Cherish your churchyard

Thousands of growing churches are preparing to celebrate Cherishing Churchyards Week this June as part of the UN’s International Year of Biodiversity. The nationwide project is being run by conservation charity Caring for God’s Acre (CfGA) and is supported by the CofE’s national environmental campaign Shrinking the Footprint. There are an estimated 12,000 CofE churchyards.

Open University Christianity survey

In the 2001 Census, 71.6% of people in the UK described themselves as Christians, but only about 15% of these said they belonged to, or were active members of, a church.

The Open University has developed an on-line survey which has the objective of improving understanding of what it means to be a Christian without a church. Hopefully, we will soon have a better idea of what people mean nowadays when they describe themselves as Christian.

You can share your views, and learn about other people, in this anonymous survey:
http://www.open2.net/survey/history_of_christianity/embed.html

Is cyberchurch a viable option for Christians?

EN asks if if an exclusively online church is a viable option for Christians? The article is written in the context of a rapidly growing movement promoting the idea of an exclusively online church. The Church of England and the Methodist Church have already launched versions of online church, and in March of this year a group committed to the development of online churches met in London.

Read the full article Cyberchurch - the future church? which addresses some concerns about online-only and emphasises the importance of the local church and the necessity for all Christians to belong to a local church.

Day of prayer on climate change

Sunday 4th October is the suggested date for a Day of prayer on climate change. Churches are invited to set aside time to pray on this crucial issue. Prayer and other resources are available for download.

The day is promoted by the Environmental Issues Network, of which A Rocha UK is a member. The Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Revd James Jones said, "I urge all Christians to pray for the earthing of Heaven on this day of prayer. Each day I make my own prayer with these words: Holy Jesus, Son of Man, come in glory and renew the face of the earth."

Launde Abbey restoration gets the go ahead

The Synod of the Diocese of Leicester has approved the project to save Launde Abbey, following fundraising and much prayer. Visit savelaundeabbey.co.uk for full details.

The Launde Prayer

Father,
Here may the faithful find salvation
and the careless be awakened;
Here may the doubting find faith
and the anxious be encouraged;
Here may the tempted find help
and the sorrowful comfort;
Here may the weary find rest
and the strong be renewed;
Here may the aged find consolation
and the young be inspired;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Jesus more likely to shop at Asda or Aldi

Yesterday the Bishop of Reading bemoaned the Church of England's middle-class "Marks and Spencer" image. The Right Rev Stephen Cottrell, described his frustration that the established Church is regarded as the option for the highly educated or “suited and booted” only. Jesus, he said, would probably have shopped at Aldi and Asda. He said that church was “not about how you look, what you do, how you sound, how well you sing”. It should be a place “where people can be just as they are,” he said.

Bishop Cottrell was speaking as churches of all denominations prepare to mark “Back to Church Sunday” next weekend, with thousands of people expected to receive personal invitations from friends to give church another go.

Hymns - ancient or modern?

In this week's edition of Sunday, Roger Bolton discussed the good and the bad of church music with Stewart Townend and Nick Page (author of Now let's move into a time of nonsense). You can listen again here (between 28 and 34 minutes into the programme).

Churches take to the airwaves to extend warm welcome

As half a million people across the UK are set to receive personal invitations ‘back to church’ in the next few days, thousands more will be hearing their invitation over the breakfast table or on their drive home, thanks to a ‘time share’ scheme being used to help churches spread their message on commercial radio. A professionally-produced syndicated radio advert has been created as a way of highlighting the warm welcome awaiting those who return to services on ‘Back to Church Sunday’, 27 September. Read full story.

See also: Half a million to be invited Back to Church

Bless you!

The FIEC (Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches) grouping of churches has published a document called Blue Pages Extra - Influenza Pandemic Arrangements, outlining advice in relation to swine flu. Topics covered include Medical matters, Possible curtailment of activities, Hygiene on church premises, Communion services, Staffing the church programme, and Pastoral issues.

See: also Online copy of complete Blue Pages Extra and Church of England advice on swine flu.

How Sunday trading changed the UK

Fifteen years ago, Sunday trading laws were introduced that led to a national love affair with shopping. There's a thoughful article on the BBC website discussing this.

The Contemplation Couch

Earlier this month Bishop Tim Stevens and Revd Tim Blewett sat on the Contemplation Couch in the centre of Leicester to highlight the Save Launde Abbey campaign. Braving the rain, the two Tims and their supporters appeared on the BBC, and used the opportunity to explain the value of Launde Abbey as a Retreat House. The appeal has so far raised over £580,000 of the £1 million needed to save the Abbey.

Icons of the Incarnation at Leicester Cathedral

A new exhibition Icons of the Incarnation by Sophie Hacker is to open at Leicester Cathedral on Wednesday 12 August at 8pm. The exhibition consists of nine stunning works by Sophie Hacker inspired by Olivier Messiaen's La Nativite du Seigneur and the opening night includes a champagne reception, illustrated talk and film by Sophie Hacker herself. The evening will also include a performance by Leicester Cathedral’s Assistant Organist Simon Headley of three movements from La Nativite du Seigneur. Tickets £7 on the door (includes refreshments). There will also be talk on and performance of Oliver Messiaen's music on Tuesday 18th starting at 7pm. The exhibition will then be open daily between Thursday 13 until Sunday 23 August.

‘Praycations’ for staycationers

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 www.cofe.anglican.org/staycations. On the website pages, staycationers can plan their ‘praycation’ by browsing a wide selection of holiday-at-home suggestions, and 10 websites are recommended so visitors can find their local church and cathedral to make the most of their staycation. Over the next month the webpages at will be developed with further ideas and suggestions.

Swine flu: impact on communion

On Thursday The Archbishops of Canterbury and York wrote to Bishops in the Church of England recommending the suspension of the sharing of the chalice at communion. The Archbishops’ letter follows advice from the Department of Health not to share “common vessels” for food or drink. For those who wish still to offer both bread and wine, the Archbishops have recommended use of “personal intinction by the presiding minister” allowing the priest to dip communion wtafers in the chalice before handing them out to communicants.

Elsewhere, thermometers sell out with swine flu scare and prayers for the pandemic.

In the Thick of It

Tearfund have been working with local churches around the world for over 40 years, and are passionate about the role that local churches play in meeting practical and spiritual needs. Believing that their role should be recognised and encouraged, the charity has put together In the Thick of It, a position paper on the role of the local church in development.

The paper is full of stories about local churches in tough situations, reaching out to the people around them and offering hope and help in times of need. Read the press release to learn more about Tearfund's vision of mobilising churches to get even better at working effectively within their own communities.

Christian Concern for our Nation (CCFON)

Christian Concern for our Nation (CCFON) was set up almost a year ago to serve the Church by providing information to enable Christians to stand up publicly against a tide of unchristian legal and political changes in the United Kingdom. It brings together focused legal, policy and media expertise and strategic intervention in order to secure favourable legal and political outcomes in areas of concern. It also acts as a rallying point for those concerned with these issues and a place where individual members of the public and organisations will be able to seek assistance and advice. CCFON draws on the skills and expertise of lawyers, but is dependent on the support of thousands of Christians in churches across the UK who want to see the nation turn back to God. Visit the CCFON website or download CCFON's Vision Pamphlet for more information.

Students help connect the Vatican to Internet 2.0

A college student helped bring Pope Benedict XVI to YouTube and Facebook — literally. As an intern for the Vatican’s Internet office, Samantha Chin researched different ways for the Roman Catholic Church to publicize the Pope’s message for annual World Communication Day, in May. Ms. Chin was part of a Villanova University internship program that has been working for the past seven years to keep the Catholic Church up to date with multimedia tools and technology. Tools include the Vatican’s YouTube site; a Facebook application called Pope2You, which allows users to send virtual postcards and get-well messages in five languages; and an iPhone application that distributes news.

Half a million to be invited Back to Church

Churchgoers across the Church of England are set personally to invite up to half a million people to services on Back to Church Sunday 2009, which takes place on 27 September. This will make the event one of the largest co-ordinated evangelism events shared across the Church in recent history. More details online at http://www.backtochurch.co.uk/.

Seeking first the Kingdom

At Holy Trinity, Leicester we have recently begun a sermon series on the Sermon on the Mount(downloads here) and Emmanuel Church, Loughborough looked at the Beatitudes last summer (search on blessed here). Recently we've been singing Tim Hughes' song Living For Your Glory, which fits in with the focus of these sermons on the Kingdom:

And take my life, let it be everything, all of me
Here I am, use me for Your glory
In everything I say and do, let my life honor You
Here I am living for Your glory
Seeking first the Kingdom of my Lord

Square Mile

The Evangelical Alliance are asking "Would anyone notice if your church ceased to exist?" as they introduce a new resource called Square Mile. Square Mile is a website and a DVD-based course for churches and small groups, aimed at 'grassroots' church members.

The 'Mile' in Square Mile' very conveniently stands for:

• Mercy: demonstrating God's compassion to the poor
• Influence: being salt and light in the public life of the community
• Life Discipleship: equipping Christians for missional living as workers and neighbours
• Evangelism: faithful and relevant communication of the gospel