New Director of Communications Appointed
Harriet Roberts has been appointed as Director of Communications on an interim basis for 12 months. Many will remember Harriet who led the Casting the Net Wide process to discern the Diocesan vision.
News
Funeral of Revd Tom Ryan
Friends, family and colleagues from across the Diocese gathered at Chester Cathedral for the funeral of Revd Tom Ryan, Assistant Curate at St Alban’s Broadheath on Monday 22 July. The service was led by the Bishop of Chester, Mark Tanner with a eulogy from Tom’s son, Joseph and an address from Revd Canon Richard Pike.
Consultation for a new Diocesan Secretary
We need to appoint a new Diocesan Secretary / Chief Executive of the Diocesan Board of Finance, and Bishop Mark is asking us all to be part of that process.
Revd Joe Kennedy to be consecrated on 19 July.
Revd Joe Kennedy, previously Vicar of Oxton St Saviour, is to be consecrated as the Bishop of Burnley this coming Friday 19 July 2024 at 11am. The service will take place in York Minster. Here, Mark Tanner, Bishop of Chester asks Joe what called him into this new role.
Training as a Reader
Readers in the Church of England are lay people who serve in a vital ministry role. Bip Choudhury, a teacher of Anatomy at Manchester University, explains what studying to be a Reader is like.
Church video streaming leads to degree
Sam Loach, son of Mike Loach, Vicar at Christ Church, Higher Bebington, helped to establish a video streaming service for the church during the pandemic lockdown. This inspired him to study film and media at Liverpool John Moore's University.
Church awarded two major grants
St Peter’s Church in the historic centre of Chester has been awarded two large grants to enable it to carry out major repairs and keep the iconic, 700-year-old building open.
Foundations for Ministry – apply now for the Autumn
Sue Horn talks about how Foundations has equipped, encouraged and enabled her to grow in faith and explore the next step in her Christian life.
Bishop Mark Announces Interim Diocesan Secretary
Further to the recent announcement that our long-standing Dicoesen secretary, George Colville is to stand down at the end of August, Bishop Mark has asked two people to provide interim cover for the role until a new Diocesan Secretary can be appointed.
Jane's Journey to Ordination
Revd Jane Addenbrooke is to be Priested this coming Saturday, 15 June at Chester Cathedral. Her journey hasn't been smooth. In her own words, she explains, how, despite her health issues, God has given her the strength she needed to fulfil her calling to ordination.
Please pray for those being ordained priest
Please pray for all those who have been called to ordained ministry, in particular, we give thanks to God for those who are to be ordained priest at Chester Cathedral on Saturday 15 June. May they be blessed in their ministry and be a blessing to those they meet and serve.
The Reverend Vet
Revd Jenny McKay wanted to keep in touch with her veterinarian work colleagues during the outbreak of Covid so she started a simple Facebook page called @thereverendvet. The page has grown to nearly 9000 followers from all around the world.
Bronze Eco Diocese award for the Diocese of Chester
The Diocese of Chester has been awarded a bronze Eco Diocese award in recognition of our care for creation. The award was given by the Christian conservation charity A Rocha UK, and reflects Chester Diocese’s commitment to walk in step with nature and put creation care at the heart of what we do.
Archbishop of York to visit our Diocese
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, is making a missionary visit to Chester diocese later this month. He aims to share in and encourage the mission of the church, the work that churches, schools, and chaplaincies are doing to show the love of God and to make him known to the 1.5 million people of our diocese who have no connection with church.
Diocesan Secretary to Step Down
Canon George Colville will step down from his post as Diocesan Secretary for the Diocese of Chester on 31 August 2024. He has served the Diocese for twenty-five years, fourteen as Diocesan Secretary, and moves on with our gratitude and affection.
Pray your Part - General Election 2024
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York are encouraging Christians to pray systematically in the run-up to the election. We have provided some links to resources that will be useful to parishes during the pre-election period.
Sam's Journey to Ordination
Sam Rowan will be joining our Dicoese on 30 June 2024, when he will be Ordained as a Deacon, along with others, at Chester Cathedral. But how did his journey to ordination begin?
Bishop Mark visits DRC
Bishop Mark recently visited the Diocese of Aru, one of our linked dioceses in the global Anglican Communion. The Diocese of Aru is located in the far north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), near the borders of Uganda and South Sudan.
Men's Talk
St Mary's in Licard is serving up a smashing Men's breakfast, replete with sausages, black pudding, beans, egg, bacon, tomatoes and toast, on the third Saturday of every month. The food, though fantastic, by any greasy spoon standards, is only part of how the diners are nourished
National church attendance up 5%
Average weekly attendance at Church of England services rose by almost five per cent in 2023 - the third year of consecutive growth, preliminary figures show. Even more positively, attendance by children was up by almost 6% cent last year, according to the annual Statistics for Mission findings.
Jesus Shaped People - A quick catch-up
Earlier this year, Rebecca Holland was appointed as our JSP Champion for the Diocese of Chester. She recently visited Church House to meet with the Director of Outreach, Revd Peter Froggatt, which gave us an ideal opportunity to learn about her role and the progress she's been making.
All creatures great and small in churchyards
In June, a week-long event will unfold to celebrate wildlife in churchyards and cemeteries across England, which have provided a haven for all creatures, from wildflowers to insects, birds, and mammals for centuries.
'How I Came to Faith' - Barbara Williams
In this story of 'How I Came to Faith', we hear from Barbara Williams, who was walking with her young daughter along a street in Liscard, when her daughter suddenly got out of her pushchair and dashed into the Church grounds.
Transforming a space to welcome children.
St. Mary’s Church in Partington and Carrington have recently re-vamped their children’s area offering a more welcoming space for the younger members of the church.
Stained glass artist exhibition
Chester Cathedral is to host the first exhibition exploring the legacy of Chester’s renowned woman stained glass artist
Jane Proudfoot - Archdeacon of Macclesfield
At Chester Cathedral on Sunday 28 April, Revd Jane Proudfoot was installed as the Archdeacon of Macclesfield, in a service led by the Bishop of Chester, Mark Tanner.
Celebrating 30 years of women priests
On 12 March 1994, the Church of England held an ordination service like never before. The service, at Bristol Cathedral was a historic moment that would see women priests accepted into the Church of England.
Wirral faith groups deliver over £8 million of support
In a recent audit, it was discovered that faith groups in Wirral play a crucial role in supporting local communities. They engage in a wide-range of social action activities, including operating food banks, providing debt advice, and assisting families.
£73,190 from Digital Giving
Last year, the National Church allocated 50 devices to the Diocese of Chester to distribute to parishes across our diocese. Now, six months on since the churches received the devices, the churches collectively have received £73,190.
Get Ready for Thy Kingdom Come
Thy Kingdom Come is a global ecumenical prayer movement that invites Christians around the world to pray from Ascension to Pentecost for more people to come to know Jesus. This year TKC takes place from 9-19 May.
