Young people aged 11 to 18 are invited to take part in this year's Cranmer Awards.
The Cranmer Awards are an annual competition run by the Prayer Book Society to introduce young people to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer which has been described as the "bedrock of the Anglican Church".
Ideally suited to students of English, drama or RE, the Cranmer Awards allow young people to experience the sheer magic of Cranmer's language.
Entrants from across the country read or recite a passage of their choice, 3-5 minutes in duration, from the Book of Common Prayer. Local heats are held around the country, and the winners of the heats go through to the National Final where competitors must recite their chosen passage by heart. Entrants are encouraged to ask a teacher or a priest for guidance on how to prepare for the Cranmer Awards.
Click here to view the rules and advice for competitors
Could this feature as part of your Christian Union at school? Or perhaps there are young people within your church who might be interested in taking part?
The regional heat in the Diocese of Chester will take place during the afternoon of Sunday 28 November at the Church of St. Oswald, Lower Peover. This year the Head Judge will be Archdeacon Ian Bishop.
Ian says: "The Cranmer Awards are an opportunity to celebrate this great Anglican resource and to introduce a new generation to the words that have brought joy, peace, and strength to so many people over the centuries. If you know a young person who might like to take part, why not gently encourage them? I’m really looking forward to listening to the words of Cranmer spoken by talented young people on the 28 November.”
For more information and to enter, contact the diocesan Cranmer Award organiser, Nigel Pearson.
This short video below explains what the Awards are all about.