February 2016 update and event information from the Parish Mission Support Department
Healthy Churches Transforming Communities
Dear Friends
Welcome to this February 2016 Mission Matters Update. This issue includes details of training events, as well as a play in Leyland where you can take your non-Christian friends
Invite your friends along to see “The God Particle” – Thursday 25th February in Leyland
Date for your diary – The final two Deanery meetings to explore together Vision 2026 and the Crossroads Northern Bishops' Mission are on 22nd and 24th February
Date for your Diary – Training events:
Imagine Church event on 27th February to think about Fresh Expressions.
Visit of Bishop Ric Thorpe on 21st March to think about Church planting.
"Go" - Equipping the local church for growth on Saturday 16th April in Leyland.
Crossroads Resourcing Evenings in June to help you prepare for Crossroads Mission.
A link to the Blackburn Diocesan prayers.
If you would like any further information or support please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us using our email addresses or our new telephone numbers at the end of this newsletter.
To book to attend the training event, either click on the link below, or click here to visit the "Mission and Growth" events page on the Diocesan website, which also includes booking information.
We look forward to seeing you.
This email is being sent to Clergy, Readers, Churchwardens and PCC Secretaries, those who attended recent training events or who have joined our mailing list, but please forward to anyone else you think might be interested.
If you received this email from someone else, please click here to join our mailing list and receive future copies of Mission Matters yourself.
GO Saturday 16th April between 9.30am and 4.00pm at Runshaw College Leyland, PR25 3DQ
This free event on Saturday 16th April from 9.30am until 4.00pm has been planned to help churches implementing Vision 2026 and preparing for the Crossroads Northern Bishops' Mission and will include workshops/seminars and Exhibition Stands.
The varied seminar programme will include sessions about Faith Sharing, Messy Church, Mission Action Planning as well as Sports Ministry, opportunities to explore what Fresh Expressions are, how we manage change and how churches can engage with the communities they serve. Full details of the sessions and speakers will be confirmed and publicised later, and we will contact everyone who books with details of the workshops when they come available so that you can book to attend the ones you choose. Click here to book now and receive the seminar details, or you can just turn up on the day.
Vision 2026/Crossroads Presentation Evenings
Thank you to everyone who has attended one of the Vision 2026/Crossroads evenings in January and February. Over 900 people have attended the 12 events held so far. If you've not yet had a chance to get along to one, the final two are Monday 22nd February at Holy Trinity, Main Road, Bolton-Le-Sands LA5 8DU, and Wednesday 24th February at Christ Church, Garstang Road North, Wesham, PR4 3AP. The evenings, which are open to anyone, start at 7.30pm. Refreshments will be available from 7:00pm and they should end by 9.15pm.:
You can find more information about Crossroads on the website here, which will be updated as further material becomes available. If you’ve not yet seen a copy of the Mission Preparation Guide, you can find a copy here.
Imagine Church for those who don't do church. Southport - Saturday 27th February 10.00 - 16.00 Join this free ecumenical event, featuring guest speaker Graham Horsley - Methodist Connexional Fresh Expressions Missioner.
Fresh Expressions vision events are dynamic ways to explore new ways of being church and how to form them.
Vision events are ideal for complete beginners, those with real questions about fresh expressions and mission-shaped church, people who have started something new and need some practical help, and Christians from all churches and traditions.
For more information see www.freshexpressions.org.uk/vision/southport16 or to book your place email SouthportFreshExpressions@gmail.com
Resourcing Evenings
Following on from the Crossroads/Vision 2026 evenings in January and February, and GO in April, in June, we are organising some Crossroads Resourcing evenings to help churches prepare for the Crossroads Mission 8-11 September 2016. These will take place across the diocese to enable as many people as possible to attend.
Refreshments will be available from 7:00pm and the event will start at 7.30pm. Each evening will include two sections. They will start with a central session, thinking about how to run a good outreach event, and how to ensure people are invited to come along. For the second half of the evening you can choose between two sessions – one about Faith sharing, and one about running enquirers courses, so please come as a group so between you, you can gain information from both sessions. We expect to be finished by 9.15pm
Date
Location
Booking link
Monday 6th June
St George’s Church, St George’s Street, Chorley PR7 2AA
There will also be an additional session in the Tunstall/North Lancaster area, but the details have still to be confirmed. You can check the events information on the website here which will be updated once the date and venue have been confirmed.
To help us with our planning, please book, by clicking on the relevant booking link above, which will take you to our Eventbrite booking pages, or email miranda.wraithmell@blackburn.anglican.org
We look forward to seeing you at one of these events
“NEWS about a great performance coming your way…
‘The God Particle’ (touring the UK) will be at St Andrew’s Leyland on Thursday 25th Feb at 8pm. Admission is FREE.
Written by James Cary (an award winning co-writer of BBC1’s Miranda and Radio 4’s ‘Another case of Milton Jones’). Hear what happens when a quantum physicist and a vicar meet at a bar. A comedy sketch that raises issues of faith and science, love and meaning. This is a great event for believers, those who can’t make up their minds about God as well as the out and out sceptics! Come along and have a great night out - and be made to laugh… and think!”
There is no need to book in advance, and it sounds a great event to invite non-Christian friends and family along to.
Church Planting with Bishop Ric Thorpe
Monday 21st March 10:45am - 3:00pm
Bishop Ric Thorpe is coming to the diocese on Monday 21 March 2016. He was Adviser for Church Planting in the London Diocese, the only paid Church Planting post in the Church of England. Interestingly the church is growing in London and Ric is helping to pursue their Capital Vision of 100 new worshipping communities.
Since being made Bishop of Islington, Ric has continued his London work but is also helping to reach out to city centres across the country. New exciting congregations have developed in Brighton, Bournemouth, Norwich, Lincoln and Birmingham and another eight potential city plants are in the pipeline. Ric has played a key midwife role in this development.
He will be running a training event in St Thomas’ Lancaster on 21st March from 10.45am until 3.00pm. London has taught Ric that a number of different planting models are needed that cover the range of churchmanship. He will help us to honour the past, navigate change and build for the future.
Come and hear about the role that resource churches can play and what their similarity to minster churches is. A church does not necessarily need a large number before it should consider church planting. In some cases 100+ regular members is enough.
If you are interested in coming please register with Judith Henderson, Bishop Geoff’s secretary, at bishoplancaster@gmail.com or telephone 01524 799900 so that lunchtime catering can be organised. There is no charge but there will be an opportunity for donations.
Blackburn Prayers
Have you looked at Blackburn prayers recently? They help us to pray for churches throughout our diocese, as well as in our link dioceses and other provinces in the Anglican Communion.
You can find prayers for each month, and from March they include prayers for Vision 2026 priorities. You can find them on the diocesan website under faith and holiness, or by clicking here.
For more information about any of these events, or if you need any assistance in booking, please contact Miranda Wraithmell 01254 503272 miranda.wraithmell@blackburn.anglican.org
If you received this email from someone else, please click here to join our mailing list and receive future copies of Mission Matters.
David Banbury
Department Leader and Diocesan Missioner
Stephanie Rankin
Parish Development Resources Officer (Stewardship)
Miranda Wraithmell
Parish Mission Support Department Secretary
“NEWS about a great performance coming your way…
Church Planting with Bishop Ric Thorpe
