12 men and women will be licensed into lay ministry on Saturday at 2.30pm. Bishop Mark will lead the service which will be available to watch online. Please continue to pray for the new Readers, Pastoral Workers, and Lay Pioneers.
A special service was held at St James’ Church, New Brighton, on Sunday 03 October, to commemorate the 90th anniversary of Britain’s first Guide Dogs. Members of the Guide Dogs Association were also present.
Camino to COP is a pilgrimage for climate justice, which began in London and will finish in Glasgow on 31 October. We met the walkers in Hartford as they passed through our diocese.
During the summer, Sean Augustin joined the safeguarding team at Church House as an Assistant Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser helping and supporting our Parish Safeguarding Officers (PSOs).
A multi-faith group walking from London to Glasgow to raise awareness of climate crisis are about to arrive in our diocese where they will be explaining more about their walk and COP26.
On 16 August St Mary's Lymm had their pathway stolen. Since then, the church has had lots of support from the local community and Warrington Borough Council. The path is now fully restored.
The opening of Global Images of Christ, the ground-breaking exhibition, has been well received at a special launch event at Chester Cathedral. The exhibition is open to the public from Saturday 25 September until the end of October.
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A course called Restoring Lives will support those impacted by separation or divorce. Run by Mark and Helen Tomlinson from St Mary's, Cheadle, they say the need to get alongside people "is as great as it has ever been".
The Chester Diocesan News is to discontinue at the end of 2021. The final edition will be the 2021 December edition. The CDN features stories from parishes and publicises upcoming events and initiatives from Church House officers.
The planning team for the Clergy Gathering 2022 have announced that the conference will focus on Mark 1:14-18 and will be titled: "Recasting the Net". Hundreds of clergy are expected to attend in May 2022 at Swanwick, Derbyshire.
Hundreds of thousands of people have rediscovered the ancient monastic cycle of daily prayer through a Church of England podcast which has received more than a million downloads in just six months.
The Bishop of Birkenhead, Julie Conalty, is encouraging churches in the Diocese of Chester to mark Safeguarding Sunday and says: "We need to talk more about safeguarding," and address our "past failures".
Please pray for the 12 men and women who are due to be licensed into lay ministry roles at Chester Cathedral on 9 October 2021. Pray for them, their new ministries, and for the parishes in which they will serve.Â
All are invited to two special Welcome Services for the new Bishops of Birkenhead and Stockport, to praise, pray and offer thanks for the ministry of Julie and Sam as they begin their ministry amongst us.
A bright new dawn broke on Saturday as representatives from Church of England dioceses across the North West gathered together for a celebration service to launch the region’s newest theological college.
A teaching day to help us all think through the issues of race and ethnicity as they affect the Church today. Speakers include Revd Cham Kaur-Mann, Revd Shemil Matthew, and Revd Calvin Samuel.
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The General Synod elections are currently underway. The diocese is required to elect four representatives in each of the two electoral areas to the House of Laity and six Proctors in Convocation.
The Diocese of Chester has registered its intent to work towards Eco-Diocese status. To achieve bronze, silver, and gold status, the diocese must fulfill certain activities as part of the A Rocha environmental scheme.
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A landmark exhibition of over 40 works of art, sculpture, and images will challenge perceptions of how Jesus Christ and other people of faith are depicted. The exhibition opens at Chester Cathedral on 25 September.
Our Engagement and Inclusion Officer Reverend Vanessa Layfield reminds us that Deaf and disabled people are an essential part of the Church. We celebrate the day with a video service which you can view online.
Early booking is recommended for a mental health conference that will take place in the days following World Mental Health Day. Keynote speakers include the Revd Dr Carla A. Grosch-Miller.
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The installation of the Bishop of Birkenhead and the Bishop of Stockport took place at Chester Cathedral on Sunday 05 September. The service was recorded on video and you can view it here.
Parishes are encouraged to mark Anti Slavery Sunday on 17 October by incorporating some of the themes into their church services and praying for those affected. Find out more and access some resources and ideas.
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Get ready to experience the medieval history of Chester Cathedral in a fun, immersive heritage day to be held on Saturday 11 September where you can spend all day with the Cathedral’s Works Department.
The process by which individuals can be nominated to synodical committees has opened. This follows the successful election of Diocesan Synod on 01 August. Nominations are open for a number of positions.
As Foxhill, House and Woodlands re-opens to all in the diocese, its Director, the Revd Jonathon Green offers a reflection on finding that moment of calm amidst the urgency and business of life.
The September edition of the Chester Diocesan News is now available. It focusses on our retreat centre, Foxhill House and Woodlands. Based in Frodsham, Foxhill, is re-opening to guests for day visits and overnight stays.
Bishop Julie and Bishop Sam have safely arrived in the diocese over the summer and have formally taken up their roles, beginning with parish visits to Bidston and Stretton respectively.
All Saints Thelwall is the first church in our diocese to adopt a Burial Ground Management System (BGMS) – an interactive, web-based map using the latest technology to hold and protect burial records and locations.
19,000 churchyards are to be surveyed as part of a Church of England project to create a free digital map of every grave and feature in every churchyard in the country. St Bega in the Diocese of Carlisle is the first churchyard to be scanned.
