Dave King
On Mondays through Lent, +Malcolm and I are hosting online forums to reflect together on the gospel readings set for the principal service of the previous Sunday.
Yesterday we gathered for the first time to study and explore Mark 1. 9-15
We considered the wider context of the passage which is set between a concise introduction to ‘the good news about Jesus the Messiah, Son of God’ that condenses all of God’s work in salvation history into a few verses describing the vocation and ministry of John the Baptiser and a simple narrative of the calling of the first disciples.
We noted that, like all Mark’s gospel, this narrative is distilled into few words but replete with both a driving momentum and profound meaning.
We reflected on Jesus’ growing understanding of his own relationship with the One who calls him ‘Son’ as it is set so explicitly between the prophets and the disciples. And we reflected on his emerging vocation being shaped by that relationship.
We thought about how our individual relationships with God, and our subsequent vocations are transformed, or more fully understood and received, when set in context of relationship with God’s people, those who have gone before us and those who travel with us.
We thought about this passage being read during Lent and what we might learn from it to aid self-examination and penitence.
How does this passage help us to be honest with ourselves and with God?
What can this passage teach us about the times when we are in difficult, ‘wilderness’ places?
We read here that Jesus is called ‘beloved’ but then driven into wilderness. It was not failure or fault that led to wilderness; he was not being punished.
Maybe we are not to interpret such experiences with guilt expect them, and pray that when we do experience then that somehow ‘angels will be with us’ too.
We took comfort from this passage that we need not pretend before God when we find ourselves in places we might not choose to be.
We considered how Jesus met the grace of God in both the highs of the affirmation of his baptism and in the lows of temptation in the wilderness.
We recognised that in both our struggles and our successes the Kingdom of God may come near.
There were some specific phrases we wondered about: what does that mean that the ‘heavens were torn apart’?
What would it feel like to experience such a thing? Why are we told that Jesus was ‘with the wild beasts’?
Are they part of the threat of being tempted by Satan or part of succour of the angels who ‘waited on him’?
We concluded, as the passage itself does, with a yearning to discover and participate in the life of the Kingdom of God.
We returned to where we began our reflections, thankful for the opportunity again through Lent to re-examine the invitation to repent and believe and so share more fully in ‘the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God’.“
First Sunday in Lent: Mark 1.9-15
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.
And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’
And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.
He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’
Vocation means discovering what God has called you to be and do, asking the question:
What is God’s plan for my life?
All of us are invited to follow Jesus and to serve God faithfully in our everyday lives.
To discover more about what this might mean for you, please see our Everyday Faith page.
To begin a conversation about what this might look like for you, we recommend you speak first to your vicar or chaplain.
Do I have a specific vocation?
Alongside our everyday faith, some people are called to serve God in a specific ministry.
You can find out more about some of these ministries in our vocations videos:
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You can also find more information about vocations and calling here:
If you would like to explore a potential vocation to a specific ministry with someone from the diocese of Derby vocations team, please contact: vocations@derby.anglican.org
Am I called to be a priest or deacon?
The process of exploring a potential call to ordination in the Church of England is explored and assessed locally and by the national church.
It is a two-stage process which includes regular meetings with a member of the DDO team locally, exploring the qualities required and the areas which will be assessed nationally at Stage 1 (online mini-interviews) and then at Stage 2 panel (2 days of assessments and interviews; often residential).
More information can be found here: Understanding Discernment | The Church of England
And if you want to begin a conversation about ordination, with the Diocese of Derby vocations team, please contact: vocations@derby.anglican.org
Am I called to be a licensed lay minister (LLM)?
The process of exploring a potential call to licensed lay ministry (sometimes called a lay reader) is explored and assessed locally.
It involves meeting regularly with a vocations adviser, and attending our LLM(R) course, during which the qualities required and the areas which will be assessed at interview at the end of the first year of the course are explored.
More information about the course can be found here: Discipleship-Training at the Diocese of Derby
To begin a conversation about licensed lay ministry, with the diocese of Derby vocations team, please contact: vocations@derby.anglican.org
Am I called to be a foundation governor?
Foundation governors are usually nominated by the related PCC. Speak to your vicar, existing foundation governors, and PCC about what the role might entail.
You can also find out more, including a role description, here: Foundation Governor Appointments – Derby Diocesan Board of Education (derbydbe.org)
Am I called to be a churchwarden?
Churchwardens are elected annually under the provisions of the Churchwardens Measure 2001 by the Annual Meeting of Parishioners. Speak to your vicar, existing church wardens, and PCC, about what the role entails.
You can find out more here: Churchwardens - Roles and responsibilities - Diocese of Derby (anglican.org)
See also: Can I be a churchwarden?
Head out into Derby on a Friday or Saturday night and you’re more than likely to run into a group of volunteers looking out for revellers in need.
They are Derby’s Street Pastors - trained volunteers from a variety of local churches who provide a visible, reassuring presence for everyone in the city centre. They work in teams of three or four and are out and about, prayerfully patrolling, from 10pm – 4am.
Street Pastors has been operating in Derby since 2009 and the volunteers have become a well-respected and greatly appreciated part of Derby's nightlife.
They work together with the police, door staff and Derby CCTV, responding to calls to offer non-judgmental, understanding support through listening, assisting and, where necessary, putting their first-aid training into action.
And on other occasions, the help they give can be as straight forward as making sure someone has water to drink and a way of getting home.
One such volunteer is Steve Johnson.
As someone who did his fair share of over-induging in his youth, Steve said: “Being a Street Pastor is insane and yet unbelievably rewarding - the nervous anticipation of wondering what you will encounter during the night really gets the adrenaline going.
“Committing to putting my faith into action, it is a privilege taking God’s love and grace into our city streets, meeting and talking to people their own context.”
Now, the organisation is looking to recruit some new faces to ensure it can continue to provide the level of service needed in the city.
Steve’s take on being a volunteer is that when a great night out turns into a time of distress and vulnerability, Street Pastors make sure those who have perhaps allowed themselves one too many, get home to their families safe and well.
He said: “To be a Street Pastor, I think you have to love your city, the people, the buildings and the culture.
“In my youth, we never had these kinds of organisations around, but there is a new generation who enjoy our night-time economy that only know Street Pastors, and the warmth and love towards us is awesome.
“Together with lollies, bottles of water, flip flops and spikies we go out into town having put on the full armour of God, offering up our prayers for our fantastic city.”
If you are interested in learning more about being a Street Pastor, pop along to the open night being held at Derby City Church, Curzon Street, Derby on Monday, 5 February 2024 at 7pm, or contact them at streetpastors@derbycitymission.org.uk.
Derby’s Street Pastors operates as a franchise of the national Street Pastor scheme that is run by the Ascension Trust under the management of Derby City Mission.
For details of Street Pastor teams at other locations across the Diocese of Derby, visit the Street Pastors website.
Ossie's Kitchen, in Ashbourne, has been nominated for The King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS).
The prestigious award is the highest honour given in recognition of voluntary service.
Ossie's Kitchen, based at St Oswald's Church, addresses loneliness, social isolation and mental wellbeing through providing freshly cooked, three-course meals eaten in the company of others.
It operates twice a month, each time feeding around 65 to 70 people with meals created from surplus food from food retailers, including supermarkets.
Anne Ford, a churchwarden at St Oswald's, said: "It is wonderful that Ossie's Kitchen has been nominated for the King's Award, recognising a service carried out by the community, for the community, that puts St Oswald's Church at the heart of its people.
"It is an honour and an encouragement for all those involved in the project."
The project has a pool of more than 50 volunteers to call on to help with cooking, serving, looking after the guests and, of course, washing up!
On hearing the news, Professor Paula Holt, MBE, Deputy Lord-Lieutenant for Derbyshire, wrote to the project.
She said: "Please accept my congratulations on this notable achievement, which reflects the esteem of your local community for the work you and your group do.”
>> Ossie's Kitchen opens in Ashbourne
Ossie's Kitchen opened in 2019.
Everyone is welcome to go along to the bi-monthly meals; the kitchen welcomes donations but realises that not everyone in the community is in a position to give one.
Anne Ford said: "The guests who come along soon become good friends and look out for each other when they arrive.
"Some of them get very little opportunity to socialise with others, apart from at Ossie's Kitchen.
"It's amazing to see the friendships develop and the meals have led to the creation of a rapidly growing community.
"Meal times at St Oswald's are now quite noisy because of so many people chattering, sharing stories and forming bonds!"
The nomination will now be assessed by the Lord-Lieutenant's office and then nationally, before the winners are announced later this year.
These links will take you to the page you will find the form on:
- Common Fund - standing order mandate
- Confirmation return form (new for 2024)
- Contact information update form
- DBS application forms for clergy (Laity applications are done via your Parish Safeguarding Officer)
- Faculties (through the Online Faculty System)
In this series of six podcasts, Bishop Libby reconsiders the Christmas story by talking to the modern-day equivalents of some of the Nativity’s main characters – the innkeeper, the shepherds, the angels, the wise men and more.
We have been telling the Christmas story for over 2000 years.
It is a much-loved tale, retold in carols, depicted on greetings cards, re-imagined for film and theatre and school nativity plays and, for Christians, the Christmas story lies at the heart of our faith.
Bishop Libby's Christmas Conversations are available via the following podcast providers:
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1lCFtbb3UNCzqGwizPDHWM
- Amazon: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/d39ba059-18ae-43fe-b797-7cb34a7acf2e
- Tune In: https://tunein.com/podcasts/Religion--Spirituality-Podcas/Bishop-Libbys-Christmas-Conversations-p3917011/?topicId=354952578
- or say "Alexa play the podcast Bishop Libby's Christmas Conversations"
Listen now:
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Bishop Libby and Will Hagger are delighted to announce that Julie Gardner will be joining the Diocese of Derby as Independent Chair of the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel (DSAP) with effect from 28 November 2023.
Julie qualified as a social worker in 1988 and has worked for over 30 years in the field of safeguarding, public protection and partnership working.
Previously the Associate Director of Safeguarding for Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Julie retired from her role earlier this year.
Throughout her career Julie has been committed to supporting children, young people, and adults to live their lives free from abuse and is excited to be able to bring the culmination of her years of experience in health and social care to support the work of the Diocese of Derby.
The Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel is the committee that advises the Bishop on whether, in its view, the diocese has clear and transparent safeguarding policies, working practices and training arrangements which are consistent with statutory requirements and House of Bishops’ policy and practice guidance.
It is made up of senior staff within both the Diocese and Derby Cathedral, alongside representatives from statutory and partner agencies who provide safeguarding services to Derby and Derbyshire.
This role will see Julie ensure that safeguarding provision within the Diocese is subject to robust and independent scrutiny.
The Chair acts as a critical friend, supporting and encouraging as appropriate, but also providing challenge where necessary.
On confirming the appointment, Will Hagger, Diocesan Secretary, said: “I am delighted to welcome Julie to the team. Both statutory responsibility and safe culture are key, and Julie brings expertise and experience to enable the diocese to ensure best practice in Safeguarding for children, young people and vulnerable adults in our churches.
"I am looking forward to working with her."
On accepting the role, Julie said: “I am very pleased to be offered the privilege of becoming the new Independent Chair of the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel and look forward to building on the great work that is already happening to ensure that the people of the Diocese of Derby are kept safe.”
All Saints’ Church in Mackworth has started on the next phase of rebuilding, after the Chancellor of the Diocese of Derby gave permission for the work to go ahead.
The centuries-old church, just outside Derby, was severely damaged by fire following an arson attack in December 2020 and has not been able to be used since.
The Parochial Church Council (PCC) was granted permission to rebuild the church by the Worshipful and Reverend Timothy Clarke, Chancellor of the Diocese of Derby, in September and a contractor has been procured to start the work which is expected to take around 30 months to complete and includes rebuilding the walls and roof.
Consultation has also started on the next phase of the rebuild, and Mackworth Parish residents will be consulted over the coming months about what the interior restoration should include.
After receiving permission for the work to go ahead, Don McLure, the Project Lead and PCC Treasurer, said: “It is great news for the congregation, local residents and the PCC that we can move forward with restoring the church.
It is a long and complicated process, but the PCC is aiming to make the exterior of the church look as near as possible to how it was before the fire.
The church had existed on the site at Lower Road for more than 700 years.
“We are extremely grateful to Ecclesiastical Insurance, who will fund both the building and interior work, and to the local community and supporters of the church for raising more than £40,000 towards any non-insurance works that may be carried out.”
The fire completely destroyed the interior, including the pipe organ and marble pulpit, and caused the entire roof to fall in and structural damage to the walls of the nave and chancel.
It is estimated that the entire rebuilding project could cost up to £13m.
The congregation of All Saints has continued enjoying Christian worship thanks to the hospitality of its sister church, St Michael's, Kirk Langley.
More about Mackworth All Saints
The church dates back the 14th Century, though it is known that the site has been a place of worship for around 1,000 years. The building was earlier restored and reopened by the Bishop of Lichfield in 1851.
The pulpit, installed in 1896, was made of Derbyshire alabaster and green Irish marble. The pipe organ was built by Lloyd and Dudgeon of Nottingham and dated back to 1870. Both were destroyed in the fire.
Since the fire, the building has undergone a large amount of work to clear the site and stabilise the remaining walls to make it safe and prevent further collapse.
Silverware and paperwork stored in a safe survived the fire, as did a 4ft silver cross and a statue of the Madonna and Child.
The chancellor of the diocese, as the independent judge of the consistory court, oversees legal issues across the diocese, especially those which relate to the use of and alterations to church buildings and land.
Around £10m each year directly or indirectly supports Church of England mission and ministry through parishes, churches and other worshipping contexts, our schools and partner agencies across the Diocese of Derby.
That’s a huge amount of money to raise each year, so we have a duty to manage and deploy it well. The new publication "On the money" below sets out to explain how we do just that.
Of course, there must be a legal entity to manage all the money that flows in and out to support the mission we’ve been given. The Derby Diocesan Board of Finance (DDBF) is an incorporated, charitable body that is the diocese’s financial executive and is committed to making sure our resources are used efficiently, effectively, and responsibly
Advising the Board on financial matters are the Finance Team, who perform a number of essential statutory functions on behalf of the DDBF and is also here to support and serve our deaneries and parishes.
If you need further help, please get in touch at finance@derby.anglican.org
On the money
On the money is a new publication explaining diocesan finances. Please take a look.
>> On the money [.pdf]
To help share the message with our congregations we have created a short summary leaflet. To download please click links below.
>> On the money summary (PDF) - folded A5 size, suitable for printing
>> On the money summary (PDF) - A4 version for sharing digitally
Giving
Related publications
>> Annual Report and Financial Statements
Directors' reports and financial statements for the Derby Diocesan Board of Finance are published and approved by Diocesan Synod in June each year.
>> 2024 annual budget
The annual budget is scrutinised by Diocesan Synod in November each year.
>> Common Fund reports
Common Fund collection rates by deanery are published monthly on this website,
Get in touch
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Lullington All Saints' Remembrance display this year will be memorable after villagers got together to knit and crochet 10,000 poppies
The poppies have now been assembled into a waterfall, cascading from the church building in the South Derbyshire village.
The idea was the brainchild of Jean Burgess. Speaking to BBC Radio Derby, Jean said: "I put it on Facebook, and then another lady in the village said she'd put it on Facebook, another said 'I'll knit you some poppies' and it just escalated.
"We started the waterfall and we thought we'd need about 3,000 [poppies] - and my husband measured up and said 'no way!'
"I thought we'd never do it."
Jean, who knitted around 5,000 poppies herself, said that putting the appeal on social media and a websites in other villages got many more people involved.
