New from Church House

• Compass facilitator training
• Greenhouse gathering
• Personal Growth and Leadership Taster for Clergy - Saturday, March 15
• Finding and working with interns
• Statistics for Mission – extension of closing date
• Extra security for Diocese of Leeds email accounts
• Conservation Grant Funding
• Resourcing and supporting parishes for children, young people and family ministry
• Lay Training
• Vocations Team events
• Spiritual Direction Formation Programme
• People and Engagement Team updates
• Final deadline for Give to Go Green
• Giving during Lent - resources
• Digital giving at Easter
• Giving Campaigns - new page on website
• Money for Mission: Issue 67

Key Dates for 2025

Resources

Vacancies

Other Useful Links and Information

Compass facilitator training

The Diocese of Leeds is pleased to have recently launched Compass, our tool for helping parishes figure out their next steps in mission.

Compass is a process that churches can do over a few hours to come up with a simple plan to do something different, new or to refocus on what already is working.

Compass doesn’t adopt a one size fits all approach, but builds on the strengths, weaknesses and unique challenges a church might face to help them make a plan that is possible.

Find out more about Compass here.

To help you run Compass, you may need a facilitator. That is, someone who can learn the Compass material, who is able to ask the right questions and assist you by reflecting back what they have heard. If you would like to be a facilitator, then we are running a short training session. This session is taking place online on Monday, March 10 from 10am to 11am. If you would like to join this session, do please drop us a line at barnabas@leeds.anglican.org.       

Greenhouse gathering

Thursday, March 13, 7pm - 9.15 pm, St Mark's Harrogate

Learning together - Next steps to establish, grow and cultivate new Christian commnities just where you are. We’ll be exploring new places for new people, fresh expressions and being church in new ways. It’s a chance to learn more, think about the opportunities on our frontlines, develop ideas and plans, and share the journey with others. This is an ecumenical event. The workshop will work best with groups of 2-4 people from a venture, but everyone is welcome. Leaders include the Revd Jude Smith, Director of Church Revitalisation for the Diocese of Leeds and the Revd Ben Askew of Kairos Network Church Harrogate.

Find out more here.

Personal Growth and Leadership Taster for Clergy - Saturday, March 15

Personal Growth and Leadership is a home grown course for clergy and lay together that creates space for individuals to grow in their confidence, whilst also working together to think through growth in a church context. It’s a six month course with one session a month on Saturday mornings.

We want to invite any clergy who may be interested in the course to come along to one of this year’s sessions to see how the course works- and if it will be helpful in your context. We know that it is much easier to invite others along to something that you have experienced. We have an open session on Saturday, March 15, at Fountains Church in Bradford. It will start at 9.30am for coffee with a 10am session start and a 12.30pm finish. We would love to see you there. For more information or to let us know you are coming please email barnabas@leeds.anglican.org.

Finding and working with interns

Tuesday, March 25, 2.30pm - 3.30pm, online

What does it look like to invest in an intern over a year? What would the church need to commit to? How do we find interns? Come and find out about the Diocesan Internship programme, meet our new Intern Lead the Revd Simon Walters, and explore how we can support your church with finding

and recruiting potential interns.

To join the conversation and for a Zoom link, please email katharine.greathead@leeds.anglican.org.

Statistics for Mission – extension of closing date

We would like to thank all who have already completed and submitted your Statistics for Mission for 2024. Please know all your hard work is very much appreciated.

The National Statistics Unit of the Church of England have extended the deadline for submitting Statistics for Mission to Friday, March 14. If you can submit your figures before then it would be very much appreciated.

For those who haven’t yet managed to do this work yet, we understand it can be difficult. If you are struggling to access the online Parish Returns System, or would like to discuss alternative submission methods, please get in touch for support by emailing parishreturns@leeds.anglican.org, or by calling 0113 3530 205.

Extra security for Diocese of Leeds email accounts

As part of our ongoing efforts to improve the cyber-security of diocesan IT systems, we will soon require everyone with a leeds.anglican.org email address to enable an extra security measure, known as Multi-factor authentication (MFA). You may already be familiar with this process with other accounts and online services. 

Please note there is no need to take action yet; we will be in touch with further details. The roll-out will be done in phases to avoid too many queries to our support provider, ACS IT. Please do not contact them until you receive your invitation. 

Conservation Grant Funding

The Cathedral and Church Buildings Department conservation grants programme is now open for applications. This is the first round of National Heritage Lottery Funding to be made through its new targeted initiative for places of worship, announced in August 2024.

The expanded £5 million fund aims to provide greater national support directly to Church of England parishes, to ensure that this cherished heritage is secure and fit for mission as well as the joyful appreciation of all who encounter it.

The grant is intended to provide up to £25,000 towards building repairs to that are linked to the conservation of an object or to support the conservation of special features, including bells, clocks, organs, stained glass, wall paintings and monuments. Bids for specialist surveys and help for existing conservation projects to reach completion will also be considered.

For further information, please contact: conservationgrants@churchofengland.org or visit the website.

Resourcing and supporting parishes for children, young people and family ministry

Large events

TEND 2025 (Saturday, June 7 at Christ Church Skipton and Saturday, September 6 at St George’s Lupset)

We are delighted that bookings have opened for this year’s TEND events, with a theme of Sharing Stories. Full details, including booking can be found here.

In-person Workshops 

Youthscape Essentials monthly on Saturdays (starting on Saturday, March 22, Church House Leeds)

If you would like more information or to book your place, please contact childrenyouth@leeds.anglican.org.

Ministry with Children and Young People (Saturday, March 22, Church House Leeds)

This is a course designed for everyone; whether you’ve been working with children and young people for a long time, or you are just starting out, and it aims to help you develop and refresh skills and knowledge so you can serve children and young people well. Please contact childrenyouth@leeds.anglican.org for more information or to book. 

Additional Needs Learning Community (Thursday, April 24, Church House Leeds)

A chance to gather to discuss how church can be more welcoming and inclusive to children and young people with additional needs and their families. To book your place and be added to the Additional Needs Learning Community Group, please email childrenyouth@leeds.anglican.org. 

Online Workshops 

Starting a Conversation about children and young people taster sessions (Monday, March 3 or Tuesday, March 4)

These 45-minute online sessions offer the chance to find out more about the bespoke sessions offered for parishes. To book your place, please contact childrenyouth@leeds.anglican.org.

Getting Started with Intergenerational Worship and Prayer (Wednesday, March 5)

An opportunity to consider the importance of intergenerational worship for the whole church and to explore different ways of making it inclusive for all. To sign up for this session, please email childrenyouth@leeds.anglican.org.

Dealing with Challenging Behaviour (Tuesday, March 18)

This online session considers what can be done in response to incidents of challenging behaviour. To book your place, please contact childrenyouth@leeds.anglican.org.

Staying Connected

If you would like to receive the Children, Young People and Family Team newsletter, please subscribe to the Digital Learning Platform here and be sure to tick the ‘Children & Youth’ and ‘Sign me up’ boxes! In addition we host a Facebook group for anyone involved in children, young people and family ministry where people share details of events, resources, activities and training and also ask questions, debate ideas and learn together. As always, if you require any specific help or information, please do contact us on childrenyouth@leeds.anglican.org.

Lay Training

Saving Creation Silver (Tuesday, March 11 - Tuesday, May 20, 2025, with a break for the Easter Holiday, online via Zoom)

This Silver level course is for anyone wishing to:

• Gain an understanding of various aspects of the environmental crisis including: climate change, biodiversity loss, implications for social justice, animal welfare issues, issues of waste and water.
• Gain an understanding of the nature of Mission and how environmental mission fits within them
• Gain an understanding of the role of lifestyle choices in both discipleship and effecting change
• Gain an understanding of how to implement the Church of England Net Zero Target Strategy, and Eco-Church in a local parish context
• Consider how the resources provided nationally and by the Diocese can be used in a parish context
• Receive training in the skills required to be an effective Parish Environment Officer

More details and booking information can be found here.

The World of Jesus Online (starts Tuesday, April 29, 7pm – 9pm, online)

Summary: Explore the places and people of Jesus’ ministry. Through scripture, contemporary writing and archaeological evidence we discover anew how, ‘... the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.’ (John 1.14)

More details and booking information can be found here.

What makes a church visit a hit or miss for newcomers? (Saturday, May 10, 10am - 3.30pm, Wharf Street, Sowerby Bridge)

The Everybody Welcome course is a day for local churches to share experiences and explore how we offer welcome to newcomers.

More details and booking information can be found here.

If you require any specific help or information, please do contact us at layministry@leeds.anglican.org.

Encouraging Lay Leadership

Do you have potential leaders in your congregation? Are there those who are wondering what theology means and how to study it? Please encourage them to sign up to this free and updated course. In recognition of travel and internet accessibility issues, we are introducing a new hybrid version of the course. It will take place in Leyburn and Gargrave in–person with a local host/facilitator and the teaching sessions will be via zoom.

Introduction to Theology (ITT) is a 12-session journey looking at the Christian faith, thinking about your own faith journey and developing theological skills. This is a great place to start when considering where God is calling you. Attending this course is a pre-requirement for Licensed Lay Ministry training in the diocese of Leeds and is also useful for those considering any of our other Lay Ministry pathways.

Spaces Still Available:

Bingley in-person course: booking deadline is Sunday, March 9, 2025

Do you have someone in your congregation/chaplaincy Team who would make a good Licensed Lay Minister (Reader)?  

Now is the time to suggest they start exploring a vocation to Lay Ministry with you, your Episcopal Area Warden of Readers and/or the diocesan Vocations Team. Expressions of interest are invited for LLM training with a start date of September 2025.

Eligibility criteria, discernment information and details of the application process together with an expression of interest form have been sent to all incumbents, chaplaincy team leaders, PCC Secretaries and Churchwardens in September 2024. A reminder will be sent in early January 2025. The deadline for an Expression of interest is Monday, March 3, 2025 (but sooner is better). 

Application/sponsor/referee forms are only sent out after an expression of interest has been received.

More details and the Application Timeline can be found here.

If you require any specific help or information, please contact the School of Ministry administrator at shuna.hartley@leeds.anglican.org.

Vocations Team events

Step Forward 2025 (Saturday, March 8, Bishopthorpe Palace, York)

A day for anyone aged 18 to 30 considering ministry in the Church of England. There will be:

• Time for worship, prayer and Bible study
• An opportunity to find out what being ordained is really like – its highs and lows
• Space to look at your own experience and what God might be calling you to in the future
• The chance to discover how the selection process and ordination training programmes work

Step Forward is for anyone aged 18 to 30 who is wondering whether God might be calling them to ministry in the Church of England. You may have already taken some steps down this route – or you may never have thought about it until now! Either way, the day will help you think, talk and pray through this question.

Spiritual Direction Formation Programme

The purpose of this two year programme is for each participant to deepen their own spiritual journey and to discern whether there is a gift for and a call to spiritual direction ministry. In the first year there will be a focus on Spiritual Growth and Transformation. In the second year the focus will be on Equipping for the Ministry of Spiritual Direction. As a group, we will meet approximately 12 times throughout the year (eight in-person across the diocese and four online). Click here to read more about the content of the programme. Please email charlie.scott@leeds.anglican.org to book a place on one of the information evenings being held on Thursday, March 27 or Wednesday, April 30.

People and Engagement Team updates

Clergy Guidance and Family Friendly Policy

The new Clergy Family Friendly policy is now available on the diocesan website and can be found here, if you have any questions relating to this please get in touch with the People Team

There is also an updated page Clergy Guidance containing an “Induction” and “Handbook” section– please do read to keep yourself informed and up to date.

HR Support for clergy and parishes

If you would like to receive our regular HR updates, which will include notifications of legislative changes and for parishes employing staff and updates to our resources, please complete the HR newsletter/updates sign up.

Final deadline for Give to Go Green

The next round of Give To Go Green has started and we are encouraging all churches, those already on their Net-Zero Carbon journey as well as those just starting out, to get involved.

Give To Go Green is a match-funding grant programme from the National Church, matching locally raised donations for carbon-reducing building projects. You can apply for up to £10,000 of matched funding, meaning you could have up to £20,000 to help fund your project.

Get in touch with Stewardship Officer, Beth, at resourcingparishes@leeds.anglican.org if you want to discuss this project further.

Applications are open now, and will close on the 16th March 2025. Further information, including the Application Pack, is available at the link here.

Giving during Lent - resources

Lent is a time where we live simply, study and explore more about who God is and focus on the ultimate gift of Jesus. This is a season to explore what generosity means to us and the church as a whole.

It could be a time to begin a new small group study, exploring examples of Biblical generosity. Take a look at the Living Generously films and study guides here, exploring how to live full generous lives.

The giving team at the Diocese of Liverpool have created a suite of resources to include themes of generosity in services during Lent, including sermon notes and liturgical resources. Take a look at these using the link here.

It's also a great opportunity to use digital giving mechanisms, and ensure that these are accessible and easy to use. Get in touch with the Stewardship team to book in a one to one session to help you set up an online giving page, or contactless giving machine. Book a one to one here.

Diocesan Synod

• Saturday, March 22
• Saturday, June 14
• Saturday, October 18

General Synod

• Saturday, July 5 to Wednesday, July 9
• Tuesday, November 18 to Thursday, November 20

Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent: Wednesday, March 5

Palm Sunday: Sunday, April 13

Good Friday: Friday, April 18

Easter Sunday: Sunday, April 20

Ordination of Priests: Saturday, June 21

Ordination of Deacons: Saturday, June 28

Great Yorkshire Show: Tuesday, July 8 to Friday, July 11

Season of Creation: Monday, September 1 to Saturday, October 4

First Sunday of Advent: Sunday, November 30

Christmas 2025: Thursday, December 25

Worship Pastor - St Catherine's Wakefield

Are you passionate about leading God’s people in worship? Do you desire to help a church grow in its openness to the Holy Spirit? Then this could be the job for you! The role of the Worship Pastor is to model and foster a culture of expectancy and Spirit filled worship that enables people to pursue the presence of God in a creative and contemporary style at St Catherine’s Church, Belle Vue. Find out more about this role here

The Revd Wendy Dalrymple, currently serving as Precentor, Residentiary Canon Designate and Head of Worship and Events at Canterbury Cathedral, has been appointed as Canon Pastor at Ripon Cathedral

The Bishop of Leeds is pleased to announce the appointment of the following as Assistant Area Deans in the Wakefield Episcopal Area with immediate effect:

• The Revd Phillip Maries - Barnsley Deanery
• The Revd Ian Bullock - Pontefract Deanery
• The Revd Hannah Hobday - Wakefield

The Revd Elizabeth Margery Toller has been granted PTO in the Diocese of Leeds

The Rt Revd Nick Baines, the Bishop of Leeds, is pleased to announce the appointment of the Venerable Jonathan Gough as Archdeacon Emeritus

The Revd Philip Harris, currently serving as Team Vicar in the Benefice of Morley is to be appointed as Team Rector of the Benefice of Morley (South Leeds Deanery) in the Leeds area

The Revd Caroline Joy Brown has been granted PTO in the Diocese of Leeds

The Revd Derek John Simpson has been granted PTO in the Diocese of Leeds

The Revd Carol Mansell has been granted PTO in the Diocese of Leeds

The Revd John Michael McHale has been granted PTO in the Diocese of Leeds

The Revd Anna Lumb has been appointed as Incumbent of the Benefice of Honley with Brockholes in the Huddersfield area