A special day today, 11 October, for the College of St Philip the Deacon in Exeter diocese, as this St Philip (not Philip the Apostle) has newly become our patron saint, as suggested by our Bishop. Today Exeter Cathedral will hold an inaugural Sung Evensong to celebrate, with Bishop Martin Shaw. If you're in the … Continue reading 11 OCTOBER: FEAST DAY OF ST PHILIP THE DEACON
Author: GillK
Gill has been a missioner in Nigeria, Romania and various parishes in England. She was ordained a 'distinctive' deacon in 1991. In this capacity she was warden of the College of St Philip the Deacon in Exeter diocese, and founder member of the CofE Network of Distinctive Deacons https://cofedeacons.org. She has also written the story of her own call, Deacon by Design. https://www.waterstones.com/book/deacon-by-design/gill-kimber/9781910719794
She's passionate about the diaconate and, now retired, continues to support those who are called to this ministry.
Deacon Liz Carrington talks about her boundary-crossing ministry at York racecourse. I have been involved with chaplaincy at York racecourse for seven years. The team was initially drawn from volunteers with York Street Angels as we already had training which would be useful in another setting. We have maintained an ecumenical team of about six including … Continue reading BOUNDARY-CROSSING WITH HORSES!
Francis has a special place in the heart of deacons, as he was a deacon himself. Francis, Rebuild My Church’; a sonnet for the Saint and for the Pope ‘Francis rebuild my church which, as you see Is falling into ruin.’ From the cross Your saviour spoke to you and speaks to us Again through … Continue reading FEAST OF ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI
Deacon Alison Handcock is the first to respond to my invitation for deacon stories about how your diaconal ministry crosses boundaries. Here is her story: Boundary crossing seems key to me. As a woman in a predominantly male deanery (with Conservative Evangelical/REFORM Area Dean) there are times when crossing the boundaries of tradition, gender and … Continue reading A DEACON CROSSING BOUNDARIES
Hello fellow deacons. Here's a question for you. Last week I deaconed at the consecration of a woman bishop, and yesterday I deaconed for a friend being priested under alternative oversight. It seems to me that we deacons are real boundary-crossers in so many ways - this is just one of them (I was the … Continue reading DEACONS AS BOUNDARY-CROSSERS: what are your stories?
Find out more about the exciting vocation and ministry which is the #distinctivediaconate. Details: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/deacons-on-the-move-tickets-42469581662?aff=estw
This is such a #diaconal project and a pioneering way of 'doing church'. I wonder how many #distinctivedeacons are already involved in this kind of outreach? Creating Community through the World Cafe Download Vista 30 here Like the rest of Europe, life for asylum seekers in Gloucester, England, is a ‘liminal space’ where they survive and … Continue reading COMMUNITY THROUGH WORLD CAFE
A lively discussion has sprung up on our Facebook page about the indifference of the Church of England, by and large, to its deacons (an ongoing topic!) and the necessity of constantly explaining who we are. I'm relieved that we now have several places where people can find out about 'distinctive' deacons, but what's clear … Continue reading WAIT! WHAT’S A DEACON?
CCS staff Lori Stewart and David Lappano attended the International Anglican-Roman Catholic-Ukrainian Catholic Conference on the Diaconate, Regina, May 10 – 13. Lori Stewart and I recently had the opportunity to travel to Regina to attend an ecumenical ‘Anglican – Roman Catholic – Ukrainian Catholic Conference on the Diaconate’. We knew this would be a … Continue reading Baptised and formed – Ecumenical Conversations on the Diaconate
CofE Network of Distinctive Deacons 