On the way to paradise
Published: 18th March 2025Manchester to Lichfield... it's a start for Revd Canon Nick Smeeton, our newish Strategy Programme Director, as he contributes his first Chad Blog
News
Dust that is loved by God
Published: 1st March 2025Bishop Sarah is thinking beyond Syrup Tuesday (other pancake toppings are available) to Ash Wednesday in this month's Chad Blog.
A brewing sense of purpose
Published: 24th February 2025A pint-sized reflection brings joy to Revd Preb Jeanette Hartwell
Treachery and betrayal
Published: 31st January 2025Bishop Matthew's been watching telly and had some thoughts...
Weirdly Christian
Published: 13th January 2025Some elements of the Christian story are easily described as weird. We’ve not long heard the age-old story of Christmas and gone again in our hearts and minds to that hillside in Bethlehem. It’s so traditional that we maybe no longer hear the weirdness of it. But a horde of angels appearing to shepherds is not part of a communications strategy Arun Kataria has ever written...
Faith without walls
Published: 1st January 2025Bishop Tim on 'sporting' people, connecting with the media and identity without locations.
Babies don’t wait for us to be ready
Published: 24th December 2024Christmas is coming, ready or not, as is a Christmas Eve thought from our newly-arrived Bishop of Wolverhampton, Revd Dr TIm Wambunya.
Light shines in the darkness
Published: 23rd December 2024Rt Revd Matthew Parker, Bishop of Stafford prays for Syria today after reading the news; and compares to news in Palestine two millennia ago.
Peace and Goodwill
Published: 22nd December 2024The Rt Revd Sarah Bullock, Bishop of Shrewsbury's Christmas message 2024
A Gospel of Songs
Published: 15th December 2024Christmas and New Year are on the horizon – but for the church, a new year has just started. The next twelve months at church will be full of readings from Luke’s Gospel.
Love is enough
Published: 1st December 2024Young carers, a politician and a little fund-raising put a song in Bishop Sarah's heart at the start of Advent.
Food for the ears
Published: 26th November 2024The Lichfield Diocesan Digest Sound Magazine passes its thirty-five year anniversary this autumn. Founded in 1989 under the leadership of Dean of Lichfield, John Lang, former Head of Religious Broadcasting at the BBC, it is an audio publication dedicated to serving the Lichfield Diocese.
Stories of life told only after death – and we are the poorer for it
Published: 30th October 2024Who will you remember this All Souls Day or Remembrance Sunday and how will you remember them? Will you recall the life of a Saint and their extraordinary life of faith lived out as an ordinary mortal on All Saints’ Day?
Know our neighbour as ourselves
Published: 17th October 2024One of the most frequent questions I am asked is why we need a Black History Month, what does it mean for the church and our lives today?
How awesome is this place!
Published: 1st October 2024Bishop Matthew waxes lyrical over a government department.
Foundations of faith
Published: 20th September 2024In the Diocese of Lichfield, we have 206 Church of England schools. Could you help us by becoming a local governor in a school or an academy?
Volunteer!
Published: 1st August 2024Bishop Michael ponders the nature of the Church of England and the thousands who make it work in this diocese.
Much more than just a cuppa
Published: 22nd July 2024Places of Welcome are a network of hospitality, safe spaces in the local community where people can connect, belong and participate. Registration to the national network is free, but the coffee morning or drop-in should fulfil five criteria to join.
Working together to create safer spaces
Published: 18th June 2024In June's Chad Blog, our senior lead for Safeguarding, Neil Spiring shares some stories of how training in safeguarding has had practical positive results.
Pioneering Parishes – Creatively Connecting Church and Community
Published: 16th May 2024Maybe you have a great idea for how your parish church could connect more with its local community, but you don’t know how to make this vision a reality?
Hope and peace for the anxious generation
Published: 1st May 2024In a fretful, lonely and competitive digital world, your church, with all its grace and messiness, joys and frustrations, can be a place of hope and peace for the anxious generation.
Speak up and be counted
Published: 18th April 2024So often diocesan synods are perceived as boring, dry and bureaucratic. This should not be the case! Rather they should exist to serve the mission of the wider Church, to make strategic decisions, and to encourage the growth of mission and ministry in our diocese.
Location, location, location.
Published: 2nd April 2024After the furore of Holy Week, the joy of Easter Day many will have been out and about, avoiding pranks on 1 April, bank holiday Monday. Bishop Sarah gets away and stays connected
The Lenten Journey
Published: 15th March 2024Four weeks into Lent, Clare Whitney sees in the saints of old the roots of good Christian habits and principles for ministry resulting from them asking ‘What is it Lord, that you have called me to do?’
Giving Up
Published: 18th February 2024In the Chad Blog at the start of Lent, Jonathan Hill, Lichfield Diocese’s Director of Finance contemplates an alternative understanding of ‘giving up for Lent’
The banks that flourish
Published: 1st February 2024Bishop Matthew has indigestion as we approach the start of Lent
Pathways is Back!
Published: 15th January 2024Helen Scheven extols the virtue of our introductory course for thinking about vocation
Christmas greetings from our bishops
Published: 22nd December 2023Bishop Sarah, Matthew and Jonathan mull over themes of the season
Your free gift! A guilt-free January!
Published: 18th December 2023Bishop Jonathan's new year resolution to avoid advertiser-induced guilt and instead welcome Christ-inspired body-image.
Mark my words - all together
Published: 3rd December 2023On the first Sunday of Advent, Isaiah’s words rip through the air and his prophecy will continue to thunder around us Sunday by Sunday. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus cries ‘Keep Awake!’ and we hear his passion for this world to flourish and for his followers to take their place on the side of hope.
