Viewing all items in Resource Category: Editorial

Have you ever stopped to consider that the very first martyr of the Christian Church (Stephen died c 35 AD) was a deacon?  (But no, he wasn’t worked to death by his church.)  It was Stephen, one of the first seven deacons of the Christian Church.  He’d been appointed by the apostles to look after...

Churches bring people together in a world that can become ‘too easily’ polarised, the Archbishop of York has told a major conference highlighting the value of church buildings. Archbishop Stephen spoke of the contribution that churches make to social cohesion, and called on the Government to make the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme –...

At the opening of Bach’s Cantata No, 82 a solo bass voice begins to sing the aria ‘Ich habe genug’- (I have enough) – a paraphrase of Simeon’s Song ‘Now Lord, lettest thou thy servant depart in peace… for mine eyes have seen thy salvation.’. Simeon – the bass voice – realises that he is...

This month Christians worldwide welcome the Baby whose life and death and resurrection bring us eternal life. But meanwhile, it seems that Putin and Xi Jinping are wondering if they might achieve a bit of immortality without divine help. In a recent meeting to attend the Beijing military parade, the dictators of Russia and China...

Church Mission Society (CMS) has recently announced its backing for the UK Government’s Global Charter on Children’s Care Reform. The Charter calls for the rights of each child to be in a family, and for the progressive ending of the institutionalisation of children, in favour of family-based care models like fostering. Church Mission Society joins...

 Attendance at Church of England churches grew for the fourth year in a row last year, statistics have confirmed. The overall number of regular worshippers across the Church of England’s congregations rose to 1.009 million in 2024, a rise of 0.6 per cent, according to the annual Statistics for Mission findings. It was the second year in a row in which the Church...

Everyone knows that it was on the feast of Stephen that ‘good king Wenceslas looked on’.  After all, it’s in a Christmas carol – but why? There’s nothing about Christmas in it: a splendid young page who rustled up some flesh, wine and logs, an old man out in the snow (’deep and crisp and...

The temperatures are dropping now, and it is a good idea to nurture your car battery. Cold, damp weather can make it as reluctant as you are to get going in the morning. The RAC recommends the following to take best care of your battery: Before you switch off your engine at the end of...

A new memorial event has taken place in Snowdonia to remember those who have died on Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and the surrounding peaks. The gathering, titled Cysgod yr Wyddfa (‘In Yr Wyddfa’s Shadow’), was held at Nant Peris Church. It had been organised by the Revd Naomi Starkey, Ministry Area Leader for Bro Eryri, following a series...

Most of us probably know that on December 26th (the Feast of Stephen) ‘Good king Wenceslas’ looked out, writes David Winter. We probably also know that the snow lay round about, ‘deep and crisp and even’. Beyond that, he’s just someone in a carol that’s not often sung nowadays. However, Wenceslas was a real person,...

You may have noticed that the Minister who officiates at Church Services may wear a long, thin scarf which is called a stole. This can be white, purple, red or green. White is for festive occasions like Christmas and Easter, christenings and weddings. Purple is worn during Advent and Lent, when we bring to mind our...

One of the highlights of the Christmas services is the reading of the opening passage from John’s Gospel, ‘In the beginning was the Word …’ I love the poetry of the words and sentences, as well as their very meaning. In most churches everyone will stand for that reading, which emphasises its importance. But what...