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The Diocesan Youth Service is organising an evening of worship at St Albans Cathedral on 9 March from 7.30pm to 10pm. It will be hosted by the Rt Revd Christopher Foster, Bishop of Hertford, and will include gathering worship, prayer stations and a Eucharist. Diocesan Youth Officer, Dave Green, said “The idea is to offer young people lots of different worship styles so the evening will be rooted in the style of the early Christians and also brought completely up to date with a modern worship band”. Entry is by free ticket which are available from admin@voicemail.org.uk or Tel: 01727 818160.
Yarl’s Wood Awareness Week is 5 th – 10 th February 2007.
Yarl’s Wood Befrienders are a group of about forty trained visitors ‘of all faiths and none’ who visit detainees at Yarls Wood Immigration Removal Centre near Bedford. They offer a listening ear, help to contact families and sometimes help to provide or chase lawyers and doctors. They are looking for more volunteers and financial support.
For more information please ring the Co-ordinator on 07789-520640. An exhibition on the group is being held at Bedford Public Library.
God’s Story in Action is a Vision for Action Course that is divided into six sessions for groups and is designed to enable people to discover how their personal story is part of God’s story. The course begins with our stories and then explores God’s great story in Jesus Christ. It looks at our corporate life as the people of God, and then honestly faces the difficulties that Christian belief can pose today. Finally, it challenges us to renew our commitment to God, and to serving him in his mission where he placed us.
The course materials, which include a DVD, are available from the Diocesan resources centre at Holywell Lodge, St Albans, at a price of £20. Contact Ron Upton on 01727 818158 or resources@stalbans.anglican.org
A new course, Growing Together in Christ’s Mission, will be launched shortly. This Vision for Action course consists of a series of modules, typically three or four sessions long. The first edition on mission will include care of older people, links with schools, use of church buildings, spirituality, communicating mission and a brief history of mission. Each module stands on its own so users can pick and mix depending on what is appropriate at the local level.
For more information contact Canon Robin Brown, Local Ministry Officer, 01727 818151 or rbrown@stalbans.anglican.org
The annual Consultation day for members of mandated local ministry teams and for those considering establishing a team takes place this year on 3 March at Sandon Hall between 10 am and 3.30pm. There will be an introduction and discussion about local ministry as an icon for shared mintry as well as workshops on coping with change, all age worship and listening skills. Lunch is included. The day is free of charge.
For more information contact Laura Hart on 01727 818151 or lhart@stalbans.anglican.org
This year’s Easter Monday Pilgrimage takes place on Monday 9 April. Why not make it a parish mission visit to the Cathedral? Pilgrims gather on the Abbey Orchard at 1pm, begin processing at 2.30pm with worship with the Bishop at 3pm.
The Diocesan Youth Service is looking for 10 young people from across the Diocese to spend a day with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, at Lambeth Palace on 19 May. For more information about how to apply contact Julie Reeves on 01727 818160. The deadline for applications is 30 March 2007.
Over half 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!
An on-line petition is now available on the Downing Street website, encouraging the Government to provide more financial help for repair of Church of England church buildings. The petition reads:
“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to arrange for the cost of repairs to C of E church buildings to be reimbursed to help preserve our archeological & historic heritage for the future.
“Churches are a valuable part of our heritage and a major tourist attraction, yet the funding of repairs is left to the parish in which the building is situated. Thus the cost of maintaining a national asset is left to the minority. This is grossly unfair and should be rectified.”
Anyone wishing to sign up simply has to go to:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Preservation/
More than half of those planning to get married in church say that the vicar who will be officiating at their service is just as important a part of their wedding as the setting of the church for their photos, figures recently released suggest.
The findings show that 75 per cent of those opting for a church ceremony say that one of the main reasons for their choice is that they want a 'proper' wedding. They see church as a positive choice, and not ‘just another venue’. In fact, 60 per cent of those surveyed said that their church has a particular meaning for them or their fiancé. Find out more about this research at: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr0307.html
A new book poses a range of questions to help parish churches as they pledge a ‘mission-shaped New Year’s resolution’ to transform their church and community in 2007. Written by the Revd Paul Bayes, the Church of England’s National Mission and Evangelism Adviser, and the Revd Tim Sledge, Mission Enabler for the Diocese of Peterborough, Mission-shaped Parish, takes a fresh look at a typical parish church’s ‘bread and butter’ activities and identifies how these day-to-day responsibilities can be enhanced in the light of God’s mission.
Discover more about Mission-shaped Parish : http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr12706.html
Order it from the Diocesan Resources Centre on 01727 818158 or resources@stalbans.anglican.org
The latest in a series of challenging reflections on the nature of doing mission, Mission-shaped Spirituality , aims to help re-energise both clergy and congregations with inspiring examples of what happens when churches pause to listen to the Holy Spirit, listen to their local communities – and then decide to go ahead and do something about it.
Read more about the book: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr12106.html
Order it from the Diocesan Resources Centre on 01727 818158 or resources@stalbans.anglican.org
The Church of England is to invite thousands of people from across the country to join the Archbishops of Canterbury and York for an historic event on Saturday 24 th March to mark the Bicentenary of the Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. Put the date in your diary now!
The Archbishops will lead the Walk of Witness through parts of the capital to culminate in a large-scale act of worship at Kennington Park. The event, organised by the Church’s Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns (CMEAC), forms the main part of the Church’s wider awareness campaign, Making our Mark, set up following the General Synod debate in February 2006 on the subject of the Bicentenary.
Read more about the Walk of Witness: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr12006.html
Visit the dedicated website: http://www.makingourmark.org.uk/
Sunday 21 January
Something Understood A Man of Many Parts. Mark Tully talks to his friend, the policeman and poet, Keki N Daruwalla. 6.05am R4
Aled Jones says Good Morning Sunday His guests include actress-turned-author Carol Drinkwater 7.00am R2
Sunday Religious news with Roger Bolton 7.10am R4
Sunday Worship Bishop John Flack leads a service for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from All Saints Church, Rome. Jonathan Boardman, Sara McVane and representatives of Churches Together in Rome join forces to celebrate the 40 th Anniversary of the Anglican Centre. 8.10am R4
Heaven & Earth with Gloria Hunniford Guests discuss whether it is right to teach creationism in school 10.00am BBC1
Film: Black Narcissus Classic Powell and Pressburger drama starring Deborah Kerr as one of five Anglo-Catholic nuns who establish a school and hospital in a disused harem in the Himalayas 11.50am BBC2
Songs of Praise Sally Magnusson introduces a Scottish Big Sing for Burns Night with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra 5.50pm BBC1
The Choir Jonathan Harvey talks about his life-long passion for choral music and Aled Jones launches a new campaign for 2007 6.30pm R3
Sunday Half Hour In this week of prayer for Christian unity, Roger Royle introduces hymns from many traditions and churches across the UK 8.30pm R2
The Moral of the Story (2/6) Alastair Stewart is joined by a studio panel to discuss the moral issues raised in this week’s news 11.20pm ITV1
Cathedral (7/8) The musical life of Canterbury Cathedral, including an insight into the lives of the choristers 11.50pm ITV1
Monday 22 January
Daily Service Led by Canon Noel Vincent 9.45am R4 (LW, Freeview/DAB each day)
Beyond Belief Ernie Rea and guests explore the place of faith in today’s complex world 4.30pm R4
An Island Parish (3/8) The newly-appointed chaplain, Father Guy, arrives for a whistle-stop tour, carrying a secret 8.30pm BBC2
Trust Me I’m a Healer (3/6) Touring with healer Ray Brown, who claims that he regularly channels the spirit of St Paul or Tarsus 10.00pm BBC2
Tuesday 23 January
Daily Service Led by Rev Roger Hutchins 9.45am R4
The Madness of Modern Families (2/6) The pressure to get their children a good education is one of the most telling on the modern parent… includes stories of those adopting religion in the scramble for school places 8.30pm BBC2
City of the Monkey God The revered Langur monkeys of Jodhpur India 9.50pm BBC2
Wednesday 24 January
Daily Service Led by Mgr Tony Rogers 9.45am R4
Film: Trouble along the Way Comedy drama. A cynical college football coach takes a job in a religious academy to prove his worth to the probation officer looking into the custody case involving his daughter 1.30pm Channel 4
Choral Evensong Live from St Paul’s Cathedral 4.00pm R3
Drama: Morse 20 Years A woman deacon who was about to become Oxford’s first female chaplain is found dead in suspicious circumstances. But surely the city’s clerics who opposed the appointment, won’t have resorted to murder? 4.00pm ITV1
The Moral Maze (new series) (1/2) Michael Buerk chairs a live debate in which Steven Rose, Ian Hargreaves, Claire Fox and Clifford Longley cross-examine expert witnesses on the moral issues behind the week’s news 8.00pm R4
Brother Guy Goes to Washington Vatican astronomer Brother Guy Consolmagno travels to Washington to explore the politics of space and discovers that not everyone wants to walk on Mars if it’s at the expense of genuine space science 9.00pm R4
Thursday 25 January
Daily Service Led by Becky Harris 9.45am R4
The Afternoon Play (4/5) Pieces of a Silver Lining. A retired vicar is jailed for refusing to pay his council tax, and finds himself sharing a cell with a lifer 2.05pm BBC1
Trevor’s World of Sport (2/6) Trevor, the sports agent is handicapped by his conscience, is keen to sign the agency’s first Muslim client. But do the others think this is a good idea? 6.30pm R4
Friday 26 January
Act of Worship Led by Rt Rev Stephen Oliver 9.45am R4
The Simpsons Homer helps Ned build a Christian amusement park called Praiseland, but visitors begin to experience visions 6.00pm Channel 4
Prayer for the Day Led by Denis Rice (not Sunday) 5.43am R4
Pause for Thought R2
Speakers for the Week:
Saturday: Rev Georgie Baxendale 6.15am & Georgie Baxendale 2.30am & 6.15am
Sunday: Jenny Nemko 1.30am & 3.30am
Monday: Rt Revd Nick Baines 6.15am, Rev John Rackley 9.15am & Jenny Nemko 1.30am & 3.30am
Tuesday: Eleanor Rance 6.15am, Rev Rob Gillion 9.15am & Jenny Nemko 1.30am & 3.30am
Wednesday: Eleanor Rance 6.15am, Rabbi Julia Neuberger 9.15am & Jenny Nemko 1.30am & 3.30am
Thursday: Gopinder Kaur 6.15am, Faris Badawi 9.15am & Jenny Nemko 1.30am & 3.30am
Friday: Gopinder Kaur 6.15am, Major Charles King 9.15am & Katy Radford in Northern Ireland 3.30am
Thought for the Day 7.48am R4
Speakers for the Week:
Saturday Rev Rob Marshall
Monday Canon David Winter
Tuesday Elaine Storkey
Wednesday Jonathan Bartley
Thursday Rev Joel Edwards
Friday Chief Rabbi, Dr Jonathan Sacks
“Images of the Magi in Art” , a lecture by the Bishop of St Albans on February 7th at 8pm in St Mary’s Church, Ashwell. Admission £3.50 to include a glass of wine. Proceeds to Restoration Fund. Details: 01462 743251.
For a full listing of events go here