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Churches mark 80th Anniversary of VE Day Churches enjoyed bumper Easter attendances Surge in visits to church search website AChurchNearYou.com Faith of the northern saints explored in short film Church grants scheme launched to kick start housing plans Parish revitalisations and rural areas to receiving funding for mission Restoration of Bangor’s Bible Gardens Church Commissioners...

Churches across England have played their part in the recent commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day. The commemorations on 8th May provided an opportunity to honour the sacrifices made by those who served in the conflict. They also provided an opportunity to pray for lasting peace, echoing the spirit...

Clergy have reported packed services over Easter, as increasing numbers of young people are coming to church. It follows the recent survey by the Bible Society, which found that the share of the population who attend a service a month has risen from eight per cent in 2018 to 12 per cent last year. But...

The number of page visits to the Church of England’s church-finder website soared by 55 per cent last year to almost 200 million, as growing numbers of people searched for their local congregation. Public page views on AChurchNearYou.Com hit 198.6 million in 2024 – up from 128.1 million in 2023 and up more than three quarters on...

The power of the Lord’s Prayer is celebrated in a new short film that is part of the Archbishop of York’s current ‘Faith in the North’ initiative. Then as Now is available to watch from the Archbishop of York’s YouTube channel (from 6 May). Set in the magnificent landscape of the north-east, the film interweaves the faith of...

Churches hoping to build affordable homes for their communities on pockets of land they own – or as part of schemes such as rebuilding parish halls– have been invited to apply for grants to pay for expert advice from a new £3.2 million fund. Funding of up to £25,000 towards the cost of architect, consultant...

Parish revitalisations, work with children, young people and families and training for mission in rural areas are among a range of programmes to spread the Christian faith backed by the latest round of grants awarded by the Church of England. The Dioceses of Carlisle, Chelmsford, Rochester, Sheffield, St Edmundsbury and Ipswich and Winchester are to...

Bangor’s historic Bible Gardens are undergoing a significant transformation as part of the city’s 1500th anniversary celebrations, with preparatory work already underway. Located next to Saint Deiniol’s Cathedral, the Bible Garden is being reimagined in collaboration with Bangor City Council and the Cathedral. Originally established in 1961 by Dr. Tatham Whitehead, then Professor of Botany at...

The Church Commissioners for England has agreed a fresh lease with Butterfly Conservation at Magdalen Hill Down, a nature reserve on the edge of Winchester in the South Downs National Park. For more than three decades, the Church Commissioners for England has supported Butterfly Conservation’s efforts to boost butterfly species in this, England’s newest national...

The House of Bishops has issued a formal response to the Independent Reviewer’s report on the submission from WATCH (Women and the Church), regarding the appointment of diocesan bishops who do not ordain women as priests. The House reaffirmed that “the flourishing of women as priests and bishops is integral to the outworking of the Declaration and...

‘Assisted Dying’ Bill fails to protect the vulnerable, Bishop of London warns Response to Welfare Reform announcements Taking action on climate change ‘right thing to do’ – Bishop of Norwich First bishops for racial justice appointed Bishop Martyn calls for intercultural approach to LLF divisions in new book Archbishop of York leads fifth anniversary of...

The Bishop of London has warned of the ‘serious risk’ that people would opt for ‘assisted dying’ because they felt they were a burden. She said the risks of this happening would be multiplied by the pressures on the NHS and social care – if the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill comes into...