Diocese of Coventry eBulletin

Bishop John to retire as Bishop of Warwick We can officially announce that The Bishop of Warwick, the Rt Revd John Stroyan, will be retiring. Notice of his intention to retire has now been accepted by the Archbishop of Canterbury and His Majesty King Charles III. Bishop John will be stepping down on 7 August 2023 after more than 18 years in the role. Read more

Acting Archdeacon Pastor and Associate Archdeacon appointment The Bishop of Coventry announces that the Reverend Tim Cockell has been appointed as Associate Archdeacon. Read more

Get involved with Alive 23 Alive 23 is a free massive praise party for 12,000 children from our diocesan schools. The party will take place at the NAEC Stoneleigh on 15th and 16th June 2023 and the team are looking for volunteers to help ensure the event is a success. Read more

St Martin's Finham installs new solar panels St Martin’s Finham have installed solar panels outside their church hall that are adjustable according to the season to maximise the amount of solar energy captured. Read more

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The Letter to the Romans Explore this powerful letter, examining the context into which it was written, some of its major themes, and applying its teaching to our lives today. When: 7th June – 5th July at 7pm Venue: St Mark’s Church, Bilton Read more

News Pentecost Confirmation Service Bishop Christopher will be confirming during the Pentecost service at Coventry Cathedral. The service will start at 4pm and Bishop Christopher would be especially pleased to conduct baptisms as part of the service. If you intend to present candidates, please let Helen know at helen.walker@bishop-coventry.org The relevant forms for completion may be found by clicking here. Please submit completed forms to Helen by 19th May Church Building Team newsletter Issue 2 of InSpires, the Church Building Teams’ newsletter, is out now. This issue focuses on meeting the Net Zero 2030 challenge, and includes articles on churchyard conservation, funding for carbon reducing projects, advice on how to start your Net Zero journey, and a review of the solar panels installed at St George’s Church, Rugby, 12 months ago, as well as much more! You can view issue 2 by clicking here. City Praise & Prayer 2023 We are excited to confirm that plans are shaping up for the next City Praise & Prayer gathering, which is due to take place on Sunday 4 June. The service will take place from 6:30-8:30pm, outdoors on Greyfriars Green, near the train station. It will be a wonderful opportunity to gather from across our different churches and to lift up Jesus in worship together and to pray in unity for our city and nation. There is no charge, or tickets. Just turn up. Tracks of Trustworthiness ‘Tracks of Trustworthiness’ provides biblical and contemporary insights into the role and responsibilities of being a trustee. The author, Heather Wraight, has wide experience as a PCC Secretary in her own Diocese of York and as a charity trustee locally and nationally. She sets out clearly what is expected of trustees and shares carefully researched stories from a wide variety of organisations and churches. While there are other sources of help about what trustees, including PCCs, should do, this book uniquely includes a biblical and theological perspective based on the books of Nehemiah and Daniel. You can find out more and order a copy by clicking here. Church Army Discovery Evening If you have a heart to see people reached with the Good News of Jesus Christ, then you’re invited to attend this online event and discover how you can train as a Church Army Evangelist on Wednesday 28th June 2023. For more information or to book your place, click here. Online Parenting Course St Marks are running an online parenting course starting on Monday 15th May at 8pm. The course runs for 6 weeks and we will have in-person socials as we journey together through the course. The course is for any parent of any age child! For more information and to sign up click here or if you have any questions please email Rachel at rachel.king@stmarkscoventry.org RSCM Festal Evensong Celebrating the Coronation of King Charles III If you enjoy singing, alone or in a choir, you are warmly invited to a Festal Evensong to Celebrate the Coronation, on Sunday, June 4th at St Mark’s Church, Bilton, Rugby, CV22 7LX. Among other things, we shall be singing Psalm 150 (Stamford), Old Hundreth (with trumpets), How shall I sing thy majesty, Now thank we all our God, and Christ Triumphant. It begins with a rehearsal at3.30 pm: the service, to which all are invited, will be at 6.00 pm. There is a suggested donation of £5 to cover costs, and refreshments are provided. If you are coming, please contact Patsy Howes: p.howes41@btinternet.com Coffee Tots Thrives at New Location Since moving to The Wave, Coffee Tots has seen a huge increase in families accessing the café, who appreciate the support we can offer them and many of whom are looking for a community to belong to. “We are overwhelmed by the positive response we have received since moving to The Wave,” said Catherine (co-founder Coffee Tots). “Now we look forward to continuing to demonstrate God’s love through serving the community and providing a safe space for families.” We would like to say a big thank you to all those who have prayed and supported us through this period. For more information about the support we offer and the various ways you can get involved, please visit www.coffeetots.co.uk St Edith's Church heritage open afternoon On Sunday 4th June between 2.00-4.00pm, St Edith’s Church in Monks Kirby is welcoming visitors to enjoy its rich heritage. This is special occasion, celebrating the completion of the repaired pinnacles and weathervanes (in part funded by Coventry Diocese) and the unveiling of the finished LEGO®model of St Edith’s Church, comprising 15,000 bricks. This is a free events with a number of heritage activities including Tower tours – to see the restored pinnacles, Have a go at bell-ringing, Children’s heritage trail, Guided tours and more.

Diocesan Vacancies St Mark's Academy Leader 35 hours per week (this role will require evening and weekend working). Salary £34,608 per annum We are looking for an Academy Leader to join the staff team at St Marks, with the vision and skills to train and release Mission Apprentices for leadership and church planting. Coventry Diocese is committed to a bold and imaginative mission and growth strategy and we see an effective lay leadership pipeline as essential to identifying, training and releasing people into church leadership. We are looking for someone with experience of mentoring young adults and with the skills to collaborate across a network of church leaders. This post is a leadership role at St Marks Academy, a partnership between Coventry Diocese and St Marks Church to train Mission Apprentices. Apprentices come from both within St Marks and from partner churches including four urban Church plants. Closing date for applications: 15th June 2023 at 12 noon. For more information, click here. Associate Minister, St Laurence, Foleshill, Coventry The Diocese of Coventry is recruiting an Associate Minister, fully funded at incumbent level with housing, for an initial period of four years. This is part of an exciting and adventurous mission strategy to see healthy churches propagate, plant, or graft 150 new worshipping communities over the next ten years. St Laurence are a community called to worship God, grow as disciples of Jesus and transform the communities of North Coventry in love. The new Associate Minister at St Laurence’s would join a vibrant and committed team who serve the life of the church, to help strengthen our capacity to resource other churches (local & networked). We are seeking someone from a breadth of traditions who fits the following person specification: – Self-starter who is good team player, but also has the skills and an ability to take on individual responsibility for key church growth projects. – Has experience in leadership in a missional church. – Teaching, enabling and facilitating in evangelism, everyday faith. – Experience of leading or responsibility in a church plant, fresh expression or re-imagining the mission of the local church. – Comfortable to work in a breadth of tradition to resource contextual mission. – Engaging preaching and communication. – Experience of developing and leading digital church services. Closing Date for Applications: Noon Friday 7 July. For more information, click here. Associate Minister, Holy Trinity Coventry Holy Trinity is set in the heart of this city, a key landmark attraction and civic church. We are surrounded by shops, businesses, restaurants, locals, tourists, students and passers-by. Are you excited by the advantages of our location, eager to reach out to the next generation of young adults and students, and longing to develop sustainable new worshipping communities? We are looking for a priest who: – Is mission-minded, people centred, Spirit-filled and Spirit-led team player. – Has a heart for city centre community, mission and outreach. – Has experience, and/or keen with relating, with students, young adults and city centre professionals and can oversee and develop further our ministry with them. – Has experience of, and/or capable of developing, new worshipping communities and ministry among a city centre population of workers, shoppers, students and the lost and lonely. – Offers oversight and resourcing for new worshipping communities midweek and Sunday evening, focussing on UK and overseas students and young adults. – Can identify, inspire, empower and equip others to develop their calling in the church and in their life with Christ. – Seeks to grow and enable others in knowing, loving and living for Jesus Christ through a regular pattern of prayer and bible study. – Will be a trusted colleague and part of a committed ministry team. The post will be fully funded at incumbency stipend level and comes with a house in the benefice. Closing Date for Applications: Noon Friday 19 May. For more information, click here. Rector, Beaudesert, Henley-in-Arden and Ullenhall We look to bring Jesus Christ into the hearts and minds of each and every household and organisation in our Parish through our way of life, our worship of God, our love for the community and by the grace and fellowship of the Holy Spirit. We are looking for someone who: – will encourage and inspire all church members in the life of the church and in their personal spiritual journey. – is able to identify, train, encourage and empower church leaders including our lay readers. – is approachable, welcoming and inclusive, able to communicate the Christian faith in a way that is contemporary, appealing and inspirational. – is eager for growth, bringing innovation and ideas for mission and ministry. – is open to leading a variety of styles of worship, whilst respecting the tradition, identity and existing worship in each church. – is a good listener, with a keen pastoral care focus and a deep desire to serve. Closing Date for Applications: Noon Friday 23 June. For more information, click here. Vicar, St Nicholas with St Barnabas, Kenilworth St Nicholas with St Barnabas are looking for a priest rooted in prayer with the pastoral and leadership gifts that will continue to build the confidence of this church community to grow its missional capacity. We are looking for: – A pastor – with a caring personality who welcomes and includes everyone. – A leader with a vision – with leadership qualities who can lead a multi generational, multi style church, who can help us be more outward focused. – An inspiring worship leader – to inspire with different ways to worship. Who understands the needs of older and younger generations. – Someone to develop our gifts – inspire more people to offer their gifts and skills to God. To encourage new people into leadership. – Strategic – someone who can join the dots. Who can see the bigger picture and help us focus on being missional. Someone who can put a strategy in place and keep us informed. This is a Lord Chancellor appointment. For more information click here. Vicar, St Mary's Warwick (Team Rector designate Warwick Team) Our hope is for our new Vicar to embolden us to sing a new song to the Lord and spread the good news of God’s love to the world. We’re praying for someone: – Caring, visibly welcoming and inclusive and with a good sense of humour. – Encouraging and nurturing to the congregation enabling them to develop their gifts in all aspects of church life. – With the ability to make strong relationships with young and old, through a willingness to listen and communicate. – Imaginative and forward thinking who is prepared to try new ways for the future. – With skills and determination to develop links to the town of Warwick and The Warwick team. – Who will show strong spiritual leadership. – With skills which are needed to oversee the day to day running of the church, its finances and legal obligation through support of the employed staff. – To develop the worship and liturgy so that there are a variety of opportunities to reach out to all generations, especially to young families. Closing Date for Applications: Noon Friday 19th May. For more information, click here.

External Vacancies Executive Assistant to the Patronage Team - CPAS Our patronage team is looking for an executive assistant who will relish working across the whole breadth of the Church of England to help appoint clergy to every kind of parish. This exciting and rewarding role would allow you to make a significant impact at a national level to the health and growth of the Church of England. So you will have a passion to see local churches led well, thriving, and reaching out with the Gospel to their community. The team needs excellent, fast-moving and responsive admin support, so we seek an EA of significant ability: – with wide experience of negotiating between different stakeholders – competent in administration and communication – of a calm and personable nature – some understanding of the Church of England. Salary: £30,900; full-time office-based in Coventry. Closing date: 4 June. For more information click here.

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