A round up of news from around the United Reformed Church over the past seven days: 18-24 March 2024.
East Midlands
Congratulations to Dave Dennis who has become the fourth, new Assembly Accredited Lay Preacher to be commissioned in the East Midlands Synod this academic year.
At a recent service at Bulwell United Reformed Church, Dave’s commissioning was conducted by the Revd David Featonby, Convenor of the Synod’s Lay Ministries Group, and Mark Hodgson, Lay Preaching Commissioner. Equally delighted to lend him their support were his TLS tutor the Revd Colin Bones and AALP mentor the Revd John Filsak.
Dave’s achievement follows Sam Goodman in Derby, Ray Morrall in Daventry and Claire Ette in Wellingborough.
They are all wished every blessing in their ministries as Lay Preachers.
Elsewhere across East Midlands, church members from all around Derbyshire took the opportunity to talk with the Synod staff at its first Synod Team on Tour event.
Hosted at Derby Central URC in February, the initiative provided the Synod team with the chance to hear firsthand what is going on in local churches – and for people from those churches to explore what support the Synod might be able to offer.
Southern Synod
Congratulations to Zeerak Shahbaz from Broadway United Church Eastbourne who has become a Locally Recognised Worship Leader.
Zeerak received his certificate from the Revd Bridget Banks, Southern Synod Moderator, at a service at Broadway Church in Eastbourne earlier this month.
Thames North Synod
An uplifting celebration saw the URC’s Chesham Pilots celebrate its 30th anniversary on 3 March.
Pilots from across the years, some travelling long distances, joined the congregation and present Pilots to mark the milestone through worship, prayer and a nice lunch during which a cake was cut by three original Pilots and three original Pilots officers.
Congratulatory messages were received from former Pilots now scattered across the globe in Australia, Belgium, Finland, Japan and South Korea and the company was re-dedicated by the church.
Elsewhere across Thames North, Ponders End URC has welcomed three new elders.
And lastly, a group of synod and head office staff recently gathered at Church House for a ‘Welcome to the URC’ training day.
The gathering of 17 included staff from head office and from a number of synods. Andy Braunston and senior staff explained the way the United Reformed Church’s structures work, how they reflect its values and priorities, and exactly what makes the URC unique.
Even participants who have already worked for the Church for some time left the day with many new insights, and a vivid sense of the breadth of mission and discipleship that the denomination has grown over the last century.