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Christian Aid Week (13-19 May), Britain’s longest running door-to-door fundraising week, turns 50 this year. To mark this golden jubilee it is going green by encouraging people of all ages to plant trees in support of its overseas work on climate change projects.
Christian Aid works with 700 local organisations across 50 developing countries. Working with poor communities, it trains people to deal with the effects of climate change and prepares them for the threat of natural disasters. These local organisations – or ‘partners’ – also work on HIV, training and education, health and sanitation and peace and reconciliation.
This year Christian Aid is encouraging people to plant trees in their gardens, community spaces and churchyards as a way of reflecting on the impact deforestation and climate change is having on poor communities around the world.
For more information visit: http://www.christian-aid.org.uk/
How often do you get the chance to join in a spectacular event celebrating the life of our Saint Alban with one of the world's most influential religious leaders, Archbishop Desmond Tutu? Well your chance is coming up on 23 June so don't miss it. To find out more visit: http://www.stalbanscathedral.org.uk/
Two young members of Putnoe Heights Church in Bedford took first and second places in a recent Bible Reading Class of the Bedfordshire Festival of Music Speech and Drama. First place went to Chloe Coppenhall, who read Matthew 19 v13-30, winning the George Perkins Memorial Cup and second place went to Sarah Morse who read Jonah 1 v1-17.
Speaking about her church’s involvement in the Festival Joanne Barrow said, “It is a really fun way of encouraging younger members of the church to read in services and entries from other churches would be welcomed.”
The Bedfordshire Festival of Music Speech and Drama would like to to encourage other young readers and entries into the organ classes for the next festival. For further information about the Festival call 01234 213038.
The insurance company, Ecclesiastical, has announced that for 2007 its annual competition will be for successful fundraising in church. The competition is an opportunity to highlight fundraising achievements, reward volunteers, and celebrate with supporters and beneficiaries. It is also a chance to share innovative and unique fundraising ideas with other churches.
Churches from St Albans Diocese have had a great track record in making the final of the annual Competition with two out of the 12 finalists this year coming from this diocese.
Entrants should write 1500 words about their church’s innovative fundraising appeal and send it with supporting materials to Ecclesiastical by 31 May.
For more information call 0854 777 3322 or e-mail churchcomp@eigmail.com
Jan Herbert has written a novel based on the life of Empress Theophanu a tenth century woman who ruled over most of Europe for seven years. Theophano was a princess of Byzantium who married into the Roman Ottonian Empire, surviving rebellions, plots, the early death of her husband Otto II and the kidnap of her son.
Theophanu was a great follower of Alban, having been given relics (possibly bones or blood stained earth from the site of Alban’s execution) which had been held by the pope for 500 years. She had treasured the relics and had brought them to Germany when she went there to claim the Empire for her son Otto III.
The relics were given to Theophano’s favourite church, St Pantaleon in Cologne. Theophano’s sarcophagus rests in the church near to a shrine to St Alban.
In 2002 a gift was made by the church of St Pantaleon to St Albans Cathedral of a reputed bone of St Alban.
In the forthcoming May issue of SeeRound you can win a copy of Jan’s novel.
Jan Herbert’s novel is priced £12.99 and is available on line at www.amazon.co.uk or via Jan on 01727 853305.
Over 70% of our parishes have now taken ownership of their own pages on the web resource, A Church Near You ( www.achurchnearyou.com ). Every church in the Diocese has a basic entry on the A Church Near You website but parishes can enhance their own pages by appointing a person to be responsible for updating the page. Why not find your church and see if it has all the information it should have on it and if not ask your Vicar about how you can take control!
Details of the extensive collection of archives and manuscripts cared for by Lambeth Palace Library and the Church of England Record Centre are now available online through a searchable catalogue.
The move means that readers worldwide can search the joint catalogue of these archives of the Church’s National Institutions via the Lambeth Palace Library website, www.lambethpalacelibrary.org < http://www.lambethpalacelibrary.org > . The development will enable users to retrieve information from almost 130,000 records across the two sites.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has announced that he intends to visit the United States this autumn in response to the invitation from the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church.
Speaking in a press conference in Toronto, Dr Williams said he would undertake the visit together with members of the Standing Committee of the Primates and the Anglican Consultative Council:
"I look forward to some sharing of our experiences as pastors as well as discussion of the business of the Communion. These are complicated days for our church internationally and it's all the more important to keep up personal relationships and conversations. ….my aim is to try and keep people around the table for as long as possible on this, to understand one another, and to encourage local churches".
All Saints Church, Shillington , Arts & Crafts weekend, 22nd & 23rd September. Refreshments; ‘Flying Teddies’ on Sunday between 2pm-5pm. More details from 01462 711775.
For a full listing of events go here
Film: The Inn of the Sixth Happiness A young girl travels to China in the 1930s to carry the Christian creed to a country ravaged by war 2.00pm BBC2
Monarchy by David Starkey Henry VIII claimed supreme authority over the church and state, paving the way for the dissolution of the country’s monasteries 5.30pm Channel 4
Something Understood Mark Tully considers the experience of losing and finding 6.05am R4
Aled Jones says Good Morning Sunday His guests include novelist and TV scriptwriter Anthony Horowitz and Khalid Anis 7.00am R2
Sunday Religious and ethical headlines with Roger Bolton 7.10am R4
Sunday Worship. Strengthen for Service. On the eve of St George’s Day, a service from St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, marking the centenary of the Scout movement. Preacher, the Dean of Windsor. 8.10am R4
Choral Evensong From St George’s Church, Hanover Square London 4:00pm R3
Songs of Praise Pam Rhodes visits Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of William, Shakespeare, for a special St George’s Day edition 5.35pm BBC1
The Choir More music from the choral world with Aled Jones, including Italian Renaissance music 6.30pm R3
Sunday Half Hour Brian D'Arcy looks forward to St George’s Day tomorrow with the Bracknell Choral Society 8.30pm R2
Something Understood Repeat 11.30pm R4
The Moral of the Story The ethics of the week’s news. With Alastair Stewart 12.20am ITV1
Daily Service Led by Rev Stephen Shipley 9.45am R4 (LW, DAB each day)
Dispatches: between the Mullahs and the Military Ziauddin Sadar examines the threat posed to the nation of Pakistan’s stability by Jihadist dissent 8.00pm Channel 4
Raised by the Hand of God: Hidden Lives This documentary meets families, both in England and the USA whose austere disciplinary techniques are inspired directly by the Bible 9.00pm Channel 5
Daily Service Led by the Rev Roger Hutchings 9.45am R4
I’m a Muslim, Get Me Out of Here! (FM only) Navid Akhtar meets Islamic families contemplating leaving the UK in the wake of public distrust caused by the 9/11 and 7/11 terrorist attacks 8.00pm R4
Daily Service Led by Mgr Tony Rogers 9.45am R4
Demolition! In Bristol, the home of Methodist hymn writer Charles Wesley is inches away from destruction 7.00pm BBC1
Daily Service Led by Becky Harris 9.45am R4
Front Row With Kirsty Lang, including an interview with Steven Isserlis, who has just recorded Bach’s Cello Suites and has a theory about the hidden religious message they contain 7.15pm R4
Analysis I'm So Sorry. Keenan Malik considers whether people today really bear responsibility for the crimes of their forebears and who can say sorry on behalf of others.
Dispatches: between the Mullahs and the Military Repeat 4.15am Channel 4
Act of Worship Led by Roy Jenkins 9.45am R4
The Royal Staff at the Royal persuade a Catholic mother to be sterilised 5.00pm ITV1
Shadowlands Brian Sibley’s abridged version of his account of the romance between C S Lewis and Joy Davidman, read by Ian Richardson. 4/8. 9.15pm R2
With the Rev Stephen Shipley (not Sunday) 5.43am R4
Speakers for the Week:
Saturday: Vishvapani 6.15am & Vishvapani 2.30am
Sunday: Mike Ford 1.30am & 3.30am
Monday: Maureen Kendler 6.15am Rev Ruth Scott 9.15am Mike Ford 1.30am & 3.30am
Tuesday: Maureen Kendler 6.15am, Father Brian D’Arcy 9.15am Mike Ford 1.30am & 3.30am
Wednesday: Maureen Kendler 6.15am, not announced 9.15am Mike Ford 1.30am & 3.30am
Thursday: Maureen Kendler 6.15am, Krishna Dharma 9.15am Mike Ford 1.30am & 3.30am
Friday: Maureen Kendler 6.15am, Rt Revd Stephen Oliver 9.15am Rev Mary Stallard from Wales 3.30am
Speakers for the Week:
Saturday Revd Rob Marshall
Monday Revd Dr Colin Morris
Tuesday Rt Revd Tom Butler
Wednesday Rabbi Lionel Blue
Thursday Anne Atkins
Friday John Bell