Dave King
The full text of Dean Stephen Hance's farewell sermon at Derby Cathedral
So, we have come to my farewell service, the last chance I have to preach from this pulpit, and I want to thank you for being here to share in this act of worship as we say our goodbyes to one another today. It’s good to see you.
Cathedrals have been in the news again this summer. First of all, it was Rochester Cathedral with their mini golf course. Then it was Norwich with the helter skelter in the nave. And both of these had the predictable response from the usual people. This was, apparently, a desecration of holy ground, further proof that the Church of England, which for hundreds of years had thought that worship and prayer and pastoral ministry was sufficient, had now entirely lost the plot and was obsessed with gimmickry to get people in.
The Dean of Derby, the Very Revd Dr Stephen Hance, said a fond farewell to the congregation at Derby Cathedral at a special service on Sunday, 1 September 2019.
Dr Hance leaves the Diocese of Derby later this month to take up the post of National Lead for Evangelism and Witness for the Church of England.
In his final sermon at Derby Cathedral, he said it had been a privilege to serve as the Dean of Derby for the past two years and that good progress had been made in that time.
>> Stephen Hance's farewell sermon in full
He also talked about "getting the foundations right as a Christian community" and that cathedrals should continue to strive to find new and exciting ways to engage with people who might not always see a reason to visit them.
The Dean concluded by thanking everyone for their prayers and their giving to the cathedral.
At the service, the Bishop of Derby, the Right Revd Libby Lane, announced that sub-dean, the Revd Canon Dr Elizabeth Thomson, will assume the role of Acting Dean of Derby from 1 October.
On 4 May 2021, the long-trailed changes to the way marriages are registered come into force.
Clergy have already been sent links to the government's training pages.
Clergy may share the link to the online training with parish administrators – and it should be shared with churchwardens where the parish or benefice is in vacancy.
Register of Marriage Services,
Churches will need a new Register of Marriage Services which is now available to pre-order via this link:
Register of Marriage Services - Hardback (chpublishing.co.uk)
Obtaining the Marriage Document
GRO will be sending out very clear information about the marriage document and where clergy can get it from. The free on-line admin tool provided by the Church of England www.lifeeventsdiary.org will be updated to enable printing of the marriage document after 4th May.
Charge for Marriage Certificate
From May 4th Marriage Certificates will be issued by the Register Office and not the church, so couples should no longer be charged for a certificate. The Fees table , fees form and fees information for couples will be updated to reflect this change.
There is an FAQ regarding the changes available on the LRSA's website.
How will this impact the work and responsibilities as a member of the Clergy?
What won’t change:
- You will still be required to ensure couples meet the requirements to marry in your building.
- You will still be required to ensure couples complete the relevant preliminaries, i.e.: the calling of banns, issue of common or special licence or, where required, the prior attendance of the couple at the relevant register office to give their notices of marriage in the correct timescale.
- You will still be required to conduct pre-marriage checks and confirm that the details contained on the marriage document or marriage schedule are correct before the marriage proceeds.
- The marriage will still be performed by Church of England or Church in Wales rites.
- You will still use registration ink to complete the marriage schedule.
What will change:
- You will be required to create a marriage document or obtain the marriage schedule prior to the date of marriage.
- You will no longer complete the formal register for the marriages you solemnize (There will still be a register kept by you for the records of your church).
- You will no longer issue the legal marriage certificates.
- The completed marriage document or marriage schedule must be returned to the register office for the registration to take place in the electronic marriage register before a certificate can be issued.
- You will no longer need to complete quarterly returns for marriages which take place in your building.
- You will no longer be responsible for corrections in marriage registers. After the changes are introduced, all corrections to marriage entries will be carried out by the registration officers or GRO.
- The electronic register will also allow for the names of parents of the couple (mother / father / parent) to be included in the marriage entry instead of only their fathers’ names as is currently the case.
Meet Dom Gavan, head chorister of St Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield.
Chesterfield Parish Church (The Crooked Spire) has had an excellent repertoire of music since its dedication in 1234, and has upheld a sustainable and large choir for much of this time.
From huge concerts with the Philharmonic Choir to small, midweek services, the music has been nothing but exquisite and I have been fortunate to be a part of it for some six years, and have been Head Chorister since 2016.
Sunday - Palm Sunday
Alarm at 7.00am, up, dressed, teeth, hair, church! Got to church, Cassock on, warm up, and sing. Setting today was Communion Service in A minor (Darke), and Christus Factus Est (Felice Anerio) as the communion motet. Went well, started outside with blessing of Palms and thankfully it wasn’t raining. I have a solo tonight so ultra-important I don’t get a cold! Sunday lunch with the Family, and back to church for Evensong.
Monday
Went to church at 11am to help run the gift shop, stuck around until 2pm. Went home and chilled. Back to Church at 6pm for a choir practice. Many composers later, its time to go home. Bath and Bed, how cosy.
Tuesday
My only day off this week - Tidied my room, did my ironing for the week, looked through my music, practiced my organ pieces, and ate. Not much to say today.
Wednesday
Stressful day today - Picked up my cassock from the dry cleaners, washed my surplus, and then off for a coffee with my Mum, had a nice chat and then home for an extensive music practice for this week’s services. The pressure builds…
Thursday (Maundy Thursday)
Busy day today. Off to church at 10am to help out, sold some gifts! Back to church at 7am for the Last Supper mass with lots of music and a very atmospheric singing of Psalm 88 in the dark! The service ended with the watch until midnight, which was only spoiled by a dance show down the road.
Friday (Good Friday)
The Good Friday afternoon liturgy began at 3pm. I caught a glimpse of the procession of witness as I walked from my bus to the Church for rehearsal. Music today was demanding at times, but fitting for Good Friday: O Vos Omnes (Pablo Casals); Crux Fidelis (Plainsong); Popule Meus (Victoria) and Psalm 22 to my favourite Anglican Chant.
Saturday (Holy Saturday)
A very busy day today, with too much to do and not a lot of time to do it. I helped the vergers prepare all the altars for Easter. Some altars took more time than others. Once the altars were finished, it was time for breakfast - nothing beats a Pain Au Chocolat and coffee at 10am on a Saturday! Many coffees later, the church was fully furnished and ready for the Easter Vigil mass at 8.30pm. Home, bath, new set of clothes, and then back to church. After the service, the vicar invited the congregation to champagne and chocolate. I was too tired, so went home to bed.
Sunday (Easter Sunday)
Up early to get the first dibs on easter eggs! The church looked so wonderfully radiant in the glorious sunshine. The morning service was rounded off by the choristers pelting an assortment of Crème and Caramel eggs at the congregation, making sure to include the Vicar and Servers! Enjoyed the famous ‘Easter Lamb Dinner’ at my Nana’s house, filling me up ready for the evening of singing ahead. The clock in my house struck 5.30pm, meaning it was time for the last service of the term. The music this evening was magnificent, as well as being very nerve racking for the soloists. We sang Blair in B minor, and the anthem was Haec Dies, an 8-part anthem sung in canon between 2 sides, which really literally raised the roof. After the service, I went straight to bed for a nice long sleep, I had no energy to go on.
>> See Also: The Crooked Spire
To help mark the 50th anniversary of the Peak Centre, Edale, and to celebrate all that is good about the Chesterfield Archdeaconry, Archdeacon Carol and Ben Acty, warden at the Peak Centre, invite you to join them for a family walk on Saturday, 31st August 2019.
The walk will start at 10.30 am at the Peak Centre, S33 7ZA.
Ben will lead you on a pleasant walk around the Edale area, which will take in Edale itself, Barber Booth, and a part of the Pennine Way.
The walk will last between two and four hours and will be tailored to suit the group on the day.
>> Book your place today - it's free!
Archdeacon Carol said: “Derbyshire has some of the most wonderful landscape in the country and we should celebrate that. The Peak District in particular has a rich diversity of wildlife, terrain and communities, and it is our responsibility to ensure we both enjoy and preserve it.
“This walk is about celebrating the scenery and communities we are privileged to walk among.
“It is great to be able to use the Peak Centre in Edale as the start of our Archdeaconry walk; the centre is such a great asset for the Diocese of Derby.
“Our walk will take us on a gentle exploration of the high peaks - all ages and dogs are welcome to join us. My Jack Russell, Fudge, at 16 is definitely up for it!”
In September, the Peak Centre at Edale celebrates 50 years of helping to get people of all ages and all faiths to enjoy outdoor pursuits whilst considering the values of being a Christian - or any other faith – such as respect, teamwork and trust.
It caters mainly for primary school children and offers residential stays and day group activities.
The Bishop of Derby, the Rt Revd Libby Lane, and the Bishop of Repton, the Rt Revd Jan McFarlane, have said those affected by the partial collapse of the Toddbrook Reservoir dam will be in the prayers of the whole Diocese.
Bishop Libby said:
"Our prayers continue for all those affected by the risk of collapse of Toddbrook Reservoir Dam. We pray for those evacuated from their homes, the community of Whaley Bridge, the Emergency Services and all those working tirelessly to prevent collapse and avert the danger.
"The evacuation prompted a sense of community and care that has been wonderful to see. Those displaced from Whaley Bridge have been met with hospitality and generosity, from Chapel-en-le-Frith and beyond. People of all faiths and none have come together, in partnership with statutory providers, with practical and emotional support. We honour those who have been working, despite the risks involved, to keep the people of Whaley Bridge safe.
"We are conscious of the effect this situation must have had on all those impacted and involved. So, as we hope the danger passes and longer term solutions are found, as people return to their homes and businesses, we continue to offer our support with compassion and hope."
See more:
Edale’s Peak Centre is a haven for youngsters to enjoy outdoor learning – but all ages, and all faiths, are welcome.
Whilst many of the parishes in the Diocese spend time trying to get people IN, there is one that focuses on trying to get them OUT – out into the great outdoors to enjoy some of the fantastic scenery and open spaces Derbyshire has to offer.
St Augustine's Church, in the parish of Walbrook Epiphany, has presented three Derby schools with a range of Christian books.
Sally-Anne Beecham: ordained deacon on 30 June 2019
"God is on the move and I’m excited to be joining in!"
I’m Sally-Anne Beecham and live in Chesterfield with my husband and two children aged 12 and 14.
I became a Christian at 21 after a friend at University told me about her faith and I nervously tried her church one Sunday.
The Right Revd Libby Lane, Bishop of Derby, has been introduced to the House of Lords by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu.
The Lord Bishop was joined by her husband, Revd George Lane, senior chaplain of Manchester airport, and her parents who live in North Derbyshire.
Also in attendance were Stephen Hance, the Dean of Derby, Rachel Morris, Diocesan Secretary, and Mark Titterton, the Executive Chair of the Diocesan Board of Finance.
