Rt Revd Donald Allister, Bishop of Peterborough writes
New Every Morning
Lord Rose, the man who restored the fortunes of Marks and Spencer, recently completed a report on the leadership and management of the National Health Service. When interviewed about the task of leadership in an organisation, he said that the key is to ensure that it is always changing but without the staff suffering “change-fatigue.”
Always changing, but no change-fatigue. That is how our churches should be. “What!” I hear howls of protest already. “There is too much change already!” “I’m not going to change!”
Let me try it this way, courtesy of the Old Testament Book of Lamentations:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
We are happy to be reminded that God’s love for us never ceases, that his mercy never ends, that his faithfulness is great. But the third line of that wonderful verse of Hebrew poetry matters too. God’s love and mercy are new every morning. Appropriate to that new day. Fitted afresh to our needs. Magnificently unchanged, but also wonderfully different. Reliable but delightfully new and alive.
Or there are the words on the lips of the resurrected Jesus in the Book of Revelation:
See, I am making all things new.
Or the simple piece of logic, that if we want our churches to grow we must be willing for them to change, because growth involves change. No change, no growth is just as true as the old slogan, No cross, no crown.
But how do we avoid change-fatigue? Simple: by being alive every morning to the Lord’s new mercies, his fresh forgiveness, his constantly re-invented love. By catching the vision that with God the best is in the future not the past.
Here is my question and challenge for us all as we re-start after the summer holidays. How can we change and reinvent our churches, our worship, ourselves, in such a way that God’s love becomes more real to those around us and his Church grows with new life?
Diocese of Peterborough - Magazine Resource –September2015
Produced by the Diocesan Office, The Palace, Peterborough PE1 1YB
Tel: 01733 887000 Email:
Around the diocese
Week of Prayer for Youth 4—11 October
iocese to pray.diocese will join in, we would also like to encourage those parishes that do not have young people or a youth group to participate too, as we mobilize the whole deaneries. Whilst we really hope that very many youth groups all over the darish, and for youth work in their pjoining together in October 2015 for an inspiring week of prayer for young people in their message from the diocesan Youth Missioners: Churches all over the diocese are ASuggested prayer and intercessions: are on the Peterborough website at:
Becky and Chad, the Youth Missioners, say that it doesn’t matter whether your plans are low-key or ambitious, the important thing is that you allow some space and time to focus your prayers on young people.
If you have contact with young people who would like to be involved, then why not ask them to plan and lead the prayers?
There are loads of ways of engaging with this important theme, here is an idea to get you started:
Interactive Use masking tape to create a giant map of your parish on a large floor space. Walk around the map, writing post-it note prayers. Mould your prayers out of clay or create a large painted collage of prayers. Maybe you could construct a prayer wall out of bricks. Provide a creative space by making a big ‘prayer shed’ out of cardboard boxes and other materials. Encourage people to write a song / poem that conveys how they feel. Organise a ‘Spoken Word’ event for people to share.
For more information:
For Northamptonshire Archdeaconry contact .
For Oakham Archdeaconry:
Photo by Katya Alagich
Church Housing Trust chooses a partner with style
Online clothing and fashion boutique Style Loyal.com will donate £1 from every item purchased to Church Housing Trust, a charity that helps people without homes to rebuild their lives.
They help people to become more confident and healthy through activities and personal support. They pay for clothes and travel costs so that they are able to start volunteering or working as well as fund basic household goods and furniture when they move into their own home.
Church Housing Trust Director, Miriam Morris, says: “We’re very pleased to partner with Style Loyal.com in rebuilding people’s lives. Even the smallest contribution can change someone’s life for the better and give them a second chance. Every item bought at the Style Loyal.com boutique will make a real difference to the people we work with, who often have nothing.”
Style Loyal caters for a range of tastes modern or vintage, there’s something there for everyone. Style Loyal.com founder Ruth Uwimana said, “Shoppers at Style
Loyal can know that they will look great, and that their purchases are going to help a good cause.”
Ruth Uwimana also works with Church Housing Trust. “It was an amazing opportunity to combine two of my passions. I had tried to begin a clothing business before but never really seriously pursued it. This time there was a fire in my belly! Now I can enable people to look good and do good at the same time.”
To start shopping and know that it’s going to a good cause, visit
Photo: Style Loyal Floral Lace Panel Top
Around the diocese
Climate Change at Peterborough Cathedral
and special ticket prices are offered to youth groups. September at 7.30pmthon Saturday 19Peterborough Cathedral is presenting a performance of “Baked Alaska”, a dramatic entertainment with vibrant music, high energy storytelling and laughter, performed by Riding Lights Theatre Company of York. The show is
Baked Alaska promises to weave together stories of the wild and unpredictable effects of climate change from the four corners of the earth. It will be premiered in York only days before its performance in Peterborough. The show is touring the UK ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris and has been devised by Riding Lights in partnership with Christian Aid and Operation Noah, both members of the Climate Coalition, and the Diocese of Lichfield.
Tickets are £12 adult, £9 concessions, £7.50 groups of 8+ under 18s available from the Riding Lights Box Office on 01904 655317 or online via Or from the Peterborough Cathedral website at:
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September events
Wednesday 2 September
Music in Oakham at Lunchtime
Summer Holiday Concerts
John Dobson piano & Thomas Day violin
All Saints, Oakham LE15 6AA
For more information, please visit
Saturday 12 September
7.30pm £10 including refreshments
The World of Gilbert and Sullivan
Presented by “The Wandering Minstrels” Songs and scenes from the popular
Operas.
Peterborough, St Paul PE1 2PA
For more info: 01733 314117
Tuesday 15 September
7.30—9.15pm
Core Skills for children’s work (LF10)
A six session course, on Tuesdays 15, 22, 29 September and 6, 13, 20 October . Developing our understanding of children and the skills that are needed to nurture them in their faith. A Living Faith module.
Bouverie Court, 6 The Lakes, Bedford Road, Northampton NN4 7YD
For more info: 01604 887042 or
Tuesday 15 September
Growth and Stewardship Roadshow
Daventry:
An event for everyone who wants to see their local church grow. Providing lots of practical tips for enhancing our stewardship & growing numerically.
The evening is led by Paul Adams, Diocesan Stewardship Officer and Revd Miles Baker, Diocesan Director of Mission. For more info: 01604 887043
More details at: