It is with a heavy heart that we inform you that the Churchwardens, Parochial Church Councils and Ministry Team have agreed unanimously that since the third lockdown has been imposed by the government, we must not put our church members at risk by continuing to hold services in our three churches for the foreseeable future. This decision has not been taken lightly, but even with the highest Covid restrictions in place, as we have been doing for the last few months, we cannot guarantee the safety of congregations, and with the new strain of Covid19 spreading so much faster and much more easily, the risk for everyone is just too high. Sunday services are broadcast online from St Mary’s Nantwich and many other churches and the BBC has services to watch on line and listen to on the radio (see our website and Facebook page for details). Wrenbury Church will be open for private prayer on a Sunday and the Ministry Team will continue to pray for us all during this most difficult time. If anyone would like someone to call them for a chat during lockdown, please call 07856586564, leave a message and one of the volunteers will ring you back. Please stay safe and remember those affected most by the pandemic in your prayers.
Rev Dot is at the end and the start of a long journey!!Ordained ministry is a big commitment. It requires a lot of thought and prayer. It starts when you follow your calling and, after a lot of discussion with your Vicar and your friends (not to mention God!) the bishop sends you to a selection residential known as a Bishop’s Advisory Panel. The panel decides whether to recommend to your bishop that you go forward for ordination training.Once recommended, you prepare for ordination at a theological education institution. There are numerous pathways available, the most common falling into residential (where you usually live in the college) and non-residential (where you train in a context based setting).Upon successful completion of your course, you are ordained a deacon by your bishop, (as Dot was last year) and begin a curacy in a parish. Your curacy is an opportunity to serve alongside an experienced vicar, putting into practice the knowledge gained from your course and learning from them as you prepare for your own ministry. As a deacon you are able to do weddings and baptisms, but you must be ordained priest before you can preside over Holy Communion. You will most likely be ordained a priest by your bishop after a year of curacy, as Dot was on Saturday.Many congratulations Rev Dot.
<span style="font-size: 1rem;">While I was training to be a reader we were not supposed to use reference books over a certain age! Which at the time put most of my library way off limits for assignment purposes. I don’t think anyone had told Scripture Union this though, as 2 books which we have had on our shelves for years have been used in the references for this passage! The one is David Watson‘s Discipleship. This is a wonderful book which talks about living a Christian life and maturing in being a follower of Jesus. It is a book, as it says right up front, about becoming and growing as a disciple.</span>The quote they use which leaps out to me again and again is ‘Christianity which does not begin with the individual, does not begin; but Christianity which ends with the individual, ends.Witty little saying! But if we unpack it a bit it’s very profound.Christianity isn’t a hobby, a pastime, merely a comfort when we are in distress (although of course it is a huge comfort in distress). Christianity is what it is because of Jesus Christ and what he did for humankind on the cross. This is what we are part of. This is why we bother with church and worship and fellowship and all the other things which come out of having faith. But we are not called to stand on the side lines and cheer on this ‘good idea’. We are called to be involved. We are called to make a personal response to what Jesus did on the cross. We are called to say a loud and hearty ‘me too’ to God. We have joined a life long journey with Jesus, accompanied by our fellow Christians, as we grow in knowledge and confidence of our faith, as we grow in love and commitment for God and humanity. We have not said ‘yes’ to a private idea, or an interesting theory. We have said ‘yes’ to something far bigger than ourselves, something dynamic, which will grow and impact everyone with whom we come into contact. It will transform our lives, and their lives too, if we let it. But we can’t start unless we truly buy-in to this being a personal faith, not just something we observe from afar. ‘…..Christianity which does not begin with the individual, does not begin;….’And here’s the next big thing about Christianity….it’s isn’t just for me and you. It is the gift that only works when we give it away! It’s the gift which keeps on giving as we share it far and wide. No other person can tell any of us how we should do this ‘giving’ away of our faith. God will provide that answer when we ask him. But there will be a way, taylor-made to each of us, for us to share the gift of faith we have received. ‘…Christianity which ends with the individual, ends.’Another quote used by Scripture Union for this passage is from a favourite hymn of Fanny Crosby: ‘Blessed Assurance’Blessed assurance Jesus is mineO what a foretaste of glory divineHeir of salvation, purchase of GodBorn of his spirit washed in his blood This is my story, this is my songPraising my Saviour all the day longThis is my story, this is my songPraising my Saviour all the day long Perfect submission, perfect delightVisions of rapture now burst on my sightAngels descending bring from aboveEchoes of mercy, whispers of loveI can’t help feeling a surge of excitement when I sing this hymn. And then I feel, well , if this is how the knowledge of having salvation through Jesus makes me feel, how can I possibly not make sure other people know it too?So, if we only want to stand on the side lines and watch, we have not really begun our Christian life, our discipleship. And if we want to try and put our faith in a compartment which is just for us, if we don’t want to let it overflow into our family life, our community life, our work life, well, it’s very likely to shrivel up and disappear, rather like any other unused gift.
The Rt Revd Mark Tanner has been named by Downing Street as the next Bishop of Chester, succeeding the Rt Revd Dr Peter Forster who retired in September 2019.Bishop Mark is currently the Bishop of Berwick in the Diocese of Newcastle, a post he has occupied since 2016.“It will be hard to say goodbye to the North East,” he says, “however, Lindsay and I are really excited to return to Chester where I was ordained, and both of our children were born.”Mark says: “It is an honour and a joy to be appointed to the Diocese of Chester at such a key time in the life of our communities, nation, and Church. In Christ, God offers a gift of hope beyond our imagining; there is no greater joy or privilege than enabling others to step into this freedom and life, whether in deeply practical service or beautiful wonder and worship. God is here for all."Bishop Mark and his wife, Lindsay, will be introduced to the diocese online via a series of live-streamed events. Members of the public can watch and participate via Facebook and Zoom.“Although I cannot physically be with you today, I look forward to getting to know the people and communities of the diocese from the coast to the Pennines, as we refresh and renew our service of every member of society within our diocese.”Bishop Christine, the Bishop of Newcastle says: “It has been a real joy to work with Mark as a key member of the team here. I have appreciated his friendship and counsel, his kindness and great sense of fun, and most particularly, his focus on those whom we are called to serve as Christ’s church today. He has been instrumental in helping us establish our Resource Church and imagine new possibilities in terms of ministry and mission. I know the Diocese of Chester will be blessed through his ministry there.”
