Last 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.
A 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.
Today, 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.
Sarah 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.
Claire 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.
Bishop Martin has announced the appointment of the Revd Canon Diane Cooksey as Team Rector and Renewal Leader in the Benefice of Gornal and Sedgley.
In 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.
The 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!
In 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.
To start the school term, the Church of the Ascension in Wall Heath held their annual bag blessing service.
Fraser 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 (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 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.
Thanks 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’ 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.
Bishop 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).
For the first time ever, St John's Church Halesowen recently hosted a wedding fayre.
In 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.
St Thomas’ Church in Stourbridge saw a significant increase in attendance at its Christmas services this year, which the vicar, Andrew Sillis, is crediting in part to a campaign on social media.
Kingswinford with Wall Heath and St John in Halesowen are the first churches to have national funding released.
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29th April 2025