Welcome to the Enews for September 28

The latest resources, news and more.

Click on headlines or pictures for more details.  

Contact [email protected] with your news. 

A splendid seven new Canons for Ripon Cathedral were installed at a special Evensong service which included a formal welcome for Bishop Anna Eltringham from local civic leaders. Bishop Anna and the Rt Revd Smitha Prasadam, Bishop of Huddersfield were made Honorary Canons, together with Revd David Gerrard, Revd Caroline Hewlett, Revd Cat Thatcher and Revd Jim Taylor. Julie Moody was made a Capitular Canon (a member of the Cathedral Chapter). Read more here

Wakefield Cathedral was packed for a farewell service to the Ven Peter Townley, Archdeacon of Pontefract who has now left to become an Assistant Minister in the Diocese of York. In his sermon, Peter descrinbed how he had wished to be a priest from the age of eight. “The great game changer for me was going to our local parish church when I was 7 and sat on the front pew, I was overwhelmed by the beauty and mystery. I was truly hooked and three weeks later, I was in the choir.” Read more here

The welcome given to arrivals from Hong Kong by one of our churches is profiled in a national magazine this week. Revd Dave Ho Young, vicar at St Barnabas, Alwoodley, Leeds spent a recent sabbatical researching migration from Hong Kong and met with Cindy Yu, assistant editor at the Spectator magazine and host of the ‘Chinese Whispers’ podcast. Read more here

The Rt Revd Arun Arora, Bishop of Kirkstall, has written the Archbishop of York’s Advent book for 2023. In ‘Stick With Love’, Bishop Arun guides people through the Advent season with daily readings, rich in reminders of the love of Christ that unites every tongue, tribe and nation in our diverse global church. Read more here

Black History Month this October will be marked in parishes across the Church of England as a way to recognise and celebrate the invaluable contributions of black people to British economy, culture, and history. The national church has created a range of resources to help people engage online and in person. Read more here

“Fireworks and Fanfares” is the theme of free lunchtime recitals at Bradford Cathedral to celebrate the return of its newly restored organ. The recitals called Wednesday@One take place every Wednesday at 1pm from October 4 to December 13 following several months of work on the organ. Read more here

The Anglican Minority Network (AMEN) and USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel), together with two of our Bishops are inviting clergy and lay leaders to “Living Well” – a national conference at the St George’s Centre, Leeds on Saturday, November 4. Bishop Smitha Prasadam and Bishop Arun Arora will be at the event whose central theme is what 'Living Well' looks like for Christians. Read more here

An exhibition around one of the most famous religious artefacts in history is coming to Halifax. Visitors to Halifax Minster will be able to see a full-sized replica of the world-famous Shroud of Turin as part of a fascinating exhibition which will be on display in the Minster from October 12 to November 9.  Read more here

Holy Trinity Boar Lane is a church with a midweek ministry to workers in the centre of Leeds. Starting on October 2nd we will be running the prayer course which is an eight week course designed to equip and enable followers of Jesus to go deeper in their prayer life. To find out more about the course click here and to sign up for the course click here.

Gifts in wills are a powerful way for our faith to live on and create lasting change in our communities, both locally and across the world. For the first time Christian Aid is working alongside the Church of England, the Church of Scotland, and the Quakers to launch "Faith Will" which aims to encourage people of faith to remember their own church, and Christian Aid, in their will. Join Kathy Childress, from Christian Aid, on this webinar to find out more regarding the Faith Will initiative and how to encourage legacy giving in your church. To register for this webinar click here.

You are invited to a time of reflection, prayer and christian meditation to enter into a deeper awareness of God during this autumn season. To receive the Zoom link, please email [email protected].

This day is aimed particularly at leaders and worshippers in smaller local churches (typically 15-55 worshipers on a regular Sunday). With talks led by Revd Jolyon Trickey from ReSource, we will encounter God afresh, renewing our confidence in the inextinguishable power of biblical hope. We will also have times to worship, to reflect, and to wrestle together with the practicalities of living hopefully in our wonderful little local and ‘ordinary’ churches. For further information and to book a ticket please click here. The flyer for this event can be downloaded here.

The conference jointly hosted by the Anglican Minority Ethnic Network (chair: the Rt Revd Smitha Prasadam, Bishop of Huddersfield) and USPG. We will be asking what 'living well' looks like for Christians. How to live well within oneself, the Church, and within our communities and wider society, drawing on Christ, our Living Well. Guest speakers will include the Rt Revd Arun Arora – Bishop of Kirkstall and co-chair of the Archbishops’ Anti-Racism Task Force, and Canon Sanjee Perera – Cognitive Psychologist and Ecclesiologist, Associate at Virginia Theological Seminary, and formerly Archbishops' Advisor on Minority Ethnic Affairs, Church of England. Find out more here.

Professor Chris Southgate, Exeter University, will be preaching on the topic of 'Sabbath, Psalms and Eucharist' at the 9.45am service of Holy Communion at Holy Trinity on Sunday 1st October. At 7pm, he will lead a poetry reading, 'Rain falling by the River, poems of faith, love and grief'. Chris Southgate is based on the edge of Dartmoor, Devon, England. He works at the University of Exeter as a Professor in Theology. His main fields of study are the science-religion debate, ecotheology and environmental ethics.

Robin Gamble, Bishop's Advisor in Church Growth, retires this autumn. All are invited to come and celebrate his dynamic and fruitful ministry as a parish priest and as an encourager of evangelism. The service will include sung worship, testimonies, presentations and prayer. Find out more here.

During the first and second centuries a group of miscellaneous Christian leaders wrote down their understanding of the meaning of Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection. These authors were considered by later Biblical scholars to be the next generation of Apostles and as a result were named The Apostolic Fathers, and their works are considered by many to be the most important collection of post-New Testament writings. Find out more about this lecture here.

The eighth series of evening teachings to explore faith and discipleship returns. The first session is with the Bishop of Kirkstall, the Rt Revd Arun Arora. For more information or to book a place, please email Caroline Asquith, PA to the Area Bishop of Wakefield at [email protected].

For the first time in the Ilkley Literature Festival's history, All Saints, Ilkley is sponsoring (as well as being the venue for) an event with a distinct Church focus. The Revd Fergus Butler Gallie will be talking about his book 'Touching Cloth - Confessions and Communions of a Young Priest'. Bishop Nick will be the host and interviewer at the event which is also being live-streamed. The ticket office is now open for in-person tickets or for live-stream tickets.

To mark 20 years of Wellspring therapy and training there is a Service of Celebration when our Diocesan Bishop and Patron, Rt Revd Nick Baines will preach at the service. Please do join us for the service, followed by refreshments in the Welcome Centre.

This original stage play is based on letters, diaries and historical writings, and encompasses both John Newton's dramatic transformation from slave trader to clergyman and eventual abolitionist as well as the passionate love story between Newton and his wife Mary. Find out more here.

WIth Elizabeth Charlesworth, soprano, and Jonathan Bickley on piano. Do you ever get homesick? Even when having the most wonderful holiday something can trigger a reminder of home and there you are singing ‘Show me the way to go Home’! In this concert hear a collection of songs by composers who felt just that.

A Shabbat service, led by Rabbi Charley Baginsky, followed by vegetarian lunch and networking and then an optional presentation and tour of Holocaust Centre North. Find out more here.

Folk Rock band with great music and craft beer. Tickets £5 on the door.

A service of remembrance for anyone affected by the loss of a baby at any stage of pregnancy, at birth or in infancy, whether recently or historically, and for those grieving never having had children. Organised in conjunction with the Mariposa Trust. Find out more here.

Generosity Week in the Diocese of Leeds runs from Sunday, September 24 until Sunday, October 1. Hear from the Rt Revd Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds, about the generosity of God and why we give, what's going on, and how churches can engage.

Watch Bishop Nick's message here.

We are looking for someone to join our Barnabas Team as Mission Accompaniment Enabler. The Mission Accompaniment Enabler will lead a team of volunteer mission accompaniers to support over 60 churches, and lead on a new pilot programme running from 2024. They must be a team player and be passionate about developing others and encouraging churches in their mission, and be a strong communicator with people at all levels. The Mission Accompaniment Enabler should also be able to work on their own initiative and be able to think strategically. This role is 3 years fixed term. Find out more about this role here

We are four urban parishes, with some of the highest levels of pensioner poverty in the country, working together in Bradford and Pudsey, and are looking to recruit an Older Persons Outreach Leader to further develop our existing work with older people in order to meet their spiritual needs. Find out more about this role here

Please contact the Communications Team with your news for future editions. The Enews is published twice a month. The next edition will be sent out on October 12. Area news stories to [email protected]