This month’s contents:
- Thousands turn to CofE online prayer and advice for credit crunch
- Wedding show welcome and wider choice for wedding couples
- Parents should have the opportunity to choose faith-based schools, shows survey
- ‘Back to Church’ a national success
- Archbishop of Canterbury’s new book on Dostoevsky published
- Recovering and in good spirits – the Archbishop of York
- New term brings new Church education specialist team
- Halloween Choice heroes – who is yours?
- Evangelical leaders share best worship practice
- More news from the Archbishop of Canterbury
- More news from the Archbishop of York
Thousands turn to CofE online prayer and advice for credit crunch
As the financial situation across the globe worsened during October thousands have turned to online prayer and advice provided by the Church of England. Many of those affected by the credit crunch have looked for easy-access support on the Web during the current difficulties boosting traffic by more than 70 per cent to a Church of England website section focusing on debt advice. Over the second weekend of October the prayer section had 3,300 hits. Read the full story here
Prayer for the current financial situation
Lord God, we live in disturbing days:
across the world,
prices rise,
debts increase,
banks collapse,
jobs are taken away,
and fragile security is under threat.
Loving God, meet us in our fear and hear our prayer:
be a tower of strength amidst the shifting sands,
and a light in the darkness;
help us receive your gift of peace,
and fix our hearts where true joys are to be found,
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Wedding show welcome
Clergy chatted and offered advice to thousands of brides-to-be a the National Wedding Show at the NEC in Birmingham this month as part of the continuing wedding-welcome by the CofE. Since the law changed on October 1 couples are able to arrange a wedding at many more churches across the country. The team equipped with a set of top tips for clergy working at any wedding show was led by the Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Revd Tim Stevens. Read the full story here . For full details of the launch of the Marriage Measure on October see separate story Wider choice for wedding couples
Parents should have the opportunity to choose faith-based schools, shows survey
The majority of the population – including those who do not see themselves as Christian – agree that parents should be able to choose a state-run school for their child based on their own religious, moral or philosophical considerations, a major survey has found. But the poll also reveals that the Church still has to work on demonstrating fair admissions procedures in its popular schools. The survey, conducted by Opinion Research Business, was been released in the middle of October the same week that saw the opening of two new Church of England academies in Scunthorpe and East Hull. Read the full story here
‘Back to Church’ a national success
Thousands of people accepted an invite to go ‘back to church’ at the end of September. More than 30,000 people of all ages enjoyed a range of special services led by 3,000 local churches across the country on 28 September following a mass co-ordinated effort led by the Church of England to encourage churches to offer an extra-special welcome to newcomers and ‘returners’. Back to Church Sunday began in Manchester Diocese in 2004. For the full story and background on this year’s campaign click here
Archbishop of Canterbury's new book on Dostoevsky published
Read national media comment from the Guardian, the Times Literary Supplement and the Daily Telegraph on the book: Language, Faith and Fiction (Pushkin House). Direct links below or go to www.archbishopofcanterbury.org
Recovering and in good spirits – the Archbishop of York
On Monday 6 October, following a return from an official four day visit to Ghana, Dr Sentamu was diagnosed as suffering from a case of virulent gastroenteritis. He was subsequently admitted to University College Hospital in London where he is now receiving treatment for a severe form of salmonella poisoning. The full statement can be found here
New term brings new Church education specialist team
The appointment of three senior members of the staff of the Board of Education, the body responsible for developing education policy for the national Church, have been announced. The appointments are:
- Dr Rob Gwynne to become Head of School Development and Deputy General Secretary to the National Society
- The Revd Dr John Breadon to become The Churches’ National Adviser for Further Education
- The Revd Dr Stephen Heap to become National Adviser for Higher Education. Read the full story here
Halloween Choice heroes – who is yours?
The Bishop of Middleton, the Rt Revd Mark Davies, has launched the first ever poll to find the UK's 'most heroic job' as part of the Church's Halloween Choice campaign. It is the third anniversary of the campaign led by the Diocese of Manchester which explores how to support and resource those parents and children who wish to mark Halloween in a positive, less “gruesome”, way. It is being run with the Children’s Society. Read the full story here
Evangelical leaders share best worship practice
The Church of England has hosted the first in a series of consultation events with worship leaders from leading evangelical Anglican churches. The event explored how churches within the evangelical tradition can make the most use of the worship resources available to them and share from each others’ experiences and experiments, as well as from the wider Church. The event ‘Worshipping the God of the Gospel’ was held at Ridley Hall Theological College, Cambridge. For full details click here
Archbishop of Canterbury – click below for news items or see main website www.archbishopofcanterbury.org
Sermon at the 750th anniversary of the consecration of Salisbury Cathedral, details here
Article on the financial crisis in The Spectator, details here
Sermon for the International Mass at Lourdes, text here
Celebrations for the 400th anniversary of poet John Milton, sermon text here
Dr Williams, gave the opening address, at a conference he convened entitled 'A Common Word and Future Christian-Muslim Engagement'. Details here
Archbishop of York – click below for news items or see main website www.archbishopofyork.org
Dr Sentamu calls for Joint Action to Achieve “Education for all” at UN Emergency Summit, full story here
“Bank Robbers”, Dr Sentamu labels HBOS short sellers, details here
Dr Sentamu attends United Nations to urge global deal, details here
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Ends
The Diocese of Worcester is one of 44 dioceses in the Church of England. It covers an area of 671 square miles and includes parishes in the County of Worcestershire, the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, and a few parishes in northern Gloucestershire, south east Wolverhampton and Sandwell.
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