The Revd Rachel Hirst said, “It’s a great honour to be asked to be a Rural Dean, and I’ll be taking up that role alongside my job as vicar of Norton. As Rural Dean, I’ll be helping to look after the churches in Southern Ryedale: assisting churches that haven’t got a vicar at the moment, working with the Bishop to care for the clergy in the area, and helping all the churches serve their communities as best they can.”

The Rt Revd Martin Wallace, Bishop of Selby, said, “Rachel will make a great Rural Dean, and it will be a privilege to commission her into that role in the service on Thursday. There will be people there from across Southern Ryedale, including people from all the churches Rachel will be helping, and friends and colleagues from churches of other denominations. It’ll be a great event!”

The Diocese of York, which stretches form the Humber to the Tees and the A1 to the coast, is made up of twenty-one deaneries, including Southern Ryedale. Rural Deans are nominated by the Bishop after consultation with Deanery clergy and normally serve – as “first among equals” - for a period of five to seven years.

On Tuesday 11th June 2013 our group met at the West End of York Minster to embark on our walk to raise money and awareness for the Religious Education Council (REC) which is celebrating its 40 year anniversary. The Council was established in 1973 to provide a multi-faith forum to deepen and strengthen provision for Religious Education in schools and colleges.

This was a partnership project between York Minster, the York Diocese Board of Education and the David Hope RE Centre at York St John University. York Minster’s Canon Precentor Peter Moger greeted us at the Minster and waved us off we set off on the first leg of our walk. The route followed a fascinating heritage trail of York exploring the Christian and Jewish history of the city, including amongst others the Minster, churches, a castle tower, sites of synagogues and a shrine.

We were also fortunate to have a refreshment break at St John University which was kindly provided by the York St John University Faith Advisers Group who represent principle religions in the UK. This gave us the opportunity to hear more about their work, advisory role and leadership for interfaith working on a practical and strategic level. The second leg of our walk brought us back round the city to finish at the Minster.

Working together on the walk has given the three partners an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between our organisations and identify where we may work together again in the future.

At the time of writing our walk has raised £286.25 including Gift Aid. The money raised will be divided equally between the REC and the York YoYo Trust. If you would like to make a donation, you can do so, on our team page: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/YorkWalk

Kate Whitworth, Learning Manager at York Minster Revealed; Imelda O’Grady, Development Officer David Hope RE Centre at York St John University; Helen Moore, Community Engagement Officer at York Minster; Olivia Seymour, Education Adviser at the Diocese of York

The Revd Liz Carrington, Curate at St Luke’s, has helped organise the festival. She said, “Burton Stone Lane is going to look blooming lovely at the weekend! St Luke’s is a church that really cares about the environment and the street where we worship, and “Growing Together” is a way of bringing those two loves together. Last year a wonderful crop of Olympic Scarecrows appeared along Burton Stone Lane which people are still talking about.

“This year the theme is container gardening and a alternative flower festival with a twist. Pots will appear in gardens along the Lane. We’ve been working with people along the street to grow herbs, vegetables and flowers in gardens, yards and in containers, and we’ve planted potatoes in the church garden and are potting on help-yourself-herbs for sharing.

“Looking after the environment benefits everyone. Growing your own vegetables and flowers can save you money, show children where food comes and reduce your carbon footprint. If everyone does their bit and we all work together we can make a greater impact. It’s a great way to beautify a community and bring people together to take pride in the area. “

“Growing Together” will be on from 10am to 4pm on the Saturday, and 1pm to 4pm on the Sunday, and will end with a family service “Love Where You Live” in the church at 4pm.

Riding Lights Roughshod 'Shoddies' will be in charge of merriment and mayhem at the Riding Lights Summer Theatre School July 2013

Riding Lights Roughshod Theatre Company is currently enjoying a successful nationwide tour with iWitness, but when this finishes in mid July the cast will be high-tailing it back to York to join in the 18th Riding Lights Summer Theatre School, assisting with stage management, fun and games.

The current Roughshod company, the 'Shoddies', is a group of young actors who are spending a year in the company taking theatre into the heart of communities , visiting schools, colleges, prisons, churches and youth clubs. Alongside these pre-booked performances and workshops there are also public performances. Michael Perkins, Emma Bagnall, Pippa Gibb,Stefanie Drayson le Tissier and Rob Holman have been travelling around the UK since February, on an eye-wateringly busy schedule, criss-crossing the country from Sunderland in the North East to Bodmin in Cornwall. Using a mix of powerful storytelling, comedy and music, iWitness reports what happens when unchanging truths collide with modern myths, challenging audiences to balance justice and forgiveness on the same pair of scales.

At the end of the tour the Shoddies will be returning to York, bringing their passion and enthusiasm for theatre and faith to Riding Lights Summer Theatre School, the highly popular, well established residential week-long course run by professional actors and writers. There is a strong connection between the Summer Theatre School and Roughshod with several past attendees going on to become Shoddies themselves and many other attendees going on to professional careers in the theatre as actors, writers and directors.

There are still some places available at the Riding Lights Theatre Company Summer Theatre School and more details can be found at www.ridinglights.org/sts or telephone 01904 655317.

Saturday 22 June 2013 will see the revival of the historic Loftus Wool Fayre, together with the reintroduction of a Market in Loftus Market Place.

Until 1938 the Loftus Wool Fayre was an historic annual event with agricultural activities taking over Loftus Market Place. For 2013, the Wool Fayre returns to the very centre of this ancient Market Town.

Highlights will include sheep shearing in St Leonard’s churchyard, with demonstrations every hour starting at 10.30am. Demonstrations of wool related crafts including spinning and weaving in Loftus Town Hall; photographs of historic Loftus will also be on display in the Town Hall, as will exhibitions of adults and children’s work - and as a complete contrast there will be demonstrations of Street Dancing and a visit from a Dance Band Organ.

To coincide with the Wool Fayre there will also be, for the first time in many years, Market Stalls in Loftus Market Place, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Stalls include local produce and handicrafts.

Father Adam Gaunt, Rector of Loftus said, “The Wool Fayre has been over a year in the making and will be a fantastic day for our town. The revival of the ancient Wool Fayre also demonstrates what we can achieve when we work together as a community.”

So, with so much heritage and hospitality, with sheep shearing and shopping, with fun and food - why not come along and support the revival of this unique event.

The Government is making some changes to the procedure for getting disclosure certificates with effect from 17 June 2013. The former system of one copy going to the individual applicant and a second copy going (in our case) to the Safeguarding unit at Bishopthorpe Palace is being replaced. The new pattern is for a single copy to go to the applicant only.

Here is an at-a-glance guide to what these changes mean for people in the Diocese of York.

• A Disclosure certificate is still needed for everyone in public ministry and for everyone whose church duties (paid or unpaid) mean they have regular contact with under-18s or people who are legally defined as vulnerable adults.
• Bishopthorpe Palace will remind Clergy and Readers when their Disclosures are due for renewal and will ask for the certificate to be sent to the office for checking.
• All other people who need a Disclosure for parish-based work should get a form and completion notes from Becci Richardson, the Safeguarding administrator at Bishopthorpe Palace. When they receive their certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), they should show it to their incumbent or parish Child Protection Representative.
• If the certificate has nothing (e.g. convictions, cautions or any other information) recorded, the incumbent or parish Child Protection Representative must contact the DBS administrator with the issue date and certificate number. The person’s appointment or continuation can then go forward.
• If however there is anything at all recorded, the certificate must be sent to Bishopthorpe Palace for independent assessment.
• The fact that something is recorded on the certificate does not automatically mean that the applicant will be considered unsuitable. However, a parish must not confirm someone in post whose certificate has anything recorded until the independent assessment has been made.

For further details download the document below. If you need further advice, contact Becci Richardson at Bishopthorpe Palace on 01904 707021 or Becci.Richardson@archbishopofyork.org.

The Science Museum Group (SMG), the parent company of the National Railway Museum, as well as the National Media Museum in Bradford and Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry, said this week that a further 10% cut in the next round of Government spending proposals would leave it with “little choice” but to close one of the museums.

The Archbishop’s comments follow reports underlining the growing economic divide and health inequalities between people living in the North and the South of England. The Archbishop said that individuals deserved access to decent services regardless of where they lived.

Dr Sentamu said, “I was shocked to hear of the cuts that our museums are facing. It is simply incredible that we are now considering cutting back on funding which benefits the whole community – investment which not only helps to educate future generations, but which also gives them a sense of their cultural heritage and identity.

“I know from my own experience as a local resident, and as an Ambassador for Tourism in York, that the National Railway Museum is one of the leading attractions in the whole country. It brings great enjoyment and pleasure to people across the age spectrum, as well as contributing greatly to our wellbeing as a city and the local economy.

“We are not alone in facing such difficulties. In Manchester and Bradford there are proposed cuts to the Museum of Science and Industry and the National Media Museum – also thriving attractions. We need to recognise that our cultural heritage is an important part of our country’s history. A country which forgets its heritage becomes senile.

“Increasingly it seems there is a growing economic divide between the North and the South. Too often we are seeing communities across the North of England bearing the brunt of the economic downturn. We need to see a level playing field. Whether we are looking at transport investment, education, employment, health or about where our children and grandchildren learn about what made our cities the fantastic places they are today, we need to put wellbeing at the centre. Everyone deserves the opportunity to blossom and flourish, regardless of where they were born.

“We need to put fairness back at the heart of our policymaking. The Church has a unique role serving the poor and vulnerable at a grassroots level – it is a privilege to be able to stand with the needy and serve them, but it is also a great tragedy. We need to raise our voices when we see unfairness or inequality – we need to rediscover the springs of solidarity and together be the change we want to see.

“From my time being Sponsor of the Fairness Commission in York, I know we have great prosperity, but also great poverty in our city. The Foodbank, run by a local church, has given food parcels to over 1000 people since November – and two more Foodbanks are due to open in the coming months. We see growing unemployment and some people not getting a living wage when they do work. 6 out of 10 families living in poverty in the UK have at least one adult in work – this is about rediscovering fairness and ensuring none are left behind.

“But poverty should not just be measured in what you earn, it should also be measured in your physical, spiritual and mental wellbeing. Of course, these things may often go hand in hand, but what we need is a holistic approach to developing and nurturing healthy and cohesive societies.

“When you see museums closing and libraries having to cut staff, you have to ask yourself, who is benefitting from this? Are we happier and healthier as a society if we become more isolated and less interested in our neighbour and our shared heritage?

“Surely we pay our taxes for a reason. What are our priorities as a nation? I would argue we need to see investment in police if we want safer communities; investment in doctors and nurses if we want better healthcare; investment in teachers and books if we want better education; and we need to invest in art and heritage if we want well-rounded well-informed citizens that understand their history. It should not be an either-or scenario, it should be about considering what helps the growth and cohesion of our country, and making that a priority.

“Our decisions about where we go need to be informed and inspired from where we have come from. Let us celebrate the diversity that makes our nation great, as well as the shared bonds that make us human.

“If we are going to say that museums cannot charge people to come through the door – which is the current Government policy, and to my mind a wonderful principle we should all want to embrace – then we have to ensure that the grant funding being allocated is fair. Otherwise our great libraries of learning will be lost forever.”

At the Admission, all our churchwardens were given a copy of the Archdeacons' Visitation News, which this year includes interviews with some of our churchwardens. To find out what they love about being a churchwarden, and to discover some of the issues that churchwardens deal with, download the News below.

Since the launch of the charity in 2010, by the Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu, Acts435.org.uk has provided over £175,000 in donations to individuals in need of school uniforms, basic items of furniture, debt relief orders, food and much more besides.

Acts435.org.uk is about connecting those who can help those in need, whilst protecting donor anonymity and applicant confidentiality. 100% of what is donated to Acts 435 goes directly to those requiring help. Donors from across the country are giving on average £7,000 a month at acts435.org.uk at the current time, compared to just £2,300 this time last year.

Over the past year, Foodbanks have reported a significant rise in people using their services. Acts 435 is also finding a similar situation as individuals struggle to cope with a relationship breakdown or redundancy or when a benefit such as disability living allowance is removed.

Executive Director Jenny Herrera said: “To think just 12 months ago we were seeking to hit our 800th request and now we are already seeing that activity has more than doubled - it is inspiring that people want to give to help those in need in the UK today. It is a tragedy that people, often through no fault of their own, find that their circumstances have changed and it can suddenly feel there is no support at all. As the country goes through tough economic times, many people are struggling to cope with unexpected expenses and even everyday ones. Acts 435 is bringing real hope for these situations”.

More information about Acts 435 is available at http://acts435.org.uk/

XL Children will be holding ‘All God’s Children’ in the gardens of Bishopthorpe Palace on Saturday 29 June 2013, 2pm to 5pm. If you've not got the poster in your church yet to encourage children (of all ages) to come along, now's the time to download the poster below and colour it in! If you've got children in your church on Sunday, could you ask them to colour it in? Or if there's no time for that, fish that packet of crayons out of the vestry drawer and get artistic yourself!

The event on Saturday 29th June is an opportunity for ALL God's children (whether 8 yrs old or 80) to come and have fun together and worship God in the grounds of Bishopthorpe Palace. There will be the usual great mix of activities - crafts, music, climbing, fire-building etc.

This event has been running successfully for several years now and is a great opportunity for children's groups, families and friends to enjoy a day out together. It has been popular with churches looking for something they can invite parents of the children in their groups to come to. It is also a great opportunity for children and leaders or parents to just enjoy being together without worrying (too much) about where people are and who is doing what!

We are all God's children, so why not come a long and enjoy being children together - adults have a lot to learn!

Tickets cost £2.50 per person (everyone aged 4 and over needs a ticket). Dowload the booking form below or contact Jon Steel on 07711 880042 or ercyas@ydbf.karoo.co.uk.