Celebrating Self-Supporting Ordained Ministry
As part of the Anniversary Celebrations, marking 60 years of Self-Supporting Ordained Ministry, a National Service of Thanksgiving was held at Southwark Cathedral on Saturday 9 September 2023.
News
Room booking available on A Church Near You
There's new update for A Church Near You that works with users of The Church Organiser, a free tool provided by The Church of England to manage your room bookings. The update enables churches to display a bookings page on their ANCY website.
Bishop Mark commissions the new interim Archdeacons
On 12th September, Bishop Mark commissioned Lesley Currie and Jane Proudfoot as Assistant Archdeacons for Macclesfield Archdeaconry. Mark chats with them about their roles in a short video filmed in the garden of Bishop's House.
A Man's Faith in Airbus
Andy Liston has worked at Airbus for 34 years and is also training to become a Pastoral Worker. As part of the course, Andy wanted to explore the idea of bringing his faith into his workplace at the Airbus factory in Broughton and the project has really taken off.
Casting the Net Wide - Report
Casting the Net Wide was a 12-month process of learning and discovery across the diocese, to enable us to form a vision and strategy that will provide us with a clear way forward in our mission and ministry. This report explains the process and what we discovered along the way.
Diversity Service: Who is the stranger? 30 September
We invite you to this year's Diversity Service in the Chester Cathedral on 30th September at 4.15. The service will focus on who is the stranger - the hospitality of Christ. The service will be led by Bishop Julie and guest speaker Revd Dr Anderson Jeremiah.
Wirral Waters
It’s been just over three months since Debbie Wilkinson was appointed to the new role as Mission Lead for the huge development project called Wirral Waters, in Birkenhead. We visit Debbie to find out more.
Chester Cathedral Heritage Discovery Day
Chester Cathedral’s popular Heritage Discovery Day explores the Tudors in Chester’s most iconic historic church and grounds. Join the Cathedral’s very own heritage team – the Works Department on Saturday 9 September to explore Chester Cathedral in this free event.
Foundations for Ministry
The Foundations for Ministry course helps people to understand how to hear where God is leading them. Helen Kershaw, a retired nurse, discovered that God was asking her to put her people skills to great use by continuing to be a Churchwarden, instead of the route she had envisaged before starting the course.
Parishioner invited to re-open Greggs
For nearly two years, Sheila Hankinson, a parishioner at St James, Latchford, has been spreading the word of God from her regular spot, on a bench just outside of Greggs in the Golden Square Shopping Centre in Warrington. In recognition of this, Greggs invited her to cut the ribbon at their recent re-opening, following a refit.
10th parish receives Silver Eco Church Award
St. Mary’s Partington has become the 10th Silver Eco Church Award winner in our diocese. Organised by A Rocha UK, the scheme is for churches in England and Wales who want to demonstrate that the gospel is good news for God’s earth.
Exploring how you can serve God
If you've been wondering how you might be able to serve God, but are not sure how or what route to take, then our Foundations for Ministry course might be for you. The course will help you to discern what God is calling you to do.
Strategic Programme Director Appointed
The Diocese of Chester is pleased to announce the appointment of Jon Pocock as Strategic Programme Director, a role created to help deliver the recently agreed Vision for the diocese. Jon will begin his work in October when he will coordinate the delivery of the diocese’s strategic plan.
Interim Assistant Archdeacons Appointed
The Bishop of Chester is pleased to announce the appointment of the Revds Lesley Currie and Jane Proudfoot as (Interim) Assistant Archdeacons serving the Archdeaconry of Macclesfield in the Diocese of Chester. Jane and Lesley will be commissioned for this work in September.
School leavers celebrate in Chester Cathedral
Over the course of three days last week, there were five school leavers services, each a celebration for children who have come to the end of their time at primary school and are about to embark on a whole new chapter of their lives.
Clergy bikers beat the bounds
Bishop Mark led a group of clergy bikers on a ride across part of the boundary of the diocese, recreating an old tradition called 'Beating the Bounds' which involved praying for protection, praying for the crops, and also giving thanks to God for the animals and for the children who had been born.
Court of Appeal's Rwanda ruling 'good news'
The Committee for Outreach in the Diocese of Chester welcomes the Court of Appeal’s ruling which has declared the deportation of asylum seekers to Rwanda as unlawful and is encouraging people to express to their MP concerns for the Illegal Migration Bill.
Vocation Stories
As we pray for our ordinands who are getting ordained on 1 July, we wanted to feature some of the people responding to God's call.
Celebrating 60 years of Self-Supporting Ministry
To mark the 60th anniversary since the first ordinations of clergy to Self-Supporting Ordained Ministry in the Church of England, SSMs joined the Bishop of Chester for a garden party celebration followed by Evensong at Chester Cathedral.
Farewell service for Ian Bishop
As Archdeacon Ian prepares for pastures new, colleagues, friends and congregants are making plans to send him on his way with a special Chester farewell. Everyone is welcome in Wilmslow for a special farewell service on 23 July and contributions to a leaving collection can be made before then.
Memories of a much-loved CofE headteacher
Tributes and memories have been shared of a much-loved former Church of England headteacher ahead of her funeral on Monday 26 June in, Stockport. Alice Ramsbottom, who died in May at the age of 108, has been described as "a diminutive figure with a massive heart".
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Bishop Julie responds to the disbanding of Independent Safeguarding Board
Speaking to BBC Radio 4 on Thursday 22 June, Bishop Julie said the decision by the Archbishops' Council to disband its Independent Safeguarding Board was causing "distress and anger" among some of the survivors and victims of church-related abuse she had spoken to.
Pray for our ordinands
This year, for the first time in living memory, the ordination of deacons will be conducted at four different locations around the Diocese of Chester, rather than Chester Cathedral. Please hold in your prayers all those who are to be ordained deacon on Saturday 1 July 2023.
Details of national Redress Scheme published
Proposed details of the Church of England’s national Redress Scheme for survivors of Church-related abuse have been published. The purpose of the Redress Scheme is to demonstrate in tangible and practical ways that the Church is truly sorry for its past failings relating to safeguarding.
Supporting refugees and asylum seekers
Many parishes across the Diocese of Chester are actively supporting refugees and asylum seekers. We visit Runcorn parish where the church community has embraced and welcomed those seeking sanctuary and refuge wholeheartedly, helping them to find comfort in God and community.
Diocesan Synod unanimously approves vision themes and priorities
Diocesan Synod has agreed on the diocesan vision themes and priorities set out by the Bishop of Chester. The Synod, which constitutes members from all quarters of the diocese, voted unanimously in favour of the proposals at its meeting on Saturday 17 June at Chester Cathedral.
Your Church’s Energy Footprint – Why it’s important.
In recent E-Bulletins we’ve been asking all churches across the Diocese of Chester to complete a short Energy Footprint survey. We are grateful to the churches that have already completed the survey and would like to encourage those still yet to participate.
Ordination of priests
Eight men and women were ordained by Bishop Mark at a memorable service held at Chester Cathedral on Saturday 10 June 2023 and the Bishop of Ebbsfleet ordained the Revd Jonathan Roberts at a service held at St Michae's, Coppenhall on 15 June.
Archdeacon Ian announced as the next Bishop of Thetford
Ian Bishop, the Archdeacon of Macclesfield, is to be the next Bishop of Thetford in the Diocese of Norwich, Downing Street has announced. Ian will spend the day touring the diocese, a place that holds many happy memories for him as he has previously served there as a parish priest.
Creamfields volunteers wanted
Revd Jane Proudfoot is looking for volunteers to be part of an ecumenical team to listen, love, and care for the festival-goers at Creamfields, the biggest dance festival in the UK.
