Bishop Ian writes - DOC

							                           The Bishop of Brixworth writes

                          The greatest adventure of my life

As I approached a “significant” birthday recently I was reminded of the
children’s song by Alan Price, “It’s an adventure following Jesus, it’s an
adventure learning of him.” I’m pleased to report that, since the
Christian faith came alive for me in my early teens, it has been the
greatest adventure of my life.
The wonderful Diamond Jubilee celebrations for Her Majesty the Queen
earlier this summer were a magnificent thanksgiving for a life-time of public
Christian service. Her faith has been a living example of King George VI’s famous wartime
Christmas broadcast: “I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year. ‘Give me a light that
I may tread safely into the unknown’ and he replied ‘Go out into the darkness and put your
hand into the hand of God’.”
The Jubilee reminded me of the adventurers of the first great Elizabethan age, whose voyages
of exploration expanded our horizons. Sir Francis Drake was not only an explorer but also a
poet. His famous prayer on leaving Portsmouth for South America in 1577 challenges us to be
adventurous with God:

 Disturb us, Lord, when
 We are too pleased with ourselves,
 When our dreams have come true
 Because we have dreamed too little
 When we have arrived safely
 Because we have sailed too close to the shore.

 Disturb us, Lord, when
 With the abundance of things we possess
 We have lost our thirst
 For the waters of life;
 Having fallen in love with life,
 We have ceased to dream of eternity
 And in our efforts to build a new earth,
 We have allowed our vision
 Of the new Heaven to dim.

 Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly
 To venture on wider seas
 Where storms will show your mastery;
 Where losing sight of land,
 We shall find the stars.
 We ask you to push back
 The horizons of our hopes;
 And to push into the future
 In strength, courage, hope and love.




Rt Revd John Holbrook
Bishop of Brixworth

          Diocese of Peterborough - Magazine Resource – August 2012
            Produced by the Diocesan Office, The Palace, Peterborough PE1 1YB
       Tel: 01733 887012 Email: communications@peterborough-diocese.org.uk
                           www.peterborough-diocese.org.uk
                                     Around the diocese

                              Seven new deacons ordained

  Bishop Donald ordained seven new Deacons at Peterborough Cathedral on Sunday 1 July.
                Here we find out more about their interests and experience.




From left: Dominic Coad, Greg Shaw, Paula York, Ruth Bond, Cathy Brazier,
Rob Deans, Jenny Opperman.

Ruth Bond
Ruth was born in Zimbabwe but also lived in Indonesia, Nigeria and Scotland as a child. She
was held hostage as one of the small British community in a remote part of Indonesia, and air-
lifted out by the RAF. Living in Nigeria during the Biafran war resulted in several exits as a
refugee. She comes from a strong Christian family and trained as a nurse at the Royal London
Hospital, and then as a midwife at Peterborough Maternity Unit.returned to nursing, working
incare in a hospice and within the community (“midwifery at the other end of life” as she puts
it). Ruth is married to Tony, a doctor, and they have two grown up children. She trained at
Westcott House, Cambridge.
Assistant Curate of Irthlingborough, Great Addington with Little Addington & Woodford

Cathy Brazier
Cathy is the second of eight brothers and sisters and so not surprisingly she has a large
network of relations, mostly living in Cambridgeshire. Before the birth of her two boys (now
aged 12 and 10) she worked as a chiropodist. She describes the kitchen in their home as the
hub of family life and says, “I enjoy creating with food and love to serve and minister to family,
friends and neighbours.” All the parishes she has been appointed to are within walking
distance of her home and she already has connections with the local school, where she is a
Foundation Governor. Cathy is married to Bob and trained with the Eastern Region Ministry
Course (ERMC).
Assistant Curate (SSM) of Thrapston, Islip and Denford

Dominic Coad
Dominic was born in Winchester, but prior to his ordination training lived for eight years in
Devon, studying at the University of Exeter. He left in 2010 with a PhD in Theology and a love
for the Devon countryside. He has experienced all sorts of church traditions and loves singing,
including conducting church choirs. He enjoys playing cricket and is interested in film
(Passport to Pimlico is a favourite). Dominic is married to Frances, a research associate to the
Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge. He trained at Westcott House.
Assistant Curate of the Oakham Team
Rob Deans
During his training for ordination with ERMC, Rob did a placement at St Philip’s Multi-faith
Centre in Leicester. This inspired him to write his dissertation on Muslim Christian relations
and dialogue, an interest which he hopes to develop as part of his city centre ministry at St
John’s Church in Peterborough. He is also a bereavement counsellor for Cruse at both HMP
Peterborough and at Thorpe Hall Hospice. Rob is married to Bev and they have three school-
aged daughters.
Assistant Curate (SSM) of St John the Baptist, Peterborough
Seven new deacons ordained continued


Jenny Opperman
Early in her career Jenny was a college domestic bursar, looking after the catering,
accommodation and welfare needs of the students. Now she is a director of her family
business, growing pot plants for the supermarket trade. Her husband Mike and their three
children are all involved in the business, which is based in the Lincolnshire fens, where she
has lived for 30 years. Jenny trained with ERMC and is also a vocations adviser for both
Peterborough and Ely dioceses.
Assistant Curate (SSM) of Peterborough Cathedral
Greg Shaw
Greg has run his own mail order wine business since 2004 and now employs three staff.
Originally from north Dorset, he has lived in Northampton for 20 years and has been involved
at St Peter and St Paul Church, Abington for most of that time, as Treasurer, Stewardship
Chairman and singing tenor in the choir. He is married to Nicola, a teacher, and they have
three school aged children. Greg trained on the Oxford Ministry Course at Ripon College,
Cuddesdon. He hopes to continue his studies with an MA in Church History through the
University of Nottingham.
Assistant Curate (SSM) of Yardley Hastings, Denton and Grendon with Castle Ashby & Whiston
Paula York
Prior to training for ordination Paula worked for the Nationwide Building Society for 20 years,
most recently as a Senior Business Analyst. She trained for ordination at Ripon College,
Cuddesdon and has lived with her family (husband Chris and daughters aged 16 and 10) in
Rothwell for 19 years. She has been involved in many aspects of church life, including being
Churchwarden at St Peter & St Paul Kettering. Her father, a retired police officer in Cumbria, is
also ordained.
Assistant Curate of Earls Barton
                              Around the diocese
             Inspiration springs from Hope Centre’s new premises
In July Bishop John, with Mission in Society Officer
Robert Hill, enjoyed a tour of Northampton Hope
Centre’s new base at Oasis House in Campbell Street,
near the town centre. They were inspired by what they
saw.
The Centre provides day centre facilities and an education
and development programme for homeless and
disadvantaged people. Since their move to Oasis House,
in May, they have been able to work much more closely
with partner agencies under the same roof. “Having the
night shelter plus local housing and medical services in
the same building improves significantly our customers’
access to the services and support they need”, said Catherine Maryon, Vice Chair of the Hope
Centre.

Bishop John agreed. “Visiting the Hope Centre in their old premises and then in their wonderful
new building was an inspiration. I saw what organisations can achieve when they work together to
change people’s lives,” he said.
To find out how you can support the work of the Hope Centre visit
www.northamptonhopecentre.org.uk

                                        August events
Wednesdays, Music at Lunchtime, 1.30pm at All Saints Church, Oakham. www.oakhamconcerts.info
Thurs 2, Charles Timberlake lunchtime recital, 12.45pm - 1.45pm at Peterborough Cathedral. Free
entry.
Sat 18, Music in Lyddington: Souza Wind Quintet. 7.30pm at St Andrew’s Church, Lyddington LE15
8TU. Advance £14 (£2 students), door £16 (£2). Tel: 01572 820017, ticketmil@gmail.com
Sat 18, Sun 19, Great Brington Flower Festival, St Mary’s Church, Gt Brington NN7 4JB. Organ
recital Saturday evening. Tel: 01604 770047.
Sat 25, 1662 Prayer Book 350th anniversary Church Safari, starting 10.30am at All Saints’ Great
Harrowden, finishing 4.15pm with sung Evensong at St Peter & St Paul’s Hannington. Speaker PBS
National Chairman Prudence Dailey. Details from Mary Stewart 01664 474353,
mary.stewart@decomplexity.com
Sat 25 - Mon 27 August, Eye Flower Festival, St Matthew’s Church, Eye, PE6 7UP. Displays, stalls,
lunches and teas.
Sun 26, Organ recital by Roger Palmer
4pm at St Peter & St Paul, Abington, Northampton NN3 3AB. Recital followed by tea and cake;
evensong at 6pm. Free entry, donations invited.
Mon 27, Organ recital by Tom Bell
11.15am at All Saints, Oakham LE15 6DR. Tom Bell is organist and choirmaster at St Michael’s
Church, Chester Square, London. Retiring collection. Lunches £5 served afterwards in the Church Hall.