Ordained deacon on 2 July 2023

Hello to you all!

I’m Nicholas, the soon-to-be curate of the Benefice of Buxton with Burbage and King Sterndale.

I grew up by the coast in the West Country but have spent the last eight years living in Northamptonshire. Since September 2020 I have been studying and training for the ordained ministry at St Mellitus College (East Midlands centre) in Nottingham following a contextual training pathway, which has seen me spend three days a week working in a parish in Wellingborough, and three days a week studying.

My journey to ordination started in 2006 when I spoke with a vicar about having a feeling of being called to something.

I wasn’t sure what I was called to, but he seemed sure that it was ordination.

I decided he was wrong and spent some time doing youth work and trying to avoid any talk of ordination.

To my surprise people asked me if I’d considered being ordained in various places and situations. When working for a wholesaler in Exeter, when attending a church service whilst on holiday in Cornwall, or chatting with a stranger during breakfast in Wetherspoon’s… It seems that there is no hiding from God and his call!

I came to faith in a non-denominational church and have journeyed with the Church of England through its various traditions.

I believe that God calls each of us in our diversity to serve in many and varied ways, and that a part of my ministry is to encourage, enable, and empower others in their calling.

I will be moving to Derbyshire with my partner, Michael, and we look forward to exploring the Peak District together.

Ordained deacon on 2 July 2023

I am excited to be joining Revd Adele Barker as Assistant Curate in the benefice of the White Peak Group and the benefice of Youlgreave, Middleton, Stanton in Peak and Birchover. 

I am married to Guy, and we have 3 adult children, a daughter-in-law who is also a curate in Doncaster, a soon to be daughter-in-law and a very well-loved and spoilt 10-year-old sprocker spaniel. We are also expecting out first grandchild in the autumn so have much to look forward to. 

Before sensing that God was calling me to ordained ministry in the Church of England, we lived in Taunton, Somerset where I worked as Director of People for a hospice.

Before this we lived in Castle Donington so in many ways are returning to a familiar and well-loved part of the country. During our time in Taunton, we were part of a large and lively village church on the edge of the town.

For the last two years, I have been studying full-time for the Diploma in Theology, Ministry and Mission at Trinity College in Bristol, where I have also played an active part in two wonderful and very different church communities in Clifton. 

Ordination was not something I had considered for myself - I had been praying for some time that God would show me where he wanted me to be for the next stage of my life, and about ive years ago I experienced a distinctive answer to those prayers when I had a strong sense, a sort of ‘settled knowing’, that God was directing me to consider ordained ministry in the Church of England. The two-year discernment process was a wonderful time of deepening my faith and knowledge of myself and our faithful God.

I am so excited about learning from and serving the people in the White Peak and Youlgrave Benefices - I love being outdoors; walking, off-road running and cycling are some of my favourite things to do so I’m very much looking forward to exploring the wonderful hills and countryside of the Peaks and catching up with old and not-so-old friends who live nearby. 

We love all the creative and different ways churches are engaging with their parishes and beyond.

Our vision is The Kingdom of God, Good News for All and it's great to see how so many churches in the Diocese of Derby are sharing stories of their success in achieving transformed lives through growing church and building community.

Here are a few that have caught our eye recently:

Why posting event flyers and posters on social media is a really bad idea…

So the date for the event is set, someone has put posters around the village and now you want to get the message out there on social media.

Surely the thing to do is post the flyer on Facebook and Instagram, right?

No!

Posters advertising events on social media never do well, and there are two good reasons why.

First, you need to make your event discoverable and searchable in as many ways as possible. But when you simply upload a flyer to Facebook, what actually happens is that effectively it disappears... all Facebook sees is a photograph of your poster.

That means it doesn't know what your poster is all about and so it doesn't know whom to show it to!

That in turn means that people cannot search and find it and your event won’t show up in local searches looking for events.

So it’s highly unlikely anyone will come across it – unless they are a follower of your page (and it is already well known that Facebook doesn’t show your posts to ALL your followers).

Too hard to read

The other reason is that, in this digital age, event flyers don’t belong on Instagram or Facebook.

With so much information now being uploaded to the internet, people don’t really stop to read blocks of text.

Social media is made up of platforms that are, in the main, visual and what you need is something that ‘stops the scroll’ and lets people see that your post is worth pausing for.

A flyer packed with text isn’t going to do that.

And imagine how small all that text looks on a mobile phone screen! Remember, most people who use Facebook and Instagram view them on mobiles.

So what should we do?

Use Facebook Events!

Yes, there’s a special feature in Facebook that is designed for promoting events! (It’s free, by the way.)

It’s a little bit more effort than simply uploading a poster, but Facebook Events have the potential to be seen by many more people and, importantly, they are searchable.

They are also included in local lists of events. See some examples here.

Another nice feature of Facebook Events is that people can click to say they are interested or even that they are going. This can encourage others.

On Facebook Events, you could use the artwork from a poster to illustrate your summer fair or concert, for example, but you’d be better to use a striking image from last year’s event together with an engaging caption about the forthcoming event.

>> See Facebook's guide to creating an event

When wording the information (and this applies to all platforms) remember to start with the information people NEED to know. What is important to THEM (not to YOU).

Don’t try to fit in every detail.

What’s the headline?

Is it catchy enough to stop the scroll?

The rest of the details can follow but you MUST grab people’s attention first.

Take a look at the image at the top of this page - that was enough to get your attention and draw you in... there's no detail, just a headline. Keep it simple!

If you know how to use Instagram Stories, try using those. Stories are perfect for promoting events because you can talk about the event multiple times without it living on your feed forever.

Plan ahead - Reach Out!

The earlier you can get your event on Facebook Events the better.

Not only will it give you more time to promote, but your followers will be able to look at what you have coming up and plan accordingly.

Also, don't confine your event promotion just to Facebook. 

Spread the word about your event across all your social media channels and your website. Your Facebook Event can serve as the information hub where people can learn more and get specifics.

Time to stop using those flyers on social!

National Sports Sunday aims to both encourage people to engage with sport and to become sports chaplains.

Is being a sports chaplain something you could consider?

Here are the thoughts of Revd Sarah Watson, herself a sports chaplain - and a recreational tennis player!

When people think of a sports chaplain, they may imagine the chaplain of a professional football club, and although some work with elite sportswomen and men, many serve at a much more grass-roots level serving all members in the club regardless of playing ability or role.

A sports chaplain's role will vary from club to club and sport to sport, and my role is as chaplain to Derbyshire Tennis and I am there to offer support, pastoral and spiritual care.

As a priest in the Church of England of course I am passionate about my Christian faith and the Gospel being good news to all, but I always operate by permission and I am always inclusive. I am not just there for the Christians but to serve the whole tennis community, irrespective of beliefs or lifestyle.

I am passionate about sport; I love participating and watching. It has always played a big part of my life and is unsurprisingly a big part of discipleship and ministry.

Jesus said he came to bring life in all its fullness. This is a holistic view of well-being, including both the physical and spiritual, of all involved in the community of sport to which chaplaincy has something to offer.

Most of the time I would describe my role as "holy loitering", spending time around the Derbyshire tennis world getting to know people, being a Christian presence.

Essentially I am there to serve and not be served, seeking to follow the model of Jesus.

Being a sports chaplain is both an honour and privilege.

Find out more at: https://sportschaplaincy.org.uk/

Bishop Malcolm has crowned King Charles in a special service in Derbyshire.

Charles (his real name) aged 7, was crowned King at Melbourne Infant School.

The Coronation was watched by scores of pupils and teachers at the school, who cheered as the new King greeted them wearing his ancient crown and robe and carrying his ceremonial sceptre.

Following the ceremony, the Year 2 pupil said: "It was very exciting.

"The best bit was when the crown was put on my head.

"As King, I will visit every class during the day and take part in their lessons."

Bishop Malcolm said: "It was a privilege to be asked to be part of this historic occasion and to meet so many of the pupils at Melbourne Infant School.

"Apparently, there is another coronation happening tomorrow in London, so the pupils will hopefully now have a good idea of what it's all about!"

King Charles and Bishop Malcolm were assisted by Revd Steve Short, Vicar of Melbourne, and by the school's headteacher, Mrs Gibbs, who said: "This is a historic event in the lives of our children and something that they will not have seen before!

"We felt it was important to mark the event in a special way.

"All week in school we have been doing coronation crafts, lessons and workshops and today’s coronation ceremony will top off our celebrations!

"All the children were so excited for the coronation – especially our King Charles himself!"

The Rt Revd Libby Lane, Bishop of Derby, has admitted ten new readers in a special service held at Derby Cathedral.

Seven were admitted and licensed as readers and three were admitted as readers with permission to officiate.

Speaking to them at the service, Bishop Libby Said: "I am pleased and privileged to admit you as readers in the Diocese of Derby.

"Readers are a really important part of ministry as together we seek to help more people in the diocese to know Jesus.

"May the Lord give you wisdom, courage, strength and love to do his will."

>> See the photos from the Celebration of Reader Ministry with the Admission & Licensing of Readers

Those admitted are:

David Beale, to serve in Parish of Longstone

Caroline Carr, to serve in the Benefices of Swadlincote and Hartshorne, Gresley and Newhall

Sara Eames, to serve in the Benefice of Alvaston

Alison Henshaw, to serve in the Benefice of Chellaston

Terry Nash, to serve in the Parish of Allenton and Shelton Lock

Margaret Roberts, to serve in the Benefice of Glossop

Garry Sherwood, to serve in the Benefice of Stanton by Dale with Dale Abbey and Risley

Christine Walker, to serve in the Benefice of Matlock Bank and Tansley

Andrew Walley, to serve in the Benefice of Etwall with Egginton

Judi Witcomb, to serve in the Benefice of Mickleover and Radbourne.

Please pray for them all and for the communities where they will serve.

Readers in the Church of England are licensed lay ministers whose ministry can include a range of responsibilities including preaching, teaching and leading worship.

There are more than 8,500 readers actively involved in ministry in the Church of England today.

The new readers are welcomed by family, friends and colleagues

Past Cases Review 2

The Diocese of Derby has taken part in the most extensive review of safeguarding records ever conducted by the Church of England.

The purpose of PCR2 was to identify both good practice and institutional failings in relation to how allegations of abuse have been handled, assess any identified risks and respond to these where appropriate, and to provide recommendations to the Church that will lead to improvements in its safeguarding work.

The Rt Revd Libby Lane, Bishop of Derby, writes:

I, along with diocesan colleagues and Derby Cathedral, welcomed the opportunity offered by PCR2 to reflect on our practice.

We also welcome the advice and challenges arising from the report.

We are grateful for the level of detail in the 40 recommendations made by the Independent Reviewers for consideration by the diocese, cathedral or Church of England.

Many of these recommendations reiterate a process change that had been recognised by senior officers, and are underway or have already been completed.

We are committed to attending to the recommendations made and have been glad of the opportunity this process has provided to learn and improve.

Executive Summary of the Diocese of Derby Report

The PCR2 was jointly commissioned by the Diocese of Derby and Derby Cathedral.

It was completed between 26th April and 29th October 2021 by two independent safeguarding professionals.

The review process was overseen by a PCR Reference Group with an appointed independent chair.

The process achieved the PCR2 specific objectives and complied with the PCR2 Practice and Policy Guidance (PCR2 PPG) issued by the Church of England PCR2 Management Board.

In compliance with PCR2 PPG, the diocese was in Category B - those dioceses who did not need to carry out a repeat of the original PCR but who have not conducted further review work since January 2007.

The diocese did not seek any exemptions in the file review phase.

Derby Cathedral and the Diocese of Derby actively engaged with the PCR2 process, meeting all the requirements specified in the PCR2 PPG and the review was welcomed as a learning opportunity by the bishop and all those supporting the review, many of whom were new in post and seeking to benchmark their ongoing work.

The content of the PCR2 report was drawn from documented information, and discussion between the independent reviewers and key stakeholders in the diocese and Derby Cathedral.

In the Diocese of Derby, the file review phase consisted of 1,164 files and, as a result, one new case was identified.

Of the files reviewed, 70 were cathedral files.

>> Download the Diocese of Derby's Executive Summary [.pdf] (Republished on 7 October 2022 with a data amendment)

 The PCR2 report can be read in full on the Church of England website.

 Support

Support is available for anyone for whom this prompts the need to talk or seek help and the diocese is keen to help anyone who contacts them about safeguarding matters, however long ago they may have happened.

Contact details for the Safeguarding Team:

safeguarding@derby.anglican.org |  01332 388678

 Further information - Downloads

>> PCR2 Background and Overview [PDF]

>> PCR2 Protocol and Practice Guidance [PDF]

>> PCR2 Full Appendices Practice Guidance [PDF]

The Dean of Derby, the Bishop of Derby and His Majesty's Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire invite you to a Special Commemorative Service for the Coronation on Sunday, 7 May 2023.

The service, at Derby Cathedral, will start at 17:15 and those attending are asked to be in their seats by 17:00.

All are welcome to attend.

The Very Reverend Dr Peter Robinson, Dean of Derby, said: "The coronation is a significant moment in the life of both the Church of England and the nation, and it is right that we should celebrate it with prayer, thanks and worship.

"This service will also help the communities of Derby and Derbyyshire prepare for The Big Help Out, which takes place the following day."

Three long-serving and dedicated members of the diocesan community have received Maundy money at this year's presentation, held at York Minster.

Canon Jack Cooper and Val Grahl were nominated for the honour by Bishop Libby.

It was the such service since the King's accession to the throne

Canon Jack, from Hathersage, is a PCC member, serves on Peak Deanery Synod, Diocesan Synod and Bishop's Council.

Val Grahl is a lay member of Chapter at Derby Cathedral, has served as co-chair of the Community Committee and is currently Interim Chair of the Cathedral Council.

They were joined at the service by Joan Plant, from Eyam, who was nominated by Buckingham Palace.

Joan has been churchwarden at Eyam St Lawrence and has an extensive knowledge of the history of the village and its association with the plague of 1665/6.

Special memories

Describing the occasion, Val Grahl said: "It was a very, very special day.

"King Charles presented me with the two purses, one red and one white, and held my hand and said how pleased he was to be able to give them to me.

"I simply replied, 'thank you, Your Majesty' as there was no time for a conversation, but it left me with a feeling of awe and sheer privilege to have received it from the King."

In the white purse were seven sets of silver 1p, 2p, 3p and 4p coins and an additional 4p coin - totalling 74p and signifying the King's age.

The red purse contained a silver 50 pence piece with the King's head and a depiction of the Windrush Generation, and a silver £5 coin embossed with the King's head and the number 75 to signify his next birthday.

There were about 2000 people in York Minster and they were treated to some 'wonderful organ music' before the service began, including works from Handel, Mendelssohn, Bairstow and Franck. 

"The service itself began with a fanfare," said Val. "And then 2000 people singing Praise to the Holiest sent a shiver down my spine!

"The organisation was superb - so smooth - and there were people on hand to help with everything.

"I will never forget the special feeling of being in the Minster with the King and all those people."

In total, 74 men and 74 women received Maundy money, one for each year of the King's age.

Maundy Thursday is a symbolic ceremony, dating back to AD600, where the monarch gives out specially-minted coins.

The recipients are traditionally older members of society, who are recognised for their contribution to their church and community.