31 October 2011

Lent and the Novena in 2012

Dear Colleagues,

Being disciples of Jesus Christ is an amazing privilege. What encourages me so much as Bishop are your stories of how Christ changes people's lives.

How we welcome people into our churches is crucial if our discipleship is to make a real impact in our local communities. To this end we will be making available a 2012 Lent course which will focus on the theme of 'welcome' and how we demonstrate God's hospitality. How we give welcome shows the character of the Jesus we follow today; it is a joint responsibility for the whole people of God to exercise.

The course will be addressing such issues as: how church communities offer welcome from the heart of their discipleship, how we use our places of worship, gathering and services to their full advantage, how we relate to our local communities with welcome, and how we follow through what we most need to learn into practical action.

The course follows a format similar to last year's Lent course. Our church communities will be encouraged to celebrate what is working well, and consider how to focus energy in areas that need attention.

As well as the five session course, there will be additional resources for worship and all age liturgy. We hope you will be able to use these resources to their full advantage. In February, before the Lent course begins, there will be a diocesan preparation event to enable small group leaders to lead with the passion that this subject deserves.

Following up the Lent course, our Novena/Nine Day Week will focus our prayer from May 17 to 27 on 'Hospitality'. By looking creatively at nine biblical stories of hospitality, our prayer can focus on how God's welcome can become more embodied in the life of our church communities

Materials will be produced, as last year, to encourage our prayer together. The Lent course materials will be available beginning in early December, the Nine Day Week materials in the spring.

I believe all our churches, at heart, want to welcome others into their Christian communities. I hope that using Lent and Ascensiontide in this way will enable us to be inspired and encouraged to develop further God's gifts within us for his glory.

I look forward so much to sharing in these very rich opportunities as we seek to deepen our discipleship and be shaped afresh by Gods hand.

With my prayers and best wishes

+ Trevor

This email has been sent to Parish Clergy and parish secretaries – please share with your colleagues not on email.