The latest news from the Network…
Lending Lent a different flavour in Halifax
Hilary Barber writes:
Last year Halifax Minster decided that Lent had become rather boring and with so much happening around the Festival of Christmas it was time for a reboot! So we rebranded Lent as a Festival of Faith, trying to make it more outward facing, looking to draw people from outside the Minster, to come and experience this common ground yet sacred meeting place with God.
The Festival drew upon excellence in many fields and genres, from film and live music, to public theology and visiting preachers, poetry and scripture. The Festival ends with the drama of Holy Week, recalling the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as we strive beyond the darkness of this present time, and look for hope in the future of God's Kingdom.
Plans are advanced for the Festival of Faith 25. Next year there will be more Public Theology including Kim Leadbeater MP coming to talk about her Assisted Dying Bill, a performance of the St Matthew Passion, theme days: one for Women and another led by our Architect practise on Sustainability, and a Hindu Kite Exhibition!
The Festival will also link with the Archbishop of York's Festival in the North as through the Festival on Sundays we shall explore together the Lord's Prayer.
Not yet a member of the Major Churches Network … click here to join
Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme
Following the budget the Heritage Alliance has sent out some more information about where things currently stand regarding the LPWGS
Apparently DCMS is now entering a period of business planning within DCMS which will determine what happens with the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme once the current funding arrangements expire at the end of March 2025. They expect this process to potentially take a number of months. But they hope to get an answer on the Scheme as soon as they can, as they know the sector needs clarity on future arrangements.
This means it is not too late to write to your MP and / or the Culture Secretary if you have have direct experience of the Scheme and haven't already written.
Some comments about how to write:
1. In your subject line, put 'Attn: the Secretary of State (LPWGS)', or something similar. Make sure you say at the beginning why you are writing - to ask for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme to be extended beyond March 2025.
2. If you have concrete experience of the Scheme, then in just one or two paragraphs explain what your project is/was for, and why the VAT refund is/was important. If the building is used for community activities, or is important to local people in other ways, say something about this.
3. Do say if your work was funded by gifts and donations. Also mention if it involves action in response to climate change, or other environmental benefits. Also consider being explicit that you are grateful that government provides the Scheme! Obviously, be polite and avoid hectoring.
4. Send your email to The Rt Hon Lisa Nandy MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 1st Floor, 100 Parliament Street, London SW1A 2BQ at enquiries@dcms.gov.uk. You can also copy your own MP (find their email address https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/).
4. The Heritage Alliance would like to know what is said which may be gathered into a briefing paper. After you have sent it, could you forward a copy of your email to hrb@theheritagealliance.org.uk (or blind-copy the original to them).
Not yet a member of the Major Churches Network … click here to join
Cathedrals Plus conference
Not yet a member of the Major Churches Network … click here to join
Job Advert: Head of Operations at St Mary Redcliffe, a Major Parish Church, Bristol.
After three highly effective years in post, our Head of Operations James Rodliff is leaving St Mary Redcliffe Church to take up a role of Director at the Dr Jenner House & Museum.
We are now searching for someone to continue that collaborative and transformative work:
· delivering the strategic plan for SMR as a centre of innovative mission, ministry, commerce and arts that delights and surprises
· managing the resources of the church in a sustainable way to realise the ambition of the church
· overseeing major projects to enable us to be more accessible and inclusive as part of the vibrant city centre offer in Bristol
As an inclusive church St Mary Redcliffe seeks to be an inclusive employer and would encourage anyone who feels they have the appropriate skills to succeed in this role to apply.
Appointment subject to necessary Safeguarding, right to work, and legal checks.
Further details available here: Job Pack
Closing Date: 9.0am Mon 2 Dec
Interview: Mon 9 Dec
Carbon Net Zero Round Table
Rev Tobie Osmond of Taunton Minster has set up a Zoom call for the Exeter Hub around the theme of Carbon Net Zero. Given the opportunity to open this up more widely, we are publicising this ‘round table’ on the newsletter. Dan Wills from Bath & Wells diocese will provide about 30 minutes of input allowing for a similar amount of time for general discussion.
Thursday 23 May from 11.30 to 1.0pm
Registration for the event can be made here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIlceGurz8qHtHWW2PLOmirAVWphpbfu9Xv
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting..
News (and a challenge) from Totnes
St Mary’s Totnes
Peter Hilken, Secretary of Totnes St Mary’s restoration and renewal project:
St Mary’s. Totnes, has embarked on a programme to renew and transform its five hundred year old building. The plan is to make it more accommodating for a wide range of purposes, some of them non-religious. This will be accomplished without impairing the church’s beauty or sacred character. We have thousands of visitors every year. I talk to many of them, and find hey are keenly interested in learning what we are doing to keep the building open, in good repair, and useful in new ways.
We value our membership of the Major Churches network, and would like to have more contact with, and learn from, our fellow members in the South West.
Our proposal is to produce a poster exhibition illustrating how we serve the community. Our own poster is likely to show some of the school students who are currently conducting a survey of wild life in our large and rather bare churchyard. The church will be shown in the background. At the end of the summer the three schools involved will recommend what we might do to make God’s Holy Acre more friendly for plants and creatures - including humans.
All other churches producing a similar poster will receive electronic versions of the complete set. At a later stage we may reach out beyond the South West. I fancy having pictures here of what is happening in Bath and Hexham Abbeys!
If you would like to participate, or to learn more about what is proposed, please contact me: peter.hilken@ntlworld.com
Eastern Hub
Tom Mumford writes:
The Eastern region network has now gathered twice, first in Peterborough and secondly in Ipswich.
The group decided on its first gathering that it would like to travel around and visit Major Churches rather than meet in a central location. Those who have come have really enjoyed and valued to time together.
We are very much looking forward to visiting Cambridge on 4th June, with thanks to Canon Jutta Brueck.
For more information, please email parishoffice@stmaryletower.org
London & South East Hub
Joe Moffatt writes:
The London and South-East network has got off the ground with some very encouraging meetings that have brought people together from as far as Bedford, Battle and Bromsgrove. Our usual number tends to be around 20, but with new people each time, so an overall attendance of around 40.
We meet once a term, visiting a different church each time. So far we’ve been to St Marylebone (with its remarkable health centre in the crypt), All Saints Kingston (with its Saxon coronation heritage) and St John’s Holland Park (a Gothic Revival masterpiece, brought back from the brink of destruction to its original splendour). The opportunity to see how its done in other places is certainly part of the attraction.
We’ve also invited participants to share a ‘knotty issue’, opening up good discussion and the sharing of experience and ideas. These include handling ‘contested heritage’, the development of auxiliary buildings and the integration of different cultural groups within our congregations.
But the real added value comes in the conversations over coffee and lunch. Incumbents, curates, churchwardens, administrators and treasurers all buzz with the experience of finding others in a similar situation who have tackled similar challenges.
We look forward to more of the same. Next meetings are St Alphege Greenwich (June 18) and St Mary Abbots Kensington (Nov 19).
South West Hub
Mark Wood writes:
A dozen of us from across the south west met on line in late January. We were asked to name:
one thing that’s gone well
one thing that we are struggling with
one thing that we’re curious to know more about (i.e. if it was a topic for a future meeting it might entice you along!)
Things that were going well included
• attendance is up and community engagement is good; we are enjoying a relaxed feel
• Christingle … with cards not oranges!
• Christmas Day went very well
• Christmas service numbers are back to pre-pandemic levels
• Community Carol service was amazing
• great attendance at Advent & Christmas services
• services during Advent & Christmas went really well
• the joy of finding the right person for a particular role
• we did a new Epiphany Procession service which was great
• we have appointed a full time youth minister
• we’ve made some great staff appointments
Things we’re struggling with:
• £0.5m needed for rewiring; need to find money to pay for functional stuff
• church heating
• finances and the need to seek grant funding
• funding streams needed
• grant funding
• I am always and only in response mode
• looking into employing a fundraiser
• solar panels
• the other churches in the benefice
• too many lights on the dash board are glowing red
• volunteer drop out rate
Things we’re curious about:
· being a major parish church in a deprived area
· being a priest in context
· carbon net zero
· children’s ministry
· eco-church
· enhance the visitor experience by sharing good practice
· growing our own
· how heritage venue meets faith community
· making the building work better as an evangelist
· something exciting for congregations
· working the pulpit
If you’re wondering whether joining the network is for you, then these are the kinds of things your colleagues are talking about. If they strike a chord with you and you haven’t already joined, why not join now?
Regional Meetings
We are very keen to see Regional Hubs operating across the country. As Mark has written in his piece, they are not only great ways for churches to support each other but also please where confidential conversations can be had in the knowledge that they will be kept confidential.
At the moment we have Hubs in
North .. Canon Hilary Barber of Halifax Minster
London & South East … Canon Stephen Evans of St Marylebone and Rev Joe Moffatt of All Saints Kingston
South West … Rev Mark Wood of Wilton Parish Church and Canon Dan Tyndall of St Mary Redcliffe
East … Rev Tom Mumford of St Mary-le-Tower, Ipswich
and we are keen to establish Hubs in
West Midlands
North West
Hubs are an opportunity for clergy and lay leaders to get together for mutual support and practical advice. Sometimes there are specific themes whilst other meetings are more general and conversational. We are aware that it can be easier to get to a location by train that isn’t in your area. So we are more than happy for you to select which Hub to attend.
As I say, we’re keen to get Hubs for the West Midlands and the North West. I think it’s fair to say that once the hubs are up and running (and we can help with contact emails, ideas, etc) then keeping it ticking over isn’t a huge ask. If you would like to know more please contact Dan Tyndall MCN Chair.
Hub Gatherings this year:
North Hub meets from 11.00am to 2.30pm in Leeds Minster. Next meeting dates are Tuesday 21 May and Tuesday 10 September.
London / South East Hub meets from 10.0am to 1.30pm. Next meeting dates are Tuesday 18 June at St Alfege, Greenwich. Tuesday 19 November at St Mary Abbots, Kensington
South West Hub meets from 11.0am to 2.30pm in Crediton Parish Church. Next meeting dates are Tuesday 9 July and Tuesday 19 November.
Eastern Sages will meet in Great St Mary’s Cambridge on Tuesday 4 June
Please do contact the Hub coordinator that makes most sense to you and we will do our best to keep you in the right loop!