Making the most of 'Come and See' is on all our minds as we pray and prepare for the Northern Bishops' Mission 12-15 March 2020, and in addition to the training booklet and resources online at comeandsee.uk, there have already been four training events in different parts of the Diocese.

More than 200 clergy and other leaders attended gatherings at Norton (near Malton), Cherry Burton, Bishopthorpe and Middlesbrough during October and November, and nearly fifty got to another one-off event featuring the irrepressible Canon Robin Gamble of LYCiG fame at St Chad's in York.

"People came away enthused and inspired as Robin encouraged them with humour, poetry and conviction to open up their churches to those who are searching and lost in the community around them," said Michèle Hackney, Assistant to the Archbishop's Mission Adviser the Revd John Day.

"It was a brilliant, uplifting day," she added.

A training booklet compiled by the Revds John Day and Gavin Wakefield formed the basis for the sessions (copies are still available on request - see below) and sets out the aims of 'Come and See' and its scriptural underpinning (John 1:35-39), before taking us through stages of before, during and after the Mission.

A 'timeline' suggests how we can be preparing to be ready for the four days in March, including liaising at Deanery level, where planning is under way with the visiting Bishops from across the North who are coming to support 'Come and See' in the Diocese of York.

Throughout the training days and the booklet, the theme is of uniting in mission and evangelism, telling the Good News of Jesus Christ and inviting those who might become disciples of Jesus themselves.

The Revd Chris Wingfield, Area Dean of Southern Ryedale was at the Norton event and said, "I thought it was good and helpful – the booklet is clear and John presented it well. Good to see more is on the website."

The Revd Glyn Diggins of Malton added, "It ‘hit the spot’ as an information session and clarified the desired outcomes of the mission initiative that is Come and See."

Many churches are beginning to make plans of their own, or to ensure that 'Come and See' is a regular item on PCC agendas; one group member at St Chad's in York said, "Going through the booklet helped me understand what Come and See was all about. I’m now really looking forward to the weekend and what we might do at our church. I will be inviting my family and my next door neighbour."