News

Update 'A Church Near You' in June

If you do just one thing online, it should be to ensure your A Church Near You site is up-to-date.

News from Westminster

In Dementia Awareness Week, Sarah Thorpe shares her experience.

Ministry & Service - Whatever it is, DO something

"Whatever it is, DO something!!" That's what one teacher said to Helen Babiy from Willenhall when she was asked to help with an RE lesson. Never did she imagine it would result in becoming a Reader at her church, leading services, preaching and helping others discover their faith.

Vicar of Burslem dies unexpectedly of heart attack

It is with sadness that we announce the sudden death on 14 May of The Revd Keith Round, Vicar of St Werbergh's church in Burslem (Stoke-on-Trent) at the age of 67. It is believed he had a massive heart attack.

History repeats as new Almshouse accomodation at St John's Lichfield adopts latest heating technolog

St John's Lichfield is an ancient Almshouse that is continuing to flourish and expand. The distinctive Grade 1 listed Tudor brick building is now nationally famous for its chimneys, some of the first domestic chimneys in the West Midlands. It continues to expand, embracing the most energy-efficient innovative design of the twenty-first century.

Meeting people where they are – the light shining through

A post inspired by Josie Edwards, co-ordinator for St Matthew's Church, Donnington Wood with a local residential home for adults with complex needs.

Church Crawl with Bishop Clive

On Saturday 5th March up to 90 people at a time attended an event to mark the Licensing of the new Benefice of Burntwood, Chase Terrace, Chasetown and Hammerwich (known as the Burntwood Chase Team). Each church in turn held a part of the service, with some people going to all four.

Welcome Bishop Michael - in pictures

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

99th Bishop of Lichfield named

The Right Reverend Dr Michael Ipgrave has been named as the new Bishop of Lichfield.

Preaching and the Imagination

This month's Bishop's Wolverhampton Area Lecture was given by Canon Mark Oakley, chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral, London.

Maundy Thursday Eucharist

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.

Learning to dream again

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.

Church of England on local radio

Once again, the Diocese of Lichfield is supporting a campaign to share the biblical story of Christmas through the medium of local radio.

Pray for rain

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.

It's not what I wanted

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.

Praying for labourers

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)

Prisons Week November 15-21

Bishop Clive writes in anticipation of Prisons week.

DDO David Newsome set for a new adventure

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.

Creating Missional Worship - new book from Shrewsbury vicar

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.

Deficit, decline, death & letting go, letting loose, releasing?

Words from Rev Dr Sam Wells' "Thought for the Day" on dementia on 22 September have been living with me.

"Dear Dementia..."

Revd Zoe Heming, the curate in Hodnet Deanery (in and around Market Drayton) has written a 'Dear Dementia' letter.

Granddad remembered at wedding

When Meg got married in August, she wanted to remember her granddad. He had had dementia and he died earlier in the year.

Donâ€™t talk about â€œsuffering from dementiaâ€ or â€œvictimsâ€

"Words are very powerful - they can build you up or put you down. When you are speaking about dementia remember this."

Early Diagnosis â€“ Alzheimerâ€™s Society Experience

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.

Filling Stations keep rural faith motoring

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.

Will you walk the Two Saints Way?

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.