The diocese counters the negative press of Blue Monday

The third Monday of January has been awarded the gloomy title of Blue Monday due to a combination of post-Christmas blues, cold dark nights and the arrival of unpaid credit card bills. To counter the negative press, we asked parishes in the Diocese of Chester to tell us their good news stories from around the diocese. This is how they responded.


Know someone going through a divorce?
St Mary’s Church in Cheadle has been running a course for people going through separation or divorce. It is offered to people of all backgrounds, whether they have faith or not. Course leaders, Mark and Helen Tomlinson have some experience of this, having both come through painful divorces. Mark and Helen completed their first course last November where they had 14 attendees. All responded positively about how the course had helped them to cope with their personal situations and move forward with hope. They will be running the course again in May 2019. Find out how to run your own course: https://www.restoredlives.org/run-divorce-recovery-course


Stop talking down Northwich
Northwich has suffered some negative press over the years and the Church is working hard to put right that wrong. Church and civic leaders are holding a prayer vigil for the town on the 02 February. It will be an outdoor gathering to celebrate and pray for hope for the town, and the people of Northwich and surrounding communities. Bishop Keith will lead the prayers. He says: “Northwich is a place with a great industrial and social history and an even more promising economic and community focussed future. The local Christian community already plays a vital role in improving the lives of residents through social and spiritual support and practical projects. This gathering highlights our belief in a hope-filled-future for the town and will help tell a different story to some of the negative reports we’ve seen in recent years.” Come and join us.


Make your church a Place of Welcome in 2019
Chester Cathedral continues to give us plenty to be hopeful for on Blue Monday. It has announced that it will become a Place of Welcome later this year. Places of Welcome is a growing network of hospitality, run by local community groups who want to make sure that everyone in their area has a place to go to for a friendly face, a cup of tea and a conversation. Wondering how you can do more to end isolation in your community? Why not become a Place of Welcome. Or if you enjoy meeting and welcoming people and would like to be involved at Chester Cathedral, contact the Canon Missioner, Canon Jane Brooke on canon.brooke@chestercathedral.com or leave your details on 01244 324756. 


Resources to help us all start talking about mental health
Poor mental health is a pressing issue for many, something of which people are acutely aware on Blue Monday. Thankfully, there is support. One initiative which the Diocese of Chester is supporting is Time to Talk Day. It’s an initiative to encourage people to talk about mental health. Mental health problems affect one in four of us, yet people are still afraid to talk about it. Having conversations about mental health helps break down stereotypes, improve relationships, aid recovery and take the stigma out of something that affects us all. Parishes and church communities can order free resources for Time to Talk Day.


The Beautiful Game brings people together
Two faith leaders in Birkenhead organise regular interfaith football matches and use the power of the Beautiful Game to strengthen friendships across faiths. The Revd Mike Loach and Ibrahim Syed, who have been friends for over two years, have a mutual desire to work together and to challenge perceptions by presenting a positive public image of Christians and Muslims working alongside one another. The Revd Mike, Vicar at Christ Church, Higher Bebington, said: "Our friendship has been particularly powerful following various terror attacks and has attracted a lot of positive attention locally.” Read more. 


From L to R: Ibrahim Syed, the Revd Mike Loach and Dawood Syed


Love thy neighbour and offer them a bed
It may be Blue Monday but that isn’t deterring our church communities in helping the most in need. A local community library and a number of churches from different denominations will come together to provide food and shelter for 12 rough sleepers on Wirral. Organised by Wirral Arc, a charity fighting homelessness in the area, the 12 guests will enjoy a warm meal, welcome and bed. Final preparations are underway, and the first guests will be welcomed at the Salvation Church, Rockferry on Monday 28 January. 


Young people are suffering, how are you responding? 
Did you know 50% of mental health problems are established by the age of 14, 75% by the age of 24. As Christians, we believe we can combat this by finding faith and a sense of worth in Jesus Christ. Leaders of children and young people in our diocese are on the front line of this issue as they minister to people in church. On the 14 February, they will be learning new techniques to help them in their role of supporting children and young people deepen in faith and navigate their relationships in 2019. Find out more.


Celebrating you and you and you and you...
Don’t be gloomy this Blue Monday, the Diocese of Chester and Chester Cathedral invite you to a service with one simple aim: to celebrate the abilities of all people. Organised by the diocesan Disability Forum, the service is designed to be as accessible and inclusive as possible. Christians believe everyone is created in the image of God, whatever one's abilities, strengths, or weaknesses. Find out more and join us for the celebratory service. 


A very grand initiative
Engaged to be married? Feeling financially stretched but still pray for a church wedding? One Vicar in Hartford is hoping to make dreams come true this year by slashing the price of a church wedding to just £1000. St John’s Grand Wedding offer is centred on a full church wedding and includes a two-tier personalised wedding cake, digital photographs, invitation and service stationery, flowers, and a dress alteration service if the bride purchases a second hand or off-the-peg dress. How about that for combatting Blue Monday? Read more.



The Revd Mike Smith


Journey into Light
An exhibition of prisoner artwork continues its journey around the parishes of the Diocese of Chester. St Wilfrid’s in Grappenhall is the next parish to host the exhibition. Around 50 churches will have hosted the artwork before the tour comes to a close in December 2019. The aim of the exhibition is to demonstrate to visitors that behind every prisoner’s conviction and sentence is a personal story of love, hope and loss. One visitor said of the exhibition: “I think it’s really thought-provoking,” another that is was simply “amazing”. Find out when the exhibition is coming to a church near you.


Tackling period poverty
In the UK, over the past few years, there has been a growing awareness that 'Period Poverty' is an alarming reality for many women from poorer communities. Not only do the homeless and refugees struggle with this issue, but so can young mums and school girls from low-income households. St Thomas and St Lawrence Churches in Ellesmere Port continue to run the GAPP Initiative (Giving Against Period Poverty). Now into its second year, the church initiative is helping to tackle period poverty by distributing sanitary products through a number of avenues and is building awareness of the issue among young women and school girls in the community.


We’re always interested in your stories. Please do get in touch with your brightest, nicest stories. Whatever you're doing, get in touch and let us know.

 

Page last updated: Monday 21st January 2019 12:58 PM
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