Magnify Youth Event

You and the young people you work with are warmly invited to attend MAGNIFY on Saturday 19th March. This year Magnify will aim to present the good news about Jesus through drama dance and music, sound, light, screen and word. All this will be done by our young people aged between 10 and 22! 

We hope it will be an enjoyable and challenging evening wherever you are on your journey of faith. All young people from age 10 upwards are welcome to come, and the people who need to transport them, if they are coming a long way.

Admission is completely free and refreshments will be free too!

Whether you have young people who desperately need to hear about the love of Jesus, or young people who need some encouragement to keep going and keep growing in their Christian faith...this is the event for you.

More details are available on the downloadable poster..see the link below.

It would be great to see you there. If you intend to bring some young people, it would be helpful to have a rough idea of how many before the event if possible.

God Bless

Ali Goodman

St Luke's youth worker

Download a PDF poster HERE

Making Sense of Scripture

A Course during Lent at St Wilfrid’s.

Lent is a good time to take up a new challenge; so here’s an invitation!

Reading the Bible is not always easy for us.  We need to remember that it’s made up of different types of literature.  Poetry is quite different to prose, and each needs to be read in different ways.  We might find that we can make some sense of the Gospels, yet we’re bewildered by Proverbs or the Prophets.

This course gives practical guidelines on how to read these different types of books which we find in the Bible.  The first hour of each session will involve teaching and discussion, led by Bill Goodman.  Then the second hour will be about putting it into practice, probably in pairs or in a group.  You could do this with other members of your Home Group, if you choose to come along together.  Each evening is self-contained, so missing one or two is not a problem. 

We’ll meet on Wednesday evenings, in St Wilfrid’s Church Hall in Kibworth.  We’ll begin each evening at 7.30pm (7.15 if you’d like coffee), and finish at 9.30pm.  Here’s the plan:

March 16^th       Lost in Translations:             Which Bible Shall I Read?

    Caring Conversations:          How to Read the New Testament Letters

March 23^rd     Striking Stories:                     How to Read Biblical Narratives

March 30^th      Four Stories of One Story:    How to Read the Gospels

April 6^th          Praying Poetry:                     How to Read the Psalms (and Wisdom)

April 13^th           Proclaiming and Predicting:  How to Read the Prophets (and Law)

April 20^th        Revealing Mysteries:             How to Read the Apocalyptic Books

Whether you know the Bible well, or hardly at all, you should find something worthwhile here.  Do come along – all welcome!

Bill Goodman

Mission Partnership Candlemas Carols

A traditional Candlemas service will take place on Sunday 30th January 2011at St.Wilfrid’s Church, Kibworth, 6.30pm. It will be a traditional sung service, with readings and carols, with a joint choir from different benefices within the Mission Partnership.

The Big Society in Action

Last night 100 key leaders from the nine mainstream denominations of the Christian Church in Leicester and Leicestershire gathered to discuss how they might work together over the next three years to most effectively continue to serve the communities of which they are part.

A recent survey concluded that Christians in the UK contribute seventy two million hours a year of voluntary time serving their local communities. Over the next four years groups of Christian churches in villages and market towns across Leicestershire, as well as in the city are partnering together to build on these 72m hour in a range of initiatives. These initiatives will focus on serving those in need both in practical ways and by sharing the message of life, hope and love found in Jesus Christ which lies at the heart of all they do.

Last night’s event, held at Leicester College, was addressed passionately by a range of speakers keen to build on the many positive things already going on. In closing the evening the Bishop of Leicester, Rt Revd Tim Stevens said, “Tonight’s gathering has reminded us all of the urgent need for the churches to get active in serving our communities and especially the poor as we enter ‘the age of austerity’. It has offered us a vision of what the Big Society could be.”

Revd Dianne Tidball of the East Midlands Baptist Association, and chair of the Churches Together in Leicestershire group, commented, it was “great to be amongst so many people enthusiastic for the mission of God and inspiring to hear of so many initiatives to connect our communities with Christ’s love”

The aim of the evening was to provide a ‘missional menu’ of opportunities for churches working together to engage in mission over the coming four years. This vision casting included exploring the possibilities surrounding the Olympic and Para-Olympic Games through ‘More than Gold’, the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible through Biblefresh and keynote speaker Roy Crowne, Executive Director of Hope Together shared an inspiring vision of churches working together in word and deed evangelism.

For more information on any of these and how you church might be involved please contact Diocesan Mission Enabler, Revd Barry Hill, barry.hill@leccofe.org

From attending to Belonging to Contributing: as simple as ABC?

Over the past year over 1,300 people, who weren’t previously members of any church, joined the worshipping communities that make up the Church of England in Leicester and Leicestershire. This is great news, but it also presents a challenge.

Many of those that are new haven’t grown up with the Christian story, language, symbols or being part of any church, in any way. Added to which the experience of many is that often church communities, with their strong sense of fellowship, can be difficult places to join in their own right. How then might we help those who are new to church to become fully a part of our worshipping communities, able to contribute their gifts and grow deeper as disciples of Jesus?

We are delighted to welcome Bob Jackson to help us think further about this. Bob is the best selling author of Hope for the Church and The Road to Growth, co-author of major new welcome course, Everybody Welcome, experienced parish priest, and former Archdeacon of Walsall & Growth Officer for the Diocese of Lichfield. Whether you are a church leader, member of a church council, Churchwarden, Sidesperson, part of a welcome team, Mission Partnership Convenor, Mission Action Group member, Area Dean, archdeacon mission committee member or just interested in the topic, you are most welcome to join Bob for this special one-off gathering organised under the banner of Shaped by God: the diocesan vision for mission.

As the topic is so important, the session will run twice. Once in a slightly extended format in the morning and once in the evening on the same day:
Wednesday 13th October 2010

Extended morning session
Time: 9:30am-1:00pm (with coffee and pastries from 9:15am)
Location: St Paul’s Church, Hamble Road, Oadby, Leicester
Free parking in St. Paul’s car park

Repeated evening session
Time: 7:30-9:30pm (with coffee and pastries from 7:15pm)
Location: Emmanuel Church, Forest Road, Loughborough
Free parking in Emmanuel’s two car parks

Both sessions are free to attend, but, with demand expected to be high and limited places, book soon to avoid disappointment!).
Bookings to Carol (carol.gibbons@leccofe.org or 0116 248 7411).
For more information contact Mission Enabler, Barry Hill, barry.hill@leccofe.org or 0116 248 7435.

Special Resourcing Gatherings 2010

for Mission Partnership Action Groups, Convenors, Area Deans,
Archdeaconry Mission Committees and anyone else who would like to come!

Evening for lay members of Mission Action Groups (PMAGs)
Wednesday 23rd June, 7:45pm – 9:30pm, St. Paul’s, Oadby
A new addition to this years timetable, a gathering for just lay members of Partnership Mission Action Groups. Based on an idea from Watermead Mission Partnership, which worked really well, it’s an opportunity to share, discuss and pray together. There is no cost for the evening, but booking at least a week before hand is essential.

Bookings to Carol (carol.gibbons@leccofe.org or 0116 248 7411).

Morning or Evening with Bob Jackson for all
Wednesday 13th October, EITHER 9:30am-1pm, St. Paul’s, Oadby
OR 7:30pm-9:30pm, the same day, at Emmanuel, Loughborough
Best selling author of Hope for the Church and The Road to Growth, co-author of major new welcome course, Everybody Welcome, experienced parish priest, and former Archdeacon of Walsall/Growth Officer for the Diocese of Lichfield, Bob Jackson is one of this countries most respected experts on church growth and welcome. With a wealth of anecdotal experience and statistical evidence, he brings a fresh, and at times challenging, take on church growth. During the longer morning session and repeated in slightly shorter form the same night, Bob looks at what it means to be a welcoming church, set in the wider context of the changing times we live in. Everyone is welcome to this important session together.
There is no cost for the morning, but booking at least a week before hand is essential (although places are limited and demand expected to be high so book soon to avoid disappointment!).
Bookings to Carol (carol.gibbons@leccofe.org or 0116 248 7411).

New Prayer Course

Jonathan Walker, a Reader in the Church of England has written a new course on prayer called Prayer Eleven for Seekers. The course is aimed at teaching individuals (or perhaps small groups) about prayer, and they can download the course for free from his website www.prayereleven.org

If you think your congregation or others might be interested in this please could you put a notice in your church notice sheet (see website) or forward them a link to this post.

A Day Conference for Leicestershire on Rural Mission

A Day Conference for Leicestershire on Rural Mission

Saturday 10th July at Broughton Astley Village Hall, from 10am to 4pm.

In response to requests from Mission Partnerships, Barry Hill, the Mission Enabler for the Diocese and colleagues have been planning a major day conference for Leicestershire on Rural Mission. They are still finalising the last few speakers and presenters, but I wanted to let you have all the details we currently had so it could get in people’s diaries before it was too late!

It will take place on Saturday 10th July at Broughton Astley Village Hall (just south of the city), from 10am to 4pm. It is specially for designed for all those in rural churches (leaders, licensed ministers, Churchwardens, church council members, small group leaders, those who help with children and young peoples work, those interested in new ways of being church and Fresh Expressions, and anyone else interested in the mission in a rural context). The day will be led by a range of experienced practitioners in different aspects of rural mission and will include several keynote addresses (followed by times of questions and answers), and a choice of two seminars from these five:

* How do we resource mission in a time of often diminishing resources
* Rural Children, Rural Church: Mission Opportunities with young people
* Fresh Expressions in a Rural Context
* What might a fruitful rural Mission Partnership look like
* Church Tourism and mission – making effective use of our buildings

The heavily subsidised day costs just £5 per person, including lunch and refreshments during the day (booking in advance, but payment on the day).
It is designed for groups from a church to attend together, so to encourage this, if four tickets are bought from a single church or benefice, the fifth is free! More details and booking with Carol Gibbons (carol.gibbons@leccofe.org, 0116 248 7411). Numbers are limited to 150, so if interested best to book as soon as possible.

Evening for lay members of Mission Action Groups (PMAGs)

Wednesday 23rd June, 7:45pm – 9:30pm, St. Paul’s, Oadby
A new addition to this years timetable, a gathering for just lay members of Partnership Mission Action Groups. Based on an idea from Watermead Mission Partnership, which worked really well, it’s an opportunity to share, discuss and pray together. There is no cost for the evening, but booking at least a week before hand is essential. Bookings to Carol (carol.gibbons@leccofe.org or 0116 248 7411).