Comms Update Aug 09

Communications Update  – August 2009

Monthly news bulletin from the Communications Office, Church House, London.

Feel free to forward this to others, or to use in diocesan or parish newsletters, magazines or websites.

This news bulletin is issued to members of General Synod, recipients of the e-mailed daily briefing, within the National Church Institutions’ All Staff bulletin and to parish magazines via the http://www.parishpump.co.uk website. It is also available on the Church of England website at http://www.cofe.anglican.org/info/cofegazette/

It can also be subscribed to at no charge for automatic delivery every month to email inboxes via http://www.cofe.anglican.org/commsupdate.html. Please scroll down to read items. Comments are welcome, to Peter Crumpler, Director of Communications, at commsupdate@c-of-e.org.uk.

Key fingertip facts about the CofE can be found at http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/thechurchofenglandtoday/

This month’s contents:

Welcoming to Church

• Kicking off a team effort to grow churches
• Going on staycation? Put local churches and cathedrals on the itinerary

Green Issues: News from Shrinking the Footprint

• Bishop blesses compost toilet
• Historic Lincoln Church installs Solar Panels
• Lambeth Palace bees buzz for miles

National News and Global Issues

• Church Commissioners appoint Director of Investments
• College inspection report published
• News from the Archbishop of Canterbury
• News from the Archbishop of York
• New Bishop of Shrewsbury in Lichfield
• Top of the Podcasts

Kicking off a team effort to grow churches: Training launched to extend warm welcome to people intrigued by church

Two church growth consultants are encouraging churches across the country to set up ‘Welcome Teams’ as part of a drive make Church more ‘sticky’ for those who drop in to special events or feel the urge to try out a Sunday morning service.  More here

Going on staycation? Put local churches and cathedrals on the itinerary

The Church of England has launched a new web service for people taking a Staycation - holidaying from home instead of going away - during the recession. Staycations offer the opportunity to discover everything a local area has to offer, with cathedrals and local churches often at its centre, says a new Church of England website section at Staycations More here

Bishop blesses compost toilet

Rural churches with no running water are improving their facilities with the installation of cost-effective compost toilets. The latest environmentally friendly toilet, installed in an isolated church in Devon, has been blessed by the Bishop of Crediton, the Rt Revd Bob Evens. More here

Historic Lincoln Church installs solar panels

St Denys Church, Sleaford has celebrated the installation of solar panels with a special service of dedication led by the Bishop of Lincoln Dr John Saxbee. More here

Lambeth Palace bees buzz for miles

Get a buzz out of caring for creation, said David Shreeve, the Church of England’s National Environment Adviser, after visiting Lambeth Palace’s 12 hives, whose bees help London grow greener. The bees pollinate plants and flowers across a seven mile radius in the capital with each hive providing around 60lbs of honey a year. Wax from one hive has even been used to make a small model of the Archbishop of Canterbury. More here

College inspection report published

The Church of England has published the inspection report on the Oxford Partnership for Theological Education and Training (OPTET), the body that enables the ministerial training colleges in Oxford to co-ordinate their activity and to relate to the University of Oxford. More here

Church Commissioners appoint Director of Investments

Tom Joy has been appointed as Director of Investments for the Church Commissioners to advise on the strategic development of their multi-asset investment portfolio in light of the increasing complexity of the financial markets. More here

Top of the Podcasts

This month listen to Father Edward Lewis and Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin here

MORE NEWS from the Archbishop of Canterbury

Archbishop of Canterbury awards Lambeth Degrees

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, awarded Lambeth Degrees to the Rt Revd John Hind and the Revd Canon Vincent Strudwick, in Lambeth Palace. More here

Archbishop condemns atrocities in Pakistan

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, made a statement regarding the violence in Pakistan. Find the text of the statement here

Archbishop's letter to Primate of Nigeria

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has written to the Primate of Nigeria, offering prayers following the recent violent clashes.

The full text of the letter can be read here

Archbishop of Canterbury visits Taizé

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, made a three day visit to the community of Taizé at the beginning of August. More here

MORE NEWS from the Archbishop of York

Archbishops to Launch Youth Trust

Dr. John Sentamu and Archbishop Desmond Tutu to jointly launch the Archbishop of York Youth Trust on 12 September 2009 at Bishopthorpe Palace, York.  More here

Archbishop calls on Government to Support Armed Forces

Dr. John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, called on the Government to better support the armed forces by ensuring that the military covenant “is fully honoured not only in its strict operation but also in its spirit” here

Archbishop Leads Youth Group to Taizé

Dr. John Sentamu, Archbishop of York lead a group of forty young people aged 18-25 from York and Durham to the Ecumenical Community of Taizé in France. More here

News from the Diocese of Lichfield

Making disciples is primary task for new bishop

Shropshire’s newest bishop says England’s churches have an ‘urgent task of making new disciples’. The Revd Canon Mark Rylands, who has been named as the next Bishop of Shrewsbury, has described churches ‘demonstrating the good news of Jesus Christ in their communities’ and ‘sharing the faith naturally’ as ‘the number one priority’ and ‘the most important thing we have to do’ and urged Christians to set about the task urgently. More here