News
Chaplaincy Meeting:
Thy Kingdom Come – Next year’s dates – May 30th – June 9th 2019!
Put it in the diary – let’s release the power of unity!
The Revd Liz Carrington, one of the Chaplains at York Racecourse, tried out this alternative to an exercise bike at one of the summer 2018 meetings, provided by ‘New Beginnings’
‘New Beginnings’ is a charity providing a safe supportive environment for former racehorses to adapt and learn new skills after they have finished their first career in racing. They are offered a “Life past the Post”.
Liz explains, “Their exercise ‘rocking horse’ allows users to have the experience of riding short as the jockeys do with your knees almost up to your chin – or that’s how it feels!”
York Racecourse Chaplaincy is a well-established ecumenical venture currently run by One Voice York.
Liz is one of a team of chaplains at York racecourse who attend all the race meetings from Spring to Autumn, with crowds from 16,000 to 35,000. Some of the chaplains work at other racecourses and at North Yorkshire stables and yards, and contribute to the daily life of the racing community.
At the end of the 2016 season, the CEO of the security company employing up to 180 on any one of York’s big race days, said of the Chaplaincy, “The work you do goes beyond God and religion”.
See Diocese of York website:
http://dioceseofyork.org.uk/news-events/news/a-last-glimpse-of-summer/
The WORLD CUP starts on 14th June and runs for a month…
Christians in Sport have produced materials suitable for churches to use for the World Cup. They have a multimedia World Cup quiz, school assemblies and much more here:
Sports Mission Pack, which is available as a free download. It would be awesome to see York churches getting stuck in.
‘Thy Kingdom Come’ 10th -20 May 2018
Thy Kingdom Come is a global prayer movement, which invites Christians around the world to pray between Ascension and Pentecost for more people to come to know Jesus Christ. What started out as an invitation from the Archbishops’ of Canterbury and York in 2016 to the Church of England has grown into an international and ecumenical call to prayer.
The hope is that:
•people will commit to pray with God’s world-wide family – as a church, individually or as a family;
•churches will hold prayer events, such as 24-7 prayer, prayer stations and prayer walks, across the UK and in other parts of the world;
•people will be empowered through prayer by the Holy Spirit, finding new confidence to be witnesses for Jesus Christ.
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses …to the ends of the earth. When he had said this…he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight…Then they returned to Jerusalem … and were constantly devoting themselves to prayer…
When the day of Pentecost had come they were all together in one place… All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit… and that day about three thousand persons were added.” Acts 1,2.
“In praying ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ we all commit to playing our part in the renewal of the nations and the transformation of communities.”
Archbishop Justin Welby
On the website there are all sorts of resources for individuals, families and churches. You can pledge to pray and receive updates etc.
See the website: https://www.thykingdomcome.global/
Email sent Sept 2017
One Voice York – Christian Leaders Prayer Meeting.
This weekly prayer meeting is now entering it’s 19th year – and we have just changed the time and place!
Each Wednesday* the One Voice prayer meeting is from 9:30am to 10:30am at ‘The House of Prayer’ – St Cuthberts, Peasholme Green, York YO1 7PW. However people gather from about 9:00am for hot drinks to network, chat and for mutual encouragement.Church leaders and leaders of Christian ministries in the City are obviously most welcome. Here we celebrate a unity that transcends denomination and for many years we’ve experienced much of God’s blessing described in Psalm 133. Many ministries have been born out of the prayer – and we know there is more!
You may like to watch the Youtube at this link here. It is the story of a unity movement similar to ours. We hope you find it inspiring.
Obviously in York there are many different churches – but also essentially, there is only one Church in York. We have recently been challenged by the words of Isaiah 61:4 about rebuilding the ancient ruins, and how in Nehemiah, different groups took responsibility for rebuilding their part of the wall – working for the same goal – the transformation of the City.
We feel this challenge too – and are praying for a new vibrancy and focus in our prayer and unity – together discerning how we can transform the City and see His Kingdom emerging.
Jesus prayed, “…that all of them will be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” John 17:21.
Come and be part of the blessing!
*The only weeks we do not meet to pray are the month of August and the Wed between Christmas Day and New Year.
onevoiceyork.org.uk
OneVoiceYork, YEPC, First Floor,
47-49 Lawrence Street
York, North Yorkshire YO10 3BU
One Voice York – Chaplaincy
One Voice York is encouraging and releasing more chaplaincy opportunities.
At present we have responsibility for chaplaincy cover for Street Angels, York Racecourse, City of York council, YOYO, and are exploring other possibilities in the arts etc.
Because these are all voluntary positions there is room for more people to join in. (We are particularly looking for more people to join Street Angels and the York Racecourse.) There is training and guidance available – and we will also have to ensure that you comply with safeguarding clearances.
If you are interested please contact us for more details. admin@onevoiceyork.org.uk
Thanks.
Movement Day 2017 and beyond…
A One Voice delegation of 14 people went to Movement Day – 6th & 7th Oct in London. It was an inspiring and challenging gathering of ‘Unity Groups’ from across GB and further afield.
In York, Christian leaders have been praying together weekly for 18yrs at the One Voice Leaders prayer meetings on Wednesdays. We have seen such blessings from this – but we know that there is more God requires of us – and encourages us to do. Unity is a major factor, and we have work to do on this. But God wants the church to be a player in the transformation of the City. This video here is a useful hint.
We’re encouraging leaders of churches and Christian organisations to commit to the prayer, (Wed 9am for 9.30am-10.30am at the “House of Prayer – St Cuthberts, Peasholme Green).
We’ll be exploring the insights from Movement Day and responding with vision and strategy. Be part of this!
On Wed 15th Nov 17 – we held a special meeting to consider the challenges going forward as we consider the role of the church in the transformation of the City.
This was the start of an ongoing time of discernment and reflection.
John Lee said that he felt we were on a journey of discovery together – that the new dimensions of unity and the strategic outworking were to be handled with care. They were like a precious treasure – wonderful for all – and needing to be discovered together rather than imposed. The test may be that we find the Lord’s message rings out to all of us – and potentially through all of us. (As in 1 Thess.)
We viewed a talk by Roger Sutton from the Movement Day Conference (Oct 17) [These talks are available to be shared on a memory stick]
He talked about God being interested in the places we live, God so loved the world… and that All Things come under his concern.
Loads of good things happen – but often these are not strategic or coordinated. Also there is a need to release All of the people their ministry.
It demands unity.
We reflected on this – and there was general affirmation – pointing out that the Local Authority often have gaps – but sometimes we have not consulted them.
There was the challenge of designing the church to bless the City.
The need for sacrifice, flexibility and calling.
Caleb Ellwood and James Topliss shared about questions that could be helpful in the discernment process. What is the lostness, pain, and brokenness of the City? And how do we find the One Thing that will both galvanise and motivate?
We talked about this in groups – and Al Rycroft led a discussion – here are some points…
York: a tale of two Cities – the one everyone admires and the underbelly of real need.
Rather than just pull people out of the water – the need to go upstream and deal with why they have fallen in!
Most homelessness is a result of relationship breakdown.
Orphans and children in care often have the worst outcomes.
The need to change who we are as church – not just what we do.
The need for communication and information about what is happening, and link this with what we know from the council etc. (Wayne Golder offered to have a go at compiling a directory in the New Year)
The need for the HS to give us the vision.
We ended with prayer.
Over the next weeks in the OVY prayer we will continue to pray into these issues.
