Diocese of Coventry eBulletin

New Rural Life Officer and Assistant Bishop John is pleased to announce that, following the retirement of the Reverend Canon Barbara Clutton, the Reverend Martin Davies has been appointed as Rural Life Officer and the Reverend Dan Corlett as Assistant Rural Life Officer. Martin is currently serving his curacy at St Michael, Budbrooke where he has worshipped for more than 30 years including as a Reader.  His life as a farmer means that he has many connections to farming and rural communities. Dan has just completed his curacy in the Arden Marches Group and taken up a new role as Associate Minister in the Alcester Minster Benefice where he is taking on a specific role to support and develop the Mission Hub based in the team, which has a particular focus on rural mission.  Prior to ordination, Dan attended St John, Westwood for many years and was Chief Executive of Farming and Countryside Education (FACE). 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

Youth Worship Course We are looking for 13-18 year olds who want to learn how to worship, and develop their skills and confidence leading other people in worship. The sessions will be: Tuesday [7-9pm] \\ 20 Sep \\ 11 Oct \\ 1 Nov Saturday [10am-4pm] \\ 19 Nov Each session will start with some teaching, and a discussion focusing on questions like; What is worship? Why do we worship? We will then apply the theory – learning a song together and using it in a time of Worship You will need some musical knowledge and ability to be able to participate fully – this can either be singing or playing an instrument. The course will be held at St Laurence’s Church, Coventry. The cost for the course is £20 which is payable at the first session. If you have any questions, please get in touch with the team at: james.henney@coventry.anglican.org Read more

Holiday In this video Rob Harrison reflects on God’s call to us to honour him by resting. Watch video

Talking Jesus 2022: Unpacking the Data What do people in the UK think of Jesus, Christians and evangelism? Has the recent pandemic impacted people’s perceptions towards Jesus, the church and the Christian faith? If so, what does this mean for the church as we navigate life in a post-pandemic world? Earlier this year an important piece of research, called Talking Jesus, was carried out to give us a better understanding into these questions. The Diocese of Coventry have invited Dr Rachel Jordan-Wolf [Executive Director of HOPE together & Former National Mission and Evangelism Adviser to the Church of England.] to present and unpack the findings from this latest research and to highlight any significant changes since the original Talking Jesus research that was carried out in 2015. Join us as we explore the data together and spend time to ask what challenges and opportunities this presents for the church going forward. There are 2 sessions taking place on 27th September at St John’s Westwood, CV4 8GN. Mid-day Session: 12:30 pm – 2 pm. Evening Session: 7:30 pm – 9 pm. Admission is free of charge. Read more

LLF Prayer and Thanksgiving Service If you have been part of the LLF process, either by facilitating or participating in a course. You already know that it has been quite the journey. It has required an investment of us to be open to listening to others and sharing of ourselves authentically that sometimes can feel costly. We have an ongoing hope that we can continue to meet and live with differences in our wide communion of Jesus followers. The journey is not over and we know that there is more work to be done, but just as importantly, we want to mark and acknowledge what has already been accomplished. During this Thanksgiving service you will: – Hear a little of what has been happening across the LLF journey and where we can go from here – Spend time in contemplative and creative prayer – A shared time of worship and a Visio Divina – Spend time with friends and colleagues, to build connection and gather inspiration as we take our next steps It will take place on 24th  September 2022 at St Andrew’s Church, Rugby, CV21 3PT. Welcome from 10:00 with a 10:30 start. Closing at 12:30 followed by refreshments. Read more

Diocesan News Rural Ministry Course - Arthur Rank Centre The Rural Ministry Course is designed for lay and ordained church leaders across the denominations entering a rural appointment for the first time, and those already in rural ministry who feel the need for a ‘refresher’. The three-day programme employs a variety of approaches including practical sessions, group work and workshops led by practitioners, and includes sessions on understanding rural contexts, mission and growth, leadership, farming and work with children and young people in the countryside. It will take place from 25th – 27th  October 2022 at King’s Park Conference Centre, Northampton. Fees are £300 per delegate for the residential course. For more information, click here.  Celebration of the Life of Simon Barrington-Ward (1930-2020) A day in celebration of the life and ministry of Bishop Simon Barrington-Ward, one-time Bishop of Coventry, who died in 2020 – and to mark the publication of a book about him “Exchange of Gifts: the Vision of Simon Barrington-Ward” by edited by Bishop Graham Kings & Ian Randall. It will take place at Coventry Cathedral, CV1 5AB on Saturday 17th September 2022, 11.00am-3.00pm. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance. For more information, click here.  Youth Growing Leaders Course Apply for the next Youth Growing Leaders course in Whitnash. Local charity Thrive Youth Ministries is delighted to be able to host another Youth Growing Leaders course. This is open to young people who are going into at least Year 10, have their own Christian faith and have some form of leadership potential. We explore how to lead like Jesus did, and how this starts with ensuring that we ourselves are led by Him. It takes place monthly, Sept-April, and includes two overnight residentials. The closing date for applications is 18th August. For more information, click here.  Zoom-Based Quiet Morning “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters” Isaiah 55 Join Lissy Clarke for an online quiet morning next Saturday 23 July from 9-12, exploring the theme of Living Water. We will engage with gentle body movement, journaling, guided meditation and silence as we look at the rich imagery the Bible offers around water and the spiritual life. For more information, click here, to sign up, click here. Suggested Donation £20. Lissy is passionate about holding space to help you deepen awareness of yourself, God and God’s profound love for you. You may be familiar with her meditations published weekly at Contemplative at Home. She is part of the Spiritual Formation Course team and also works as a spiritual companion. She lives in Warwick and worships at St Paul’s Leamington.

Diocesan Vacancies Associate Minister House for Duty, The Bridges Group Two House for Duty Associate Ministers (Sunday + 2 days a week), one with a view to becoming Priest-in-Charge. One post will have a more pioneering role: to develop new, imaginative ways of being church in the community. The other post will be more traditional: to nurture and pastor those who love the traditions of the local church. We are looking for two priests who will: – be prayerful, believe in a Christ-centred church, are empowered by the Holy Spirit, have a pastoral heart and will help every member achieve their full potential as Christians – work strategically, creatively and collaboratively with the team of clergy, reader and lay leaders – be happy to lead both traditional and more innovative styles of worship – inspire, nurture and empower others to grow as disciples and serve Christ in their communities – build strong relationships and enjoy talking with people of all ages from both inside and outside the church – recognise the potential of our church buildings for both mission and ministry – feel deeply at home in a rural setting. We can offer you: – A skilful leadership team and worship leaders – A supportive and resourceful deanery and chapter – A modern, detached four-bedroom vicarage (with the best views in the diocese from Napton Vicarage study!) – A group administrator – Three very good local primary schools – and the outstanding Southam College nearby Jesus tells us that “I came that you may have life, and have it abundantly.”  [John 10:10] For more information, click here.  Priest-in-Charge, St Paul's Foleshill In 2022 the adjoining parish of Foleshill St Laurence has been designated as one of 6 Diocesan Mission Hubs; to equip and resource parishes in mission and discipleship.  Following discernment and consultation, it is envisaged that the successful postholder will be supported in ministry through a new hub collaborative leadership team between St Laurence’s and St Paul’s (and potentially other parishes).  This would initially be on a relational basis to establish trust and to identify potential areas for shared mission opportunities – including the planting of new worshipping communities. We are looking for someone with the following qualities: – INSPIRING – The ability to inspire people and bring enthusiasm for new patterns of contemporary worship on Sunday. – WELCOMING – Encourage new members to grow and be committed to St. Pauls’ Church, by identifying and nurturing the individuals, helping them to find their place in its mission, and by finding and developing their spiritual gifts through dedicated small groups. – CARING – A visible leader with the capacity to lead and model through compassion and care within our congregation and the wider parish community. – EMPOWERING– Working with us to develop a leadership team able to serve and develop our vision to reach our community with the Gospel and the love of God. – PASSIONATELY MISSION FOCUSED – The passion for serving in a diverse community, sustained by a deep Christian faith.  Supporting the whole church to hear the call of God and to nurture our spiritual growth and discipleship. – EMBRACING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE – A willingness to develop ministry with children and young people and encourage them to take a full part in our church life. – COLLABORATION – Focus on working with St. Laurence’s mission hub to develop strategic mission and lay leader development opportunities, including a commitment to a weekly staff meeting with the Mission Hub leader and the hub clergy. – SAFEGUARDING – An ability to develop and establish a strong culture of safeguarding within the church. For more information, click here.  Rector - St Margaret's, Whitnash St Margaret’s Whitnash is a sociable, welcoming single Parish based in a small town just south of Royal Leamington Spa. Our new Rector will be: – Excited by the priority of the Good News of the Gospel – Excited by the priority and power of prayer – Excited by the priority of holiness – Excited by the priority and passion of evangelism – Excited by the priorities of training and enabling others – Excited by the priority and purpose of giving – Excited by the prospect of joining us. For more information, click here.  Office Administrator - St Nicholas, Warwick St Nicholas Church, Warwick is looking for a gifted, experienced and skilled administrator to join the team on a flexible, part time basis to support their ministry. The purpose of the role is to supervise and facilitate the day-to-day administrative operations of the church in close co-operation with the vicar, churchwardens and other lay and ordained leaders. Duties include producing worship resources, managing lettings, handling general enquiries, updating the church website and social media feeds, general office work and support for the staff team.  Knowledge and experience of online diary management, Microsoft Office including Publisher and Facebook are necessary. Training may be offered to a suitable candidate. This is a part-time role of 15 hours per week, to be worked flexibly over a minimum of four days, between the hours of 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. For more information, click here.

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