Welcome to the Enews for May 29

The latest resources, news and more.

Click on headlines or pictures for more details.  

Contact enews@leeds.anglican.org with your news. 

Love Your Burial Ground Week means hundreds of church communities across the country will take part in a week-long nature count to monitor and celebrate the biodiversity in churchyards. This annual project takes place from Saturday, June 6 to Sunday, June 15 and in 2024 there were 6,354 records of nature spotted that were submitted by nearly 6,000 participants, representing a fantastic contribution to the understanding of the ecological value of these special places. Read more here

The Church of England’s Energy Footprint Tool (EFT) is open until Monday, June 30 for churches to enter energy use from 2024. This annual exercise is a key part of the Church of England’s commitment to becoming net zero carbon by 2030. Read more here

Revd Phil Arnold, vicar of Christ Church Upper Armley, will swim the 21 miles of the English Channel, in his local pool in aid of vital church building improvements. He will swim 5 hours every day for five days consecutively and said: "I approached the Armey Leisure Centre manager, Dean McKenna nine months ago and he agreed to make it happen. Read more here

St Michael's Lodge in Hudswell, near Richmond is opening its doors as a new hostel for walkers and cyclists on Saturday. Over the last 18 months, villagers and local tradespeople have worked hard to restore and repurpose their former parish church as a hostel for walkers and cyclists and the Rt Revd Anna Eltringham, Bishop of Ripon stopped off on pilgrimage walk to see work in progress. Read more here

One of our Bradford primary schools in Bradford has been praised by Ofsted inspectors for being "at the very heart of its local community". St Paul's CE Primary School, Wibsey, was visited in March and a newly-released report said the school has "taken effective action to maintain the standards" which were identified during its last check, when it was rated 'good' overall. Read more here

Baptisms in the River Wharfe at Burnsall Park took place for 16 worshippers from St John’s, Bowling during the recent sunny weather. The riverbank was full of families from far and wide enjoying the sunshine, playing games and firing up barbecues with many watching as the baptisms took place. Read more here

Have you ever wished you could grow your skills in supporting someone who is struggling with their mental health? Would a deeper understanding of mental health issues help you to be more effective in your pastoral work? You might be interested in attending a Mental Health First Aid course.

This would be run by an external provider and facilitated by the Lay Training team. To cover the provider’s costs there would be a charge (to be confirmed, but it would be approximately £100) for each attendee. (If they wish, clergy and LLMs can use their CMD allowance towards the cost.) We are hoping to gauge how much interest there would be in this course, to see if it would be viable to run it. If you or someone from your church would be interested in attending, please let us know by emailing layministry@leeds.anglican.org.

These events are about: Thanking you for your ministry to children, young people and their families; Encouraging and equipping you and those you serve to grow in faith; Networking with others and sharing experiences; Doing – making time and space to set you up for what you will do next.

This year’s theme is “Sharing Stories” and the days will include workshops, speakers, worship, reflection and the opportunity to meet others involved in ministry with and to children, young people and families. Keynote speaker: Huw Thomas, Director of Education (Diocese of Sheffield) and author of In the Way of our Story.

Full details, including booking can be found here.

A collaboration between Wellsprings Together and the Barnabas Team of the Diocese of Leeds.

Join us for a relaxed and inspiring free Learning Breakfast designed for church leaders, current volunteers and those thinking about getting involved, across the Diocese of Leeds.

Whether you’re from a large urban parish or a small rural congregation, Growing Better Together is a chance to pause, reflect and grow in how your church connects faith, social action and discipleship.

Come enjoy good food, rich conversation, and shared learning in the company of others who care about what it means to be the church in today’s world.

Find out more and book here.

Led by Revd Henriette Howarth and Revd Paul Wheelhouse. If you long to pray more and experience the divine Love more deeply, this retreat is for you. We will find inspiration in the scriptures and Christian tradition to deepen our awareness of God who is not far away. We will practice different ways of prayer including silence, contemplation and the Ignatian way, and seek nurture and inspiration with assistance of music, nature and a variety of texts. Cost: £195.

More information and booking details here.

Did you know that you can be ordained at age 23? Before that comes training and discernment, so you are never too young to explore that sense of calling you might have. The future of the Church depends on the next generation responding in faith to Jesus and, from them, would be leaders responding to their call. Could that be you, or someone you know?

This next EVT event will provide an opportunity for you to hear from some younger clergy and what it might be like to be under 30 and called to ministry. Whatever your age it is sure to be a formative evening as we Explore Vocations Together.

The evening will be led by Revd Simon Walters, Diocesan Intern Leader and the Rt Revd Anna Eltringham, Bishop of Ripon.

We gather at 7pm and we will finish no later than 9pm. Tea and coffee will be provided.

Click here to find out more and to book your place.

The purpose of this 2-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 (8 in-person across the diocese and 4 online). Click here to read more about the content of the programme. Please email henriette.howarth@leeds.anglican.org to arrange an informal conversation before you apply, to clarify expectations.

Find out more here.

There are still places available at the Messy Church Conference 2025. ‘All together’ is a conference like no other! Join us for a weekend of inspiring keynote speakers, informative workshops, Messy Church sessions and fun together with the global Messy Church family. We will be exploring how we welcome people of all ages, abilities and from all backgrounds to Messy Church. We appreciate that money can be tight in the new year so to ensure you don’t miss out on a place at the Messy Church Conference in June you can pay a deposit now and pay the rest by Wednesday, March 19.

Find out more here.

Denholme Shared Church, together with community groups and local churches, has created an exhibition of Doves for Peace as part of Bradford 2025 City of Culture. The building will be open for viewing from Saturday, May 31 until Sunday, June 29. Refreshments will be available.

We invite everyone near or far to join us on Saturday, June 7 to discover how six artists creatively captured Jesus's story. 

We are holding two sessions at 10am and 12 noon, both sessions are on a first come first served basis. Should you want or need to reserve a seat, please contact Sam on 07504 304336 or skrushworth@btinternet.com.

The event is suitable for anyone, we will commence both sessions with a short guided introduction to each painting. There will be printed guides to remind people of some of the key points made during the talk.

Following both talks people are invited to access six reflective art stations where you can sit and study the paintings at your own pace, following some optional guided reflections.

Refreshments will be available between the sessions from 12 noon to 1.45pm.

Friendship, football and faith. Licensed bar. Donations on the evening welcome for Headsafe Football and St James'.

St Peter's Birstall is very excited to be hosting the first of a series of contemporary worship evenings on Sunday, June 8 (Pentecost Sunday) starting at 6pm. This is an initiative organised by several local Anglican churches, future events will be held at different churches in the local area.

With music led by our live band you can expect joyous upbeat praise, songs of deep worship, and the opportunity to receive prayer. We'll also be welcoming Beth Burbidge, associate leader at St Peter's Morley, who will be giving a talk.

Refreshments will be served, and all are welcome! We would love you to join us as we seek the presence of God together.

Leeds Third Order Franciscans are meeting occasionally for a eucharist and discussion at Leeds Minster. We are welcoming anyone interested in coming along to worship with us and perhaps find out a bit more about TSSF and all it offers in the way of following Francis in love, joy, simplicity, and the honouring of God through creation.

Summer has well and truly arrived at Halifax Minster as it prepares for a festival of music, art, poetry and tours set to bring sunshine to the town. The popular Minster Summer Festival will get underway again this year from Thursday, June 26, running until Sunday, July 6 with something for everyone – including many free events.

Click here to find out more.

The pilgrimage around the Cathedral is called “Treasures Untold.” It is ideal for groups of up to 20 or so people. Teas and coffees will be served on arrival at 9.30am. Then the group will be led around the Cathedral to explore significant dimensions of its fabric and through them contemplate the activity of God in the world and in our lives. It is a prayerful progression around the building, seeking a real sense of God’s presence with us and his love for us. The pilgrimage will conclude in time for people to participate in the service of Holy Communion if they wish.

If anyone wishes to discuss the pilgrimage further before booking, please contact Canon Matthew Pollard on canonmatthew@riponcathedral.org.uk. Parishes are invited to book by contacting the Cathedral Administrator on cathedraladmin@riponcathedral.org.uk.

Hear from the Rt Revd Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds, about parish share and how we are supporting parishes across the diocese.

Watch the video here

The Leeds Diocesan Internship scheme is an amazing opportunity to explore more of what it means to be a lifelong disciple of Christ and to serve his church. It is a year where you will be equipped for the kingdom of God in life, work, and leadership. Hear from the Revd Simon Walters, our Intern Lead, about what it's all about!

Watch the video here

Hear from some of our 2024/2025 class of new curates about their experiences over the last year, and what they think of their vocation.

Watch the video here

Personal Growth and Leadership development are very much linked. Over the years our training team in Bradford have created a space for clergy and lay church teams to explore these areas together, out of the rush of parish ministry, to learn, share, and put into practice some key principles around growth and leadership, encouraging confidence among lay and clergy teams.

People from across the diocese are now taking part! In this video hear from some of the course participants about what it's all about and what you can expect.

Watch the video here

An exciting opportunity to develop and support Cantonese Ministry at St Barnabas’ Alwoodley and across the Diocese of Leeds. Work with us over two years to develop our Cantonese ministry at St Barnabas’ Alwoodley and to support work with Hong Kongers across the diocese. Find out more about this role here

We are seeking a gifted Youth Minister (part-time) who will lead, energise, and develop our Youth Ministry at Holy Trinity. We remain convinced that God is calling us to make ministry and evangelism amongst teenagers a central priority in our church life, and we are determined to support and release our next Youth Minister to enable growth and transformation amongst this part of our church family. Find out more about this role here

The Communications and Events Co-ordinator is a new job at Bolton Priory with the main focus being on establishing effective communications across the parish and beyond. The overall duty is to ensure the promotion and communication of the Priory’s Worship and Mission, particularly through the website and social media, and to assist in administering key events in the life of the parish, including weddings, concerts and other bespoke events. Find out more about this role here

This role will give you the amazing opportunity to explore more of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and grow as a leader of mission in a local church. For two years we will give you skills that will equip you for life, work, mission and leadership, and the opportunity to use and develop them in a local church setting. It's a two-year long adventure giving you the experience of leadership and service, learning alongside a community of other Mission Apprentices. 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 June 12. All news stories to communications@leeds.anglican.org. Many thanks!