For Christians, following Jesus and becoming more like him is key to faith. We worship a living God who has come to us in the person of Jesus. Our faith is therefore a growing and dynamic relationship of worship. This page aims to support you as you seek to grow more like Jesus, as you explore the God you worship, and as you seek to follow God’s way in the community around you.
The Personal Growth and Leadership Programme
Personal Growth and Leadership development are very much linked. Over the past four years, a training team in Bradford have created a space for clergy and lay church teams to explore these areas together, out of the rush of parish ministry, to learn, share, and put into practice some key principles around growth and leadership, encouraging confidence among lay and clergy teams. Personal Growth and Leadership is not just for people who are already leading; it’s about people who have the potential to lead but perhaps lack the confidence. Click here to find out more.
Baptism and Confirmation
In baptism, we thank God for his gift of life and publicly acknowledge his love. We are often baptised as babies, though anybody of any age can be baptised. Confirmation is a celebration of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, a time of personal commitment and recognises the value of each person within the body of Christ.
Those who are called to be Licensed Lay Ministers or members of clergy would be required to be baptised and confirmed within the Church of England. If an individual has been confirmed in another Christian tradition, they will need to be recieved into the Church of England during a service by a Bishop.
Deaf Ministry
The Ministry with Deaf People in the Diocese of Leeds serves the Deaf community in the areas around Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield and Ripon, and the Yorkshire Dales.
The Minister with Deaf People in the Diocese of Leeds is the Revd Tracey Raistrick, currently based in Keighley. We have other active licensed clergy in the Diocese with excellent sign language skills.
There are groups meeting in across the Diocese who worship using British Sign Language (BSL). These worship services are led by Deaf people and hearing friends fluent in BSL. We are often joined by friends who don’t sign but wherever possible we still provide access as our services are interpreted into spoken English.
Spiritual Direction
The Living Ministry research project showed that 97% of clergy who had a spiritual director found this ‘highly beneficial’ or ‘moderately beneficial’.
Many clergy find their own spiritual director. However, the diocese also has a database of trained spiritual directors (clergy and lay) who are available to help.
To find our more about spiritual direction and how to access a spiritual director, click here.