Latest News
It’s Plastic Fantastic in Church!
20th May 2019
Plastic credit or debit cards have been around a VERY long time; so much so we don’t think twice before tapping our card, smart phone or smart watch and moving on. Contactless payments have made these devices more usable than ever and 2017 was the first year that saw more plastic payments than cash payments… Read more »
Could your church become an EcoChurch?
20th May 2019
St Stephen’s with St Julian’s Church, St Albans have provided a week-long display during the St Albans’ Sustainability Festival 2019 about how they are making St Stephen’s more environmentally friendly: raising awareness of awareness of climate change, environment, pollution and cherishing their churchyard. St Stephen’s have been using the EcoChurch framework from A Rocha UK,… Read more »
Bishop Richard Inwood, RIP – obituary
17th May 2019
Obituary. A correspondent writes: AS THE congregation filed quietly into St John’s, Walton, in Chesterfield, for the Rt Revd Richard Inwood’s funeral last month, a series of photographs of Richard were being projected on to the wall of the church: Richard as a young schoolboy, as a student at Oxford, as a young priest, at his… Read more »
Reactions to bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday
25th April 2019
Prayers were offered and silences kept in churches across the diocese over the Easter weekend, following the shocking news from Sri Lanka of bombings of churches during their Easter Sunday services. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 live, the Bishop of St Albans said: “I share the widespread horror that people feel about this atrocity. With… Read more »
Rise in use of foodbanks “lamentable,” says Bishop
25th April 2019
The Bishop of St Albans, Dr Alan Smith, said: “On the day after the Institute of Fiscal Studies has pointed out that 2 million claimants of Universal Credit will be at least £1000 a year worse off, the Trussell Trust has announced that the number of food parcel distributed over the last 5 years has… Read more »
Fine weather and joyful singing on Easter Monday
23rd April 2019
Sunshine brought around 1300 pilgrims from all over Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire to St Albans Cathedral for this year’s Easter Monday Pilgrimage. There was a great spread of ages and people had travelled from all over the diocese to attend. Some were coming for the first time, some had attended for 40 or 50+ years of… Read more »
Tea towels are not just for Christmas! Passion Play in Stotfold, Bedfordshire
16th April 2019
In a move that could prompt another bonanza for supermarket tea towel sales, The Rector of Stotfold, Bedfordshire has staged a Passion Play with Year 4 of the local primary school, St Mary’s Academy. The Rector, the Revd Bill Britt, has called it: ‘Oberammergau comes to Stotfold.’ The Passion Play at the school is in… Read more »
Bishop Richard Inwood RIP
15th April 2019
Bishop Richard Inwood RIP Obituary: A correspondent writes: AS THE congregation filed quietly into St John’s, Walton, in Chesterfield, for the Rt Revd Richard Inwood’s funeral last month, a series of photographs of Richard were being projected on to the wall of the church: Richard as a young schoolboy, as a student at Oxford, as… Read more »
Bishop Alan: Proposed Gambling Enquiry will break the silence
1st April 2019
The House of Lords may begin a lengthy and detailed enquiry into the social and economic consequences of the gambling industry if the recommendations of its Liaison Committee are approved by the House. In January 2019 the Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Dr Alan Smith submitted a proposal for the House of Lords… Read more »
The Big Church Survey is coming
1st April 2019
Churches have asked how they can encourage people to grow in faith, discipleship and mission. The Big Church Survey has been developed to help, and it will be piloted with around 200 churches in the spring. The survey is easy to use, available in several accessible formats and will take people an average of five… Read more »