Start The Week

New Bishop of Sheffield

It's really marvellous news that Steven Croft, Archbishops' Missioner and Team Leader of Fresh Expressions, is to be the next Bishop of Sheffield. I'm sure the prayers of all of us will be with Steve and Ann as they prepare to move to Sheffield in 2009 and as Steve takes up this new responsibility.

Sheffield Diocese have this:

No.10 Downing Street announced this week the appointment of The Revd Dr Steven John Lindsey Croft, currently Archbishops' Missioner and Leader of the Fresh Expressions team, as the next Bishop of Sheffield.

Dr Croft, 51, succeeds Bishop Jack, who retired earlier this year.

Dr. Croft will be consecrated as bishop by the Archbishop of York in the New Year and is expected to be enthroned in the Cathedral in the spring.

Steven is married to Ann and they have four grown up children, Paul (24), Andrew (22), Amy (20) and Sarah (18).

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, said this morning: “I am delighted about this significant appointment, and I wish Steve every blessing for his ministry in Sheffield. 

The Archbishop of York, Dr. John Sentamu, in a joint statement with Dr Williams said: “The outstanding work he has done as Archbishops' Missioner over the last four years has put the Fresh Expressions initiative very firmly on the map”.

Bishop Cyril today welcomed the appointment on behalf of the Diocese of Sheffield: "The waiting is over. The prayerful process has produced a man of deep faith and commitment who I am sure will lead the Diocese through its next stage of outreach and mission with real vigour and enthusiasm".

Dr. Croft said today: “I am honoured to be invited to become Bishop of Sheffield and to follow in the footsteps of Bishop Jack Nicholls.  Ann and I are looking forward enormously to moving back to Yorkshire.  I will have a great deal to learn about South Yorkshire, about the life of the church here and about being a bishop. 

He added: “I intend to spend my first months in the diocese listening to what is happening in the many different communities of Rotherham, Sheffield, Doncaster, Goole and Barnsley and everything in between.  I’ll be spending time getting to know clergy and parishes but also, I hope, working alongside different people in the community to see South Yorkshire from different points of view."

Statistics show increased ordinations, vocations and giving

New Church of England statistics published this week show increases in the number of clergy being trained and ordained. They also show increases in the amount parishioners are donating towards the mission of the Church. The figures confirm the changing patterns of church attendance, published earlier this year.

For more details see the C of E press release at http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr8008.html

Better sex

This is just one of the many really good reasons to get married according to our new weddings website; see  http://www.yourchurchwedding.org/. 

On the website we commend "The Case for Marriage" by Linda Waite & Maggie Gallagher.

"Linda Waite and Maggie Gallagher have written a truly revolutionary book. Amassing powerful resources of data and theory, they attack the current anti-marriage conventional wisdom and devastate it. Married people are healthier, happier, more productive, and enjoy better sex. On reflection one wonders how anyone could have possibly thought otherwise. Future discussion of marriage and family will not be able to ignore this work..."
-Reverend Andrew M. Greeley, priest, sociologist, and bestselling author

A couple of newspapers have picked up this story, and over the last couple of days Paul has been earning his wages by exploring with journalists the theology around good sex.  If you must know more, see for example  http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/67770/Church-of-England-tells-couples-to-have-more-sex-

GfE Consultation 2009 - Proclamation in a post-modern context

A date for your diary from Jim Currin of GfE (Churches Together in England's Group for Evangelisation). Jim writes:

Thursday 7th May 2009 in London

Please make a note of this advance notice of date for our GfE Annual Consultation.

Aimed at national and regional network people, we shall look at ‘Proclamation in a Post Modern Context’.

Building on one of the current GfE key concerns, the day will explore new words, ways and language for sharing the good news of Jesus.

The day will aim to bring key people together: please make a note to join us. More details will follow in due course.

HOPE 08 update

From Fritha Wheeler at the HOPE office.

Hello there!

As you already know, Hope08 was set up to be a catalyst – to encourage and inspire churches to do mission in word and action. Not for one week, not even for just a year but for as long as there are people that need to be reached.

 

The stories from this year are stunning. Relationships between churches are being strengthened and… people are becoming Christians! But it’s not just about 2008. This is about what has changed and it’s about what’s next – it’s about being united and relevant church for longer than twelve months.

 

With this in mind, we’d love to know what you’re planning to do at the end of this year. Will you be stopping everything, or are you looking at repeating and developing some of the things you’ve tried out?

 

If you are then please let us know about it. And if you’re not still let us know about it! We want to provide you with the best possible resources and we can only do that with your feedback.

Contact details are at www.hope08.com

 

To help you know what other people are saying, here are some quotes:

 

Becky Coster, Bedford.

’It has been a good year and we're pleased with where we have got to.  From the outset, I had high expectations for the year and looking back, it's has been more about small steps than grand gestures but they are things that can be built on.  The churches in the Bedford area have worked together much more than ever before.  We've attempted things we haven't in the past.  So it has shown us that more is possible.

The biggest event of the year was a RE:ACT fun day which was hugely successful. Without Hope08 this would never have happened’

 

Jackie Follett, St. Albans

 

‘We deliberately didn’t call this year hope08 but "Hope For St.Albans" because we knew we wanted to do this long term.’

 

It's encouraging stuff and there's lots more - do get in touch!
 

Yours,

 

Fritha

Bishops' Mission Orders - who's first?

Several dioceses are now exploring Bishops' Mission Orders for their fresh expressions of church. We would very much like to know which diocese wins, or has won, the race to be the first in the Church of England with a BMO legally in place. As we understand it Exeter is a front runner - appropriately since their Bishop was closely involved in the legal drafting process. But your diocese may have pipped them to the post. If so, do let us know. There's no legal requirement to inform the national church of BMOs as they come on-stream, but it will help us enormously if we can have an up-to-date database.

Tailor made communications training: 2009 programme now online

Suzanne Gray is a valued colleague in Church House. working on the Weddings Project and also on delivering our communications training programmes. Please share news of these excellent courses as widely as you can where you are, and have a look at the programmes for yourself too.

Suzanne writes:

The 2009 "Tailor made communications" training programme has gone online at www.commstraining.cofe.anglican.org 

Our training is tailor made to help you make the most of modern media to get your message across. So whether it's getting to grips with the internet, radio or TV interviews, promoting the local church or giving your public speaking an audit, we have the insights and experience that will help.

More details are available at www.commstraining.cofe.anglican.org or by ringing me on 020 7898 1465.

Focus on Older People Information Bulletin

Exploring evangelism, spiritual needs and fresh expressions of church among older people.

Download the latest bulletin from Sheffield Centre's Michael Collyer.

Download IBULL25.pdf

Contemplative Fire

Here's the latest info from Philip Roderick and the Contemplative Fire team.

Philip writes:

1    I attach a copy of Burning Bush, our occasional newsletter for Contemplative Fire.  As we seek to share the story of our call and community, could I encourage you to read this and send it on to those in your own network, wherever they are in the world, who could be interested in this community of Christ at the edge as we take shape. Download burning_bush_no_8.pdf

 

2    Tessa Holland, priest in the diocese of Chichester and regional leader of Contemplative Fire there, is involved with me on two significant projects that emerge from our membership of Round Table 5, which deals with the contemplative and sacramental dimensions of the national Fresh Expressions Initiative.  The first of these is the National Pilgrimage to Coventry Cathedral on Monday 8 December with Archbishop Rowan Williams.  Registrations for this are now being received and details can be found on http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk//standard.asp?id=3790&cachefixer

 

Secondly, Tessa and I are co-writing an article outlining the vision and practice of Contemplative Fire in a forthcoming book on the emerging church from the contemplative and catholic traditions.  The book, to be published by SCM-Canterbury press this coming May, includes a chapter by Archbishop Rowan and is to be entitled 'Ancient Faith: Future Mission' with editors Steven Croft, Ian Mobsby and Aaron Kennedy. 

 

3     Toronto visit.  Should you have any connections in Canada, especially in Toronto, just to let you know that I am hoping to seed a Contemplative Fire presence there and, to that end, am leading an Advent retreat entitled 'Holy Waiting, Holy Longing - Advent with Contemplative Fire' on 4 and 5 December.  Earlier in that same week, I shall be working with potential Contemplative Fire small group catalysts/facilitators/leaders to equip them with the norms, values and processes involved in our work.  If you have someone in mind, please let me know and I will attach a leaflet outlining the workshop/retreat. 

 

May you be blessed in all your inward and outward journeys.

 

Philip

Mission Development Funding - report

The Church Commissioners have produced an excellent report on the use, and the principles behind the use, of Parish Mission Funding/Mission Development Funding since 2002. 

The introduction by Professor Peter Johnson is vital reading.

All diocesan mission staff will be receiving a copy in the post from the Commissioners' Policy Unit. Diocesan Secretaries will also have received copies for themselves, Bishops' Council members and others.

The report is also available for download here: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/churchcommissioners/missionandministry/mdfreport.pdf

Please read this one, and discuss how this funding is used, and what the priorities are and should be in your diocese, with your diocesan colleagues as and where appropriate.