Diane Cooksey becomes Team Rector and Renewal Leader
Published: 21st May 2025At All Saints Church in Sedgley on Sunday, Diane Cooksey was installed as Team Rector of Gornal and Sedgley and Renewal Leader at All Saints.
News
St John’s Halesowen launch post exam calm space for year 11 students
Published: 30th April 2025St John’s church in Halesowen is looking at ways they can build stronger links with and better serve their local community. This week they have launched a post exam calm space for year 11s about to embark on their GCSEs.
St Peter’s Bengeworth launch Community Café
Published: 17th April 2025Last month St Peter’s in Bengeworth opened a Community Café inside the church called ‘The Point’. The café opens every Tuesday morning and aims to be a welcoming space for those who might not have been in the church before.
Renewal leaders gather for first learning community session
Published: 27th March 2025A learning community has been launched for Renewal and Resourcing Church leaders to support each other as they journey together on their missions to revitalise existing churches and grow the Kingdom.
Ashes To Go in Wall Heath High Street
Published: 5th March 2025Today, on Ash Wednesday, following a service to mark the start of Lent and the giving of Ashes at Church of the Ascension in Wall Heath, Mission Priest Sarah Roberts-Malpass and Curate Chris Smith, visited the nearby high street to offer ‘Ashes to go’ to passersby.
Anglo-Catholic Mission Priest
Published: 13th February 2025Sarah Roberts-Malpass has been licensed as the Anglo-Catholic Mission Priest for Kingswinford and Wall Heath, one of our renewal parishes. Her role is funded by the national church and will be very outward focussed, taking the church into the local community.
Introducing Claire Biggs, New Worshipping Communities Co-ordinator in Halesowen
Published: 30th January 2025Claire Biggs started as New Worshipping Communities (NWC) Co-ordinator at St John’s in Halesowen in November 2024. This appointment will assist with our diocesan priority to create 100 New Worshipping Communities by 2030.
Diane Cooksey to be Team Rector in Gornal & Sedgley
Published: 26th January 2025Bishop Martin has announced the appointment of the Revd Canon Diane Cooksey as Team Rector and Renewal Leader in the Benefice of Gornal and Sedgley.
Encouraging signs of growth for diocesan transformation programme
Published: 17th December 2024In 2023 we launched a seven-year transformation programme, assisted by funding from the national church, aiming to transform communities through churches that are growing in health and sustainability. The first data back from churches is showing encouraging signs of growth.
Community enables repairs to Church of the Ascension clock
Published: 5th December 2024The Church of the Ascension in Wall Heath had been without a working clock since the Spring but thanks to the generosity of the local community and their incredible response to a Crowdfunding appeal, it has now been fixed!
Introducing Fraser Oates: Renewal Leader for St Stephen's Church, Redditch
Published: 28th November 2024In September 2024, Fraser Oates was appointed as the Renewal Leader for St Stephen's Church in Redditch and has relocated there, marking a new chapter for him and his family as well as the church and community.
Blessing school bags
Published: 20th September 2024To start the school term, the Church of the Ascension in Wall Heath held their annual bag blessing service.
Fraser Oates licensed as Renewal Church Leader
Published: 17th September 2024Fraser Oates was licensed as Renewal Leader at St Stephen’s Church in Redditch on Sunday as the church moves forward with its vision to grow into a thriving church at the heart of the town centre.
Top Church showcases Digital Tour as part of Heritage Open Days
Published: 12th September 2024Top Church (St Thomas & St Luke’s Church) held a heritage Open Day on Saturday 7th September to showcase their innovative Digital Tour which aims to share the history of the church and the role it has played in supporting the residents of Dudley.
St Stephens Redditch holds prayer breakfast focusing on Renewal
Published: 21st August 2024St Stephens in Redditch held a prayer breakfast focusing on their Renewal journey. Fraser Oates who has been Assistant Curate at All Saints in Worcester will shortly be moving to Redditch to take up the role of Renewal Leader.
Introducing the diocesan Transformation Support Hub Team
Published: 14th August 2024Thanks to funding from the national church, the Diocese of Worcester has been able to create a new team to support parishes as we work together towards achieving the outcomes of our diocesan vision and Transformation programme.
'Experience Dudley' at Top Church expands following successful pilot
Published: 13th August 2024‘Experience Dudley’ is a faith, community and heritage project that started as a pilot at Top Church in 2022, partnering with one local school. Thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, this year staff have been able to expand it to partner with three local schools, reaching close to 1000 children.
Fraser Oates appointed Renewal Leader in Redditch
Published: 7th July 2024Bishop John has announced Fraser's appointment as Associate Priest in the Redditch Team Ministry with special responsibility for St Stephen’s (to be known as Renewal Leader).
Wedding fayre at St John's Church, Halesowen
Published: 13th June 2024For the first time ever, St John's Church Halesowen recently hosted a wedding fayre.
Growing churches through our renewal programme
Published: 8th April 2024In this article for May editions of parish magazines, Bishop Martin explains where we are with the strand of our diocesan strategy to have at least one church in each major population area with a congregation of at least 150 people.
Latest News
Connecting with young people in Alvechurch
12th June 2025
St Laurence Church in Alvechurch, just outside Redditch, has a group of young people who attend church with their families. The Ministry team has been working with the group to explore ways of helping them feel that it’s their church too, involving them with different ministries.