Lucy Harrison
Broken. A six week study course for Lent, Canon Dr Paula Gooder, Director of Mission Learning & Development Birmingham Diocese
The TV series, Broken, written by Jimmy McGovern and starring Sean Bean is set in an estate parish somewhere in the UK. The church used at the centre of the series is in Liverpool but the series never explicitly states that this is where the narrative is set. The series focuses on the life and ministry Father Michael Kerrigan, a Roman Catholic, priest who, despite past trauma and anxiety about his own inadequacies, attempts to bring the light of Christ into the lives of the people amongst whom he ministers. The series portrays real life at its most gritty and unvarnished, and in doing so raises many questions along the way about how to live faithfully when life is very hard.
This course arose out of numerous conversations I had with people after the series aired. So many people commented that they thought it would make an excellent Lent or study course that I thought it would be interesting to have a go. I have shaped the course around the principles of the series itself – which raises far more questions than it ever answers. The idea of the course is to provide the space for people to pick up the questions raised in the series and to explore how they might want to answer them.
Please click on the link below to download the sessions, leaders' notes and a list of helplines as the series contains disturbing story lines.
http://www.cofebirmingham.com/news/2018/01/23/broken-six-week-study-course-lent/
Nothing More and Nothing Less: A Lent Course based on the film I, Daniel Blake
The film I, Daniel Blake covers themes of oppression, compassion and radical response by telling the story of two people's struggles with an oppressive and dehumanising benefits system. This is a five-week Lent study, suitable for groups or individuals, that encourages readers to consider the stories of the film and how Christians may be called to respond. Chapters cover such topics as Compassion in the Darkness and the Suffering Servant. The book includes scene timings for key scenes, discussion points, meditations and suggested prayers.
Not A Tame Lion
This is a Lent course based on the Bible and related scenes and characters from the Narnia films The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian and the C S Lewis bio-pic Shadowlands. There are five group discussion sessions exploring themes of suffering, God’s absence and the gift of the present in Christ. Personal meditations and further studies exploring the deeper meaning of the films with reference to heaven, judgement, and the force of evil are also included.
https://chbookshop.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9780232527001/not-a-tame-lion
A Beautiful Friendship This course is based on the film classic Casablanca, which provides a great basis for discussion of themes of sacrifice, repentance, suffering, loss and hope at Lent. Its wartime setting provides additional poignancy for study at a time of continued armed conflict around the world as well as the centenary remembrance of the first world war. Miranda and Not Going Out writer Paul Kerensa makes an intriguing departure from his comedy writing, preparing this moving book with his wife, Zoe Young. It is designed to be studied by groups or individuals alongside the DVD of Casablanca. The book includes leaders' notes, timings for film clips, discussion-starters, reflections and prayers.
https://chbookshop.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9780232531404/beautiful-friendship
Finding a Voice This is a new and original Lent course by Hilary Brand which takes the film, The King's Speech, as a starting point, and explores the ways in which fear holds us back and examines how we, like Bertie, can face and overcome our fears and begin to find our authentic voice. The course is based around five weekly group sessions which each include extracts from the film, group discussion questions, exercises and meditations. There are also short introductory and follow up chapters, with related Bible passages, for individual reading each week. Also included is a suggested follow up session, along with full notes for leaders.
https://chbookshop.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9780232528930/finding-a-voice
Another Story Must Begin This Lent course based on the film, the novel and the stage adaptation of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables. Through discussion of some of the themes and principal characters of this epic narrative, the course explores the grace of God and our own fallen state and opportunity for redemption, and helps us to reassess what we can do with our lives and for those around us. The course is based around five weekly group sessions: Fantine and Cosette, the Bishop of Digne, Jean Valjean, Javert and Redemption and Salvation. Each session includes watching scenes from the Oscar-winning movie (with timing references for the DVD), and questions and reflections for group discussion. Each session also includes introductory reading, notes for leaders, related Bible passages and suggested closing prayers.
https://chbookshop.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9780232530278/another-story-must-begin
The Mystery of Everything This Lent course by Hilary Brand takes the award-winning film about Stephen Hawking, The Theory of Everything, as its starting point. The course explores ways in which the mysteries of the universe and of everyday life - and the acceptance that we have more questions than answers - can reinvigorate our faith and spiritual journey. The course is based around five weekly group sessions entitled: the experience of wonder, the enigma of weakness, the complexity of relationships, the encounter with frailty and the hope beyond brokenness. Each session includes an extract from the film, group discussion questions and a meditation. There are also short introductory and follow up chapters for individual reading each week, and a chapter of Bible passages for further daily reading. The book supplies full notes for group course leaders.
https://chbookshop.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9780232532081/mystery-of-everything
This book provides encouragement to all those who feel the need to refresh how they pray. It looks at prayer as having the trust and belief that God is truly interested in everything that happens to us and wants to hear about it. The book leads the reader into the theological aspects of prayer and how it relates to Christ, to the Holy Spirit and to the Church. This is done without using complex theological concepts but simply through scriptural quotations. Chapters are kept brief intentionally to make the book suitable for daily reading over the Lenten period. With a foreword by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Say it to God demonstrates that the everyday, even the most mundane of tasks and situations, can be applied in deepening our practice of prayer.
The Children’s Society provide The Story of Lent, prayers and reflections
https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-you-can-do/your-church/pray-worship-reflect/worship/lent
Christian Aid have daily Count Your Blessings reflections for both adults and children.
https://www.christianaid.org.uk/lent-easter/lent-calendar
Life Balance
21st century living is hectic. Getting the right 'life balance' between rest, work and play seems almost impossible. In five interactive sessions, Life Balance aims to help groups explores: How to build Sabbath time into the crazy pressures of everyday life. How 'Sabbath attitudes' can transform the way we spend our time. Each session contains enough material for a 90-minute session and includes guidelines for group study, with full background notes for leaders, interactive activities, questions for discussion and multimedia ideas, and ideas for practical action.
https://chbookshop.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9780715142776/life-balance
You can download the excel file here
What is the Parish Giving Scheme?
The Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) is a direct debit system set up to help parishes in the Diocese of Derby encourage and grow regular donations and is offered to all churches in the diocese free of charge.
Donations can be made on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis by Direct Debit online, on the phone, or using a PGS gift form.
PGS manages the donation process to ensure all donations are delivered quickly and safely to the parish, and will process the gift aid on those donations meaning the parish receives regular gift aid payments each month.
A unique feature of the scheme is the option for the donor to commit in principle to increase their gift annually in line with inflation.
Whilst this is a voluntary decision, it is one that could potentially have a huge impact on the life and future of the church by tackling static giving.
See also: Giving and Generosity
Parish Giving Scheme Key Benefits
The Parish Giving Scheme is a modern and efficient way of managing planned giving to your church. Tried and tested, this scheme will:
- Improve cash flow through the efficient reclaiming of Gift Aid
- Overcome static giving with the option of donations automatically uplifted by inflation each year
- Offer an opportunity for parishes to re-engage people in thinking about their own level of financial generosity
- Reduce the time your Treasurer and Gift Aid Secretairies need to spend on administration
How does the Parish Giving Scheme work?
The Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) enables a planned giver to donate to any parish registered with the scheme. Donations can be made on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. They are collected by Direct Debit on the first day of the month. The donations are then passed on to the specific parish by the tenth of the month. The Gift Aid is then remitted to the parish once the PGS office has received the money from HMRC. The timing of the Gift Aid payment will accordingly vary each month.
Here is what the process looks like. based on an example gift of £50 a month:
Managing inflation
One of the biggest challenges faced by many of our churches is that of 'static giving'. Churches like every organisation and household, are affected by inflation, eroding the value of your gifts. The Parish Giving Scheme makes it easy for doners to agree, in principle, to increase their donation in line with inflation each year.
Encourage Giving and Generosity in your parish
As well as the benefits listed above, the introduction of such a scheme offers a clear and excellent opportunity to engage people in thinking about leveles of financial generosity.
We are recommending that a Church commits to a stewardship initiative when they join the Parish Giving Scheme.
Parish Giving Scheme resources
Hard copies of all the materials below - plus the PGS Donor Direct Debit Gift Form, Parish Registration Form and PGS Token are available from:
Steve Johnson
Living Generously Advisor
steve.johnson@derby.anglican.org
07359 067631.
For Donors:
- A better way to give financially to your local church - the Parish Giving Scheme explained
- Living Generously - Giving regularly to support mission and ministry in the local church
- Frequently asked Questions by donors
For Church Leaders:
- Parish Giving Scheme Implementation Handbook for Local Churches
- 'Our Annual Review' brochure
- Parish Action List
- Stewardship - Annual Review
- Giving in Grace - Why Preaching Matters
- Frequently Asked Questions by PCCs
Other Resources
The Diocese of Liverpool "Giving in Grace" programme: www.givingingrace.org
An enormous resource for encouraging giving and stewardship. Alongside practical tools for reviewing giving, it includes theological reflections, preaching notes and Bible studies.
The Church of England's Parish Resources Website: www.parishresources.org.uk
Access to a wealth of practical resources to support the life and work of parishes.
Encouraging Giving and Stewardship: www.parishresources.org.uk/giving
Preaching and teaching on giving and stewardship; re-imagining the offertory, moving from 'collection' to 'offering', and helping to generate a sense of joyful offering in responce to God's generosity; and parish-based programmes to review giving and encouraging stewardship (including the parish Funding programme, Giving in Grace, a Simple Giving Programme for Smaller Churches, and Giving for Life).
Gift Aid: www.parishresources.org.uk/giftaid/
Factsheets about Gift Aid, the government scheme that allows parishes to relaim the tax paid on donations, including the Small Donations Scheme.
The Church Legacy website: www.churchlegacy.org.uk
Information about how to encourage individuals to remember the Church in their wills. Parishes receive over 5,000 legacies each year - gifts to finance mission projects, maintain beautiful church buildings and grow faithful communities. These gifts make a real difference to the future work of the Church - as regular giving often concentrates on maintaining the existing mission and ministry.
For further information, please contact:
Steve Johnson, Living Generously Advisor,
steve.johnson@derby.anglican.org
07359 067631.
The Revd Phil Mann, Planting Curate at Holy Trinity Brompton, Diocese of London, will be licensed as Pioneer Minister of the Derby City Bishop's Mission Order, Diocese of Derby, on Tuesday 1st August in the Bishop's Chapel, Duffield, by the Bishop of Derby. Mr Mann will be based at St Werburgh's Church, Friar Gate, Derby. The primary focus will be on young people, including students and yound professionals.
The Revd Canon Jean Burgess, Priest - in - Charge of Derby St Alkmund and St Werburgh, and Dean of Women’s Ministry, Diocese of Derby, has also been appointed Assistant Archdeacon of Derby for the period 1st May - 30th September, 2017.
Stella Greenwood: ordained priest, 2018
Rolls Royce Engineering Operations Controller, Stella Greenwood was ordained Deacon at in 2017.
Stella, from Church Gresley, Swadlincote became Assistant Curate to the parishes of Emmanuel Swadlincote and St Peter’s Hartshorne.
Married to Paul with two children, Stella also works with South Derbyshire Scouts as a Local Training Manager and has been licensed as a Reader since 2006.
As a self-supporting minister, Stella continues in her other roles whilst taking on a new identity as a deacon following studying for ministry at All Saints Centre for Mission and Ministry.
Stella said: “On completion of my Reader training I believed that my calling was to Reader ministry and in many ways, it was. But God had further plans for me and over time and with much prayer and discussion it became clear to me that God was calling me to ordained ministry. Through my training, my understanding of my future ministry has grown clearer as I have learnt a lot about myself and about the way that God wants to use me. This step into ordained ministry is a challenging one but I know that it is me that God is calling to this ministry and he will support me as I move into this new phase of my journey with him.”
She added: “My hope is that I can make my own contribution to the life of these parishes and be an instrument of God's love to these people and these communities. This will be an exciting challenge but one which with God's help I believe I can meet. The biggest thing I have learnt is that God calls and uses all sorts of people. If he is calling you then he wants you as you are.”
Edward Backhouse: ordained priest, 2018
Edward Backhouse joined the Diocese of Derby as Assistant Curate following his ordination in 2017. He serves the communities of Aston on Trent, Weston on Trent, Elvaston, Shardlow, Swarkestone, Barrow upon Trent and Twyford.
Edward was encouraged to explore the possibility of ministry by a local minister after he felt the call at the age of 16. Hew was ordained Deacon when he was 26, having spent five years studying theology both at St John’s Theological College, Nottingham and Cranmer Hall, Durham.
Talking about his new role Edward said:
“I hope that I will see many blessings in my life when I start my new role as a deacon. I hope to see the churches flourish and equip the laity to do God's work in our local area.
"I'm most looking forward to actually doing on-the-ground ministry, after the last five years have been spent in theological college forming myself for that role.
"To anyone considering the step into ministry, I would encourage you to step out and explore the possibility of vocation in the church."
Sarah Watson: ordained priest, 2018
Sarah Watson joined the Diocese of Derby as Assistant Curate in the Walbrook Epiphany Team Ministry.
Derby County fan Sarah originally trained as a secondary school teacher, becoming Head of Faculty and Lead for Christian Distinctiveness at Bluecoat Academy in Nottingham.
During this time, she began to experience a call to ordination.
“Through working for the Church of England in education & becoming increasingly involved in school chaplaincy, pastoral care and leading worship, I began to feel a call into ordained ministry. I prayed this through, tested it with others and had the calling affirmed by the church,” said Sarah.
After leaving teaching in 2015, Sarah trained at the newly formed Barnabus Training Centre of St Hild College.
This involved a mix of weekly lectures in Sheffield, home study and a placement at St Paul’s Church in Chester Green.
She also took part in week long residential study period in Durham, providing a chance to return to where she studied for her undergraduate degree in Theology.
Sarah said: “This way of training is increasingly popular, especially for those with a family and partners in employment.
"I trained alongside Baptists and independent church leaders as well people from different traditions within the Church of England, which was enriching.
"Going away to college has its benefits but contextual training has been a great preparation for life in ordained ministry.
"I loved the college, the course and the people I met, I couldn’t recommend it more highly.”
Talking about what she hoped to achieve in her new role in the Walbrook Epiphany Team Ministry, Sarah said: “It may sound simple but I want to serve the people I am called to work with, understand the context well, seeking where God is at work and joining in.
"As a natural activist, it is easy to jump in - but I want to go there, listen and follow God’s lead. I also have a lot to learn along the way in parish ministry and would also like to explore aspects of chaplaincy.
"It will be an adjustment for myself and my family, and I am sure that through it I will be changed as God continues to work in and through me”
She added: “To anyone else considering taking this step I would say - Pray, pay attention to the ‘still small voice,’ talk with people you trust and have a chat with your incumbent. Don’t compare yourself to others, the key question is, is God calling you?
"I have really enjoyed the journey and don’t be afraid to step out from what you are doing”
Sarah lives in Derby and is married with a son.
