Following the announcement of Bishop Michael's appointment on the 10 Downing Street website yesterday morning, Bishop Michael made a whistle-stop tour of the diocese, ending at the St Chad's Day celebration at Lichfield Cathedral
The Right Reverend Dr Michael Ipgrave has been named as the new Bishop of Lichfield.
This month's Bishop's Wolverhampton Area Lecture was given by Canon Mark Oakley, chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral, London.
Bishop Clive invites: "It is with joy and anticipation that I invite you to the Cathedral on Maundy Thursday, March 24, at 11.00 a.m. The service will provide us all, lay and ordained, with an opportunity to renew our commitment to the Lord's service, as well as to receive oils blessed for use in our parishes.
The leaders of the Community of St Chad and diocesan officers have been getting excited by this book by Sam, Wells, vicar of St Martin in the Fields, central London, to the extent that the Bishop's Staff have caught the enthusiasm. Together, they are encouraging parishes to adopt the book as a shared Lent study experience across the diocese - see the video by Paul Thomas, Archdeacon of Salop.
Once again, the Diocese of Lichfield is supporting a campaign to share the biblical story of Christmas through the medium of local radio.
Please pray for rain in South Africa. That is the message from Lichfield Diocese's Director of Ministry, the Revd Lesley Bentley, who has just been to Matlosane, our partner diocese.
In the latest video in our occasional series about hearing God's call, Revd Zoe Heming, curate in the Hodnet Deanery, talks about how being forced into a wheelchair at the same time as hearing God's call has been transformed into a powerfully enabling gift for many in her congregations.
The CofE has just released a helpful prayer resource with a monthly cycle of areas to help in praying for vocations. Although intended for religious communities such as the Community of St Anselm that Archbishop Justin launched earlier this month or our own dispersed Community of St Chad, it can be helpful to anyone who will 'ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest' (Luke 10:2)
Bishop Clive writes in anticipation of Prisons week.
Revds David & Jane Newsome will join the charity Hands at Work at the start of next year, and so are leaving their respective posts as Diocsean Director of Ordinands and Coordinating Chaplain at Swinfen Hall Prison & YOI in the next few weeks.
To what extent should our worship be shaped by our day-to-day culture? Can contemporary influences speak in the eternal and the patterns of Anglican worship? A new book by a Shrewsbury vicar tries to provide an answer.
Words from Rev Dr Sam Wells' "Thought for the Day" on dementia on 22 September have been living with me.
Revd Zoe Heming, the curate in Hodnet Deanery (in and around Market Drayton) has written a 'Dear Dementia' letter.
When Meg got married in August, she wanted to remember her granddad. He had had dementia and he died earlier in the year.
"Words are very powerful - they can build you up or put you down. When you are speaking about dementia remember this."
It's important to know that, as churches, we don't have to go it alone! David Latcham is an Information Worker at the Alzheimer's Society in Shropshire.
The Filling Station is a national movement offering an informal way of expressing the Christian faith in a rural setting. Following much prayer and planning, a Filling Station has now been running in the north-west corner of Shropshire for four months.
Churches, councils, walkers, pilgrims, all came together to see the new Two Saints Way handbook and plot the future of the pilgrimage route which runs right through the Diocese to Lichfield Cathedral. David Pott created the Two Saints Way. "We are now in a golden age of pilgrimage. There has been a great revival in pilgrimage with many new routes throughout the country in recent years. You can pre-order the Two Saints Way guide, 144 pages packed with pictures, facts and maps to make the route easy and informative, by emailing twosaintsway@gmail.com or calling 01770 830317 or 07932 790525.
Here are the results of the July 9th elections to the Crown Nominations Commission.
At our Forget-me-not tea this month, we looked at the cutout pictures by the world-famous artist Matisse.
Please pray for the deacons and priests recently ordained at Lichfield Cathedral.
Dementia Awareness Week ran from 17-23 May 2015. Various things went on in and around Shifnal.
You don't need to be a finalist in the Great British Bake Off to bless people with a bowl of flour and a hot oven. Flashy ingredients can hide mediocrity, and the best ideas are often the simplest. Here is one that every congregation can use in to love their local school.
Lichfield Diocese played host to a distinguished group from the Province of South East Asia last week. The group, led by Archbishop Bolly Lapok, were in England to mark the closure of two missionary organisations that had pioneered the gospel in the far east and to renew links with the Diocese including a whistle-stop tour of a few pioneering church projects as well as a traditional service of Evensong in the cathedral.
What would it mean if we took seriously 'loving our neighbours?
A new series of seminars for Safeguarding Coordinators has begun around the diocese with the first, held yesterday afternoon in Stafford, full to capacity.
It's my first time back at Neil Baldwin's place since our interview the week that Marvellous was released. There are plenty of new mementos on show in his Newcastle flat. The birds' cages have been spruced up beautifully, and the budgies look and sound magnificent.
The Revd David Cundill was welcomed to the Diocese this week as the new Deputy Director of Mission. He will work with parishes and pioneer ministers with a particular focus on supporting work under the Diocese's Reaching New Generations theme, particularly with reaching the 19-35 age group and Fresh Expressions.
It was a Happy Easter all round as the congregation at St. Stephen's Church celebrated not only the Risen Lord but the completion of the restoration of the 155 year old church roof. Revd Elizabeth Wall officiated at the service which was attended by over 40 people including members of Fradley Community Choir who sang the anthem. After the service the congregation was joined by Brandy the Shetland Pony in his Easter bonnet for refreshments. The Easter Garden which was built by Messy Church was also much admired.