The Diocese of Peterborough is divided into two archdeaconries and each archdeaconry into six deaneries. A Deanery is a geographical area containing a number of neighbouring churches. The Rural Dean is the missional leader and pastor of a Deanery, and a Lay Chair assists the Rural Dean in their leadership. Since her installation, Bishop Debbie has been visiting the Deaneries to see how she can bring God’s work to all corners of the Diocese and encourage all parishes to thrive.
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The visit to the Brixworth Deanery started with breakfast where Bishop Debbie joined Rural Dean, Revd Graeme Anderson, Revd Tom Grant, the new incumbent of the Naseby Group, and Chris Banks, the recently appointed Deanery Lay Chair. The chosen location was the Welford Truck Stop, close to the A14 which gave a great opportunity to understand more of the geography of the Deanery and how the major trunk roads, the M1, A5 and A14, run across the northern and western boundaries of the Deanery.
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Long Buckby was the next stop where Bishop Debbie presided at the monthly midweek communion service in St Lawrence. The local team was delighted to welcome colleagues from across the Deanery who swelled the normal congregation. Afterwards Bishop Debbie saw the Community Shelf which has provided food and other essential household items in the past year to local people struggling due to rising costs and prices. Church members and residents work together to supply all the items.
Bishop Debbie and Chris Banks were shown around Spratton CE Primary by Executive Head, Mrs Liz Crofts, where there are very good outside facilities for the children. After the act of worship, which included the team at St Andrew’s, Spratton enacting the story of feeding the five thousand, the children thoroughly enjoyed questioning Bishop Debbie about what a bishop does.
Bishop Debbie and Chris then went on to attend the After School Club at Yelvertoft Primary School, at the invitation of Revd Jo Ognanovic. Revd Jo has formed an excellent relationship with the staff at this non-Church school. Bishop Debbie, Chris and Revd Jo participated in colouring rainbows with the children before Revd Jo read a bible story about the Tower of Babel. Time was then spent discussing the story with the children. Everyone then had great fun making their own versions of the Tower of Babel using cardboard boxes and tape.
Visits continued into the evening with All Saints’, Brixworth hosting a social event at The George Inn, which was attended by more than 70 people from across the Deanery. This was a wonderful opportunity for Bishop Debbie to meet church members and interact with them in a more informal setting.
The visit to the Brixworth Deanery was enjoyed by all and Bishop Debbie said that “her lasting impression was of a happy deanery with real potential to reach out to its rural communities”.