THE Bishop of Carlisle has embarked on a 24-day Lent walk across Cumbria.

The Rt Rev James Newcome set off from Brampton’s United Reformed Church, on Main Street, at 8.30am on Wednesday. Over the next four weeks he plans to visit all the mission communities which are being formed across Cumbria as part of the ecumenical God for All strategy.

He explained: “The idea behind the Lent Walk is that it offers a further opportunity to build on the Moving Mountains mission that saw more than 500 missional events held across the county and dozens of senior ecumenical leaders from across the north of England join with us, as together we proclaimed God is for all.

“It also provides a marvellous chance to get out and meet with people, to walk with them and listen to how God is working through them within their communities.”

The God for All strategy has seen four partner denominations – the Methodist Church, United Reformed Church, Salvation Army and the Church of England – come together to develop the county’s ecumenical vision and strategy God for All.

The aim is that by 2020 every person in Cumbria of all ages and backgrounds will have an opportunity to discover more of God and God’s purpose for their lives, so that they will discover more of Jesus and the Good News and become followers of Jesus within a Christian community.

As part of the strategy, more than 30 new mission communities have been created across the county. These are groupings of churches working collaboratively reaching out and connecting with those people who have no faith by supporting each other in developing new lay and ordained leaders, setting up fresh expressions of church, and nurturing and growing those disciples who already know Jesus in their lives.

Time and geography means Bishop James and his fellow walkers will have to use public transport and cars as well, but expect to walk an average of 10 miles each day.

The first leg from Brampton to Lanercost Priory will see Bishop James joined by the Rev Mike Talbot, Director of Mission Community Development for the God for All Team. They will be waved off by a group which includes the Rev Nick Mark from the United Reformed Church and the Rev Edward Johnsen, Rural Dean of Brampton.

Later they will walk into Carlisle to attend a dinner for the Royal British Legion of which Bishop James is the charity’s National Chaplain.

Over the coming days he will also be joined by Roger Batt, Divisional Commander of the Salvation Army, the Rev Sarah Moore, President of the United Reformed Church in Cumbria, and the Rev Richard Teal, Chair of the Cumbria Methodist District.

The itinerary will see them enjoy a kick about at a walking football match in Silloth, lead prayers for those workers affected by the proposed closure of Barrow’s Marks and Spencer store and a ‘Grill a Bishop’ evening at a Kendal town centre pub.

One Monday (18 March) the newly appointed Bishop of Penrith, the Rt Rev Emma Ineson, along with her husband, Mat, will join Bishop James for a two day leg from Holme Cultram Abbey to Workington, before later heading for Cockermouth.

The day before (Sunday 17 March), Bishop Emma will be officially welcomed and installed at a special service at Carlisle Cathedral at 3pm.

Bishop James added: “While the Cumbrian weather can’t always be relied upon it will still be a wonderful chance to meet up again with so many of the people of all denominations who are helping build God’s Kingdom across our county.

“And I can’t think of a nicer way of introducing Emma to her ministry in Cumbria, than providing two days walking, talking, listening and evangelising as together we work towards God for All.”

The walkers will be regularly tweeting and can be followed at @god4allcumbria or following the hashtags #god4all or #walkcumbria.