Welcome to the Enews for July 30

The latest resources, news and more.

Click on headlines or pictures for more details.  

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

The church was truly on show at the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate with Christians across the diocese providing a special 'Churches on Show' tent, which was visited by the Archbishop of York during his day at the show. Read more here

Vicar of Mixenden and Illingworth Revd Robb Sutherland enjoyed a visit to Lambeth Palace last week for lunch with Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally.Robb was invited with the Working Class Strategy Formation Task Group, following a passionate speech he made to General Synod.  Read more here

Christians from across Skipton Deanery came together earlier this month to celebrate and share their 'Signs of Resurrection' - ways in which Christ is alive in our rural communities.

Around 50 people from across the deanery met on a Saturday morning to hear about the wide diversity of ways in which Christianity thrives in the area. Read more here

The Diocese of Leeds recently welcomed university students from across the country as part of a training project to help widen access to the study of church monument conservation.  Read more here

Churches in the Diocese of Leeds responded enthusiastically to the announcement of the Places of Worship Renewal Fund, with around 40 parishes across the diocese requesting letters of support and making expressions of interest in the first round in June 2026. Read more here

There’s still time to book for the second of this year’s TEND events, which aim to thank, equip and inspire all those involved in mission and ministry with children, young people and families, with opportunities for workshops, prayer and networking. The event takes place on Saturday 5th September at St Andrew's, Purlwell (Batley).

Full details, including the booking link, can be found 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.

Bubble Church are partnering with the Diocese of Leeds to run a training day in September, helping churches get involved in worship designed for young children and their families.

We are running a training day at Wakefield Cathedral on Thursday, September 24 to help churches learn about the service, how best to run it and the resources available to support its running.

To find out more and to book, please click here.

Our Vocations Team are running a series of events in 2026, on the theme of 'how do I make my faith count?' Please see the flyer for more details, and please click here to book.

This course follows Introduction to Theology. It introduces those involved in pastoral work to the key principles of delivering pastoral care under the supervision of their incumbent in their parish(es) in the Diocese of Leeds. Lay Pastoral Ministers are authorised at parish level. This means that applicants for the course must have the approval of their incumbent and PCC.

More details and booking information can be found here. 

For more information, please contact us on layministry@leeds.anglican.org.

This course follows Introduction to Theology. will develop skills and leadership ability in those wishing to be involved in leading worship in their parishes. The Lay Worship Leaders course enables those who have successfully completed it to lead worship in their parish under the supervision of their incumbent. Lay Pastoral Ministers are authorised at parish level. This means that applicants for the course must have the approval of their incumbent and PCC.

More details and booking information can be found here. 

For more information, please contact us on layministry@leeds.anglican.org.

This course follows Introduction to Theology. It is a course for lay people who are unable to commit to becoming Licensed Lay Ministers but still feel called to a preaching ministry on an occasional basis. Occasional Preachers are authorised at parish level. This means that applicants for the course must have the approval of their incumbent and PCC.

More details and booking information can be found here. 

For more information, please contact us on layministry@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.

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.

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.

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:

• Bible in Context - nine sessions in Sheffield at STC on Mondays, 9.30 am -12.30pm, starting in September.
• 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.

Fountains Church is seeking a highly organised, proactive, and detail‑driven Operations Manager to ensure our worship, ministry, and commercial activities run smoothly, safely, and effectively. This vital role supports the clergy, Business & Operations Director, staff, and volunteers by overseeing finance, HR, facilities, systems, compliance, and day‑to‑day organisational administration. Find out more about this role here

The Diocese of Leeds is seeking an Encouraging Parish Mission Lead to play a key role in the Barnabas Tranformation programme, supporting parishes, benefices and church teams as they discern pracitcal, sustainable next steps in mission.

The successful candidate will lead a stream of work focused on encouraging parish mission. They will support the development and use of Compass and mission action planning tools, co-ordinate mission accompaniment, help embed parish mission resources such as Personal Growth and Leadership and strengthen support for new congregations across the Diocese. 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 August 27. All news stories to communications@leeds.anglican.org. Many thanks!