Welcome to the Enews for September 24

The latest resources, news and more.

Click on headlines or pictures for more details.  

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

The Rt Revd Toby Howarth, the next Bishop of Leeds, recently spent a day meeting people and visiting places across the diocese as he prepares to take up his new role. The day began at Centenary Square in Bradford, where Bishop Toby met leaders from different faiths to say farewell as he moves roles. Read more here

September brings the start of school and university, and, for the Intern Team at the Diocese of Leeds, the start of a new year for our interns and Mission Apprentices. Last week, churches across the diocese welcomed new 2026-27 volunteer interns and prayed for them as they begin a year of serving God. Read more here

New clergy and lay members are being elected to General Synod this year, and the voting period is now open. The voting period is open between Monday, September 21 and Tuesday, October 13. Read more here

Volunteers and Children, Families and Youth workers gathered at St Andrew’s Purlwell in the Huddersfield area for one of our TEND events on Saturday, September 5, to be thanked for and equipped in their vital ministry. TEND events are run by our Children, Young People and Families Team, and are about: thanking people for their ministry to children, young people and their families; encouraging and equipping them and those they serve to grow in faith; networking with others and sharing experiences; and doing, making time and space to set people up for what they will do next. Read more here

Licensed Lay Ministers from across the diocese were recently celebrated at a service at Wakefield Cathedral. A special Service of Admission and Licensing of Licensed Lay Ministers and Celebration of Licensed Lay Ministry was held at the cathedral on Sunday, September 20. Read more here

Thanks to the launch of a new parish in East Leeds, thousands of people will be able to engage with the Church of England in their area. The Parish of Swarcliffe and Whinmoor held their first service on Sunday, September 6 led by the Revd Hannah Jones, vicar in the parish. Read more here

The Diocese of Leeds will be marking Black History Month this year with a service at Wakefield Cathedral. Every October since 1987, the U.K. has celebrated the contribution of Africa and African descended people to the whole world and to the UK in particular. Read more here

The bishops of the Diocese of Leeds have sent warm greetings to Jewish friends and colleagues as they celebrate Rosh Hashanah. The greeting can be read on our website. Read more here

Many of us have special 'Pilgrim Places' - sites that are often beautiful, maybe historic, but which all give us a sense of belonging and perspective and of being closer to God. We have been spotlighting some of the places in our diocese that are very special for many, and today are looking at a new five-mile pilgrimage launching this autumn that connects two Pilgrim Places and two episcopal areas of the diocese, along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Read more here

Summer is cricket season, and Bishop Chris Edmondson, Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s chaplain, is a firm believer in bringing sports and Christianity together. Bishop Chris is the club’s second chaplain, having started in 2019. Read more here

Theology is a word that comes from Ancient Greek. It means talking about God. It’s as simple as that. You already do theology, even if you don’t call it that. For example, when you say, ‘God loves you’ to someone, you are making a statement about God. You are ‘doing theology’.

This course is for anyone who wants to do theology - to talk and think about God - and to deepen their discipleship. It’s also an opportunity to think about how God is forming us right now. All of us are on a journey with God. We are letting God mould us into the person God always meant us to be. We may feel called to a particular ministry. We may just want to know more. Either way, this course is for you!

More details and booking information can be found here. 

For more information or to book a place on one of the upcoming iterations, please contact Anne Payne on anne.payne@leeds.anglican.org.

Parcevall Hall are running a variety of retreats.

To find out more about them and to book please click here.

The Angel’s Question (Monday, September 28 to Wednesday, September 30) led by Revd Dilly Baker 

‘Where have you come from and where are you going?’ This timeless question posed by the angel to Hagar in the desert forms the backdrop for our retreat. We will reflect on our life journeys to date and consider who we are becoming. We will discover some practical tools to help us move forward. 

Cost: £235 

Deep and Diverse Prayer Retreat (Friday, October 23 to Sunday, October 25) led by Revd Henriette Howarth, and Revd Paul and Karen Wheelhouse 

If you long to pray more and experience the divine Love more deeply, this retreat is for you. Finding our inspiration in the scriptures and Christian tradition, we will practice different ways of prayer including silence, contemplation and the Ignatian way, with the assistance of music, nature and images. Henriette, Paul and Karen together bring experience from ordained and lay ministry. 

Cost: £198 

Inwardly Digest - Reading Retreat (Friday, November 20 to Sunday, November 22) led by Dr Helen Reid, Director of Parcevall Hall 

This retreat is for people who love reading and talking about books. There will be time to read in quiet and conducive surroundings, as well as to share your thoughts and theological reflections on your reading with others. This is a retreat to experience grace through words at a perfect time of year for staying indoors and reading. 

Cost: £198 

Singing Through Advent Retreat (Monday, November 30 to Thursday, December 3) led by Revd Mike Leigh 

Come for a relaxing time at the beginning of Advent when Mike will lead an exploration of the themes of Advent through music and reflections. During the retreat, there will be teaching, rest, and a chance to sing Advent songs old and new. There will be worship services each day as we prepare for the great festival of Christmas. 

Cost: £315 

Christmas Houseparty and Retreat (Wednesday, December 23 to Sunday, December 27) 

Spend a traditional Christmas in the warm and welcoming surroundings of Parcevall Hall. There will be home-cooked food, traditional games, times for reflection and services in the chapel, all shared in good company to help us truly celebrate Christmas. 

Cost: £460 

Parishes from across the diocese are invited to book a visit to Ripon Cathedral for a Treasures Untold Pilgrimage within the cathedral building for up to 20 people. The pilgrimages will begin with refreshments at 9.30am. There will then be a reflective and prayerful tour around the Cathedral exploring how the historical features of the fabric of the building hep us to express our faith. The pilgrimage will conclude with a Celebration of Holy Communion which will begin at 12pm. The cost of the pilgrimage is £10 per head. All participants will receive a colour brochure of Treasures Untold.

To book please contact governanceofficer@riponcathedral.org.uk.

It may be possible to arrange the Treasures Untold Pilgrimage on other dates to suit. To explore the possibilities please contact Canon Matthew on canonmatthew@riponcathedral.org.uk.

388 million Christians worldwide live in contexts where they face extreme discrimination of persecution for following Christ. That's one in seven of our brothers and sisters. This evening will give us the opportunity to hear some of their stories, pray with them, and be encouraged and challenged in our own walk of faith and witness.

To book please email lyndsay.horsman@leeds.

anglican.org.

Join us for a service recognising the individuals who shape and sustain our communities. With preacher the Revd Dr Garfield Campbell.

Find out more here.

All are welcome at a service of celebration for the LGBTQIA+ chaplaincy in the diocese. Leeds Diocese LGBTQIA+ Chaplaincy service is a developing chaplaincy, offering support to the ministry of lay and ordained people who identify within the LBGTQIA+ community and those who would identify as same sex attracted. The preacher will be the Revd Canon Jonathan Triffitt, Interim Dean of Bradford.

The Revd Sarah Hobbs (ordained Deacon in June 2026) will be asking the Revd Andrew Howorth (nearing retirement) what wisdom he can give her as she picks up the baton of parish ministry. Come and join the conversation.

Tea and coffee will be provided.

Find out more here.

Hear from the Rt Revd Philip North, Bishop of Blackburn, about how we can support others to share the Good News of Jesus.

To find out more and to book please click here.

An event for church flower & eco teams, SCF supporters, clergy & all interested to learn & share experiences of using flowers sustainably.

The Sustainable Church Flowers (SCF) Committee are thrilled to invite you to the first SCF Northern Conference at Bolton Abbey Priory.

Find out more and sign up here.

National Estate Churches Network (NECN) supports people active in Christian ministry on social housing estates in England and Wales. We do this via a network of local groups plus conferences, estate-specific resources, helpful e-mails and social media, strategic representation and much more.

NECN is an ecumenical network, our membership includes church and community leaders and workers, clergy, residents and others who live, work and serve God on housing estates across England and Wales.

Find out more and sign up here.

We'd love for you to join us at the Good News People Conference! We are sensing a fresh openness to Jesus in this season, and our heart is to see every Christian equipped and inspired to share their faith naturally with the people in their everyday lives.

We are thrilled to welcome Gavin Calver, CEO of the Evangelical Alliance and Natalie Williams, CEO of Jubilee+.

Gavin is co-author of the book Good News People and is a powerful storyteller. Natalie is the author of several books, including Invisible Divides and 'Tis Mercy All.

Our prayer is for a day of encounter, encouragement, and equipping-three things we all need right now.

We hope to see you there!

Find out more and sign up here.

Discover the rich, uplifting power of live choral music with in a varied concert of a cappella masterpieces from the St Peter's Singers in the historic setting of St Mary's Church, Whitkirk.

Perfect for both long-time classical enthusiasts and anyone curious to experience choral music for the first time, this performance brings together a beautiful mix of secular and sacred pieces. The evening highlights the soaring melodies and poignant harmonies of English and German Romantic traditions, featuring the accessible warmth of Vaughan Williams’ Linden Lea and Stanford’s The Blue Bird, alongside the stirring passion of Brahms and Hubert Parry’s deeply moving Songs of Farewell. Completed by the serene devotions of Bruckner and Déodat de Séverac, this concert offers an inviting and deeply rewarding musical experience for every listener.

Find out more and book here.

This year's Church Action on Poverty Sunday will take place on Sunday 18th October, with a theme of "Food, faith and fellowship".

A record number of churches took part last year, and interested churches are encouraged to register now.

Resource packs will be sent out over the summer, containing bring & share lunch ideas, worship materials, prayer cards, Scriptural reflections, activity sheets, and inspirational stories of churches already doing great work through food. 

To sign up, visit here.

LoveRural is a national gathering for anyone passionate about seeing rural churches and communities flourish.

Hosted by a partnership of denominations and mission agencies, the conference brings together clergy, lay leaders, pioneers, chaplains, church members and rural mission practitioners from across the UK to learn, pray, encourage one another and share practical ideas for mission in the countryside.

Over two inspiring days, delegates will:

• Hear stories and insights from those serving in rural ministry.
• Explore fresh approaches to disciple-making and church planting.
• Connect with others engaged in rural mission across different denominations.
• Be encouraged through worship, prayer and shared learning.

Find out more and sign up here.

A one day guided retreat exploring a familiar bible story from unfamiliar angles. There will be time together, followed by a choice of time to reflect on your own or with others, both inside and around the grounds.

Message Chris at copsterbarn@gmail.com to enquire about booking.

Difference and diversity abound, and yet we all experience pressure to conform to a non-existent ‘normal’. Having spent many years hiding from his own physical and neurological differences Craig has come to see difference as something to be celebrated and affirmed. Craig will be sharing something of his own journey, alongside insights from the life of Jesus and reflections on the writings of Paul. There will also be plenty of opportunity to reflect and bring your questions to the whole group. Craig Millward is an ordained Baptist minister, a practical theologian and an associate of the Northumbrian Collective.

Find out more and sign up here.

Following a fabulous weekend back in July, another opportunity to join together with other women in meeting with God in the riotous beauty of his creation, through activities such as archery, star gazing, pyrography, sun printing, walking, landscape art.

We hope to be outside as much as possible, sharing stories, talking of faith, reflecting on Scripture, singing, laughing, eating and drinking around a woodland fire.

Take some time for yourself, find space to breathe.

Some activities will require a reasonable level of fitness, but all will be optional.

Led by Annie Naish, Ruth Meyer & the Scargill Community.

Find out more and sign up here.

We are delighted to invite the Revd Emma Walters to deliver October’s Seminar on forgiveness.

Emma is a local member of clergy, based at St Mark’s, who is studying forgiveness as a part of her MA in Theology.

Find out more and sign up here.

Spend a day exploring the Enneagram - a transformational personality tool that helps you identify and observe your instinctive and unconscious patterns of behaviour and offers a compassionate path towards personal growth.

Message Chris at copsterbarn@gmail.com to enquire about booking.

Techno Mass, is a Eucharistic Service, but instead of traditional hymns, there will be Christian Techno Music, predominantly from Padre Guilherme, the Pope's official DJ.

It will be a celebration of music, dance and the Eucharist.

The challenge of the Great Commission is that we are supposed to "Make Disciples" but that is so much easier said than done. So why not come with your staff / key volunteers or others invested in deepending the life of faith in your church to a day of input where we will be exploring what it means to make disciples? With inspiring teaching from practitioners, we'll explore what it means to be a leader who leads in such a way that discipleship happens. 

• What does discipleship really mean?
• How can we make disciples that make disciples?
• How can we lead churches that go deeper to go wider? 

Expect kingdom-centred teaching, honest stories from the frontlines of leadership, and fresh perspective for the road ahead. You'll walk away encouraged in your faith, with some practical tools to apply, and fuel in the tank — ready to lead your church family into all God is calling them to.

Find out more and book here.

A retreat for people aged 18 -35 at Scargill House.

Relaxed worship, great food, space to be still, honest conversation board games and log fires.

Come expectant, leave strengthened in what it means to be a follower of Jesus in our complex world.

Find out more and sign up here.

The Oasis of Silence programme at St Hilda´s Priory offers space and stillness to seek God with loving awareness in the present moment. It offers a variety of opportunities to make retreats of different lengths in a peaceful and welcoming environment, away from our busy everyday lives.

It is for everyone seeking stillness and silence and who is interested in getting to know or to deepening the practice of contemplative prayer.

Find out more here.

St Hild is offering three short courses, in person or online, starting in September 2026 or January 2027. Click the links in the course title for more information and/or to register:

• Mission & Ministry in an Urban Context - six sessions in Sheffield at STC on Mondays, 1.45pm - 4.30pm, starting in October.
• Rural Mission and Ministry - 10 sessions online or a hybrid option in Lincoln, 6.30pm - 9 pm on Thursdays starting January 2027.  

For more information, please click here.

An exciting opportunity has arisen as we are looking to recruit someone to the post of Children’s and Youth Ministry Leader who will both oversee our current ministries to the next generation and their families, and provide strategic vision for future opportunities. The person appointed will be a key member of our Church Leadership Team – a committed team seeking to love and serve the church and community. You will be an inspirational and passionate leader who will be committed to growing other leaders and enabling our young people to become disciple-making disciples who are equipped to live for Jesus and share Him with others. Find out more about this role here

Please contact the Communications Team with your news for future editions. The next edition will be sent out on October 29. All news stories to communications@leeds.anglican.org. Many thanks!