Coronavirus (COVID-19)
As we head back into lockdown, Bishop John has written to all parishes with the message that although churches are allowed to remain open for private prayer and worship, he will support those who have looked at the risks and feel they are too great to remain open. Read more |
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The Church of England's latest advice can be found at www.churchofengland.org/coronavirus where the FAQs are regularly updated.
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New Year messages from the Bishops
"My hope for 2021 is not that we shall be able to go back to the way we were before this dreadful year. I hope, rather, that good will come out of all the untold suffering of 2020."
Read New Year messages from both our bishops
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New Chancellor appointed
Jacqueline Humphreys, a Barrister at St John’s Chambers in Bristol, has been appointed as the new Chancellor for the Diocese of Worcester.
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Jacqueline has been the Deputy Chancellor for the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham since 2012 and takes over in our diocese from Charles Mynors who stepped down at the end of last year. She is due to be sworn into the role early in January with a formal service of welcome when possible later in the year. Read more
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Workplace Chaplaincy
Is God calling you to let your Christian faith make a difference in the world of work and commerce? Do you have a 2-3 hours per month to make a difference?
If you would like to find out more about workplace chaplaincy, without any commitment, Faith at Work in Worcestershire is running a free Taster Event via Zoom on Tuesday 26 January, 7pm. Find out more.
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Called to Action - Creation Care
The latest in our Called to Action series looks at the website Creation Care, which helps households monitor how they care for God's creation. Find out more or download the pdf.
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A second round of applications to the Cultural Recovery Fund for Heritage are open from 7 until 26 January.
Listed places of worship are able to apply for funding towards the costs necessary to transition towards full reopening of your listed building in summer 2021 (April – June) to the general public and engage the wider community with your heritage. Find out more
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In brief ...
- Last year Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) moved offices and in February the postal redirection will come to an end. All existing donor forms with the old address on need to be destroyed. It is only the donor form that can’t be used, The rest of the pack is still good and a new form can be added in. Find out more
- There have been some legal changes to the way the Quinquennial inspection system for churches operates. An explanation and updated documents can be found on the diocesan website and further information will be emailed direct to PCCs later this week (including invites to Zoom briefing sessions with the Church Buildings Team).
- The Plough Sunday Service planned for 10 January in Malvern has been cancelled.
- Thank you everyone who took part in the diocesan Christmas carol, which was viewed over 14,000 times on social media! We're now thinking about a viral video for Easter - if you've got any thoughts about what we could do please let James in the comms team know.
- The communications team send a monthly email out to parish magazine editors with articles from the bishops and archdeacons and other content. Please check your magazine editor receives this and let Sam Setchell know if they'd like to be added.
- The 2021 Worcester School of Theology will explore The Old Testament and related theological themes. All are welcome. Find out more
- If you are thinking about upgrading from the free Life Events Diary to iKnow Church, Church Edit have a January offer to upgrade and get 4 months for free. More information
- Two members of All Saints in Worcester have put together a new YouTube channel with original worship songs and videos. Have a look at Clainesong.
- Bullying and Belief is a new toolkit to support pupils and teachers to explore and address religion- and belief-based bullying. The resources are all free to download on the NATRE website
- The Saltley Trust is enlarging its small grants fund to offer up to 10 grants of c. £500 for one-off projects being undertaken by an individual church, college, school, charity or other small organisation. Do you have a bright idea for a new project? See their What We Support page
- The 2021 theme for Spring Harvest will be Unrivalled: Why We Worship where in a whole host of different ways for all ages, a whole lot of questions about worship will be asked. Find out more
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Training Opportunities
The Church of England's digital team will shortly be offering a new range of webinars for those who need basic help and also for those looking to take the next step with their digital offering. These will be publicised on this page when available. |
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Online worship and ministry
Tuesday 9 February, 7 - 9pm
The shift to include online worship and ministry has been one of the major features of the last year, with very significant impact to our lives and churches.
This event offers a chance to hear from others about practices and principles they have found helpful and compare notes.
More information
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Spirituality of the child
Tuesday 2, 9, 16, & 23 March, 7.45 - 9.15pm
This 4-week course is for anyone who is in contact with children, e.g. children’s work volunteers, parents and clergy.
Every child is born spiritual. If we will let them, they can teach us a lot through the way they see our spiritual world. Together, we can share in awe and wonder.
More information
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Vacancies
Click here to see the latest parish, diocesan and volunteering opportunities.
Please pray for those parishes who are currently in vacancy.
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Video Reflections
Each week we produce a short video from senior Clergy and Diocesan staff. These cover a range of topics and themes and are published on the website and all diocesan social media channels. |
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Our clergy are amazing, but COVID-19 means we need help to continue to meet the costs of their stipends.
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Please continue to support your local church as your first priority.
However, if in addition to this, you are able to give to the ‘Diocese of Worcester Ministry Fund’, your donation will be used to help pay for our clergy now and in the coming months.
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