One of our churches in the Leeds area is helping its congregation stay connected this season with a dial-in Lent course.
The churches of Wortley and Farnley have been working hard throughout the pandemic to ensure that all congregation members, even those who find using the internet hard, feel part of what is going on.
Thanks to Denise Brogden (pictured, left), an Ordinand on placement from St Hild, this has continued through Lent with a new group.
Using a telephone conference call set up by a church member, people can now phone into a Lent Group that happens each week, running for half an hour.
Denise runs two groups on different days, and is using ‘The Grace-filled Wilderness, a Journey Through Lent', by Magdelen Smith, as the focus.
The Revd Claire Corley, Priest in Charge at Wortley and Farnley, said: “Conscious of the isolation that is still around, Denise is keen that the groups are places for people to connect with each other with friendly, open discussion, so the beginning is always dedicated to a good catch up on how they are.
“Then, as with most Lent groups, members share a short Bible passage and sometimes a poem.
“There's a reflective question to encourage conversation and give space to share and learn with each other through Lent.
“Each group then finishes with a prayer. 
“One of the members, David (pictured, right), said that he found it "really enjoyable, especially during the current pandemic as it was a great chance to speak with others outside our normal “bubble” in a friendly and calming atmosphere without the need to worry about social distancing.”
“We're so pleased these groups are allowing people who would normally do a Lent Group to be part of one, but we're particularly delighted that they are being joined by people who wouldn't normally consider doing a mid-week group - we suspect that even after the pandemic, we might keep them going!”