Calderdale Circuit Update

Over the last few months working groups have been beavering away so that when the new circuit comes into being in September 2010 everything will be in place.  Thirty one churches are coming together to form this new circuit which covers all of Calderdale. There will be an inauguration service for the new circuit on 1st September 2010 at Halifax Minster.  As seats, even in the Minster, are limited, in is necessary to apply for a ticket for this service - forms are available at the individual churches.  (At St. Paul's the forms are on the table in the main concourse.  Simply complete a form and hand to Norman Lane or another church steward.) This service will also welcome new ministers to the circuit. Revd. Francis Neil has been stationed to Sowerby Bridge.   Revds. Tony Buglass & Ian Coverdale will be nominated at the March Circuit Meeting as the joint superintendents of the new circuit.

For the new circuit to operate smoothly and efficiently the new Circuit Meeting will be formed in a slightly different way with many aspects of the work being undertaken by working groups. A church steward and the church treasurer will represent each church on the circuit meeting along with representatives  from the working groups.

The representatives from St. Paul's will be Norman Lane as senior steward, (deputy Paul Hinton), and treasurer Dawn Teague, (deputy John Clay).

The February Church Councils nominated volunteers to serve on the working groups.  (No one being asked to serve on more than one group

- Mission (Evangelism, Chaplaincy, JMA/Network, World Mission, Home Missions)
- Youth and Education (Youth & children's work, Schools, Safeguarding)
- Church Life (Membership training, Pastoral oversight,  Ecumenism, Church development,Communications, Circuit magazine, Website)
- Church and Society (Community & political issues, Racial justice, Action for Children, MHA)

Further opportunities to join these groups will arise in the future.  We wish to give the new circuit a strong outward looking mission focus.  To this end a Circuit Mission Enabling Team will be created which will work alongside local churches encouraging them in discovering how they can engage with their local community in mission.