As per the Church Representation Rules Part 9, the annual parochial church meeting must be held in every parish in the period which begins with 1 January and ends with 31 May. The Diocesan Secretary requires each parish to submit their APCM results to Church House, Derby no later than 31 May.
Dave King
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Revd Peter Barham reflects on Harvest under Covid restrictions.
Harvest Festival, and we managed two decorated churches (thanks).
We had 35 in one church and 40 in the other, and - unusually - my congregation was larger than that of Northern Reader (Northern Reader is Peter's wife, Julie).
We survived not singing "We plough the fields and scatter" and everyone seemed to get something out of worship.
Harvest hedgehogs seem appropriate - spikes and all that.
We did a food bank run for the Hope Centre in Derby - Mike and Shirley had a full car (thank you again).
We can accept donations at any time in Primrose's book shed at the vicarage.
I baptised young Ralph at lunchtime - we moved the flowers first.
Just six guests allowed. Mum, dad, Ralph and the four Godparents.
I have given up trying to understand the logic of the regulations.
Lovely young people, a happy little lad, and a pleasure to baptise - one of the greatest pleasures of my ministry (in the old days I'd have given you a photo, now I need written permission first).
Then we had an open air service.
It was a sunny afternoon and people came with their own seats.
A lot of work for 18 people and it proved why we have church buildings. Nice to have good chats with families (and others) I haven't seen for a while.
I hope everyone got something out of it.
Now I'm shattered. Daft really, Sunday's are usually a lot busier than this!
The Prime Minister is right, it is going to be a tough winter for all of us.
The lovely people at Cogito Books supplied me with this evening's entertainment.
Just wish I'd got a real fire to snuggle in front of.
>> Follow St Edmund's Allestree on Facebook
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The Church of England has launched ‘Safe Spaces’, an online and telephone service to help survivors and victims of abuse carried out by clergy or church officers, however long ago it happened.
Victim Support, a national charity with a track record of providing survivor support, has been commissioned to run the service.
It will run initially for two years.
Safe Spaces comprises a team of trained support advocates, who have undergone specialist training in supporting survivors of sexual violence and who have received additional specific training in how the churches respond to abuse cases, the way in which faith and church-related settings have been used to carry out abuse, and the particular issues affecting people who have had or still have, a relationship with the church.
The service is for those who may have experienced any form abuse, including sexual abuse, physical abuse, financial abuse, psychological abuse (including spiritual abuse), domestic abuse, coercive and controlling behaviour.
The Bishop of Southampton, Debbie Sellin, Deputy Lead Safeguarding Bishop for the Church of England, said:
“I’m delighted that this service will shortly be available to offer support and advice to survivors of abuse.
“I want to express my thanks to all those who have helped to bring the project together, particularly the survivors who have given of their time and energy.
“In Victim Support, we have an excellent operational lead, and we look forward to continuing a constructive partnership with then as well as the other denominations involved.
“I commend the service for use and hope colleagues will do all they can to promote it locally.”
To access support, visit www.safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk.
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After a year as Acting Director of Education and 16 years as Deputy Director of Education and Schools’ Adviser, Dr Alison Brown will be leaving the employment of the Diocese of Derby.
This will take effect from 4 January 2021.
She will be starting in a new role in January with Christian Aid as its Global Neighbours Schools’ Programme Officer.
Alison has made a huge contribution to the work of schools within the diocese, with the DBE and Bishop's staff team.
On announcing her new appointment, Alison said: “It is with mixed feelings that I am leaving the Diocesan Board of Education.
“I am very excited about the prospect of my new role with Christian Aid. It will allow me to work with schools across the country in working towards their Global Neighbour Award and thereby helping their pupils grow into people who make the world a better place.
“However, I am sad to be leaving the family of Church schools which I have known and worked with for the last 17 years.
"The head teachers and staff of these schools are exceptional people and to be cherished as they serve their pupils and communities.
"It has been a privilege to be part of their journey all these years.
“My time working for the board of education has been so rich and varied it is hard to pick out highlights.
Working in deprived areas of Kolkata
"I have particularly enjoyed the training aspect of it, be that of head teachers, teachers, governors or clergy. Another, of course, has been building the links between schools here in Derbyshire and Kolkata.
The board of education also enabled me to carry out my doctoral studies on the formational and transformational potential of collective worship. It has been an exciting privilege to then see that have a real impact on many schools here in this diocese and further afield.
“It is also with mixed feelings that I leave the broader work of the diocese at a time of so many changes.
"I will be interested and prayerful as I watch how things develop as I will still live, work and worship in the diocese.”
The Ven Carol Coslett, Archdeacon of Chesterfield and chair of the Derby Diocesan Board of Education, said: “It has been an honour to work with Alison and she has been such a supportive colleague in her capacity as deputy director and over this last year as acting director.
“Alison has brought such insight and spiritual expert educational knowledge to the role which has been invaluable for all her work in the schools and with the DBE.
“She will leave a big hole in the life of the diocese and in the education world but on behalf of the trustees of the DBE we thank her wholeheartedly and wish her every success in her new, exciting role with Christian Aid.”
Details of the process to appoint Dr Brown’s replacement will be announced shortly.
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A year ago, throughout October 2019, Derby Cathedral hosted the Knife Angel.
In the four weeks it stood outside the cathedral, more than 200,000 people visited, 130 volunteers were trained and gave up their time to inform visitors of the danger of carrying a knife and 23 special educational events were held to discuss knife crime.
Rachel Morris, Diocesan Secretary & Derby Cathedral Chapter Steward, Chief Executive Diocesan Board of Finance, said: “Derby Cathedral was humbled and honoured to host the Knife Angel in Derby.
"The perseverance and hard work of key partners, generous sponsors and wonderful volunteers brought the project together in a way which benefitted the many thousands of visitors who experienced and were affected by the statue.
“The educational and public events enabled the successful delivery of the key outcomes to educate and raise public awareness of the horrors of knife and violent crime.
"We are very grateful to every individual involved, and keen to support the ongoing legacy of the Knife Angel in Derby.”
Featuring the voice of Rachel Webb whose son, Tom, was killed in a knife attack in Derby city centre
Superintendent Sarah McAughtrie, from Derbyshire police, said: “A year on since the visit of the knife angel I look back and feel really proud of what was achieved during that time by all involved, the number of visitors was incredible.
“I have spoken to a number of people that attended who said what a real sense of emotion they felt, thinking about all the people that have lost their lives due to this senseless crime.
“The carrying of knives is still an issue in society and as part of the legacy of the knife angel’s visit we continue to work tirelessly as a police service, with our partners and the community, to tackle the problem”.
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Bishop Libby has ordained eight new deacons and nine priests in the Diocese of Derby, at Derby Cathedral.
The socially distanced services took place over the weekend - ordinations were delayed this year because of the Covid-19 restrictions.
There were three ordination services on each of the two days with each candidate able to invite a limited number of guests, plus their training incumbents.
Speaking to the new priests and deacons at the start of each service, Bishop Libby said: "This may not be the service you envisaged when you first considered ordination, but this is how God has called you in this time."
And in his sermon to the new priests, the Dean of Derby, Peter Robinson, said: "God has the power the change the human heart through the death and resurrection of Jesus, so as we are called by God to lead in a time of fear and towards an unknown future our task as the church is to go through Covid-19, not to imagine that we can go around it and embrace a false hope of returning to what we recall as ‘normal’."
>> See photos from the ordination of priests on Flickr
>> See photos from the ordination of deacons on Flickr
The new curates included Alan Winfield, a funeral director, who says he met God at the age of 16 during an Easter Sunrise Service.
He said: "As the sun rose above the mill rooftops, I had this strange and wonderful feeling inside and it was there and then that I knew."
Alan has been in reader ministry since 2002 and has had a deep interest in pastoral care: "I hope my curacy will enable me to develop this further and reach out to those in need and reveal something of the love of God."
Sharon Murphy is another new deacon. The mother of eight said that God appeared to her one night in a dream: "I became a Christian in my early 20s having suffered a miscarriage.
"It was my first encounter with grief, and it was such a time of pain both physically and emotionally.
"When I woke up the next morning all the pain had gone, and I felt peaceful."
As she starts her curacy in Derwent Oak BMO, Derby, Sharon says she finds herself thinking about dwelling in a place, being, prayer walking, listening and building relationships: "My prayer is that people will see something of Christ in me the hope of glory and will want that hope for themselves."
Photographs from the ordination services
>> See photos prom the ordination of priests on Flickr
>> See photos from the ordination of deacons on Flickr
Please pray for our new deacons:
Rachael Brookes - Littleover and Blagreaves
Catrin Hubbard - Buxton with Burbage and King Sterndale Team Ministry
Nicola McNally - Tideswell
Sharon Murphy - Derwent Oak, Derby
Malcolm Pyatt - Brimington
Kate Smedley - Spondon
Sandra Till - Alvaston
Alan Winfield - Melbourne, Ticknall, Smisby and Stanton-by-Bridge
and our new priests
Sally-Anne Beecham, Rhoda Blackwell, Brenda Jackson, Elaine Jones, Dawn Knight, James Milwain, Jenn Newman, John Spreadborough and Anthony Till will be ordained priests in services at Derby Cathedral and again these can be followed online - details on the cathedral's website.
Will Eley will be ordained priest by the Bishop of Maidstone in a separate service on 11 October.
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Catrin Hubbard: ordained deacon in September 2020 - ordained priest in June 2021
I have the sense of my future ministry involving shepherding God’s rainbow sheep
My name is Catrin Hubbard and I’ve been licensed as a Lay Worker (pending ordination, God, the Bishop and Covid willing) to the Parish of Buxton with Burbage and King Sterndale.
I grew up in Liverpool and Ynys Môn, I’m baptised Church in Wales and confirmed Church of England, it’s an interesting mix of world views to have grown up with.
I went to Sunday school and confirmation classes as I grew up, both of which nurtured and deepened my faith but after confirmation I found grown up church boring so drifted away over the years.
I came back to faith in my early twenties after finishing university.
My degree was in Counselling and Therapeutic Studies so of course I ended up as a youth worker, both for the local authority and for my local church.
Not long after I came to faith, people started talking to me about ordination (specifically my mentor, a beautiful man called Geoff, and my great aunt).
I found the idea of God calling someone like me to such a position laughable and told them so.
After a few years as a youth worker, I felt that my theological learning was lacking so I joined the Light Project in Chester studying part time for a Foundation Degree in Community Evangelism and working part time as a Youth and Children’s Worker for a lovely local parish.
I stayed on at the church part time after completing my studies and worked as a schools worker part time too.
More recently I spent six years in Sutton, Surrey, working as a secondary schools worker for a small Christian charity, leading assemblies, lessons, lunch clubs and the like.
Over the years my mentor had kept up his pestering about ordination and other people joined in too.
I finally gave in, asking God if ordination was the plan for me, I cried through fear and relief (as if I’d been carrying a weight that I could now put down) when the answer came back “Yes”.
I trained at Cranmer Hall in Durham and loved it there. The people are amazing, so humble, honest and funny, accepting and supporting me through the bumpy road of learning to accept myself as God created me to be, often rupturing what I thought I knew, as well as learning about things I didn’t know had names let alone what those names where (who knew the swinging incense thingy was called a thurible!)
I have the sense of my future ministry involving shepherding God’s rainbow sheep, people on the margins and people who have previously been hurt by the church, showing them God’s love, inclusion and belonging. I have no idea what that will look like but I know God does, so that’s ok for now.
Favourite Bible passages: Psalm 73:23 and Micah 6:8 “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (NRSV)
Favourite hymn: “Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer” (I am Welsh!) and my favourite worship song is “Reckless Love” which talks about the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.
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Dave Channon, who has been director of education for eight years, has left his posts in the Diocese of Derby.
He has relinquished his post as Diocesan Director of Education, directorships of Derby Diocesan Academy Trust and of the Peak Centre at Champion House, and his Lay Canonry of Derby Cathedral with effect from 31st August 2020.
On announcing his departure, Bishop Libby said: "Dave has been a highly valued Diocesan Director of Education since 2012 and was instrumental in the formation and development of the Diocesan Academy Trusts.
"I know you will join me in thanking Dave for his years of dedicated service and for his lasting legacy to the work of the DBE and DDAT within our schools.
"We send him our very best wishes for the future."
And Archdeacon Carol, chair of the DBE's board of trustees, said: "We are all going to miss Dave and his input, and I know that as trustees we will want to put in place an acknowledgment to him of all his work over the years in which he has guided the development of education while he has been in office."
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Nicola McNally: ordained deacon in September 2020 - ordained priest in June 2021
My vision of ordained ministry is very people orientated
I am Nicola McNally. Donal and I have been married for 27 years, and we are blessed with two children (now 19 and 23 years old).
For the past 30 years I have been a University Lecturer / Associate Professor in Engineering Materials.
I have been working half-time since the birth of our son, so this enabled me in the last three years to study part-time at Ripon College Cuddesdon alongside my job at the university of Nottingham.
Now I look forward to a new chapter of life as full-time Curate in Tideswell Parish.
Throughout my life, and various ups and downs, I have a strong sense that God always provides, although not of course always in the way one imagined he would!
I was fortunate to have been brought to faith as a child by my Christian mother, so I can’t actually remember ever not believing in God. However, one’s faith deepens and grows.
Leading an ecumenical group ‘CEPlus’ as an undergraduate at Bath University expanded my understanding of Christian community and taught me about articulating my faith.
Introduction to the Taizé community in France, including a week in silence whilst doing my PhD at Oxford, gave me a love of meditative prayer.
My husband and children have taught me a lot about the power of love.
I have always worshipped at the Church of England church parish in the community in which I live, and being a member of Parochial Church Councils in Dorset, Oxford, Bristol and Nottinghamshire has taught me a lot about the ups and down of church life!
However, I didn’t seriously recognise a call to ministry until about five years ago when acting as the lay lead in PMC (Partnership for Missional Change) in my home parish.
I realised that my day job, important to me though it was, was beginning to feel like something that got in the way of what I really wanted to do.
My vision of ordained ministry is very people orientated.
I feel my major task is to let everyone know that they are loved and valued by a wonderful triune God.
A relationship with Jesus should be a growing dynamic thing for every believer and I hope to be a small channel through which the Holy Spirit can help people come to faith and grow in that faith.
Although I have not been in Derbyshire very long, I already feel a great love for the people and countryside.
I look forward to getting to know the people and churches of my parish and discerning what my vision for the future there should be.
This Covid year has certainly thrown us all challenges but, as Julian of Norwich so aptly puts it, God did not say “You will not be tempest-tossed”, but “You will never be overcome.”
I love being outdoors. Cycling is one hobby - my husband and I have a special tandem which is a recumbent at the front and sit up at the back. That way we can both see where we are going, and chat to one another easily!
My other main hobby (if I get time) is sailing. I hope to join the club at Carsington.
I also enjoy walking and one of the blessings of my new parish is walking between the five churches through the countryside.
Inside, I have recently rediscovered a love of sewing whilst making face masks for the family and friends.
I have played the violin all my life and there is nothing quite like the single-minded concentration of playing a piece of music, particularly in an orchestra for pushing cares or worries out of mind.
Favourite Bible passage: Psalm 139 9,10 - If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me.
Favourite hymn: The Servant Song" is one of my favourite hymns and pretty much sums up how I feel about my calling, and has also meant a lot to me when I have been caring for relatives suffering from the cruel disease of dementia.
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Here are some FAQs regarding APCMs which we hope you will find useful.
Information correct on 1 Feb 2024.
Holding of APCMs:
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Recently, Peter Robinson, the Dean of Derby, took part in a discussion on BBC Radio 4's Beyond Belief programme about the use of water and ritual bathing in religion.
Dean Peter's doctoral thesis was on Christian Initiation focusing on Baptism
Followers of any of the main religions are more than likely to have undergone a bathing ritual.
Cleansing with water is an integral part of Christian Baptism, Muslim Prayer and Jewish purification. Hindus aspire to bathe in the waters of the River Ganges.
Why are rituals in water important to so many faiths? What do they mean? And how do they differ from religion to religion?
Joining host Ernie Rea to discuss ritual bathing are the Very Revd Peter Robinson (Dean of Derby), Dr Diana Lipton (teaching fellow in the department of biblical studies at Tel Aviv University) and Sudipta Sen (professor of history at the University of California and author of 'Ganges: the Many Pasts of an Indian River').
You can enjoy the programme here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000m0zq
or find it on the BBC Sounds app.
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