Welcome back to the Northern Synod e-newsletter

We have quite a chunky edition for you this time as the newsletter has been taking a few weeks off with it being quite a busy time in the Synod which has included the URC’s General Assembly. We have combined  lots of news and upcoming events to share with you all.

We have to begin with the very sad news of the recent death of our friend and colleague Hannah Middleton – a tribute is below. We continue to hold David and Hannah’s family, friends and colleagues in our prayers.

Looking to the future, we are pleased to welcome Andy Jackson to the team as our new Communications Officer. Andy has written a short piece introducing himself to the you.

We are also preparing to say a fond farewell to Wendy Watson as she approaches retirement after 22½ years of service to the Synod. I would like to particularly thank Wendy for all of the work she does to help put the newsletter together. If you think you might be interested in joining the Synod team, we are recruiting for an Office Manager and an Ecumenical Officer so get those applications ready!

We are blessed, as ever, to be able to share many items of positive news from churches and individuals across the Synod including a multicultural worship service in Newcastle and reflections from Keld’s most recent minister in residence and one of the Synod’s General Assembly representatives. There are also several upcoming events to look forward to, such as a conference being promoted by our Green Apostle, a celebration of the Northallerton Secret Garden and a photography week at the St Cuthbert’s Centre.

We are always looking for news of interest and events so, if you have any items that you would like to be included in the newsletter, please send them in to Andrew Cookeor Wendy Watson. Please remember that if you are including photographs, you need to gain the permission of the people in them for it to be shared.

We hope you enjoy this edition. The next e-newsletter is due to be published on Friday 31 July 2026. 
Until next time …
Andrew and Wendy

Tribute to Hannah Middleton, Synod Children’s Work Adviser 

Hannah passed away peacefully on Sunday 5th July surrounded by the love of her family and by the prayers offered by so many. Hannah was a much loved colleague and friend, as well as a member at Wideopen.  Hannah will always be remembered for the joy and devotion she brought and her depth of faith which inspired others. We will miss her wonderful beaming smile and the love she shared with us all.  Our prayers remain for David and the family.

Introducing our new Communications Officer

Hi, I’m Andy Jackson and I’ve joined the Northern Synod as the Communications Officer. I’m over the moon to be working with churches across the Synod as part of the team, bringing more than 36 years’ experience in journalism, publishing, digital communications, websites, social media, media relations and events.

My career started as a reporter on the Reading Chronicle in 1989, and since then I worked for Reform magazine, The Methodist Recorder, the Mirror Group on a range of different business and consumer titles, at Christian Aid, the Methodist Church and I am also the part-time Head of Communications for the United Reformed Church based at the Office of General Assembly in London.

I live in Cheshunt with my wife of 30 years (who I met through FURY, the predecessor of URC Youth), and we have two children, aged 23 and 15, and a dog called Milo.

I have strong links with the North East having trained as a journalist in Darlington, connections through FURY (who else was at Connect 95?), the Community Project Awards, and the wider URC. I’m really looking forward to helping to support your church with whatever communication needs it has, along with helping with the Synod newsletter, its social media and in the first instance, looking at the Synod website.

I work for the Synod two days a week, usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please get in touch for advice, support, training requests or recommendations or to share your stories so that others can be told. My email address is [email protected]

A fond farewell to Wendy

Northern Synod will be saying a fond farewell to Wendy at the end of this month as she retires from her role as the Moderator’s PA and Office Manager.

Wendy has been part of the Synod team for more than twenty years and will be a familiar voice and name to many, often serving as the first point of contact by phone or email. Her dedication, support and commitment to the work of the Synod have been greatly valued throughout her years of service.

We thank Wendy for all she has contributed to the URC Northern Synod and wish her every happiness as she begins this new chapter of retirement.

Reflections on General Assembly

The Revd Peter Rand is a retired minister and was one of Northern Synod’s representatives at General Assembly 2026. He has written a short reflection on his experience at General Assembly which you can read here.

Job Opportunities in Northern Synod

Northern Synod is recruiting for an Ecumenical Officer (part time) and an Office Manager/PA to Moderator & Clerks (full time). Please click here for further details. Closing date for both positions is 5 pm on 31 July 2026.

Places of Worship Renewal Fund
From Andrew Atkinson, Trust Officer

Historic England has produced a 12 ¾ minute video explaining how to apply for funding from the Places of Worship Renewal Fund, which has replaced the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.

You can watch it on Vimeo by clicking here.

Northern Synod Eco News
From Charles Jolly, Synod Green Apostle 

Unlike much of the world, we normally enjoy a mild climate here in the North East! Even so, you may have noticed that the UK has been suffering from heat waves that have made life unpleasant and even dangerous for many in the South. Unhappily, this is a foretaste of things to come. We must continue to fight for a rapid end to CO2 emissions but Europe and the UK (and the rest of the world) must adapt urgently to ‘the new normal’.
 

As churches, we face an exciting time. We have to be beacons of faith and hope, reminding people of God’s love and presence with us in the difficult times ahead. We are also well-placed to help in many practical ways so the Environmental / Ecological Group is arranging an interactive conference together with the Green Christian organisation. Hopefully this event will promote the conversation about how we face this challenge, cheerfully and together.
 

The conference is at Waddington Street URC in Durham (well placed for bus and train links) on Saturday 5th September from 9.30 am to 1 pm, including a simple lunch based on LOAF principles. We hope that friends from other denominations may join us. There’s no charge but we need to know who is attending, to provide a little ‘homework’. Numbers are limited so please contact the Green Apostle for more information or to book a place: [email protected].
 

FEAST OF CREATION IN CHRIST

General Assembly wishes to promote a new ‘Feast’ in Creation Time (1st September to 4th October), which could become as big as Christmas or Easter! It is a little short notice to prepare for this in 2026, but here is one possibility that you might like to think about, especially if you have already planned a Harvest Festival: Creation Time could be thought of as time of preparation (a bit like Advent or Lent) and the ‘Feast’ (possibly at the end of September or beginning of October) could be combined with a Harvest Festival if you plan one. Do let me know your thoughts and ideas! 
 

“WE NEED A JUST SOCIETY”

Peter Sagar, member of the Environmental / Ecological Group, has a coup! He has interviewed the celebrated environmental campaigner, writer and activist, Alastair McIntosh. Alastair appreciates that the environmental crises are essentially spiritual in nature and this interview is an insight into his thinking and approach: https://share.google/wP6wzfR5IZorfl4DW

Celebration of Unity in Diversity at St James’s URC

On 3 June 2026, St James’s URC, Newcastle, hosted what is believed to be its first Multicultural Worship Service, bringing together people from a variety of cultural backgrounds to celebrate our unity in Christ.
 

More than 52 people attended the service, which centred on the themes of the Tower of Babel and Pentecost. Through Scripture readings, prayers, music, and worship expressed in different languages and traditions, the congregation experienced a powerful reminder that God’s love transcends cultural and linguistic boundaries.
 

The service reflected the message of Pentecost: that the Holy Spirit does not erase our differences but enables us to understand one another and worship together as one body in Christ. Click here to find out more.

Reflections from Keld 

Fliss Barker, Church-Related Community Worker, recently completed a week as the Minister in Residence at Keld URC. She has written some reflections on the time she spent there which you can read here. 
 

40th Ordination Anniversary of the Revd Greg Thompson

During service at St Margaret’s, South Shields, on 28th June 2026, which was led by Dr Gordon Aitken, the Revd Greg Thompson was presented by Penny Maccoy, Church Secretary, with his URC Certificate recording the 40th anniversary of Greg’s Ordination to Ministry which took place exactly 40 years ago to the day here at St Margaret’s, the first of many churches throughout Greg’s Ministry. He and his wife Adrienne are now enjoying retirement back at St Margaret’s. The congregation celebrated Greg’s achievement with refreshments and cake.

Zion URC, Northallerton – Secret Garden

Zion URC, Northallerton, is celebrating 10 years from the start of its Secret Garden. Describing the motivation behind the project they write “we wanted to combine our love for our local community with our love for God’s beautiful world on which we all depend. Through nurturing and caring for a garden and its wildlife, we knew it could be a healing place for volunteers and visitors alike.” They are hosting a celebration Saturday 27 July from 10am – 3pm. Click here to learn more about the garden and the upcoming anniversary celebration.

St Cuthbert’s Centre – Artist in Residence

The St Cuthbert’s Centre on Holy Island is hosting documentary and fine art photographer Clive Horsman as their artist in residence from Monday 27 July to Sunday 2 August. Clive will be leading workshops and delivering talks, and there will be an exhibition of his work at the end of his residency. Click here to find out more. Visitors are also reminded to check the safe crossing times for the island. You can find them here.

URC Resources Hub and Helpdesk
From Ross Furley-Smith, Helpdesk and Hub Coordinator

We are delighted to announce that the first Church Life Fund shared services, the URC Resources Hub and Helpdesk, are both now available. The Resources Hub is an exciting new venture for the URC which aims to provide local churches with all the practical guidance and support they need to thrive and grow.
 

We are very excited that we currently have a number of resources available for you, including GDPR policies, HR templates, selected Ministries documents, and Health and Safety guides. We will continue to develop and upload additional content as it becomes available over the coming months.
 

The Helpdesk is also here to offer personal support whilst you use the Resources Hub. If you have any specific questions about the content on the Hub, the Helpdesk is here to support you in finding what you need to complete the tasks associated with running your local Church. Click here to access the resource hub.

A Seminar for Lay Preachers

On Monday 27^th July Andy Braunston will lead a seminar looking at the worship material the URC offers for September. General Assembly recently commended the marking of the Feast of Creation in Christ on the first Sunday in September and Andy will explore the new Lectionary readings for that Sunday. He will also explore the material on offer for the rest of the month showing how it might be worked to have a Creationtide theme running throughout.
 

Those who wish to come should read this note about the Lectionary and read the worship notes for September. Andy will explore how to build worship around the themes of Creation, what other resources are available, which hymns might work well, and explore any pitfalls with the readings.
 

The session will last for 60 minutes and will just focus on September’s material (next month he’ll focus on October’s.) You can join by going to this link. The virtual doors will open at 7.25 for a 7.30 start.

Click here to read the latest newsletter from Luther King Theological College.

Click here to read the latest newsletter from the Joint Public Issues Team.