Invitations to Confession

A1       When the Lord comes,

            he will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness,

            and will disclose the purposes of the heart.

            Therefore in the light of Christ let us confess our sins.

cf 1 Corinthians 4.5

A2       A voice cries out in the wilderness,

           ‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’

            So let us listen, and turn to the Lord in penitence and faith.

cf John 1.23

Gospel Acclamation

G1      Alleluia, alleluia.

           Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,

           and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.                                                            

           Alleluia.

cf Isaiah 40.3-5

Introductions to the Peace

J1        In the tender mercy of our God,

            the dayspring from on high shall break upon us,

            to give light to those who dwell in darkness

            and in the shadow of death,

            and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

J3        May the God of peace make you completely holy,

            ready for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayers at the Preparation of the Table

K2       Look upon us in mercy not in judgement;

           draw us from hatred to love;

           make the frailty of our praise

           a dwelling place for your glory. Amen.

K3       As the grain once scattered in the fields

           and the grapes once dispersed on the hillside

           are now reunited on this table in bread and wine,

           so, Lord, may your whole Church soon be gathered together

           from the corners of the earth

           into your kingdom.  Amen.

Prefaces

L1        And now we give you thanks

            because you sent him to redeem us from sin and death,

            and to make us inheritors of everlasting life;

            that when he shall come again in power and great triumph

            to judge the world,

            we may with joy behold his appearing,

            and in confidence may stand before him.

L2        And now we give you thanks

            because when he humbled himself

            to come among us in human flesh,

            he fulfilled the plan you formed long ago

            and opened for us the way of salvation.

            So now we watch for the day,

            knowing that the salvation promised us will be ours

            when Christ our Lord will come again in glory.

L3        And now we give you thanks

            because you prepared the way of your Son Jesus Christ

            by the preaching of your servant John the Baptist,

            who proclaimed him as the Lamb of God, our Saviour.

L4        And now we give you thanks

            because your Son our Lord was awaited by the prophets,

            announced by an angel,

            conceived by a virgin,

            and proclaimed at last to men and women of every race.

Extended Prefaces

M1 From the First Sunday of Advent until 16 December

           It is indeed right and good to give you thanks and praise,

           almighty God and everlasting Father,

           through Jesus Christ your Son.

           For when he humbled himself to come among us in human flesh,

           he fulfilled the plan you formed before the foundation of the world

           to open for us the way of salvation.

           Confident that your promise will be fulfilled,

           we now watch for the day

           when Christ our Lord will come again in glory.

           And so we join our voices with angels and archangels

          and with all the company of heaven

          to proclaim your glory

          for ever praising you and saying:

M2 From 17 December until Christmas Eve

          It is indeed right and good to give you thanks and praise,

          almighty God and everlasting Father,

          through Jesus Christ your Son.

          He is the one foretold by all the prophets,

          whom the Virgin Mother bore with love beyond all telling.

         John the Baptist was his herald

         and made him known when at last he came.

         In his love Christ fills us with joy

         as we prepare to celebrate his birth,

         so that when he comes again he may find us watching in prayer,

         our hearts filled with wonder and praise.

         And so, with angels and archangels,

         and with all the company of heaven,

         we proclaim your glory,

         and join in their unending hymn of praise:

Blessings and Ending

P1       Christ the Sun of Righteousness shine upon you,

            scatter the darkness from before your path,

            and make you ready to meet him when he comes in glory;

            and the blessing …

P2       May God himself, the God of peace,

           make you perfect and holy,

           and keep you safe and blameless, in spirit, soul and body,

           for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ;

           and the blessing …

P3       May God the Father,

           who loved the world so much that he sent his only Son,

           give you grace to prepare for life eternal. Amen.

           May God the Son,

           who comes to us as redeemer and judge,

           reveal to you the path from darkness to light. Amen.

           May God the Holy Spirit,

           by whose working the Virgin Mary conceived the Christ,

           help you bear the fruits of holiness. Amen.

           And the blessing …

P4       May God the Father, judge all-merciful,

            make us worthy of a place in his kingdom.

            Amen.

             May God the Son, coming among us in power,

             reveal in our midst the promise of his glory.

             Amen.

            May God the Holy Spirit make us steadfast in faith,

            joyful in hope and constant in love.

            Amen.

           And the blessing …

Resources taken from Common Worship Times and Seasons. ©The Archbishops Council 2006.

Intercessions for Advent

H1       In joyful expectation of his coming to our aid

            we pray to Jesus.

            Come to your Church as Lord and judge.

            We pray for…

            Help us to live in the light of your coming

            and give us a longing for your kingdom.

            Maranatha:

           Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

            Come to your world as King of the nations.

            We pray for…

            Before you rulers will stand in silence.

            Maranatha:

            Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

            Come to the suffering as Saviour and comforter.

            We pray for…

            Break into our lives,

            where we struggle with sickness and distress,

            and set us free to serve you for ever.

            Maranatha:

            Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

            Come to us as shepherd and guardian of our souls.

            We remember…

            Give us with all the faithful departed

            a share in your victory over evil and death.

            Maranatha:

           Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

           Come from heaven, Lord Jesus, with power and great glory.

           Lift us up to meet you,

           that with [N and] all your saints and angels

           we may live and reign with you in your new creation.

           Maranatha:

           Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Silence is kept.

           Come, Lord Jesus, do not delay;

           give new courage to your people,

           who trust in your love.

           By your coming, raise us to share in the joy of your kingdom

           on earth as in heaven,

          where you live and reign with the Father and the Spirit,

          one God for ever and ever.  Amen.

Intercessions for Advent

H2       Watchful at all times,

            let us pray for strength to stand with confidence

            before our Maker and Redeemer.

            That God may bring in his kingdom with justice and mercy,

            let us pray to the Lord:

            Lord, have mercy.

            That God may establish among the nations

             his sceptre of righteousness,

             let us pray to the Lord:

             Lord, have mercy.

            That we may seek Christ in the Scriptures

            and recognize him in the breaking of the bread,

            let us pray to the Lord:

            Lord, have mercy.

           That God may bind up the brokenhearted,

            restore the sick

            and raise up all who have fallen,

            let us pray to the Lord:

            Lord, have mercy.

          That the light of God’s coming may dawn

          on all who live in darkness and the shadow of death,

         let us pray to the Lord:

         Lord, have mercy.

         That, with all the saints in light,

         we may shine forth as lights for the world,

         let us pray to the Lord:

         Lord, have mercy.

        We commend ourselves and all for whom we pray

        to the mercy and protection of our heavenly Father:

Silence is kept.

         Almighty God,

        as your blessed Son Jesus Christ

        first came to seek and to save the lost;

        so may he come again to find in us

        the completion of his redeeming work;

        for he is now alive

        and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

       God for ever and ever.  Amen.

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To download a word file click here

Gifts Galore 

A distinctive feature of the way we celebrate Christmas is the giving of gifts. As society has become more materialistic, and driven by an increasing desire for ‘growth’ (economic, social, personal) – our gifts have multiplied in number and expanded in range. The challenge of finding the right thing for a particular person. 

Of course we want to please the recipients of our giving, and to spend our money well (good investment!). These criteria are important to givers and receivers. An expression of the greater perfection we try to act out at Christmas. Along with the provision of favourite foods and special treats. 

From Presents to Presence 

But what is really happening in the giving and receiving of gifts? An acknowledgement of a valued relationship. An expression of love and affection. An ownership of obligation or duty. In each or any of these transactions, the core is the giver making themselves present in the life of the receiver – as an act of grace (freely offered) and as a sign of connection not taken for granted, but enhanced by being expressed generously. Presents make present the giver into the life of the receiver – for good, with grace. 

Presence as Present to Us 

And this is the good news of the birth of Jesus Christ. A gift to Mary and Joseph in the stable. A gift of a chorus of glad tidings and peacefulness to shepherds in their ordinary lives. A gift of authority, welfare and organised worship to Wise Men from the high civilisation of the East. 

A gift to each of us if we will acknowledge the presence of God in the presentation to us of this life. A gift bringing real goodness and grace into ordinary lives, into the structures and rituals we need to hold us together and help us to make sense of our deep instinct to find peace on earth, goodwill among people, and a sign of that Glory which gathers all these fundamental human conditions into the hope of heaven. 

Hark – Herald Angels Sing 

I am sure that each of us will choose the presents we give with great care. To show our love and affection to family and friends, and to make ourselves present to them in goodness and grace. 

May we take time to allow our Father, to give His gift to us – a Son, a person who can be present in our lives - a Saviour bringing and enabling goodness, grace and glory. 

Hark the Herald Angels Sing, 

Glory to our new born King.

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The Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches (DAC) is a statutory body set up under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction, which provides advice and guidance on the care of churches and churchyards.

Making changes to church buildings, contents or grounds requires submission of a faculty application (a request for permission) to the Chancellor of the Diocese. Faculties are issued by the Chancellor or the Archdeacons, taking the DAC’s advice into account.

>> See the current faculty applications

The DAC is made up of the Chair, the Revd Canon Matt Barnes, the Archdeacons, representatives of the clergy and laity and national heritage organisations together with architects and others with specialist knowledge. The DAC also has a panel of expert advisers who serve in a voluntary capacity and can be called on to provide additional specialist advice. Between them the members and advisers of the DAC have expertise in a wide variety of specialist fields, including architecture, art, archaeology, bells, heating, organs, clocks, sound and audio systems, liturgy and the environment.

The work of the DAC is vital if the Church is to retain freedom to handle its own planning consents and so protect the role of the churches as places used for worship.

For advice or guidance, please contact:

Kat Alldread: 01332 388683 

Email:  dac@derby.anglican.org

A series of Learning in Faith Bitesize training sessions are available online to guide you through church maintenance and the faculty process. The training sessions are free of charge and available to access at any time.

The Derby Diocesan Registry website has further information on faculty jurisdiction, churchyards, memorials and more.

Churchcare provides a series of guidance notes relating to the care, use and development of church buildings. For further information and guidance, click on the Guidance Notes button below.

REMEMBER : Reguar attention to these things saves you money ...

• inspection: undertake regular inspections, to assess condition, identify problems and to decide whether work is necessary

• regular maintenance tasks: jobs like clearing gutters, testing services, checking for damp and clearing the churchyard

• minor repairs: ongoing minor repairs to the building, perhaps as the result of extreme weather, can include fixing slipped roof tiles, replacing broken glass or making temporary ‘flashband’ repairs

Download your Maintenance Checklist here.

Other helpful information can be found on the National Churches Trust webpages.

To find accredited maintence contractors register for FREE with Maintenance Booker. 

Submitting applications

All applications for works to churches can be made through the Online Faculty System

Online Faculty System

Guidance notes

Additonal Matters Orders

The Faculty Jurisdiction Rules allow the Chancellor to make an order for items that are not listed in Lists A and B to be treated as such rather than needing a full faculty.

Links to the AMOs applicable to this diocese are given below.

>> Additional Matters Order - Vaccination Centres [PDF]