Supporting healing ministry across the diocese

Diocesan Healing Advisory Group

The Healing Advisory Group is a voluntary group within the diocese that aims to support and inspire both lay and clergy within our parishes in Christ’s work of wholeness and healing for individuals, churches and communities. It seeks to provide a prophetic voice that speaks to both the wider Church and society on matters of wholeness and healing.

Below are some things led by the group and a list of the current members is at the bottom of the page. We would love to hear from you so please get in touch with ideas for Healing Forums, setting up new Healing Wells, articles for the newsletter or requests for information or ideas.

Healing Gathering - Saturday 18 January, Wells

A gathering of all people interested in exploring Christian Healing - both clergy and lay - Saturday 18 January 2025, 9.45 for 10.00 - 1.00, Flourish House, Wells, BA5 1FD.

Healing is a core historic strand of the Christian ministry and part of the commission Jesus gave to his disciples where "He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick." Luke 9:2.

Our aim is to offer a relaxed, open, welcoming environment for all who are interested in Christian Healing including: those who are exploring Christian Healing for the first time; those who are already involved in Christian Healing and want to explore further; as well as those who are experienced in the healing ministry who want to delve deeper and are able to share their experience.

There will be an opportunity to explore your views and experience of Christian Healing, and to think about your hopes and aspirations for this ministry and what could help you move forward. A chance to meet together, share together and learn from each other. A chance to create links so that no one is working in a vacuum with a view to creating an encouraging and supportive healing network across the diocese.

Contact Sue Whitehead to book a place or for further information.

Diocesan Healing Adviser - Vacancy

Our Healing Adviser has stepped down, and we are looking for a new person to take on this important honorary role.

Healing is integral to the good news of Jesus Christ. The role of the Diocesan Healing Adviser within our diocese is to encourage, support and resource healing ministry, with understanding, expertise and commitment, and to maintain and develop links with other dioceses and denominations so that we continually learn, share and challenge ourselves.

This is a voluntary role and a Bishop's appointment. If you are interested, please have a look at the role description and how to apply. If you would like an informal chat about the role, please contact Caroline Bruce or Sue Whitehead - contact details at the bottom of this webpage.

Healing Forums

The Diocesan Healing Advisory Group holds Healing Forums, which offer opportunities for people to come together if they are interested or involved in Christian healing ministry. After each presentation, there is time to reflect on the challenges of our times, and to explore where and how healing might be at work.

Previous Healing Forums

Healing Forum Workshop with Guild of Health & St Raphael May 2024

The Guild of Health & St Raphael offers an Everyday Healing training course to help people set up Healthy Healing Hubs offering ministry to the whole person, supported by the Guild of Health Community offering a wide variety of healing topics with a vision to enable the whole community to flourish. The Revd Dr Gillian Straine from the Guild of Health spoke at our Healing Forum Workshop. Watch the Guild of Health & St Raphael Healing Forum video, and download the slides of the presentation at the bottom of this page.

Explore Healing Ministry with Acorn Christian Healing Foundation March 2024

Have you ever felt drawn to explore healing in your own context? What does it mean and how could you join in? Acorn Christian Healing Foundation directors, Wes Sutton and Lisa Way, spoke about setting up local healing hubs to offer healing prayer, and the training and support available from Acorn to help equip you or others from your parish for this ministry. Watch the Acorn Healing Forum video and view the slides of the presentation.

If you are interested in learning more about setting up a Guild of Health & St Raphael Healthy Healing Hub or an Acorn Christian Healing Foundation Healing Hub, as in the videos above, or if you would be interested in attending a full day's healing event with a speaker, please contact Sue Whitehead.

You can watch recordings from our previous Healing Forums:

Watch The Nature of Christian Peacebuilding forum. Simon Keyes talked about how we all fall short of our Christian ideals of peace - how can Scripture rescue us from failure & help us to understand & respond constructively to conflict & disagreement? (October 2023)
Watch the 'Small Steps towards Peace' forum. Real, do-able practical ways towards finding peace in our lives today. How we recognise that we are not at peace, what is helpful for our own inner peace as individuals and how we can build these practices into our lives. (February 2023)
Watch the 'Healing through Families' forum'. Gabby North talked about the work of Safe Families, an organisation which works with local councils ‘to bring hope, support and belonging to children’ and those who care for them. (June 2022)
Watch the 'Healing at the end of life' forum. Revd Ann Fulton, Spiritual Care Coordinator at St Margaret’s Hospice, shared really helpfully on the role of accompanying someone as they come to the end of their life. St Margaret’s Hospice provides care to patients and families facing life-limiting illness. (April 2022)
Watch the 'Listening in healing' forum. Preb Dr Alison Perham considered the vital importance of being heard. She has a background in the NHS, working in palliative care. She has developed a particular expertise in listening, training and supporting other professionals in these skills. She is now a trustee of St Margaret’s Hospice. A summary of Alison Perham's presentation can be downloaded below.(February 2022)
Listen to the Taize chant used in the 'Listening in healing' forum.

Links to the presentations from 2021 can be found in the Healing newsletter from September 2021, downloadable below. The themes were 'Healing in a World Turned Upside Down', 'Healing in a Time of Transition' and 'The Journey Towards Health and Healing.', the last one with speaker Revd Dr Gillian Straine of The Guild of Health and St Raphael.

Healing Service

A Healing Service was held during Evensong in Wells Cathedral in October 2024, with healing prayer offered after the service. The text of the sermon, written by Revd Preb Gillian Bunce, can be downloaded below.

The previous healing service was held in Wells Cathedral in October 2023, with Revd Preb Julie Birkett preaching. The text from her sermon can be downloaded below.

Healing Courses

The Acorn Course is one that we recommend for developing skills in healing prayer.

Alternatively, the Guild of Health offers the Go Health Everyday Healing Course.

The Diocesan Healing Advisory Group aims to run training days each year.

Healing Wells

We are working towards having a focal points or 'wells' of people that anyone can contact for help or advice with healing matters within their parish, offering support, sharing together and exploring the call to healing, learning to listen, and training.

If you are interested, talk to your clergy and contact Sue Whitehead at email: sue.whitehead@bathwells.anglican.org. We can put you in touch with like-minded people with a heart for healing ministry.

Healing Newsletter

A newsletter is produced about 3 times a year, with updates about healing and wholeness across the diocese. If you would like to receive the newsletter, please use the online form.

Recent editions of the newsletter are available to download below.

Diocesan Healing Advisory Group

Margaret Hendy – Chair
Sue Whitehead – Administrator
Gilly Bunce
Jonathan Clark
Miggs Clark
Mary Southwood
Lis Sparrow
Sally Walters
Caroline Bruce (ex officio)

Who to contact

Caroline Bruce, Deanery and Parish Development Adviser/Peacebuilding Advocate

Sue Whitehead, Deanery and Parish Support Adminstrator

Vacancy, Diocesan Healing Adviser

Downloads

Healing Service sermon Preb Gillian Bunce - October 2024

Healing forum workshop with Guild of Health & St Raphael - Revd Dr Gillian Straine presentation, May 2024