King Frederick William IV of Prussia
(1795 – 1861) to the Incorporated Church
Building Society in 1857.
Breathing Space with the Chester
Diocese Spirituality Team
9 - 12 May 2017
We will consider the ways photography
can mirror contemplative prayer, refocus
ourselves and help us to become more
open to seeing the world, ourselves
and God in new ways. No experience
of photography or special equipment is
needed (your mobile phone would be
fine!), Claire has held various roles in
Education, teaching Religious Studies
and Philosophy.
Cost £145 per person.
This is an individually guided retreat
which provides the space to listen, find
refreshment, and put our lives in a new
perspective. There will be time for relaxation, walking the grounds and using the
dedicated art space. You will be allocated
a prayer guide whom you will be invited
to meet each day for about thirty minutes.
They will suggest ways to relax and pray,
perhaps with a passage of scripture.
Cost £195 per person.
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A new future for Education
The Diocesan Board of Education(DBE),
which oversees local developments and
supports schools on a day to day basis,
has been reformed into a smaller strategic
group of 11 members. This new group,
drawn from Diocesan Synod members
and external appointments, came into
force on 1st January 2017.
Later this year Jeff Turnbull, the Director
of Education retires in April after 25 years
of faithful service. So what does it all
mean for Church schools in this diocese?
and we are deeply grateful. He will be
difficult to replace, but we are reviewing
the Board and the post so we can recruit
the best person to carry forward the next
stage of this vital work.”
Church of England schools exist to
serve their local community. They are
inclusive and serve equally those who
are of the Christian faith, those of other
faiths and those with no faith. In this way
they are not ‘faith schools’ but ‘Church
Schools’ reflecting the service to the
nation which the Church of England
offers to all its parishioners. They provide
a secure Christian education for children
throughout the country.
Bishop Libby Lane
Bishop Libby Lane said; “As chair of
the newly formed DBE, I am excited to
work with those appointed to build on the
department’s excellence, and ensure that
the management and support provided for
schools in the coming years remains fit for
purpose. We will continue to shape vision,
ethos, and strategic direction, providing
scrutiny of financial resources and
delivery of work. We remain committed
to supporting the distinctive Christian
foundation of our Church Schools. Jeff
has exercised a remarkable ministry in his
post as Director of Education for 25 years
Jeff Turnbull
Reflecting on his 25 years as Director
of Education Jeff Turnbull said; “Over the
past 25 years, there have been many
changes impacting on the work of our
schools, but what has not changed is our
commitment to serve young people and
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their communities in the name of our Lord.
Through the hard work and dedication of
teachers, support staff and governors
we can be proud of the achievements of
our schools. In the Diocese, 87% of our
schools are rated good or outstanding
by Ofsted and over 98% are rated good
or outstanding in their denominational
inspection. With the greater move to
academy status and the reduction in
support local authorities are able to
provide, we have had to develop new
support structures. The Chester Diocesan
Academies Trust is an exciting initiative
and is available for any of our schools that
would like to become an academy as part
of a multi-academy trust.”
The national picture
Historic mission to education
•
• 1 million children attend CofE
•
•
•
•
•
The Church of England has been
involved in education for many centuries.
Some Church schools in this Diocese are
older than the Diocese itself.
However, most Church schools came
about through the drive to provide
Christian education for the masses of
the poor in the early and middle years
of the 19th century. By 1851 the Church
had established 17,000 schools. State
provision for public education came with
the 1870 Education Act by supplementing
the churches’ provision. This Act
demonstrated the partnership between
the state and the churches in education,
which has continued to the present day.
In 1939, there were 218 Church of
England Schools in the Diocese of
Chester. This number reduced but
in recent years has grown to 116. In
this Diocese 47 schools are Voluntary
Controlled, 59 are Voluntary Aided (three
of which are joint Catholic/C of E schools),
9 are Academies and there is one Free
School.
•
schools every day, 15 million
people alive today went to one.
There are 4,500 CofE Primary
schools and over 200 CofE
Secondary schools.
The Church is the biggest sponsor
of academies in England.
Over 500 independent schools
declare themselves to be CofE.
A quarter of all primary schools
are Church of England schools.
CofE clergy dedicate a million
hours every year to working with
children and young people.
There are 22,500 Foundation
Governors in Church schools
supported by dioceses.
Each diocese runs a Board of
Education supporting Church
schools, representing an annual
investment of over £15 million.
Types of church school
The types of church school within
the state education sector are
voluntary controlled, voluntary aided,
foundation schools (all maintained by
the Local Authority) and academies.
In a controlled school, the Local
Authority employs the staff and controls
admissions. In an aided school, the
Governing Body employ the staff
and are responsible for setting the
admissions criteria.
With the greater move to academy
status,
the
Chester
Diocesan
Academies Trust is available for any of
our schools that would like to become
an academy as part of a multi-academy
trust.
You can read more here: http://www.
chester.anglican.org/page_schools.
asp?Page=35
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Church project receives a
much needed boost in funds
Holy
Trinity
Blacon’s
Community
Outreach Project has received a boost
with three years’ funding from The Morgan
Foundation for one of the project’s two
Community Outreach Workers.
Holy Trinity Church, Norris Road,
Blacon has run a Community Outreach
Project since autumn 2013. It has grown
a great deal since its first beginnings,
now running across four days (Monday
to Thursday) every week. It includes
Meeting Place café, craft courses, knit
and natter group, scrabble group, music
workshop, Playtots parent and toddler
group, and a gardening club. Over 80
people attend weekly, aged from 0 to 99
years. About 22 volunteers assist in many
different ways with this most popular
project, which is run by two Community
Outreach Workers, Sue Mountford and
Ed Green.
Jane Harris, The Morgan Foundation
Administrator handed over a presentation
cheque, saying “The Morgan Foundation
is pleased to support this worthwhile local
project which is improving community
cohesion and providing opportunities for
upskilling.”
The Morgan Foundation was created
in 2001 by Steve Morgan CBE with the
purpose of supporting charities across
North Wales, Merseyside, West Cheshire
and North Shropshire. Since 2001 it
has committed over £35m of funding.
Help is focussed mainly on those who
work directly with children and families,
but it is interested in all projects that
enhance the quality of life for people in
the region, particularly those suffering
from disability or disadvantage. For
more information contact Jane Harris,
Administrator, tel: 01829 782800.
www.morganfoundation.co.uk
Pictured : (left to right): Jane Harris (the
Morgan Foundation); Sue Mountford (Outreach
Worker); June Middleton (Churchwarden) and
Rev Tina Upton (Rector)
Churches and Church Schools can
help spread the message of Easter
by ordering Real Easter Eggs from
the Meaningful Chocolate Company.
A 24 page Easter
story activity book,
an Easter traditions
booklet or colouringin
posters
are
included with each
Fairtrade chocolate
egg. To see the
exciting new range
for 2017 and place
orders for your
church or school,
visit www.realeasteregg.co.uk
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