"Be Sure of Who You Are" - says Bishop Jonathan
The first Bishop of Huddersfield, the Rt Revd Dr Jonathan Gibbs visited the Holme Valley Team Ministry for their annual Advent Confirmation and told the 22 candidates gathered to be sure of who they were.
The team churches had been busy using the new Anglican Pilgrim Course in some of the parishes for preparation for the candidates - who ranged in ages. The teenagers, most of whom had been admitted to communion before Confirmation, used a home grown course led by two of the Holme Valley team, the Revd Nick Heaton and the Revd Di Ellerton following the book: ‘Faith Confirmed’ by P. Jackson & C. Wright.
Bishop Jonathan confirmed 20 of them, two of them will be confirmed soon in the New Year.
Lee, one of the men being confirmed told those gathered for the service that turning to Christ and following him had made a big difference to how he faced life.
Bishop Jonathan met the candidates before the service for a friendly chat. In the service he told those gathered that they were to be sure of who they were not; and be sure of who we were and who they represented.
He then encouraged the whole congregation to live faithfully to Christ’s calling upon their lives.
The Revd Keith Griffin acted as chaplain to the Bishop throughout the service. Canon Sean Robertshaw, the team rector, welcomed Bishop Jonathan and his wife Toni to the Anglican Team in the Home Valley.
Said Revd Sean: "It was good to meet our new spiritual leader at such an inspiring service and one where the candidates were able to make their own personal professions of faith."