URC Holiday Forum 2019 - A story waiting to be told - 17th - 23rd August 2019

URC HOLIDAY FORUM 2019 Saturday 17th to Friday 23rd August 2019. We would like to invite you to join us in Swanwick in August for URC Holiday Forum 2019 on the theme of A story waiting to be told.

FUN, FAITH and FELLOWSHIP A Christian holiday for all ages at The Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick, Derbyshire DE55 1AU. 

A story waiting to be told… We can’t change history but there are many untold stories which can change the future through how history is remembered. Telling the story is what Jesus did so well and new stories can be told through fiction and non-fiction; gospel and testimony; song and poetry so come and write a new story or, as the Psalmist says, sing a new song to the Lord! Behind every story written and heard there are many more waiting to be told and YOUR story is what the Lord wants you to tell. This is a week to be inspired and inspire with visions and dreams knowing that if you can imagine something it is possible with God.

• Theme Leader - Revd Richard Becher
• Worship Leaders - Revd Iain McLaren and Steven Neville
• Music Leader – Marion Turner (and friends) 

Look online: URC Holiday Club Forum 2019  on Facebook and Twitter.  If you wish to book for Holiday Forum 2019, please use the Booking Form on this website or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

Conservation Cleaning  - 10th September 

Free Workshops: Places still available on This is a fantastic opportunity to develop your skills and meet other people from across the Diocese. This workshop is open to anyone looking after an historic place of worship as long as the buildings falls within the boundaries of the Diocese of Ely. It is open to all faiths and organisations. Thanks to support from National Lottery players, there are two opportunity to attend this workshop – booking is open for both:

WORKSHOP TWO:Tuesday 10^th September, 10:00am – 4pm Venue: St Clement's Church, Church Terrace, Outwell, PE14 8RQ. - Light refreshments will be provided throughout the day. Arrangements for lunch to be confirmed.

Places are limited so we ask that no more than one person per parish or organisation attends.

Booking and Contact: E-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Historic Church Buildings Support Officer Tel: 07948 350211 or 01353 652705   Lots of information you will find helpful in the management of your church building can be found on the Churchcare website   Download: Conservation Cleaning Poster    Download: Conservation Cleaning Press Release

Eastern Synod Youth Fun Day 14th September 2019

The Playground, Haysborder Road, Barrow, Suffolk IP29 5BE

The day is for young people aged between 11 to 18 - The cost for the day is £5 per person.

Come and experience the 1Km assault course with 25 different obstacles including slides, nets and walls and perhaps a muddy ditch or two! This is a great opportunity for children and Young People from across the synod to come together in a fun and active way and to meet young people from other churches.

A picnic lunch will be provided along with soft drinks and snacks throughout the day.

Please do put this date in your diary and encourage Young People to come along and have fun.

For further information please contact - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Children's and Youth Development Officer  
Tel 07515721172   Download: Youth Fun Day Booking Form 

Being Old, Being Bold - 25th September 2019

Living by faith, seeking truth, and accepting challenge  Are you interested in making more of life for older people

Christians on Ageing is a resource to the Churches and a voice for older people.  This conference will help us to plan new ways of giving support, spreading ideas and promoting good practice in the Church? You are invited to join us for a conference. This is a rare opportunity to hear what can be done  AND to tell us what you are doing.

25th September 2019 - A central venue in Sheffield - 10 am to 4 pm Cost: £30 including all papers, refreshments and lunch (Members of Christians on Ageing £25 using code in plus magazine Summer 2019 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) 
The day will include:

• David Jolley, Honorary Reader The University of Manchester; retired Consultant and Professor of Old Age Psychiatry, reflecting on Intergenerational Fairness & Provision
• Helen McCormack, currently Ministry with Older People Development Worker, Northallerton asking Special Need or Special Contribution?
• Rita and Paul Conley, The Salvation Army reporting on Older Prisoners, New Ways of Working
• Albert Jewell, retired Chaplain in MHA and Methodist minister discussing People with Dementia: a Christian Response
• Contributions from participants on local Church activity
• Inter-active Musical Interlude with a Sheffield U3A Ukulele Group

TO BOOK Visit our website  Click on 'Conference'.  Go to 'Book here'.  Complete form and send. Website:  Christians on Ageing for more information 

 A Gift to our lay Preachers & Worship Leaders - 5th October 2019

Approaching Advent 

Eastern Synod and Westminster College A gift for our Lay-Preachers and Worship Leaders” - Join us at Westminster College for a day that will resource and refresh you for the gift of worship leading that you offer to our Synod, and end with sharing of communion. 

Leaders: for the day will be Sam White Director of Pastoral Studies at Westminster College, who will lead us in to some fresh thinking as we prepare for the season of Advent. Alongside Sam Liz Bird (Synod Lay Preachers Advocate), Lindsey Brown (Synod Mission and Training Officer), and Nicola Grieves (Children and Youth Development Officer), who will be offering their experience in particular areas of knowledge.

Eastern Synod, along with the whole United Reformed Church, is deeply indebted to the many lay people who freely give of their time to lead worship in our churches week by week. We would therefore like to offer something back. where up to thirty people can come together at Westminster College to be fed rather than to be those who feed others. The intention is to offer both spiritual and physical food. The days will start with coffee on arrival and include a Sunday lunch and end. The rest of our time will be spent with input and discussion led by those leading the day.  

Download: Booking Form     A Gift to our Lay Preachers and Worship Leaders

Making a Joyful Noise - URC Music Day 5th October 2019 

Saturday 5th October - Palmers Green United Reformed Church, London, N13 4AL

Theme: "Well-being and Music Across the Generations"

The day will help us explore the place of music in wellbeing and spirituality. It is becoming increasingly important for us to talk about and explore self-care: music plays a vital part in this process, not just in our individual lives but
also in our communal lives. We will be joined by Jennifer Kavanagh who is a Quaker, retreat leader and speaker and writer on the Spirit-led life. She is also a trained singer. Music is central to her life, if not to her (largely silent)
Quaker worship! Jennifer will spend time with us in the morning sharing her thoughts on our theme and expand ideas of singing from our silence. We will also take some time to consider the “cantus firmus” as explored by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (you might like to dip into “Melodies of a New Monasticism” by Craig Gardiner to get a taste of some of these ideas).

As well as listening and talking we’ll also have time to make music and sing. By the end of the day we hope we will have a sense of well-being though our music making together.

Download: Making a Joyful Noise          Download: Booking Form         Download:  Programme  You can find out more about Jennifer Kavanagh 

Church Leadership Programme 7th-11th October 2019 and 27th April - 1st May 2020

Transforming leadership from the inside out Strengthening personal qualities, insights and skills for effective Christian leadership. The residential elements of the programme are to be held from the 7th to 11th of October 2019 and from 27th of April to the 1st of May 2020, at Wydale Hall, Yorkshire.

What does it seek to achieve?

• to continue to place Christian leadership within the context of vocation and ministry within the United Reformed Church
• to enable growth in personal formation for participants, and extend the knowledge and skills necessary for effective Christian leadership
• reflection on personal leadership experience, alongside new ways of leadership discernment
• to develop leaders who enable United Reformed Churches to become communities of more faithful disciples, better equipped to share in the Mission of God – Walking the Way of Jesus Today

This programme is for people in recognised church leadership roles and those in public ministry as ministers of Word and sacraments and church-related community workers. The course benefits those with some experience of Christian leadership, including those nearing retirement. There are up to 16 places each time the programme runs. The Church Leadership Programme (CLP) takes place over two residential weeks, Monday to Friday, approximately 6 months apart. The first week concentrates on the personal qualities and skills which are core to a leader; the second focuses on how these are translated within public leadership. Between the two parts there is a personal development project which is particular to each participant. It helps to put learning into practice and embeds the spiritual, emotional and intellectual changes engendered in the first week.

Each residential week costs £265, making the total £530. Each week is in a different calendar year, making it possible for grants to be sought more easily from various sources.  Download: Church Leadership Programme Further Details 

In Harmony - Biennial Festival of Church Music at Guildford Cathedral 12th October 2019

Biennial Festival of Church Music at Guildford Cathedral - Saturday 12 October 2019

Our next Festival in Guildford Cathedral are well under way. The theme of the service is “Stewards of Creation” and the anthems to be sung are:-

• Jubilate Deo  -  Pamela Colverson
• Give to our God immortal praise -  Christopher Norton
• This is my Father’s world -  arr. Sally DeFord
• For the beauty of the earth -  David Blackwell
• Creation -  Andrew Winton
• Jesus shall reign - Hatton arr. Shaw
• O Lamb of God - John Taverner
• Look at the world -  John Rutter
• Day by day -  Martin How
• Now the day is over  - Sidney J. Suckling

We hope that many of you will be able to join us either as part of a choir, or as an individual singer. The anthem books will be available from the middle of February and the cost per book is £11 which includes postage or £10 if collected. The books contain the conductor’s notes for use at local choir practices.

Website: Free Church Choirs 

Faith In Maintenance FREE Workshops - 12th October 2019 and 21st March 2020

"Stave off decay by daily care." - William Morris
Maintenance might not be the most glamorous side of managing historic places of worship, but it can make all the difference. A little time spent on a basic building 'MOT' can save a great deal of money at a later date, but where do you start and what should you do? This FREE workshop will give many of the answers with professional advice and practical sessions.

Faith in Maintenance is an award-winning course from SPAB (the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings) and thanks to support from National Lottery Players, we are delighted to be offering it to parishes and organisations in the Diocese of Ely. 

This is a fantastic opportunity to develop your skills and meet other people from across the Diocese. This workshop is open to anyone looking after an historic place of worship as long as the buildings falls within the boundaries of the Diocese of Ely. It is open to all faiths and organisations. Light refreshments will be provided throughout the day, but we kindly ask that you bring a packed lunch. Places are limited so we ask that no more than two people per parish or organisation attend. There are two opportunities to attend this workshop - booking is open for both:

WORKSHOP ONE Saturday 12th October 2019, 10:00am – 4.00pm Venue: St James' Church, High Street, Little Paxton, PE19 6NF

WORKSHOP TWO Saturday 21st March 2020, 10:00am – 4.00pm Venue: St Peter and St Pauls' Church Hall, Wisbech, PE13 1HP

Booking and Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Historic Church Buildings Support Officer - Tel: 07948 350211 or 01353 652705 

Download: Faith in Maintenance Poster               Download: Faith in Maintenance Press Release 

Worship and Engagement in Later Life 23rd and 29th October 2019

Inaugural Walter Hall Lecture - Central Methodist Hall, Westminster - 23rd October 2019 - at 6.30pm
This event is the launch of a new annual lecture series – the Walter Hall lectures The Rt Hon Lord David Willetts will be speaking on intergenerational responsibility.

Worship and Engagement in Later Life - 29th October 2019 -  St Paul's, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 1JP - at 10am-3pm  -  Lunch will be provided

A training day for all involved in leading worship and pastoral care for older people. Discover ways in which older people, including those living with dementia, can be drawn into worship and find it a positive experience. Designed to meet the needs of different churches, retirement settings and other places of worship.

The WELL event is taking place at 6 different locations around the country, aimed at anyone involved in leading or facilitating worship for people in later life, either in a church, community or care home setting. The resources have been developed by our chaplaincy within MHA and are designed to help people lead worship in a context which may include people living with dementia. 

To book please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or telephone 01332 221922  - Crispian Acher, Head of Chaplaincy (Central), Methodist Homes  - Mob: 07483 112164   Download Poster: MHA Water Hall Lecture  Download Poster: Worship and Engagement in Later Life   View Website: MHA