Bishop Mark has commended the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) materials to the diocese and is asking everyone to "engage" in the conversion process.
Bishop Mark says: "I guess most of you will have heard at least a little about ‘Living in Love and Faith’ (LLF), an important piece of work with which the Church of England has been engaging for three or four years now. I also know that this is prompting many different reactions around the diocese. Many are glad that there is really good material to help us think in a biblical and Christ-like manner about these really important issues. Some think we are not going far enough or fast enough. Others fear that this is a trojan horse to enable a pre-planned change in the church.
"For my part, I simply want to commend LLF to you, and ask you to engage. I am grateful for the excellent work that has been done in preparing the book and the wider material. I am grateful, too, for the work of the group we have in the diocese to help us discuss these issues well. As one of them helpfully puts it, we are trying to find language that gives everyone a voice, and we are trying to do this in a way that keeps us faithful to Christ and the inheritance of faith that we have received.
"These discussions may well be unsettling for some, and all of us need to understand this and care. I want to assure you of my prayer and my own commitment to you, to our mission, and to our Lord in all of this."
What is LLF?
Living in Love and Faith (LLF) is a church-wide learning and listening project. A set of LLF resources have been designed with the purpose of helping and enabling us all to participate in a process of learning and praying together as we discern a way forward for the Church of England in relation to matters of identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage.
Find out more on the Church of England's LLF website where you will find links to the LLF resources and background information about the project.
What's happening in the Diocese of Chester?
A small working group has been formed to help parishes discuss these issues well. The working group, chaired by the Revd Nikki Eastwood, has organised two taster days. Facilitated by Eeva John, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Enabling Officer for Living in Love and Faith, the days will give individuals an overview of Living in Love and Faith and explain more about the materials and how to use them in a local parish.
Register for the full-day session here on 14 June, here.
Register for the half-day session on 16 June, here.