Diocese of Coventry eBulletin

New Diocesan Secretary is announced The Right Reverend Dr Christopher Cocksworth has announced that Jacqueline Ladds will be the next Diocesan Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Diocese of Coventry. Jacqueline joins the Diocese from the Health and Care Professions Council where she was Executive Director for policy and external relations.  She will start her new diocesan role on Monday 23 May. The purpose of the post is to see that the Diocese of Coventry has the structures, systems and resources in place so that it can fulfil its transformative mission to the permanent benefit of the people of Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull it serves. The position became vacant after the previous Diocesan Secretary, Ruth Marlow, retired earlier this year. Jacqueline will be a key member of the Bishop’s Core Staff Team, whose vision is to see restored health, new growth and renewed relationships within the whole diocese. Bishop Christopher said: “I am delighted that Jacqueline is joining us in the Diocese of Coventry. She will bring her wide ranging experience, many gifts and real commitment to serve the work of the Church. I am sure that colleagues across the varied life of the diocese in its parishes, schools, chaplaincies and cathedral, as well as in the diocesan offices themselves, will greatly enjoy working with Jacqueline.” Read more

St George's, Rugby gets solar panels In early 2022, the PCC of St George’s Church in Rugby installed solar panels on to the roof of the church. This was the first such project of it’s type in the Diocese! The solar panels were part of a wider strategy by the PCC to reduce their carbon footprint and seek to reach Net Zero carbon emissions by 2030. Read more

The Equip Hub The Online Learning Platform from the Diocese of Coventry. Once you've signed up, this email will contain personalised recommendations for topics you are interested in exploring.     Sign Up Now

Children Leader’s Retreat At the end of a busy term, let us look after you at our children leader’s retreat and give you space to rest. God loves us so much he wants us to spend time with him and to be refreshed. But so often life gets in the way and we find ourselves endlessly busy. As children, youth and families leaders (paid and voluntary) we can be creating those spaces and opportunities for others but find it hard to do ourselves. Attending a retreat can be a great way of setting that time aside. This retreat will be exploring the idea of agape; God’s unconditional love. At May Blossom Farm we have the joy of being able to explore, wander and respond using the space outside as well as the shelter of the barn. The morning will be guided as we journey together reflecting on God’s love for us. As we are all refreshed in different ways there will be a variety of options to respond in the most helpful way for you, including interactive prayer, space to be quiet and space to discuss with others. Day: Saturday 28th May Time: 10-2pm Cost: £5 (this will help contribute to refreshments, resources and venue) Read more

Thy Kingdom Come 2022 Sign up to receive free daily reflective prayer videos! During the period from Ascension Day to Pentecost, this group will host a daily video to go along-side the Thy Kingdom Come prayer journal. You can use the prayer journal if you would like to follow along, but you don’t need the journal to be able to engage with the videos. Each video with be a short, meditative reflection with time for response. Thy Kingdom Come is a global prayer movement that invites Christians around the world to pray from Ascension to Pentecost for more people to come to know Jesus. Since its start in May 2016 God has grown Thy Kingdom Come from a dream of possibility into a movement. Christians from 172 countries have taken part in praying ‘Come Holy Spirit’, so that friends and family, neighbours and colleagues might come to faith in Jesus Christ. Within this group page there is also a discussion board where you can share with others in the group any reflections you would like to. Read more

Online Difference Course SAVE THE DATE Difference Course, online, from September 7th – October 12th 2022. How do we disagree well?  Promote genuine discussion?  Be agents of reconciliation in a divided world? If you want to explore how to talk, listen and engage well with people who are different from you, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Difference Course is for you.  It runs on six Wednesday evenings on Zoom from September 7th, and is a joint initiative with Birmingham and Coventry Diocese. Watch the two-minute video trailer by clicking below. Register interest, or find out more, from Emma Crick de Boom Emma.CrickdeBoom@Coventry.Anglican.org Wednesdays, 19:15 – 21:00 on zoom 19:15 room opening 19:30 session start Watch video

Diocesan News Symphony of Remembering A fundraising Concert in aid of Cathedral’s Diamond Jubilee Organ Appeal. A night of music from Orchestra of the Swan and Symphony of Remembering Derek Nisbet, created especially for Coventry Cathedral and featuring the testimony of people who have suffered more recent losses, including through the pandemic. One of the most iconic buildings in the world and a miracle of mid-twentieth century architecture and design, Coventry Cathedral is the perfect setting for a programme that is by turns contemplative and dramatic. From the eternally descending progressions of Arvo Pärt’s Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten to Dives and Lazarus, Vaughan Williams passionately reworks the English folk song. This concert will take place on 11th June, 7.30pm. For more information, click here. Parsonage Committee We are looking for new lay and clergy members to join the diocesan Parsonages Committee for a three-year term (beginning 1 July 2022). The Committee helps to ensure that housing provided for diocesan clergy is of a good standard.  Their tasks include review of the annual proposed housing budget, assessment of sustainability improvements (in line with the target of net zero carbon emissions by 2030) and monitoring of repairs and improvements.  Three lay members and three clergy are required, each to be nominated by diocesan synod members. To find out more about the Committee’s work and the nomination process please see the diocesan website. Nominations must be received by Thursday 26 May.  Please direct any queries to elections@coventry.anglican.org Churches Count on Nature Throughout Saturday 4th June to Sunday 12th June 2022. An organised one-off event, perhaps for one morning or afternoon OR A series of short counts, perhaps at different times of day to spot different things and suit different people, OR Simply open your churchyard throughout the week for people to explore. For more information, click here. Child's Trust Is your church passionate about sharing the Christian Gospel? The Child’s Trust is one of only a few grant-making trusts that could help fund this kind of work. Their next grant round closes on 31st May. For more information, click here.  Contact andy.duncan@coventry.anglican.org if you would like help with your application. St Mark's Academy St Mark’s Academy offers internships to 18-30 year olds who want to grow in faith and develop in leadership. We offer an outstanding teaching programme, personal formation through mentoring, and the opportunity of a hands-on ministry placement either at St. Marks or another participating church in the diocese.  If you know someone who may be interested please encourage them to sign up for one of our upcoming open events (17th May &  26th May) at www.stmarks.academy. Alternatively, if you are a church leader and would like to know more about becoming a participating church please contact rachel.atkinson@stmarkscoventry.org. 'Cymbals & Dances' by Canon Joseph Poole Cymbals & Dances, by Joseph Poole, explains what church liturgy is for, what it does, how it is affected by many factors – from architecture to music – how it has evolved, and how it necessarily connects to current culture. Rev Canon J.W. Poole was the first Precentor of the new Coventry Cathedral and created all the Cathedral’s liturgy for and following its consecration in 1962. Joseph Poole compiled the book Cymbals & Dances following decades of commitment to the creation of stimulating, meaningful and dignified services of Christian observance and celebration in Cathedrals and parish churches, festival events and pubs. For more information, click here. Fit 4 Function: Small Steps, Big difference Explore the ways in which we can unlock the potential of our church buildings to help build stronger and more resilient communities Church buildings are perfectly placed to provide essential local services, enable wider social connections, be venues for local businesses, and thrive as exciting multifunctional and versatile places that can transform and strengthen communities. But it’s not always easy to work out what is possible, where to start, and what help we can get to achieve this. Through a range of presentations and relevant case studies, this conference aims to explore the extraordinary value that churches have in transforming their local communities, the importance of working in partnership to meet local needs and provide essential services, and the potential to develop them as income-generating business ventures. This conference has been organized collaboratively between the Archdiocese of Birmingham, and the Anglican Dioceses of Birmingham, Coventry, Gloucester, Hereford, Lichfield and Worcester and will take place on June 22nd 2022 at St George’s Church, Kidderminster. For more information, click here. Memorial Service for the Revd Neville Beamer Neville died suddenly during the first lockdown in 2020 and so it was not possible to have a funeral service for him in church. However, a memorial service will be taking place in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon on Saturday 18th June at 5pm. Anyone who would like to give thanks for Neville’s remarkable life and ministry is welcome to attend. Hope4Business Hope4Business is open to all Christian business leaders – regardless of their church or denomination – who would like to seek afresh God’s exciting purposes for their working lives. It will feature: Bible readings, Worship songs, Testimonials of how God has worked through businesses during the pandemic, An opportunity to engage with other Christian business leaders. It will take place at Coventry Cathedral on Tuesday 7th June 2022 at 6:30pm. For more information, click here. Richard Sadler Photography Exhibition An exhibition of the photography of Richard Sadler is being held at the Old Grammar School, Hales Street, Coventry until 27th May 2022. The exhibition looks at the early life of the new Cathedral and includes never before seen photographs taken by Richard after he was appointed official photographer by Provost Williams.  You can also view the exhibition online by clicking here. The National Churches Trust Jubilee Proclamation Join The National Churches Trust in celebrating Her Majesty The Queen and her outstanding support of churches as a part of the Jubilee commemoration. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II has been Patron of the National Churches Trust since 1953 when the Historic Churches Preservation Trust, its predecessor charity, was founded. In that time, they have supported over 12,000 churches with grants and loans in excess of £100 million. To mark Queen Elizabeth’s support for churches, they have produced a special Jubilee Proclamation which thanks her for her patronage of church buildings and heritage. They have produced a number of resources including a special press release as well as ready-to-use artwork, available in several different formats, for you to download.  For more information, click here. CPAS Leadership Webinar With many leaders still trying to recover from the impact of Covid, and with continued disruption on both the global and national scene, how can we stay fresh and faithful? We begin our series with Staying Fresh and Faithful… In Ourselves. In this free webinar on Thursday 19th May, we’ll look at how we can keep trusting in God’s provision and how we can stay fresh and faithful in our vocation at a time when many leaders are considering whether to stay or go. We’ll also explore our own personal journey and recovery through the impact of Covid. James Lawrence and Pam Macnaughton will provide input and create a space for reflection, conversation and ideas. For more information, click here.

Diocesan vacancies Priest-in-Charge Fillongley & Corley, Ansley & Arley These four churches, constituting two Benefices and set in a beautiful part of North Warwickshire – with very strong ecumenical links with the local Methodist Church, including an LEP – are at an exciting stage as they develop their relationship. We welcome a country loving candidate who: – Is an inspiring and welcoming leader, able to communicate the Christian faith in a way that appeals to all sections of our expanding rural communities. – Has an inspirational and flexible approach to worship, experienced in leading using both traditional and modern worship styles. – Is willing to build on our work making our churches an attractive place for children and young families, strengthening our existing links with schools within the Benefice. – Has a track record in developing lay leaders, and promoting harmonious relationships by consulting with others to develop a shared direction. – Is gifted in developing both people’s confidence to share their faith with others, and also strategies that release the growth potential of people in the parishes through IT and social media skills. For more information, click here. Children and Families Ministry Leader - St Mark's Coventry 25 hours per week, including Sunday and Tuesday mornings. Salary £26,000 pro rata The Children and Families ministry leader will be responsible for the overall running of the ‘KIDS’ ministry for all children 0-11yrs, ensuring Sundays and other events are delivered according to the vision of the church and to a high standard. They will define content, plan sessions, recruit and develop team, oversee the budget and manage an intern. We are looking for a leader, with exceptional organisational and people skills, the relevant experience working with children, who can step into this role. It provides the right person with the opportunity to work flexibly, with a committed team, make a difference in the lives of young people and families, and help craft the future of children’s ministry at St Marks. St Mark’s is a city centre resource church (CCRC), planted through the HTB network from Gas Street Birmingham, in October 2017. The church has grown significantly and includes many children and young families As a church our vision is to see people find faith, be set free, and Coventry flourish. We long to implement this vision, not just at St Mark’s, but in other churches too. We have planted into an existing church in the last 3 months and plan to do so again into another group of churches next year. For more information, click here. Project Lead & Youth Mission and Discipleship Enabler - St Michael's Budbrooke 37.5 Hours per week Salary £23,679 – £26,929 FTE St Michael’s are looking for an inspiring and strategic youth team leader who will enable and drive forward a new and exciting project in Warwick. They hope to appoint someone who will raise up young disciples in the church and reach out to the local community with God’s love. The West Warwick Youth & Schools project is a new partnership between St Michael’s and St Paul’s which is underway with the arrival of a Message Trust youth bus to spearhead outreach, and a partnership with Thrive Youth Ministries to equip and grow local churches in retaining and discipling young people. The postholder, will manage the Schools Link Worker, Intern Team and Children’s Worker and be responsible for the development and implementation of strategy as they seek to increase their reach into local schools and grow the numbers of young people and their families connected with their churches as well as being invested in reaching and serving the community. For more information, click here.

External Vacancies Why do we advertise external vacancies? Admin and Finance Officer - Flourish 21hrs (0.6 FTE) Term Time Only. £20,000 pro rata. This is an exciting opportunity for an organised, creative, detail focused individual to play their part in the wider mission of supporting girls locally by improving self esteem, building emotional resilience and strengthening mental wellbeing. This role is responsible for and supports the administrative tasks of the charity. They will work closely with our Operations and Business Manager and Mentoring Coordinator to deliver professional and efficient services to local schools and the community. This role requires a focused, multi-tasker who excels in a busy environment, loves working with people, has a ‘can do’ attitude, and a passion for good communications, financial prowess and engaging with broad spectrum of stakeholders. Working as part of a frontline, well respected charity that is motivated by the Christian faith, this post offers the right person the opportunity to develop and thrive in a rewarding job where they can use their skills and expertise to make a tangible difference in the lives of girls locally. For more information, click here.  VCSE Mental Health Alliance Chief Officer 22-26 hours per week (to be agreed) Salary £35,000 – £37,000 per annum pro rata Voluntary Action Coventry are seeking a skilled communicator and influencer to take forward the work of the VCSE (Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise) Mental Health Alliance, championing the role the voluntary and community sector plays in supporting people with mental health issues in Coventry and Warwickshire and building effective relationships with other agencies to ensure the best outcome for service users. For more information, click here. VCSE Mental Health Alliance Communication Officer 12 hours per week Salary £26,054 per annum pro rata Are you an experienced Communications Officer able to promote the VCSE (Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise) Mental Health Alliance to potential members and other stakeholders? Do you have a track record of producing information in different formats, of designing promotional material and writing and updating website content as well as experience in the use of different social media channels?  If so, this may be the role for you. For more information, click here.  CEO - Carriers of Hope Coventry Carriers of Hope Coventry CIO is a respected, dynamic, registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation that has provided vital support to asylum seekers, refugees and migrants (primarily Roma people from Eastern Europe) living in Coventry, since 2009. They are looking for an exceptional candidate to take on this key role of CEO. You will have strong leadership skills, be positive, flexible and ‘hands on’ where needed. You will be passionate about their mission and ethos, and both contribute to, and deliver, their strategic vision. Most of all, you will be driven by the desire to help people and will want to play a key role in meeting their needs. For more information please contact sues@carriersofhope.org.uk

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