St Alkmund’s Church, Derby are excited to hold an Election Husting event on Wednesday 22^nd April, 7.30pm

The evening will take the form of a discussion with the principle candidates for Derby North and Derby South constituencies, along similar lines to the BBC program ‘Question Time’.

The event will be chaired by The Rt Revd Dr Alastair Redfern, Bishop of Derby.

Bishop Alastair said: ‘ It is important for the public to engage with their prospective parliamentary candidates to question the parties’ pledges but also to raise the importance of those policies locally. I am pleased that St Alkmund's are able to provide a space to allow this discussion to take place and look forward to chairing this exciting event’

The event will be attended by representatives of the Conservative party, Green Party, Labour, Liberal Democrat Party and the UK Independence party.

It is anticipated that the discussion will cover a range of topics including:

• Overall political approach and thinking

• Specific policy areas

• local issues relevant to Derby

Audience members are invited to submit a question prior to the event and a selection of the best will be chosen on the night. Audience members will also be able to ask follow on questions around topics under discussion.

For more information about the event visit https://sites.google.com/site/stalkmundshustings2015/home

Doors open to the public at 6.45pm with the event starting at 7.30pm. The event will close at 10pm. All are welcome to attend.

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The General Synod of the Church of England meets in London in February for a three day meeting from 2.00 pm on Monday 10^thFebruary until 5.30 pm on Wednesday 12^th February. 

The agenda for the meeting is published today.  The main item of business will be the Revision Stage for the draft legislation to enable women to become bishops.  In an unusual move, this will be taken on the floor of the Synod without there having been a prior Revision Committee.   There will also be three other debates as part of the women bishops process: on the Declaration and Disputes Resolution Procedure agreed by the House of Bishops in December; to initiate the process to rescind the 1993 Act of Synod; and to suspend part of the Standing Orders in order to accelerate the process for referring the legislation to the dioceses. These debates will take up much of Tuesday 11^th February.

There will also be debates on Gender-Based Violence, the Girl Guides’ Promise, the environment and fossil fuels and the use of vesture in Church services.  The Group of Sessions will conclude with a presentation on the report from the House of Bishops Working Group on Human Sexuality.  A Diocesan Synod Motion from the Guildford Diocesan Synod on the Magna Carta is listed as Contingency Business.

On the Monday afternoon there will be a presentation on Ethical Investment by the Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG). The EIAG will give an overview of the Church of England’s approach to ethical investment, in particular the work it has done on reflecting the Church’s position on alcohol more faithfully and supporting purposeful investment in business.  It will summarise the issues that the EIAG is currently working on, including the use of pooled funds in ethical investment and an ethical investment approach to climate change. 

This will be followed by a further policy-focused debate, this time on Gender-Based Violence. The debate will be preceded by a short presentation by Mandy Marshall and Peter Grant who are co-directors of Restored Relationships, an international Christian alliance working to transform relationships and end violence against women. 

Each session will be followed by a Question and Answer session with Synod members.  The debate on Gender-Based Violence will be followed by a brief period of worship.

The sequence of business of Tuesday 19^th November in relation  Women in the Episcopate will be as follows. First, the Synod will debate a motion from the House of Bishops inviting the Synod to welcome the draft House of Bishops’ draft Declaration and Disputes Resolution Regulations.  Secondly, there will be the Revision Stage on the floor of the Synod of the draft Measure and Amending Canon.  Thirdly, Synod will give initial consideration to a draft Act of Synod to rescind the Episcopal Ministry Act of Synod 1993.  Finally, there will be a motion to suspend part of Standing Order 90 to reduce the normal minimum length of time for an Article 8 Reference to the dioceses from six months to three months to allow a faster passage of the final stages of the Women in the Episcopate legislation.

The Archbishop of Canterbury will give a Presidential Address on the morning of Wednesday 12^th February.

This will be followed by a debate on a package of proposals for legislative change in relation to safeguarding and related disciplinary matters, which has been developed in response to the reports of the Chichester commissaries.  This includes making it easier to suspend clergy, or bring complaints against them, where abuse is alleged, enabling bishops to compel clergy to undergo risk assessments and imposing a duty on relevant persons to have regard to the House of Bishops’ safeguarding policies.  The intention is to introduce legislation in July 2014 but given the importance and range of the proposals this report gives Synod the opportunity to consider the package in February before the legislation is prepared.

Later that morning, there will be a debate on a motion from the Southwark Diocesan Synod on Environmental Issues.  This will build further on the work being carried out by the Church of England Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG).  The Diocesan Synod Motion calls for the establishment of a General Synod Working Group on the Environment to look into this further.

Two Private Members’ Motions will be debated on Wednesday afternoon.  The first, tabled by Mrs Alison Ruoff (London Diocese), references the recent changes to the Girl Guides’ Promise.  The second, to be moved by the Reverend Christopher Hobbs, calls on the General Synod to amend Canon B 8 so that the wearing of the forms of vesture referred to in that Canon ‘becomes optional rather than mandatory’.

Finally, there will be a presentation from Sir Joseph Pilling on the recent Report of the House of Bishops’ Working Group on Human Sexuality which was published on 28 November.  There will be an opportunity for questions on the process and next steps on the Pilling Report. 

Couples who are thinking of marrying are invited to attend the “How to plan a great wedding” event at St Nicholas Church Allestree on Monday 20^th January 7.30pm.

The relaxed, non-commercial event will allow couples thinking of marriage to meet couples who married in 2013 and share advice and tips on the planning process whilst enjoying a drink and canapés. For those that are considering getting married in church there will also be a chance to talk to a vicar about the process and options available including blessings in church after a civil ceremony in this country or abroad.

Revd William Bates said: “When I talk to couples the expense is clearly a big factor in delaying getting married and there is often a feeling that prices increase simply because it’s a wedding.

We planned this event to allow newly married couples to share their experiences and offer advice to couples thinking of getting married. It’s also a chance for couples who perhaps hadn’t considered getting married in church to come along and see what we can offer.

Planning a wedding and getting married should be a special time and I hope this event can help demonstrate that there are lots of options to allow you to have a great wedding without too much expense. “

The event is free but please book to reserve your place : 01332 550224 williambates@btconnect.com

A new Business Innovation Centre is due to launch next month to support new and growing businesses and social enterprises. St. Peter’s in the City will utilise space within the Church and Centre by offering desk space to new or existing businesses and social ventures.

The launch will take place on Tuesday 4^th February, 12 noon at St Peter’s in the City.

The church will offer office space at significantly lower than average rents and support from professional mentors. There will also be help with sourcing available funding through the Church Urban Fund, Local Enterprise Partnership and individual donors.

St. Peter’s already supports local people in a number of ways including debt advice, Refugee and Asylum Seekers, food parcels, a children’s clothes bank and to retail and business through the chaplaincy service, and their involvement in the St Peters Quarter Business Improvement District (BID).

Canon Paul Morris from St. Peter’s In the City explained: “In light of the Redfern Commission, an Innovation Centre offers a very practical and co-operative response to the employment pressures faced by many – including young people and those who have been made redundant and want support to set up their own businesses.

“Our research shows that businesses would greatly benefit from having the DE1 postcode but cannot always afford the city centre rents and rates.

“This will therefore support businesses and organisations who are working to address social needs in the city with space for up to eight ‘hot desks’ with greatly reduced rents and the support they need to start new businesses or grow existing businesses – creating much needed local jobs.

“We believe St. Peter’s is uniquely placed in our region to take this model that has worked so well elsewhere and adapt it to local needs, priorities and aspirations.”

The Rt Revd Dr Alastair Redfern, Bishop of Derby said:

"I welcome this exciting new venture. It shows the church working in partnership with businesses and with those seeking to create employment. It will enable new ventures to develop and to enhance the life of our city. We have a particular role in bringing together people from different backgrounds and perspectives to create new life - very appropriate for a city of innovation."

St John’s Church, Ridgeway joined up with their local community last night to perform an open air nativity. The event , started at the church and was hosted by the Bridge Inn at Ford. It was scripted by Sharon Taylor, a children’s dramatist who lives in the village. Children from Ridgeway primary school starred in the performance and joined the choir.

Around 200 people attended the event which included a mixture of traditional carols, a folk wassail and a nativity-adjusted version of Slade’s “Merry Christmas Ev’rybody!” all played by a folk band from Dronfield (which includes curate, Revd Ian Price).

The local WI also provided refreshments, and a local farmer supplied the bales.

Revd Ian Price said: “It was nice to see the community come together and importantly, the Gospel of what Christmas is about was shared in public, and people were invited to contact and find out more. Plans are already afoot to do another one next year.”  

Christmas is about beginnings says Revd Ben Griffith in a new video broadcast today on the Diocesan website www.derby.anglican.org

He says: “For many Christmas has become an event, a party, a day to get together, and all these things are good but surely there must be something more?. The Christmas story doesn’t end with an event it begins with one. The birth of Jesus is astounding, but it’s astounding because of what happens next. Jesus went on to challenge the way we view our existence, our self-centeredness and to open us up to the possibility of a life with God, here and now.”

He continues “ Perhaps this Christmas we can go further than events and deepen our relationships with God and each other, Christmas is about beginnings.”

A different video has been shown each week in advent featuring people from all around the Diocese and what advent means to them. They are all available to view on our Youtube channel.

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Welcoming communities at Christmas is the subject of a new video broadcast today on the Diocesan website www.derby.anglican.org

Church warden Kat Alldread from St Bartholomew, Clay Cross shares a reflection on how we prepare for Christmas in the three minute video.

She says: “All around people are preparing for Christmas dinners and parties, the streets are decorated and the shops filled with goodies, but as Christians we know Christmas is about more than that. We have the real Christmas story, the story of Jesus of coming to be with us and it’s for us to share with people in our communities.

She continues “Churches throughout the diocese are holding events to welcome their communities into church over Christmas”

A different video will be shown each week in advent featuring people from all around the Diocese and what advent means to them.

The Diocese of Derby is gearing up for one of the busiest months of the year as churches and community groups hold special events during the Advent season.

A series of posters advertising events taking place throughout Derbyshire have been released and further information is available on the diocesan website www.derby.anglican.org

A variety of events are taking place this year including Christmas Tree Festivals, Carol and Crib services, Christingles, Christmas fairs and concerts.

For further information about the events taking place you can visit: www.derby.anglican.org/index.php/home/parish-events-