On the 17th June, groups from The Belfrey came together to serve their local community and what a fabulous day!

Partnering with local charity, Besom, 40 members of our church family gave up their Saturday to help the less fortunate in York, practically sharing Jesus’ love for the people of York. Two gardens were transformed, one living room and kitchen re-decorated, countless clothes sorted for asylum seekers in York, two hampers put together for those in need and one person was reconnected back with the Belfrey after many years away and feeling isolated.

Along with practically helping people across the city, we were also able to witness the love of Jesus and share our reasons for helping, being able to pray for several of the recipients as well. With one recipient expressing great thanks and letting us know that “Saturday was a wonderful/inspiring day and I’m so happy with everything”.

We’re excited to have got involved with charities across the city and looking forward to partnering with them more in the future and making this practical outreach day and annual event. Read on for some testimonies of the day and pictures.

Gardening in Acomb: “I thought it was really good fun, nice to meet people I probably wouldn't have otherwise met, and it was very rewarding to look at the results and also know that we'd shared the love of God with someone in a practical, non-threatening way" 

Clothes sorting in Huntingdon: "It was great to join a group recently who were sorting donated clothes for the Refugee Action Centre. I had wanted to do something practical to help refugees and was intending to contact the Action Centre about this. The Belfrey Social Action weekend was the perfect opportunity to start getting involved. We managed to sort a huge amount of clothes and had good fun doing it together. I'm sure that, by doing this, we are showing the love of Jesus in our care and concern for all refugees who come to York."

Gardening in Dringhouses: “Our Belfrey Group, supplemented by two lovely extras, were given the challenge of clearing part of a garden which had become substantially overgrown.  The garden had clearly been the pride and joy of the client and his wife, but sadly his wife had died and the client had lost a lot of mobility, so was no longer able to look after the garden.  We were pleased to help and turned up to a nice welcome by the client, who kept us supplied with drinks through the day.  Besom had supplied a good range of tools, supplemented by some of our own and, working as a group, we uncovered parts of the garden which had clearly not seen the light of day for some time.  It was incredible to see how much progress could be made working collectively and we had a great time, building links as a group, enjoying hacking and chopping, and helping to transform a neglected part of a loved garden.  At the end of the day, we left tired but appreciative we had been able to help in a small way, providing a witness through practical action.  As an added bonus, the two lovely extras now want to join our Belfrey Group!”

Decorating in Bishopthorpe: ”What an amazing opportunity we had, being able to intentionally partner in Besom's vision demonstrating God's generous love through provision, time  hope, practical skills and transformation!! What a day of faith building for all of us involved.
It was such a joy to come together as a group and well as spend time getting to know other individuals who joined us too.
No expertise needed at all, everyone in their own way had a gift they could use through the day.
God really showed us so much more than we could have ever expected as we spent time together!! Giving us so much to reflect on even in just the short space of time that we were there.
A blessed day across York through all the projects that were completed.
I would encourage anyone able to, to take the opportunity if able and get involved where they can. It really is such fun!!!

At the Belfrey, we organise an Alpha course twice a year. Over the past few years, we have witnessed numerous individuals coming to know Jesus and getting baptised through their participation in Alpha. This year's January-March Alpha course was no exception. As of now, nine individuals have been baptised as a result of this year's Alpha, and we anticipate more baptisms in the near future.

In a first for us, we conducted Alpha in two languages this year: English and Farsi, catering to our Iranian members who wanted to participate. It was truly wonderful to witness how Alpha can be tailored for anyone. While the core content remained the same, some of the stories were adapted to resonate with Iranian culture in a way that the British context wouldn't. In total, we had approximately 30 guests walk the 10-week journey of Alpha with us.

A significant highlight of the course was the Holy Spirit day. If you're unfamiliar with Alpha, the Holy Spirit day is a dedicated time during the course where we spend a whole Saturday together, deepening our relationships, sharing meals, engaging in profound discussions, and eagerly awaiting the moving of the Holy Spirit. For this course, we collaborated with One Voice, joining forces with other churches within the One Voice network who were also conducting Alpha. Over 100 people participated in this day, and it was filled with a multitude of enriching experiences. We witnessed a beautiful outpouring of God's presence as many individuals encountered the Holy Spirit for the first time. It was on this day that several of our guests decided to commit their lives to following Jesus.

Following the conclusion of the Alpha course, we initiated a discipleship course centred around Matthew Porter's book, "A-Z of Discipleship." This group has now become an integral part of our Belfrey community. It has been truly fantastic to observe the love and support that each member extends to one another. Just a couple of weeks ago, when one of the group members was baptised, every single member of the group stood at the front, providing unwavering support and offering heartfelt prayers. We are witnessing people embracing Jesus, undergoing discipleship, and it's an absolute privilege to be a part of this transformative journey.

Alpha holds immense significance within the life of our church. We are witnessing individuals bringing their friends, colleagues, housemates, neighbours, and spouses, who are then encountering Jesus through Alpha. The impact of Alpha is expanding the Kingdom of God.

If you've never invited anyone to Alpha before, I encourage you to seriously consider it. Here's a testimony from someone who participated in Alpha with us this year:

When I joined Alpha, I carried with me a multitude of questions (many of which I had already bombarded my Christian husband with). Initially, my intention was to seek knowledge, and indeed, I did learn a great deal. However, what took me by surprise was the gradual yet profound transformation of my heart over the course of those weeks, eventually leading me to discover my faith and receive baptism.

Alpha provides a safe space to ask difficult questions. It is facilitated with sensitivity, and nothing is forced upon anyone. What truly resonated with me was the honest sharing of diverse perspectives during group discussions, which opened my eyes to the power of faith and what it means to be a follower of Jesus in my own life.

Matthew Porter, the Vicar of St Michael le Belfrey church (known as The Belfrey), bid a fond farewell to a large congregation at The Belfrey last Sunday and now prepares for his next role as the Bishop of Bolton.

After 14 years at The Belfrey, a thriving Anglican church in York city centre, Matthew Porter is moving across the Pennines and will be consecrated as Bishop of Bolton at a service at York Minster on 22 June.

Matthew, originally from Doncaster, was first ordained in the Diocese of Sheffield in 1996 and has been vicar of The Belfrey since 2010 after a short period as Associate Vicar. Under his leadership The Belfrey has maintained a strong presence in the City of York and the North of England. It is in the top 5% of Church of England congregations nationally with approximately 600 people attending across four services a week.  It is a resource church for the Diocese of York delivering leadership development and helping to plant churches across the North. Its varied ministries include children's and youth work across all ages and it has a community of around 100 students. The Belfrey partners with charities in the city as part of its social action programme and runs a Christians Against Poverty debt centre.

After a joyous last service, Matthew is excited for his new role, being passionate about discipleship, evangelism and developing leaders. He said: “ I am humbled and thrilled to be called to be the next Bishop of Bolton. While sad to be leaving The Belfrey in York after so many wonderful years, I’m going to the Manchester area in prayerful expectation, delighted to be the lead bishop in mission, growth and church planting, and serving the people and church in another part of the North.”

The Belfrey PCC is working with the Bishop of Selby and the Archdeacon of York on plans for appointing a new vicar. In the interim period, the Church is in the capable leadership of the Church Wardens, the Area Dean - Rev Luke Tillett - and Rev Andy Baker. Andy, who has been Associate Vicar for the last 5 years, is leading The Belfrey’s day-to-day operations with the support of the two Curates and a sizeable staff team.

Andy who is also Chair of the c£10.5m Impact building Project will lead The Belfrey as it prepares to move out of the church building in September this year to The De Grey Rooms in York. The rooms will be The Belfrey’s temporary home and venue for around the next two years for its services, ministries and outreach. The Impact Project will include the first significant repairs in over 150 years.

Rev Baker commented on Rev Porter’s departure and the forthcoming changes: “We wish Matthew, his wife Sam and family every blessing with their move to Bolton. I am sad to see them leave, but also excited to be leading our church during this transformational period.” Andy goes on to say; “Impact will help us create a far more welcoming, accessible and flexible space for our thriving church community and for the city. The church building will have new entrances at the West and a beautiful, accessible baptism pool. We look forward to providing a cafe area, better facilities and installing sustainable underfloor heating.”

St Michael le Belfrey received planning permission and listed building consent from City of York Council in April for the urgent external repairs and improvements to the fabric of the building. The proposed renovations to the interior have still to be approved through the Church of England’s Faculty process, which is nearing its conclusion, after being recommended by the York Diocesan Advisory Committee.

The Impact project will help The Belfrey ensure it is fit for purpose practically and spiritually, and serve the city of York and community better, along with its 35,000+ visitors a year.  Pending final approvals, the build phase is due to start early 2024 with completion late 2025.

At the end of January 2022, a small team from The Belfrey, led by Mike and Emma Perkins, were sent to help revitalise Holy Trinity church in Heworth and the congregation already residing there. Just over a year later, and it is exciting to see this community thriving and growing. Mike, the now resident Vicar, has written a few words about the church plant:

“The past year at Holy Trinity has been so encouraging and a real sign of God's kindness and generosity. One of the first things we did after our first Sunday at Holy Trinity was to introduce ourselves on the local Facebook community group. We received lots of positive welcomes from the local folk, including one who said how nice it was to see 'the church back open again'. This gave us a good indication of how the wider community viewed the church. Fast forward a year and we are seeing much greater community engagement in our events and groups and much more trust in what we offer; with numbers steadily growing not only in Sunday Services, but in our toddler group and other seasonal events too. 

It's also been wonderful to see the discipleship within the church growing too. The church had no remaining small groups when we arrived and it has been such an encouragement to now have three groups meeting at different times in order to delve into the bible in greater depth and spend time praying with one another. Linked with discipleship, we've also been so blessed by many of our church family volunteering and serving in some way this year. We recently held a thank you afternoon tea for anyone who volunteers in the church and were delighted to realise that we had invited around 40 people (somewhere between half and two thirds of the adults in the congregation!) 

All in all, it has been a full but rewarding year, full of signs of God's grace and generosity and we can't wait to see what else He has in store for us.

Mike”

We’re blessed here at The Belfrey to have fantastic ministries for community and discipleship. The Belfrey Women’s ministry is entering a new season in 2023 which we’re delighted to invite you to be part of!

We want to see women across the generations coming together to be built-up and rooted in our identity in Christ, empowered and released into what He is calling us to and confident in the part we play in seeing His Kingdom come here in our city of York.

Belfrey Women is entering a new season this year as Hayley Baker steps into the leadership of it, alongside a wonderful team: Kay Scott, Remi Oduyemi, Ursula Warrington and Becca Hewitt.

Hayley is a qualified Youth and Community worker by trade, primarily working with offenders and those with additional learning needs. She enjoys mentoring and longs to help others know their worth and freedom in Christ. Hayley has felt the call to lead since she was 16 years old, and is expectant of what the Lord will do amongst women and His church in this time. Hayley is married to Andy Baker, our Associate Vicar, and is currently a full-time mum to their two wonderful children.

The mailing list is being renewed at the moment so that we can make sure every woman in the Belfrey family has a chance to be part of this special, multi-generational community. We’d love you to take a moment to sign up! Please also invite the women of your Belfrey Group and other friends from church to do this too.

JOIN THE BELFREY WOMEN MAILING LIST 

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The next event in the Belfrey Women calendar is our annual Teaching Day on Saturday 3rd June.

We’re delighted that Arianna Walker will be joining us, helping us to explore what it means to live free and stay free in Christ. 

Arianna is the CEO of Mercy UK - a charity which equips Christians with the tools they need to thrive: to experience real freedom from the issues that hold them back and navigate life’s challenges from this place of wellbeing and wholeness. They run a Freedom Course which includes one-to-one mentoring, counselling and other specialist support. They also train churches and leaders in responding to mental health challenges through pastoral care and discipleship.

Come and join us, and invite your sisters in Christ along too!

BOOK HERE