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the Diocese of Ripon and LeedsNews from TogetherTogether

Inside this month’s Together:p II Spirit of North Walesp III City centre revampp IV Carnival radiop V Church growthp VI Cathedral spectacularp VIII New ordinands

‘Happy and Glorious’ Diocese celebratesChurches fly the flag across Ripon and Leeds for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

Listed places grant welcomed

VAT rethink

www.riponleeds.anglican.org

july 2012

Following last month’s report on protests over the 20% VAT increase for church build-ing works, there has been a welcome across the diocese to the news that, in a change of heart, the Government has agreed to provide £30 million a year extra money for the future funding of alterations and repairs to listed church buildings. The money will be on top of the £12 million already in the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (LPWGS).

Bishop John described this as an acknowledgment from Government of the unique heritage value to the nation of cathedrals and churches and (Continued on Page 2)

The Diamond Jubilee week-end was celebrated in style across the Diocese. The Nave of Ripon Cathedral was transformed into a street party - sixty guests were chosen for their memories of Coronation Day 1953. Pictured below is organiser Anne-Marie Tarter and the Dean of Ripon, Very Revd Keith Jukes. Soup, sandwiches, cakes and trifle

were served to the guests by youngsters dressed in clothes from across the sixty years of the Queen's reign. The Cathedral was bedecked by more than a thousand flowers as part of the

‘Happy and Glorious’ display.

Meanwhile in Harrogate (above), it was Jubilee festivi-ties and fun at St John’s Bilton, with stalls, bouncy castle, picnics and displays.

(Continued on Page 2)

Mothers’ Union Chaplain, Canon Paul Greenwell led worship for those pilgrims who crossed over by boat to the island of Bardsey. The var-

ied programme also included a Eucharist on the beach led by Bishop John, as well as beach games, tide race, local church hospitality, coastal walks and times of reflection.

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Jubilee VAT rethink

Experiencing the Spirit of North Wales It was a warm Welsh welcome for more than fifty Mothers’ Union members and their families who took part in the Spirit of North Wales Experi-ence last month.

In a new initiative, the Ripon and Leeds Mothers’ Union arranged a weekend retreat at Aberdaron on the Lleyn Peninsular with individuals and families ranging in age from 7 years to 80+. Bishop John joined the group for the start of the weekend and walked with some from Aberdaron village to Mynydd Mawr where they prayed and laid a cairn overlooking Bardsey Island - the burial site if 20,000 saints.

There was music too – the premiere of ‘Bardsey Sound’, commissioned by St Hywyn’s Church and dedicated to their former priest, Rev Jim Cotter

for his retirement. The weekend concluded with reflections from the group and a ‘Fla-vour of Wales’ concert from a local harpist and a male voice choir. Carolyn Peuleve, the Mothers’ Union Diocesan President said, “The weekend

achieved all that I anticipated with a wonderful family mix of participants….. The only complaint was ‘it should have been longer!’”

(Continued from Page 1)the way in which these al-terations are enabling them to serve their local communities in a range of ways alongside being centres of worship.

Despite not persuading the Government that maintaining zero rated VAT for altera-tions is the best way forward, church leaders said that the £30 million a year extra money that the Chancellor has committed to the LPWGS will enable the equivalent to the VAT bill to be paid out on all alterations and repairs to listed church buildings.

(Continued from Page 1)Leeds Parish Church hosted the city’s Diamond Jubilee Service of Celebration on Friday evening June 1st. Readings were given by the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Cllr Ann Castle and the Vice Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire,

John Brennan.

At Ripon Cathedral there was a service of celebration for North Yorkshire which took place on the afternoon of Sun-day June 3rd attended by civic and religious leaders from across the region. Bishop John

preached amd paid tribute to the Queen: “We cel-ebrate that sense of duty and com-mitment which has particularly marked Queen Elizabeth's reign and service.”

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City centre church plans £3m revamp

1900 young people enjoy a ‘Big Night Out’ Nearly nineteen hundred young people from churches throughout the diocese and beyond have taken part on an evening of fun, entertainment and teaching at Lightwater Valley Theme Park near Ripon.

Ripon & Leeds Diocese along with York and Wakefield dioceses in partnership with Urban Saints, Scripture Union & Boys Brigade, held thean-nual Big Night Out event on Saturday 19 May.

Eighteen hundred and eighty church youngsters enjoyed an evening of white knuckle

rides, a market place of Christian resources and a full-on Christian concert featuring the Chip Kendall Band (pictured, formally Bandwithnoname) and a DJ set from Galactus Jack.

"A great and blessed time had by all and worth all the hard work and aching limbs," said Youth Adviser Nick Shep-pard.

Rooftop diners could be treated to a view of the Leeds city centre skyline if a multi-million pound plan to redevelop the historic church of Holy Trinity, Boar Lane, is

approved. Under the proposals the 18th century church would be refurbished, and a banquet-ing suite opened in the space

above the nave ceiling – a barn like structure running the length of the church.

The project is expected to cost between £3.5m and £4m

but would save the church from potential closure. Holy Trinity is part of the Leeds City Team Ministry and Lay minister, Ann Nicholl, said: “These plans would maintain the church as a beautiful Geor-gian building and

give it a life for the next 50 to 70 years. Otherwise there would be the possibility it would become redundant.”

The church was built in the 1720s and is Grade I-listed. The plans include refurbish-ing the nave – removing the old pews and installing new flooring, heating, lighting and sound systems – so that it could be used by a vari-ety of groups. The church hall, behind the main church building, would be revamped to include a new kitchen, ac-cessible toilets and offices. As well as the banqueting suite in the roof space, there would be a quiet area in the tower room, available for worship and reflection. It is hoped it would be used by customers shopping at the neighbouring Trinity complex.

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Carnival Radio Rothwell

Bishop James writesBetter to be an Atheist?

Rothwell in south Leeds has its own Christian radio station, Radio Worldwide, which produces programmes for broadcast on Christian radio stations throughout the world. This July they will be hosting students on a two week train-ing course in radio production and as part of the training will be helping to run Rothwell Carnival Radio, broadcasting across the area, 24 hours a day from July 12th – 18th. Places on the course are still avail-able and to find out more visit www.radioworldwide.org/cms/training/uk-radio-course

Directory onlineWant to find a list of retired clergy with permission to officiate –church treasures, readers, curates or any other category of church leader? The online Diocesan Direc-tory is automatically updated and the list of names can now be filtered by categories to speed up the process. You can quickly find the email, phone number or address of anyone in an official church role. Simply go to www.riponleeds.anglican.org/diocesan_people.php

I came across this quote from William Temple (Archbishop of Canterbury 1942-44) recently: “If your conception of God is radically false then the more devout you are the worse it will be for you. You are opening your soul to be moulded by something else. You had much better be an atheist.” Temple’s observation clearly has reference to any religious inspiration for acts of violence – or coercion or ma-nipulation of others. It also has resonances with the response offered to some of the strident atheists of our times: “I don’t believe in the god that you don’t believe in!”

David Jenkins memorably ar-ticulated the Christian faith in his saying, “God is as he is in Jesus . . . .” If, as Christians, our conception of God doesn’t have a Christ shape about it, we need to be asking where it has come from and where it will lead us.

One of the problems for us in the church of the West, moulded by Christendom, is that religion has replaced faith - that relationship with Christ proclaimed in the New Testament, demonstrated in the martyrs and the saints – and, as Alan Hirsch sharply observes, “Jesus and ‘religion’ simply don’t mix.”

I think that the reason why the Pharisees and Sadducees feature so prominently in the Gospels is that they represent an abiding temptation for people of faith to move from relationship to religion, ritual and rule, reflecting a miscon-ception of God. Hirsch sug-gests that the antidote to the ‘yeast of the Pharisees’ is to put Christ back into Christian-ity! “To the degree that Jesus is present and active as the organising centre of Christian-ity, to that degree we are truly Christ-ian people. Having Jesus at the very centre of our experience is what vital Christ ianity is all about.”

It is when Christ is the shape of our conception of God that faith connects with the reali-ties of the world in the pursuit of justice and in the making of peace, in the recognition that all are equal, “all are worthy of love.” “God is as he is in Jesus,” David Jenkins adds, “and therefore there is hope.”

+James

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It is estimated that 1 in 10 clergy have been on a LYCIG course and in the autumn more from our diocese will have the opportunity to take part.

There are sixty places available on the diocesan LYCIG course – two places for thirty churches. Director of Lay Development, Liz Williams, said, “LYCIG has a proven record for helping church leaders from different traditions and contexts to lead their churches into growth. We are delighted that Robin Gamble and others from the national LYCIG team are to deliver this programme in the Diocese.”

The course takes the form of an open seminar with interactive talks, practical exercises and time and space for personal reflection . “We are fortunate to have secured funding from a variety of sources” said Liz. “This enables us to offer places at a substantially reduced rate of £75 per person for one ordained and one lay person per parish.”

Robin Gamble, (pictured below left) the course leader, is Priest-in-charge of Idle and Bradford’s Diocesan Evangelist. What was the LYCIG like?

“The course was fun... It was an enjoyable and thought provoking course, I would thoroughly rec-ommend it to any church.” Julie Clarkson - Reader

“It gave us some particular areas to work

on together and a common language to approach mission in the parish.”Revd Caroline Hewlett

The Programme

Part 1: Residential - Hinsley Hall, Leeds. October 16-18. Topics include:understand-ing our context; establishing growth structures, strate-gies and principles; encouraging mis-sionary worship; and developing a culture of invitation and welcome

Part 2: Seminar09:30 - 13:30 Tues-day 13 NovemberSt Mark’s, Harrogate - practical workshops de-signed to build on the residential.

Part 3: PCC DaysSaturday 2 March – St Matthias, Leedsor Saturday 16 March - Holy Trinity, RiponOpportunity to encourage and inspire your PCC in the church growth agenda

Key contacts

Ann Hemsworth, (0113) 293 7494. Liz Williams (0113) 200 0556, Ven Paul Hooper (0113) 269 0594.

A national course, Leading your Church into Growth (LYCIG) is coming to our diocese this autumn. The course comes highly recommended and demand for the sixty places on offer is expected to be high. Together found out more

Leading Your Church

into

GROWTH

A UNIQUE arts performance will be hosted by Ripon Cathedral this summer. The UK premiere of How Like an Angel, a mix of circus skills and choral music, will be held on July 19 and 20.

It will form part of the London 2012 Festival, a 12-week nationwide arts festival form-ing the climax of the four-year Cultural Olympiad.

Internationally acclaimed Australian theatre group Circa will perform their acrobatics accompanied by vocal ensem-ble, I Fagiolini’s 16th and 17th century choral music.

The Ripon performance is being co-ordinated by Create, whose Director, Wendy Clews, said: “This promises to be a breath-taking performance and a highlight of the summer.”

Performances will be at 8pm and 10pm and tickets cost £20 and £5 for under 25s. They are available through the website nnfestival.org.uk or by phone from (01603) 766400.

Procession at Kirkstall Abbey

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Farm hosts celebration service

Within the grounds of Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds, an exciting new exibition of work by con-temporary artist Shaeron Caton-Rose is on display.

Shaeron, who led workshops at last year’s Diocesan Conference, was commissioned by Kirkstall Abbey to produce ‘Proces-sion’, four different reflective artworks. A dramatic white line of pebbles runs the full length of the abbey church fol-lowing a historical route into Leeds which passed directly through the building.

Pictured is another of the four works, located in the Chap-terhouse, where the words ‘Work’ and ‘Prayer’ circle the stone-flag floor.

Shaeron said, “The art installation was created with a contemporary faith commu-nity based in Hyde Park and explores the relevance of a monastic lifestyle today.”

Paul Winstanley, the Diocesan Stewardship Advisor was the guest speaker at an unu-sual Rogation service for the church of All Saints Church, Kirby Hill, last month. The service, led by Revd. Alison

Askew, took place on Grange Farm at Kirby Hill and was part of the church’s steward-ship campaign, ‘Your church on the edge’ (a reference to the position of the church on the edge of the village).

Other events included an open day,a wedding display, treas-ure hunts and a thanksgiving servie led by Bishop James Bell. Pictured is Paul (left) with retired farmer Les Gill.

Spectacular show for Cathedral

y Diary Dates Your guide to events

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Spree North East 2012 - Children / Young People's Weekend Away, Hollybush, Thirsk £35 per person camping. For young people aged 8 – 15. www.urbansaints.org/northeast

Ordination of Deacons at Ripon Cathedral. 10.30am – see page 8 for details

GenR8, St Stephen’s Church, Moortown 10.30am (all-age event) and 6.30pm. More details www.genr8.org.uk An evening with Roly Bain. Full-time, freelance professional clown, and an Anglican priest 7.30pm, Leeds Parish Church

Our Muslim Neighbours - 6 week introduc-tion to Islam in Leeds. St John’s Hall, Har-rogate Road, Leeds, LS17 7BZ, 7.30pm -9pm. Booking essential, (0113) 245 4700. Continued on the 12th and 19th

Hope for the Nations, Briggate street festival, Leeds – 12-4pm. An exciting annual event. More info: www.hopeforthenations.wordpress.com

Transcendence. Ancient - Future Worship at Leeds Parish Church, 7pm -9pm

Leeds Festival Chorus Jubilee concert. 7.30pm, Ripon Cathedral. Tickets available from Hays Travel (01765) 605266

Summer Recital including Elgar’s Sea Pic-tures and songs from the shows. St Stephen’s Kirkstall, £7.50, in aid of the Restoration Fund. With Joanna Gamble (mezzo), Ben Kerslake (tenor) and Michael Cleaver – piano. 7.30pm

The Healing Ministry - Ripon. For more visit the Lay Development events page www.riponleeds.anglican.org/training_2.html

Great Yorkshire Show with the Yorkshire Church on Show situated alongside Main Ring

Family Fun Day – Leeds Parish church pre-cincts, 2pm to 5pm. (0113) 245 2036

Diocesan Synod – Ripon Cathedral, 9am to 12.30pm. Open to press and public

Food, Feasts & Fasting in Muslim Tradi-tions. A talk for Concord, the Quaker Meeting House, Woodhouse Lane LS2 9DX, 7.30pm

Beauty and brokenness. Summer school exploring theology and embodiment. £280 residential or £200 non-residential. Holyrood House, nr Thirsk at enquiries@holyroodhouse.org.uk or (01845)522580

Faiths and the City of Sanctuary - Launch of a new publication commissioned by LCI and written by Rev Dr Inderjit Bhogal . To book contact LCI on (0113) 245 4700. At Leeds Church Institute, 7.30pm – 9pm

How Like an Angel – Performances at Ripon Cathedral of the spectacular theatre-circus show by Australian theatre group Circa. 8pm and 10pm. Tickets £20 and £5 for under 25s – nnfestival.org.uk or from (01603) 766400

Slow down to the heart’s time – a diocesan retreat led by poet, Janet Morley. Wydale Hall, Brompton-by-Sawdon, near Scarborough. Cost: £120. (Single room supplement of £15). Infor-mation and booking via Sue Rusholme at the Diocesan Office susan.rusholme@riponleeds-diocese.org.uk

Summer Organ Recital at Ripon Cathedral given by Edmund Aldhouse, Assistant Director of Music 7.30pm – 9pm £8 in advance, £10 on the door (16 and under free)

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Moves and Appointments

Called to serve - ordination of five new deacons

David Brighton Editor(0113) 2000540, email:Together @riponleeds-diocese.org.uk

John Carter Managing Editor(01423) 530369, email: jhgcarter@aol.com

Cost and delivery enquiries:Julie Milbourne, Ripon & Leeds Diocesan Office, (0113) 2000540

Linda Boon works as a Senior Executive Officer in Trainer Develop-ment. She is married to An-drew and they have two grown up daughters. Linda trained on the Yorkshire Ministry Course and will serve her title place with Revd Peter Clement at Sharow, Copt Hewick and Marton-le-Moor.

Mary Bradley previously worked as a Library Assis-tant. She

is married to Dan and they have two grown up children. Mary trained on the Yorkshire Ministry Course and will serve her title place at Holy Trinity, Meanwood.

Tim Laundon previously worked as a Pastoral Assistant. He is married to Amy and trained at Westcott

House, Cambridge. Tim will serve his title place with Revd Brendan Giblin at Wetherby.

Andy Patrick previously worked as a Ministry Intern. He is married to Claire and trained at St John’s, Not-

tingham. Andy will serve his title place at Har-rogate, St Mark.

Hannah Smith has been work-ing as a Research Assistant for the Bishop of Sheffield. She trained at St Meltius College, London and will serve her title place with Revd Sue Wallace at Leeds Parish Church. Hannah is Ordained Pioneer Minister and will do some of her training at River-side Church.

Revd Arani Sen, Priest-in-Charge of Christ Church, Upper Armley; also to be As-sistant Area Dean of Armley

Revd Tony Whatmough, Associate Minister of St Luke, Cannock and St Thomas, Huntington(Lichfield); to be Priest in Charge (Team Rector Designate) St Michael and All Angels, Headingley

Revd Ray McKnight of Brompton-on-Swale, has been given Permission to Officiate

Revd Ian Wright, Priest-in-Charge St Bartholomew, Armley with New Wortley; to be also Priest in Charge St Saviour, Richmond Hill.

Revd Isaac Lawrence, curate of Holy Trinity Ripon; to be

Vicar of Scotby and Cotehill with Cumwhinton (Carlisle).

On Sunday July 1st five new deacons will be ordained by Bishop John at Ripon Cathedral. We pray for them in their new role and ministry.