Lent encourages us to give things up—habits or distractions that pull us away from God—and instead take up practices that bring our lives more in tune with God’s way and will for us.

It’s not always easy. Lots of people give up chocolate, meat, or alcohol, and they do it every year. One year, I tried to give up washing my face. My mum said that wasn’t allowed and I had missed the point.

She was right. Then. But that moment stayed with me. Because as I get older and don’t quite function the way I used to, I’ve come to realise how even the smallest habits—things we dismiss as insignificant—can become acts of resistance, reminders of God’s presence, or signs of hope. To pause, to be fully present, to hand over our burdens to the One who willingly bears them—these are acts of faith in themselves.

The weariness of always feeling like I don’t fit, of thinking differently, or of never quite understanding what I’ve got wrong—it’s pervasive. Anyone who yearns for justice and fights for inclusion because they have witnessed or experienced exclusion knows this struggle firsthand. It becomes a personal battle cry. And if I’m heading into battle, I’d rather not go alone!

This week, I’m heading down to the Generous Faith “Our Wound is Our Word” day conference, where our focus is prophecy—the role and importance of the prophetic voice in and to the Church today. As I prepare to share some of my story and learn from others doing the same, my hope and prayer is that there will be joy in the resonances and inspiration in the dissonance. While much of my day-to-day work is operational—overseeing systems, maintaining the behind-the-scenes aspects of Inclusive Church—it’s the moments of Extra that keep me focused and encouraged. Hearing your stories, encountering experiences of transformation and pivotal moments of revelation—that's where the real payoff is.

Speaking out is costly and hard. But in doing so, we invest in others, demonstrating the value we see and long to be celebrated. In God’s economy, these small slices of the kingdom balance the books. They make it worthwhile.

Let’s keep that in mind this Lent.

As you may be aware we have put our joining process for churches on hold right now while we bring in a new system and try to have a smooth transition between them. We are very grateful for the patience of those on the waiting list and are pleased to say that we hope to be able to announce in our next newsletter that it is up and running and to introduce our new churches.

The new process is a bit more involved and ambitious, but it should lead to a more efficient and useful Inclusive Church Network when it is in place... Which is exciting! We are currently beta testing it on some of those on the waiting list and hope to be able to roll it out very soon.

We are very grateful to our Regional Ambassadors who support the work of Inclusive Church in their local area. You can see on the website where we currently have reps. If there is a gap in your region and you think you’d like to know more about what being a RA involves, please get in touch!

You have some influence over how active and visible Inclusive Church is in your region. If you'd like to see and hear more, please get in touch with your RA to explore options. They'd love to hear from you!

I have been in conversations with a number of potential new RAs and am looking forward to introducing them to you all soon.

We want members of IC to have the opportunity to share joyful stories and encouraging signs of progress with each other. There is always more to celebrate than we realise! We'd love to celebrate with you, and it's all part of how we better tell the story and share the narrative we are experiencing of inclusive churches being fun, growing and welcoming places to be.

Here's a round-up of recent events and happenings. Do please send us your stories.

It might seem counter intuitive to share this as a 'good news' story, but the commitment to raise money specifically to increase the quality of the inclusive and accessible welcome somewhere can offer is worth celebrating!

If you'd like to learn more about the Inspire Project or to even make a donation towards their work you can do so by clicking the button below

STORY – Sacred Truth, Owned, Remembered, Yearned for

How do our stories carry power, prophecy, and potential? Chantal explores how sharing our own stories—and recognising where they intersect with God’s—can shape new narratives of faith and transformation. This workshop will reflect on the value of authentic voices, especially those from, and in, the margins, and the prophetic role of storytelling in a church that often struggles with exclusion.

Drawing from her experience as a Northern, neurodivergent, queer woman called to estates ministry and now to Inclusive Church, Chantal will challenge us to lean into the truth of our stories and the radical possibilities they hold.

Together for the Church of England continue to grow and diocesan groups are starting to meet, the following are gathering over the next few months:

• Ely, Thursday 20th March

• Coventry, Tuesday 8th April

• Canterbury, Sunday 11th May

• St Albans, Monday 19th May

• Southwark, Saturday 19th July

Some dioceses are also holding socials to get people together more informally, for example Peterborough on Wednesday 2nd April.  

If you are interested in any of these events please get in touch with the diocesan contact for the diocese.  If you would like to see something more happening in your diocese please get in touch with your diocesan co-ordinator

Inclusive Church are working with Together on the General Synod election campaign for 2026 so there will be more to share on that soon. There will be ways you can get involved at various levels, so don't count yourself out!

When the Illusion Shatters

A question. A single word. A moment that laid bare an unspoken truth. What happens when respect is conditional, when your voice is diminished while another is affirmed? In this blog post, Rev'd Charity Tozivepi-Nzegwu reflects on an encounter that left her reeling—not just because of what was said, but because of what it revealed. Naming these moments comes at a cost. But silence is its own burden.

As she says, "to follow in the path of Jesus, is to insist on truth, even when it is costly. It is to say, without apology, that racism, whether blatant or subtle, whether conscious or unconscious, is a wound in the body of Christ. And wounds, left untreated, do not heal.

So, one counts the cost and speaks. Because to remain silent is to allow oneself to be diminished.  To name the wound is to resist erasure. To tell the truth is an act of prophecy."

Read more: Blog post

Come along to our Rainbow Eucharist on Sunday 23rd March at 6:30pm. An inclusive service where we affirm all people, especially the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies.
Our guest preacher is Rev’d Catherine Shelley who is the vicar of Todmorden and Women’s Ministry Advisor for the Huddersfield Episcopal Area.
All welcome

Our set of six core IC books are now available at the reduced price of £5 a copy or a set of six for £25, plus P&P. Available while stocks last.

Our newest book 'How to Build the Church of the Future' is available from us at the bargain price of £20 plus p&p.

Lent is a great time to up your listening and learning after all.

If you'd like to order some, simply email me on natco@inclusive-church.org I will be putting a direct link on the website but haven't quite got to it yet.

I will also soon be uploading more poster resources that you can download and print for using locally. If you have a specific event or project in mind that you would like to ensure an IC presence is at, get in touch! (Options range from people to books, lanyards to badges, flyers to social media reels)...

We’re looking for a priest to help us grow as a church and develop our relationship with the community. We are a church seeking to be Loving, Inclusive, Flourishing and Exploring. 

We have spent 5+ years and £1.5 million converting our medieval church building into a flexible worship space and community hub.

We want children, youth and families to be a key part of our church community and to develop closer links with our local schools.

We celebrate creativity in the arts and are looking to develop our musical offering and diversity in our worship. Musical expertise would be an advantage.

 We are looking to help people to explore the Christian faith, allowing them to grow in their understanding of God and become the people God intended them to be.

The role is four days a week but if you’re looking for a full-time position, we are happy to discuss this. 

Deadline March 24th

For more info or to apply: All Saints Wokingham

The Parish of St Thomas, Norbury (known as Norbury Church) is an Inclusive Church situated in Hazel Grove on the southern edge of Greater Manchester close to the Peak District. Transport links are excellent with local motorway, rail and bus services providing easy access to Manchester and the wider area. The Parish has a population of approximately 19,000 whose circumstances vary from significant affluence to pockets of deprivation. The Parish includes six primary schools and one secondary school. 

What the parish offers:
●   A friendly, welcoming and inclusive Christian community, which believes that Jesus came to share God’s love for all people
●   Well-attended activities where dedicated volunteers welcome the community into our church, including a weekly Welcome Cafe, weekly toddler groups, and an annual holiday club
●   A variety of services and worship styles on Sunday mornings including BCP, Common Worship and contemporary worship
●   Several long-running discipleship activities including: regular retreats, a fortnightly group for 18-25 year olds, and fortnightly home groups. 

Norbury Church is praying for a vicar who will:
●   Lead with clarity to bring stability and rebuild confidence, enabling us to reach out effectively into our community 
●   Be an encourager and a listener, who can relate well with people of all ages and backgrounds
●   Work collaboratively with a large team of volunteers and three employees
●   Uphold our equality commitment to be a church where all people feel welcome, safe, valued and free to worship without fear, or fear of discrimination.

Accommodation is offered at  75 Chester Road, Hazel Grove, SK7 5PE. 

Closing date:        Sunday    11th May 2025
Interviews:            Friday      30th May 2025

The parish profile can be found Here

The parish fact sheet can be found Here

The application form can be found Here or directly on Pathways

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The content of the newsletter is drawn from a number of sources including individuals and partner organisations. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect a 'formal viewpoint' of the Inclusive Church trustees, individual members of Inclusive Church or registered inclusive churches.

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