News and Events
A group of 37 has arrived in Kolkata, India, to continue their work of training and support to slum schools and to strengthen links between schools in Kolkata and those in the Diocese of Derby.
The group is comprises of 25 from our schools, 11 health and social care students and 2 of their lecturers form the University of Derby.
We are all settled in our rooms, eating well and delighted to have met for the first time or to be reunited with our friends from the Cathedral Relief Service whose schools and health care projects we are here to work with.
The group aims to share ideas and resources with teachers who work in some of the slum schools there that are overseen by the Cathedral Relief Service (CRS).
This is largely done through teachers from Derby leading lessons in their link school and through of training days later in the week.
The visit will help build on the work done during similar trips over the last five years.
See also: The Kolkata Blog 2019
The Bishop of Repton is moving on from the Diocese of Derby to become Residentiary Canon (House for Duty) at Lichfield Cathedral and Honorary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Lichfield.
The Rt Revd Jan McFarlane will move to Lichfield with her husband Andrew and take on her new role in April, after almost four years as Bishop of Repton.
It will be a return to Diocese of Lichfield for Bishop Jan who was born in Stoke-on-Trent and began parish ministry in Stafford following her ordination as a priest in 1994. From there she served in Ely and Norwich dioceses before becoming the Bishop of Repton in 2016.
Bishop Jan said: “Andrew and I will be very sorry to leave the beautiful county of Derbyshire where we have been so happy. I feel blessed to have worked with some excellent colleagues and wonderful congregations. I came to the diocese knowing there would be a vacancy-in-see to cover. The completion of that task has coincided with the silver anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood, and much reflection during my recent sabbatical on the past 26 years since I was ordained at Lichfield Cathedral.
“In addition, following five years of hospital visits I have been formally declared in remission from cancer. All of this together has led to a desire to live life at a different pace. I look forward to being able to carve out time for writing and to return to the rhythm of preaching, praying, presiding and pastoring for which I was first ordained. I’m much looking forward to returning to my home county and diocese, journeying from Repton to Lichfield quite literally in the footsteps of St Chad.”
Bishop Jan will have a formal farewell at the meeting of the Derby Diocesan Synod on Saturday 7 March. She will preach at Evensong at Derby Cathedral on Sunday 8 March at 6pm and hopes to be able to say a less formal farewell after that service, to which everyone is welcome.
The Bishop of Derby, the Rt Revd Libby Lane, said: “Bishop Jan has been a rich blessing for the Diocese of Derby. With compassion and courage she has offered both care and challenge in a time of transition. She is a good friend, and has been a generous colleague - especially for me as I arrived in the diocese. She is greatly valued and appreciated, and her ministry has been a gift to us: we thank God for her. We recognise the cost of the past few years, and honour her integrity as she moves to this new ministry in Lichfield. She will be greatly missed, but travels in the steps of St Chad with our love and prayers for her and Andrew.”
Bishop Jan will be installed as Residentiary Canon (House for Duty) at Lichfield Cathedral on Friday 3 April during Choral Evensong. She will be welcomed as Honorary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Lichfield at Chrism Eucharist at the cathedral on Maundy Thursday, 9 April.
The Bishop of Lichfield, the Rt Revd Dr Michael Ipgrave, said: “It is a joy to welcome Bishop Jan back to the Diocese of Lichfield, where she was born, baptised, and ordained as a deacon and a priest. I am very pleased that she has agreed to assist in an honorary capacity with episcopal ministry, and I know that we will be greatly enriched by her wisdom, teaching and pastoral gifts. It is fitting that she will be commissioned during the Chrism Eucharist on Maundy Thursday, an occasion on which we pray for all who exercise ordained and licensed ministries.”
The Very Revd Adrian Dorber, Dean of Lichfield Cathedral, said: “Lichfield Cathedral is honoured and delighted to receive Bishop Jan as our new Canon Custos. Her role will be primarily pastoral helping develop our links and concern for all associated with the Cathedral. We look forward to benefitting from her wisdom and experience and having her as a valued colleague. Her arrival will be a bit of a homecoming and we hope she and Andrew will enjoy this return to Jan’s roots.”
Bishop Libby said Bishop Jan has been a "good friend and a generous colleague"
Every parish and every church in the Diocese of Derby has a tale to tell.
Some are historical fact, some are legend, others are traditions now etched in time.
We’ve been asking people in the diocese to tell us about those places and events you really should experience at least once in a lifetime.
So here are some of the most popular. We call it the Diocese of Derby’s Bucket List.
The Venerable Dr Christopher Cunliffe, Archdeacon of Derby, reflects on Epiphany.
Epiphany is the poor relation of Christmas. This is a shame, not least because the carols and music of Epiphany are very special.
And the symbolism of the Epiphany, with the Three Kings or Wise Men bringing their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, is equally memorable.
The Epiphany – or, to give it its other title, the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles - gives Christians the opportunity to consider a crucial question; how is Christ to be born in the world today?
The Bishop’s office has announced that the Revd Carolyn Baker, Assistant Curate in the Dronfield with Holmesfield Team Ministry, has died.
She passed away on Saturday 4th January 2020, having lost her battle against cancer.
Revd Carolyn, 60, was ordained deacon in 2018 and as a priest the following year.
She leaves two sons, Aidan and Kiran.
The Service of Thanksgiving for Revd Carolyn will be held on Monday, 20th January 2020 at 1.15 pm at St John the Baptist Dronfield (Church Street, S18 1QB) following a private family cremation.
A look back at some of the stories of 2019.
It was a year that saw the arrival of Bishop Libby, and the departure of Dean Stephen Hance.
The cathedral saw a couple of high-profile events, and the Peak Centre in Edale reached a golden milestone.
And, of course, great work by clergy, staff and congregations continued in the Diocese of Derby and beyond...
More than 100 volunteers gathered at St Peter’s in the City, Derby, to help pack hampers for Christmas Lunch on Jesus – a project that provides low-income families and individuals with a Christmas meal.
The volunteers packed more than 400 hampers which will feed more than 1,500 people.
For many people, attending a carol services in a church or at Derbys Cathedral is where Christmas really starts and there’s something magical about listening to the sound of choristers singing carols at Christmas.
But what is it like for those who are working hard behind the scenes to produce such music at this busy time of year?
The Cathedral's director of Music, Alexander Binns, gives us a festive flavour of what Derby Cathedral Choir get up to over the Christmas period.
The Bishop of Derby's office has announced that a Thanksgiving Service for the Revd Ian Mountford will be held on Thursday, 9th January at 12.45 pm at St Alkmund’s Derby (DE22 1GU).
A private family funeral service will take place earlier that day.
Refreshments will be provided in the church hall. Any donations will go to the Nightingale Macmillan Unit – Royal Derby Hospital.
Revd Ian Mountford died on 7th December, 2019.
Did you know that each week 130,000 young people participate in over 3,000 cadet units in the UK?
I didn’t… but arriving as a new curate in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, I wanted to find some way to connect with the town’s young people and being of more mature years, I couldn’t see me going to a youth club or hanging out at local haunts without looking a bit like a fish out of waters.
When, as legend has it, the devil sat on Chesterfield parish church’s spire, little did he know that he would create one of the county’s most iconic church buildings, grabbing people’s attention far and wide.
If the legend were true, then good clearly triumphed over evil.
The slightly less glamourous reality is that the Crooked Spire’s distinctive feature was caused by the weight of the roof distorting its wooden frame, causing the woodwork to twist and bend – resulting in the tip of the spire being some nine feet off centre.
Foodbanks are now, sadly, a common feature of many towns and cities as more and more people struggle to find the money to pay for life’s basics.
Of course, foodbanks don’t tackle the core problem, but they do at least help some of those who struggle to pay for one of our basic requirements – the need to eat.
And most of the Derbyshire foodbanks have strong connections with our churches.
One such foodbank is in Long Eaton, which is a collaboration between a number of churches of different denominations and is based at the Methodist church. It relies on donations and a team of 40 or 50 volunteers who are drawn from churches and the local communities.
It also has a foodbank in Sawley and a satellite in Castle Donington.
The volunteers do a range of jobs, including packing, welcoming guests and offering conversation, logistics, signposting people to other services, warehouse organisation, and collections.
Revd Samantha Tredwell is the vicar of St John in Long Eaton and is involved in the foodbank. She’s been telling Together Magazine more.
Q: How bad is the problem of food poverty in Long Eaton?
A: There’s been an increase of 52% in the use of the foodbank in the last 18 months and that’s been at the same time as the roll-out of Universal Credit across the region. We knew it would go up – but it’s gone up and stayed up. So we’re now getting as many as 18 to 25 users each session.
Q: And who uses the foodbank?
A: I would say everybody. People with young families – particularly in the holidays, people who have been made redundant and homeless people. We also see the working poor - people who aren’t earning enough to pay their rent and to feed themselves, or people on zero-hours contracts who don’t know from one month to another how much money is coming in and there isn’t enough to go around.
Q: So anyone could find themselves in this situation then? If for example they were to lose their job?
A: Yes, because people think there is a network of benefits. There are benefits but there is quite a serious time lag between applying and getting that money. The government says it’s five weeks, but we’ve seen it be eight or nine weeks without any money. The longest I’ve come across is a lady who went for seven months without any benefits – because of complications, because you need identification or a bank account – those things that perhaps people don’t have.
Q: As a vicar, how does it make you feel seeing these people at the foodbank today who haven’t got enough to eat?
A: It makes me angry – angry that people should go hungry. It feels wrong on all levels. We are a wealthy nation … and we also throw away a large amount of food each year. And we frequently come across people who have chosen to feed their children rather than themselves and have gone for days without eating. That makes us angry!
Q: So how does this work? Where do you get the food from to give to others?
A: The food we give out all comes from donations, which come from the community – from Long Eaton and Sawley. The community keeps us going and is very, very generous. We have food bins in Tesco and Asda that are filled up twice a week – we get tremendous help from them. The churches are collection points, people do collections for us and we have a Facebook page where we publicise what we need.
Q: How do you decide who needs what?
A: The Trussel Trust gives us a picking list – they’ve put together a list of things you would need to keep you going for about three to four days. The list includes cereal, milk, coffee, vegetables etc – so because we’re part of that network they’ve done the hard work for us. Obviously, a single person gets less than a family… but we give out more single parcels than anything else.
Q: This has led to other activities, hasn’t it?
A: Yes, it’s a real ecumenical process. One of the things about the foodbank is that you don’t really get to know people well. So, at St John’s in Long Eaton we are fortunate to have a big hall and a kitchen, so we decided to do a lunch once a week to build on friendships and to serve a hot meal. We thought we’d do that for six weeks – and two years on we’re still going. This week we fed around 100 people! They include young families, people who are older and lonely and some older people who are not managing on their pension. And another church, Oasis, has started a breakfast club on a Monday morning and a job club.
St John’s has also applied for a grant to put on some basic cookery classes. It’s all very well people coming to collect food, but not everyone has the skills to cook.
Q: What’s the best thing people can do to help?
A: Checking what we need is really helpful – we don’t really need baked beans all the time – we often need milk vegetables and other things. So please check first. I had a significant birthday this year and instead of presents I asked for food – and I collected about three-quarters of a ton for the foodbank – so people could try things like that too!
Find out more and get in touch by checking out their Facebook page: @longeatonandsawleyfoodbank
St Andrew’s Radbourne has launched a crowdfunding campaign to enable it to replace the remainder of its lead roof with steel.
Following two separate lead thefts in four years, the PCC has decided on the steel option to help prevent further theft and damage to the church.
However, this comes at a cost of £55,000.
The PCC’s crowdfunding project manager, Tim Gretton, said: “St Andrew’s has a small congregation, an average of 12 - and raising this money through the usual fundraising activities is not feasible.
"So, crowdfunding seemed to be a good option.
The church roof at St Andrew's has been targetted twice in four years
“We have a dedicated Facebook page and email address and we have also had roadside banners advertising the project. The campaign runs for four weeks and is being run through crowdfunder.co.uk.
“We really hope that people will give generously to help to preserve an ancient and listed building of significant architectural and historic interest, as well as preserving a local place of worship for generations to come.”
For more information see: https://www.facebook.com/StAndrewsRadbourne/ or search “Stop the church roof lead thieves” or contact stopthechurchroofleadthieves@gmail.com
Bishop Libby has written in support of the campaign: "It is deeply distressing to hear that St Andrew's Radbourne has been the target of roof lead theft for the second time in four years.
"I commend the positive action being taken in response, and support the fund-raising effort by the PCC, to replace all the lead with steel and thus prevent further theft as well as protecting an ancient place of worship for future generations.
"Please support 'Stop The Church Roof Lead Thieves'."
Pupils at St Peter's C of E Primary School in Netherseal have been doing their bit for the Bishop of Derby's Harvest Appeal, raising £242.85 through various table-top sales.
After the teachers shared details of the appeal, a Year 6 pupil asked if they could do something practical to help - and the Save Zimbabwe Sale was born.
Headteacher Melanie Machell said: "The children worked extremely hard and organised everything!
"They wrote posters, bought 'stock' for their stalls, wrote letters to businesses for donations, baked cakes, designed games and collected from parents.
"It was fabulous that the children felt so empowered to make a difference and we are very proud of their achievement."
The 70 pupils at St Peter's also spent time discussing the plight of the people of Manicaland and praying for them.
This year's appeal, Harvest Homes, is raising funds to help rebuild homes in Manicaland, Zimbabwe, where Cyclone Idai destroyed homes, crops and livelihoods.
On hearing of their efforts, Bishop Libby said: "This is a joy to hear about – our children giving us a lead in generosity of spirit and action.
"I am grateful to all the pupils, staff, parents, and everyone else who has contributed to this remarkable outcome.
"And I thank God that these children have helped the vulnerable people of Zimbabwe, most affected by Storm Idai, rebuild there lives.
"No wonder Jesus said children are at the heart of the Kingdom of God."
>> More about the Bishop of Derby's Harvest Appeal.
Have you been raising money for Harvest Homes? Please tell us about your fundraining events.
One of the newest choirs in the Diocese of Derby has been practising hard for a Remembrance Sunday performance – the group’s first public outing.
Signs from the Peaks started when Buxton Team Rector Liz England got together with a group of other people who were keen to start a signing choir.
Liz has a Level 1 in British Sign Language (BSL). She joined forces with Steph Bennett, a BSL teacher, Elaine Hill, who works with the deaf community, and Liv Lazarus, also BSL qualified, to form Signs from the Peaks – a now 20-strong ensemble.
And after around six weeks of rehearsing, Liz decided to invite the choir to perform at the church’s Remembrance service.
That in itself is a milestone for some of the choristers who have never before attended a church service.
Liz said: “I love the inclusivity of it. Not only do we have people who use sign language regularly, but also members of the community who have never signed before.
“The choir is open to anyone, whether they have experience in signing or not.
“The aim of this amazing choir is to get people involved who are passionate about being creative and like a bit of tea and biscuits too!
“And one of our founding members, Ana Mankiewicz, runs Grapevine Wellbeing Centre, a mental health charity in Buxton - so she invites people who feel isolated to join in. This is a win-win for all concerned.”
Signs from the Peaks meets on Tuesday evenings at 6pm at St Mary’s Church, Dale Road, Buxton.
See them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/704810786658751/ or contact Liz England on 01298 212667.
Each year, the nation prepares to remember the fallen.
And each year, an army of volunteers heads out into the Diocese to help sell those poppies and raise vital funds to support today's Armed Forces community – and to help ensure we never forget.
In the village of Hulland Ward, not far from Ashbourne, one such volunteer has been committed to selling poppies for a staggering 75 years!