Viewing all items in Resource Category: Looking at your Church

Recently, a friend at church told me of her Sunday school session. It was for primary-aged children and focused on Elijah on Mount Carmel. The teaching material she had seemed uninspiring, so she turned instead to ChatGPT which she was already using at work:  “Write a song to the tune of ‘Twinkle twinkle’ based on...

Couples will soon be able to marry almost anywhere, including forests, beaches, cruise ships at sea, canal boats, and at home, under Government proposals that “shift the focus from bricks and mortar to people and promises”. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is to consult on plans to allow “authorised officiants” of any religion or belief...

Free football clubs for children will be launched in churches as part of a new outreach programme. Thirty churches across the country will be supported to start free football sessions for children as community outreach, with a focus on those in low-income areas and estates. The Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB) will invest...

A group of Anglican Franciscans are close to finishing a three-month, 800-mile pilgrimage across the UK, to mark the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi. The 80-day journey began in July in Alnmouth, in Northumberland, and pilgrims have been heading to Hilfield Friary, in Dorset, by September.  They will then go...

A new 22-mile pilgrimage route linking five churches in the Bro Celynnin Ministry Area has opened, as interest in walking spiritual paths continues to grow. Llwybr Celynnin is a figure-of-eight trail that follows existing footpaths between Conwy and Llangelynnin, where it joins the North Wales Pilgrim’s Way. Walkers can collect a stamp at each church in a...

The charity Stewardship, which manages charitable donations from churches, charities, and individuals, has reported that last year was its highest income year on record. Donations reached £160.9 million, according to its 2025 annual report. That included a one-off gift of £31.6 million. In all, Stewardship says that £134 million was paid out in one million...

Let’s not take our cathedrals for granted Churches in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) call for help to fight Ebola outbreak Ukraine church leaders decry ‘sacrilegious’ war National unity and global challenges discussed in final meeting of General Synod  Celebrations to mark 250th birthday of Welsh hymn writer Scripture Union launches podcast focused on children’s...

As cases of Ebola in northeastern DRC continue to spread, the Bishop of Goma, the Rt Revd Martin Gordon, has joined other church leaders there in calling for urgent help. The country is facing its 17th Ebola outbreak in 50 years. More than 1,100 people have been affected, with over 350 dead. Bishp Martin, a...

US Vice-President JD Vance may have criticised an art installation at Canterbury Cathedral – but a new report shows that the Church of England’s cathedrals are its most popular places of worship. They are also vital centres of community, arts and music and are major tourist attractions. But the latest research shows that many of...

Ukrainian church leaders have accused Moscow of attempting to revise “historical narratives” by attacking their country’s ancient Christian sites, after two more Orthodox cathedrals were damaged in Russian strikes. “The ancient Kievan state, whose history they seek to appropriate, has never been part of their historical or spiritual identity,” the Greek Catholic Primate, Major Archbishop...

A call for Christians to promote national unity in a time of polarisation, and the theological case for protecting the planet, were among the issues discussed at the final group of sessions of the last General Synod. Among the materials published for discussion was ‘Hope for All Creation: a theological response to the environmental crises,’...

A celebration to mark 250 years since the birth of one of Wales’s most important hymn-writers will take place this month. Ann Griffiths was born on a farm near Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwnfa in Powys in 1776 and is buried in the churchyard of St Michael’s Church in the village. The Revd Dr Cass Meurig says: “Ann is...