• Keene focus on faiths

  
  IN a world where war and acts of terrorism are too often inspired by religious motives, how can members of different faiths argue together in public?

• Find out what faiths say about recession

  
  WHAT do the different faiths have to say about the credit crunch?

• Bishops launch the Greater London Presence and Engagement Network

  
  THE Bishops of Chelmsford and Barking joined the Archbishop of Canterbury and representatives of 120 parishes across London at a series of events on June 1 to launch the Greater London Presence and Engagement Network (PEN).

• Faithful eat their words

  
  THE Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP, has highlighted the Waltham Forest ?health preachers' scheme? as positive inter-faith work.

• Learn more about fair trade

  
  THE Fairtrade Foundation's Campaign Days offer the opportunity to learn more about Fairtrade, gain new skills and share ideas with other Fairtrade campaigners from around the UK.

• Swedish deacons break barriers

  
  YOU might think that training for ministry is hard enough without doing it in another language and culture, writes Annie Coley, Parish Development Adviser, Colchester Episcopal Area.

• Chernobyl ten years on

  
  THE Mid Essex group of the Chernobyl Children's Project will welcome children from the Ukraine into their homes and hearts for the tenth successive year on July 6.

• Bookshelf: Living the Lords Prayer

  
  "LORD, how should we pray?"

• Bookshelf :African Christianity has distinctive viewpoints

  
  IN recent decades, a significant number of Africans have come to live in Britain, bringing with them their own kind of Christianity. ‘African Christianity in Britain - Diaspora, Doctrines and Dialogue' by Chigor Chike is the first significant study to be published on the nature of the faith of African Christians living in Britain. It shows how the Christian beliefs of these Africans are often nuanced with their African traditional worldview and distinguishes their faith from the kind of Christianity found in the West.

• Bookshelf: Society needs you to move outside your bubble

  
  ARE you one of the the many people who want to be part of society beyond your own paid job? To help out at the youth club, the hospital, a national or local charity?

• Drop in at the bistro church to think, meet, chat and eat!

  
  Vicar Colin Taylor has invited local men to join him for an informal evening in the restaurant of their local every month. And supper in the relaxed atmosphere of The Swan at Felsted, an award-winning gastro pub, is served with an engaging topic of conversation.

• Six faiths walk the talk for peace

  
  The Bishop of Barking joined forces with more than 60 people when he led the first Barking and Dagenham peace walk in September.

• Community guide gets off the ground

  
  A new guide will give churches and other faith groups practical help in developing local projects that benefit the whole community.

• Islamic communities ask Bishop to pray to Jesus on their behalf

  
  Message from Bishop John

• Other Faiths

  
  We are committed to building bridges across the different faith traditions and to sharing experiences and concerns between the faiths.

• Learning about other faiths

  
  Learning materials for inter-faith study are available on request from the Diocesan Resource Centre.

• Working with other faiths

  
  The Inter-Faith Issues Group provides a forum for theological reflection and monitoring of inter-faith issues. Canon Davison, our Inter-Faith Adviser, is a member of the Inter-Faith Advisory Group of the Archbishops' Council. Encounter Youth Exchange Programme is an initiative between the Diocese of Chelmsford and the Maronite Diocese of Haifa and the Holy Land.

• Christians, Muslims and Sikhs team up for a healthier lifestyle

  
  "Health preachers" are taking the message of better health to East London's faith communities. A pioneering partnership between faith groups, a primary care trust and a local strategic partnership is sending them out to promote health awareness, health services and healthier lifestyles.

• Bishop hosts gathering of faith leaders

  
  The Bishop of Chelmsford has hosted a gathering of faith leaders from across the Diocese.

• Brother Nathanael on road to Assisi

  
  A MONK has marked his sabbatical, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Franciscans arriving in Papua New Guinea, by calling in at Messing in north Essex to be the guest of Revd Dr Chris Garland, right, the Archbishop of Papua New Guinea’s representative in the UK.

• David honoured as a Canon in Myanmar

  
  AN EXILED Burmese priest has been made a Canon of the church in his home country of Myanmar after 25 years in ministry.

• Zimbabwe appeal raises £300,000

  
  THE Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, have seen public donations for their joint Zimbabwe appeal reach £292,330.

• Roger has close shave

  
  ROGER Gayler, the 65-year-old vicar of St Mark's Church at Mark's Gate in Barking and Dagenham preached, met the scouts, spoke to schoolchildren, studied with his Bishop and collected envelopes door-to-door with just half a beard – all for Christian Aid week.

• Bishop back USPG plans

  
  THE Bishop of Colchester, Rt Revd Christopher Morgan, has given his backing to an initiative by the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel: Anglicans in World Mission to recruit one or more associate mission advisers in the diocese.

• Bill the builder is back – with a team for Kenya!

  
  BARKING St Erkenwald’s member Bill Dear is back in the business of building houses — but this time other members of the congregation will be joining him

• Faiths’ vital contribution to Gaza peace and justice

  
  THE Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Revd John Gladwin, spoke in a debate ‘to take note on Gaza' in the House of Lords on February 6.

• Virtual hike to the Holy Land

  
  CHURCH leaders laced up their hiking boots, hoisted their rucksacks and packed their laptops to publicise a unique ‘online pilgrimage’ to the Holy Land, organised by the charity Christian Aid.

• Creative pupils support Lent appeal

  
  IMAGINATIVE children got creative to help the Bishop of Chelmsford launch his Lent appeal.

• ‘Fundamental need for justice in Gaza’

  
  SPEAKING in the House of Lords on January 12, the Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Revd John Gladwin, drew attention to the apparently disproportionate use of force in Gaza, the lack of – and abuse of – human rights and justice implemented in Gaza.

• Bishop’s Lent Appeal 2009

  
  JESUS challenged the society he was living in by the way he treated children.

• Where tradition is thriving

  
  IN November, I was fortunate to spend a fortnight in India. Four of us from Essex were part of a larger group of about 80 people taking part in a sponsored rally from Goa to Kerala in southern India, a journey of about 2,000 kilometres.

• Southminster pupils are helping to save Zimbabwe lives with Pump Aid

  
  SOUTHMINSTER Church of England primary school have restored the lives of up to 1000 African people, simply by drinking water.

• David assists consecration of Kenya's new Bishop

  
  THE Bishop of Barking, Rt Revd David Hawkins, has returned from a short visit to Mbeere, Kenya, where he, as representative of the Bishop of Chelmsford, participated in the consecration and enthronement of Rt Revd Moses Masamba Nthukah, as the second Bishop of Mbeere.

• I will remain an enthusiastic supporter of Christian Aid

  
  IT has been an extraordinary privilege to have chaired the Board of Christian Aid this past 10 years.

• One Worls week growing together

  
  ONE World Week will be celebrated on October 19-26. The theme will be ?Growing Together?.

• Bishop Urges all churches to write to Prime Minister

  
  THE Bishop of Chelmsford has called attention to the millions of lives which depend on the promises made in the Millennium Development Goals.

• Zulu warriors drum up support from Romford

  
  ROMFORD children and residents joined a dance and drum workshop at St Mark's church with the help of visitors from Christian Aid partner organisation KCAP in South Africa.

• Ink is a better deal for poor

  
  AROUND 65 million printer cartridges are used in the UK every year. Only 15 per cent of these are recycled. The rest go to landfill.

• Curates strengthen links with Kenyans

  
  SIX curates and a youth worker from the Diocese of Chelmsford are pictured with retired Archbishop Dr David Gitari during their visit to Chelmsford's link dioceses of Embu and Kirinyaga in Kenya.

• Quiet Gardens book is tribute to Chris Bard

  
  By Susan Bowden-Pickstock In Memoriam: Chris Bard QUIET Gardens was written in memory of Chris Bard, vicar of Theydon Garnon and Epping Upland, who died in September 2007, aged 55.

• Othona cuts it with judges

  
  THE Othona Christian community based at Bradwell-on-Sea has been awarded more than £100,000 by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA).

• Demands for climate change lead

  
  A NEW poll released by Christian Aid reveals the extent of the public concern about climate change, with a majority saying the Government needs to show more leadership in tackling global warming.

• Chelmsford is first UK eco cathedral

  
  CHELMSFORD is the first cathedral in England and Wales to gain eco congregation status.

• Free tress scheme

  
  ESSEX County Council is distributing 250,000 trees, hedging and bushes to communities free of charge and PCCs are eligible.

• Eco-Congregation workshop is free

  
  DOES your parish want to ?green? its church life and mission? A free workshop on Saturday September 27 will help you with a step-by-step guide along the way

• Harvest time hope resources

  
  CHURCHES Together in Britain and Ireland is providing a programme of resources to help churches to observe ?A Time for Creation 2008? between September 1 and October 4.

• Make sure MPs get message

  
  DIOCESAN environmental adviser Wendy Boulton is urging parishes to support Christian Aid's campaign to toughen the Government's Climate Change Bill.

• Could you be a carbon cutting hero

  
  ARE you a carbon cutting hero? Are you part of a group actively undertaking carbon cutting activities in the East of England or someone looking to encourage others to cut carbon emissions?

• 1,000-mile march to save planet

  
  CHRISTIAN Aid has launched the longest-ever UK protest march, backed by celebrities including singers Lemar and Amy Macdonald and actors Leonardo Di Caprio and Katie Leung, as part of its Climate Changed campaign.

• Wendy warns: All we have to do is live the simple life

  
  THERE were stern warnings from Wendy Boulton, the Bishop of Chelmsford's Adviser on the Environment, when she addressed the St Osyth Deanery Synod.

• Cathedral is working hard to reduce its carbon footprint

  
  CHELMSFORD Cathedral is keen to play its part in the fight against global warming.

• Vicar inspires garden

  
  REVD Canon Chris Bard, team vicar of Epping and BBC Essex Faith and Ethics presenter, was the inspiration behind the awardwinning 'Growing Together in Faith' garden at the Chelsea Flower Show with help from BBC Radio Cambridgeshire's Susan Bowden-Pickstock.

• Chelsea Flower Show stars bloom at Woodham Festival

  
  CHELSEA gold medal winners will entertain visitors at Woodham Walter Festival of Flowers.

• Retreat House hosts garden quiet day

  
  WE are never nearer God than in a garden, it is said. Val Tyler, gardener at the Chelmsford diocesan retreat house at Pleshey, could not agree more.

• Love Life, Live Lent takes green perspective

  
  THIS year’s range of Lent materials from Church House Publishing is already flying off the shelves, spearheaded by ‘Love Life, Live Lent’.

• Climate change march

  
  CHRISTIAN Aid is looking for volunteers to join UK’s longestever protest march, the first mass march for climate justice.

• Change gear into carbon neutral and cut CO²

  
  Whenever we take a holiday flight, drive the car, heat and light our homes, prepare our food or purchase goods and services, we have an impact on climate change through the carbon dioxide that goes into the atmosphere. Did you know that you can help to balance out the climate change effects by reducing carbon elsewhere?

• Conference could not be greener

  
  A DISTINGUISHED panel of speakers will address the Chelmsford Diocese Environment Conference in June. Keynote speaker, Elaine Storkey, UK president of the charity Tearfund, will be joined by Chris Walton, editor of Green Christian, the journal of Christian Ecology Link, who is also outreach director of Ringsfield Christian Ecology Study Centre in Suffolk.

• Discovering nature on walk to school

  
  Pupils at a Church of England school in Forest Gate put their best foot forward for Walk to School week.

• Industry standard vicar

  
  REVD Kelvin Woolmer, the vicar working as a chaplain to the construction workers on the Olympic Park site in Stratford, East London, is now industry qualified and the proud possessor of the Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) NVQ Level 5.

• Woman of the year leads training day

  
  THE Essex & East London Hospital Chaplains? Committee will be running its annual training day in Chelmsford on October 14 for all involved in Hospital Chaplaincy and Hospice Chaplaincy.

• Stained glass reformed prisoner

  
  VISITORS to the chapel in Bullwood Hall Prison near Rayleigh, whether they live or work at the prison or come in from outside, often comment on the warm atmosphere and sense of peace which touch and surround them as they enter the Chapel.

• Bishop warns of crisis in prisons

  
  THE Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Revd John Gladwin, has spoken out about the crisis facing the prison system.

• 'Christians in Workplace' resource pack is launched

  
  EVER wondered whether your work matters to God . . . why you spend 60-70 per cent of your waking life at work . . . what your work is for?

• League of Mercy honor for "remarkable woman"

  
  STAFF, volunteers, supporters and patients at Saint Francis Hospice are celebrating after volunteer and founder, 87-year-old Joan Matthews, received a national award for her outstanding service to charity.

• Prisons launch appeal for visitors with language skills

  
  IN the summer of 2006, after housing girls and women for 44 years, Bullwood Hall, in Hockley, became the first designated foreign nationals prison in the country.

• Realities of children beyond the prison gates

  
  MUDPIES co-ordinators Lydia Gladwin and Carole Goddard reflect on their experiences of meeting children and their families in prison.

• Who serves the sentence?

  
  THERE are currently around 79,000 prisoners in the UK and over 75,000 are men. In our diocese there are two male prisons. Have you ever wondered what it must be like for Mum and the children if Dad goes to prison? They can feel punished too. . .

• Life hots up for chaplains

  
  CHAPLAINS from the Essex Churches Council for Industry and Commerce spent the day as guests of the Essex Fire Service Live Fire training Centre in Wethersfield to experience modern fire training and understand some of the dangers faced by a fire fighting crew.

• Former firefighter back on watch as chaplain to Fire & Rescue Service

  
  A former fireman is back on duty in a new role following the Bishop of Chelmford’s visit to the Essex Fire & Rescue Service headquarters at Hutton to officially launch their chaplaincy service.

• Mothers' Union working on new initiatives

  
  A recent initiative is to provide toys for the children's play area in the new visits centre (currently under construction) at Chelmsford (men's) prison.

• Bullwood prison change made in haste, says Bishop

  
  The Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Revd John Gladwin, has raised with Baroness Scotland of Asthal, the Minister of State, Home Office the disruptive effects of the hasty decision to transfer women prisoners from Bullwood Hall prison at Hockley on the local community.

• Carol pilots shopping for spirituality package

  
  Sainsbury's has been offering spirituality in a handy new package. A faith in the workplace course has been on special offer to Sainsbury's staff at the stores support centre in Holborn.

Find information and resources for schools here.

• Calling young artists

  
  THE Bishop of Barking, Rt Revd David Hawkins, is once again inviting primary school children from the Barking Episcopal area to design his Christmas cards.

• Best results ever for St Edward's

  
  ST Edward's C of E School and Sixth Form College in Romford has achieved pleasing results at both GCSE and A level for this year.

• Loads of ideas for schools on Fairtrade trail

  
  Produced by the Fairtrade Foundation THE Fairtrade Foundation's new schools DVD called ‘Are you a Fairtrade school? – All you need to know’ has been launched.

• Values at heart of great schools

  
  NEW website launched by the CofE marks a groundbreaking initiative to identify the distinctive values that make Christian schools popular with parents and students, and promote ways of living out those values in the day-to-day activities of a busy school environment.

• Rob named new diocesan director of education

  
  THE new Director of Education for Chelmsford Diocese will be Rob Fox.

• Harvest for Hungry's team visit Bulgaria

  
  TWO Essex priests, Revd Sue Cruse and Revd Patrick Sherring, were part of a group that visited Bulgaria to see the delivery of items collected through the Harvest for the Hungry charity.

• New head is priest

  
  THE new headteacher of St Edward's Church of England Comprehensive School in Romford is a priest.

• Trinity St Mary expands

  
  THE Bishop of Bradwell, Rt Revd Laurie reen, attended the first whole school assembly at South Woodham’s Trinity St Mary school to dedicate the new hall extension.

• Chief Education Officer spells out school values

  
  The Chief Education Officer of the Church of England has given school governors, head teachers and clergy in Chelmsford Diocese a preview of work in progress at Church House, Westminster, on the importance of values in church schools

• Mac Leonard: My faith at work

  
  I WAS brought up as the adopted son of a working class family. I learned I was adopted the night after I saw the lady I knew as mother die, at the age of 17. My father was a labourer for British Railways as it was then, and my mother a school dinner lady.

• Today's lesson is... weddings

  
  CHILDREN from Millfields primary school have been pronounced ?special friends? in a mock-wedding ceremony performed by Revd David Thomas at St Mary's church in Wivenhoe.

• New courses brochure sent to church schools

  
  CHELMSFORD Diocese has published a new learning and development brochure ready for the start of the new school year.

• Fancy changing your world?

  
  HAVE you ever wondered how you can be involved in changing your world for the future?

• Tiddlywinks training day

  
  IF you work with children under the age of 5, don't miss the Tiddlywinks training day at Colchester Baptist Church, Eld Lane, on Saturday, April 19 (10am-4pm).

• Emma's award assists her students

  
  A CHURCH youth worker has won a ?1,000 award for her leadership skills which will be spent on the youngsters she helps.

• Higher education chaplaincies merit greater support, says CoE report

  
  A MAJOR report, commissioned by the Church of England and supported by many of the main faith communities in the UK, offers a tutorial in the valuable work of university and college chaplains.

• College Chaplains Build Bridges, says report

  
  A major report commissioned by the Church of England and supported by many of the main faith communities in the UK, offers a tutorial in the valuable work of university and college chaplains. Faiths in Higher Education Chaplaincy calls on Higher Education Institutions and the government to continue to invest in chaplaincies to help them further their significant contribution to social cohesion, at a time when 43 per cent of young people in England and Wales have experienced higher education.

• Cathedral School's new head commissioned

  
  COMMISSIONED by the Dean at Chelmsford Cathedral on Education Sunday - Mrs Marian Emuss ,new head teacher of the Cathedral School in Victoria Road, the Dean (the Very Revd Peter Judd) and the new chair of governors, Mrs Ann Whelpdale.

• Diocese is learning to help parishes develop stronger school links

  
  MANY church members visit schools regularly and many Christian parents work hard for their local schools too.

• Choristers unite for awards ceremony

  
  DECEMBER marked the first joint presentation of Deans' and Bishops' Chorister Awards for the Dioceses of Brentwood and Chelmsford.

• Mission Opportunity Fund benefits local communities

  
  THE Chelmsford Mission Opportunity Fund was launched last year as a way to help local churches to engage with the wider community

• Vicar condemns BNP poster

  
  THE vicar of St Margaret’s church, Barking, Revd Gordon Tarry, has denounced a British National Party election campaign poster for misusing a quote from Jesus before the crucifixion.

• 'Use your vote!' says Bishop John

  
  THE Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Revd John Gladwin, above, has made a direct appeal to the public to use their vote on June 4.

• Opportunity knocks for 18 communities

  
  THE Mission Opportunity Fund of Chelmsford Diocese has awarded its first grants.

• Unsung heroes - the hunt is on

  
  THE Church of England has teamed up with Country Life magazine to hunt for an elusive species: the unsung hero.

• Crisis opens debate

  
  THIS book was written before the banking crisis and the subsequent start of what may prove to be a deep recession.

• Fostering belief in local action

  
  A NEW report has praised the ?Faith workers? initiative in Newham.

• Church fixes it for local community

  
  COMMUNITY-minded parishoners at St Mary's church in Newport, near Saffron Walden, delighted local residents with a community action day in June.

• Lloyd-Webber to get St Mary's celebrations under way

  
  THE eagerly-awaited reopening of St Mary's Loughton will be celebrated with a fanfare of musical talents.

• Mary shares secrets of top magazine

  
  The Rural Community Council of Essex was keen to find out, so they invited Great Bentley's church magazine editor, Mary Maskell, along to their workshop in April to share her experience. The Month is delighted to reveal Mary's top tips.

• Eagles will represent England at world championship finals

  
  THE final leg of the Olympic torch relay through London was cheered on by church cheerleaders Ascension Eagles.

• Fiona is new "Ride & Stride" co-ordinator

  
  

• Chinkney hosts Easter Services

  
  EASTER in the five Parishes benefice near Great Dunmow was a particularly uplifting and special time with a Service of Meditation at the rarely-used church at Chickney, conducted by Rector, Revd Canon Gillian Greenslade.

• Westcliff congregations join together

  
  A special service of celebration took place on January 25 to celebrate the newly-formed Bridgwater Drive Church comprising St Cedd's, Westcliff-on-Sea, and Bridgwater Drive United Reformed Church. The new constitution was signed by Bishop Laurie and Revd Elizabeth Caswell, Moderator of The United Reformed Church, who are pictured with the newly-elected ecumenical church council.

• Twinning united churches

  
  Two very different parishes in the diocese have formed a twinning link.

• Reaching older people in the countryside

  
  THE number of older people living in the English countryside is soaring at a much faster rate than therest of the country. Recent research shows that 5.3m of England's projected 5.5m population growth betwee now and 2028 will be due to the rise in the number of over-60s, who will mainly be living in rural districts. Numbers of people living in the countryside aged 85 and over are predicted to treble in this period.

• Church live on internet

  
  The Bishop of London and Linda Bellingham were among guests who gathered at St Stephen Walbrook to launch Premier.tv's initiative to broadcast regular services from the heart of the City of London on the Internet.

• Drop in at the bistro church to think, meet, chat and eat!

  
  Vicar Colin Taylor has invited local men to join him for an informal evening in the restaurant of their local every month. And supper in the relaxed atmosphere of The Swan at Felsted, an award-winning gastro pub, is served with an engaging topic of conversation.

• Royal opening for dream come true

  
  The Duke of Gloucester gave the St Paul's Community Centre and Atholl Court in Goodmayes, east London, the royal stamp of approval at the official opening in September.

• Community guide gets off the ground

  
  A new guide will give churches and other faith groups practical help in developing local projects that benefit the whole community.

• CUF battles recession

  
  OVER the past 21 years, the Church Urban Fund has given more than 5,500 grants to projects supporting people in England's poorest communities.

• CUF launches Lent prayer calendars

  
  CHURCH Urban Fund is launching its Prayers for Lent 2009 calendar and asking people to help make a real change in some of the poorest communities in England

• Putting churches at the heart of rural and urban communities

  
  A CONFERENCE on ‘Buildings: Mission & Alternative Uses’, attended by 80 people, heard that all parishes needed a clear vision for the use of their buildings in their mission and ministry

• Bishop praises work of Church Urban Fund

  
  THE Diocese of Chelmsford raised more than £125,000 for the Church Urban Fund in 2008. Speaking at the closing service for the Church Urban Fund appeal on January 14, the Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Revd John Gladwin, said that when the Diocese launched this appeal, no one could have known that we would be entering a recession.

• Bishop Laurie faces urban challenges

  
  THE new urban areas are reshaping much of Britain.

• Angels land in Romford to combat culture of fear

  
  THE subtle presence of street pastors helped to combat a culture of fear on Halloween night.

• Regional strategy is weak on faith

  
  THERE is a serious omission from regional planning strategy, a church adviser has warned.

• Economic slowdown hits poorest families

  
  The Right Revd Christopher Morgan Bishop of Colchester (Signed on behalf of Bishop Christopher)

• Stratford's Olympic site is offering new opportunities

  
  By REVD KEVIN WOOLMER Priest-in-Charge of Stratford St Paul's and chaplain to the Olympic and Stratford City construction sites.

• CUF campaign gets off to encouraging start

  
  THE Chelmsford campaign to raise ?500,000 for the Church Urban Fund is gathering pace.

• Bishop welcomes county council move to halt Post Office closures

  
  THE Bishop of Colchester has welcomed the move by Essex County Council to halt the closure of 32 Post Offices across the county. Rt Revd Christopher Morgan, had expressed his dismay at proposals to close Post Offices in Essex and called on the Post Office to recognise itself as a service to the community.

• C of E "Olympic tsar" is licensed at St Paul's

  
  REVD Canon Duncan Green was licensed at St Paul's Cathedral by the Bishop of Chelmsford and the Bishop of London as the Church of England's Olympic Co-ordinator for the 2012 London Games.

• John Spence: Diocese has a sound financial basis on which it can develop

  
  The new chair of the Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Finance is retired banker, Canon John Spence OBE, deputy chair of Business in the Community and former chief executive of Lloyds TSB Scotland. As well as chairing CDBF, the charitable company that manages the financial affairs of Chelmsford diocese and its assets, he is leading a campaign to raise ?500,000 for the Church Urban Fund from the diocese this year.

• CUF challenges deprivation

  
  THE Church Urban Fund supports faith-based social action projects in their mission to be good news to the poor.

• Visitors to Constable Country's church invited to Bible marathon

  
  CHELMSFORD diocese includes some of the loveliest countryside in Britain. One of our special areas is ‘Constable Country’ which is situated in the picturesque Dedham Vale – a special landscape officially designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

• Church link supports rural communities

  
  THE rural communities of Essex deserve a thriving and sustainable future. And the Rural Community Council of Essex (RCCE) is there to provide them with the skills, resources and expertise necessary to achieve one. RCCE is chaired by Revd Canon John Brown who is the Bishop of Chelmsford's rural officer.

• Plough Sunday tractor blessing

  
  THE Plough Sunday congregation at Burnham-on-Crouch were treated to the real thing thanks to local farmers John and Andrew Sadler who loaned their tractor and plough.

• Mission shaped goes rural

  
  Two new books from Mission Shaped Church.

• Blythe spirit of country

  
  Devotees of Ronald Blythe will devour this sparkling new collection of 60 "Word From Wormingford" columns from the Church Times back page.

• Ex-policeman changes uniforms to join Olympic site hard hats

  
  A police sergeant with 30 years service in the Metropolitan Police has a new beat, serving the people of Stratford in a dual role - as Priest-in-Charge of St Paul's, Stratford and as chaplain to Stratford City construction workers.

• Essex jobless total shoots up by 100 per cent

  
  UNEMPLOYMENT in Essex has risen by more than 100 per cent in every age group in the last year

• Essex Savers expands its credit union network

  
  THE first branch of Essex Savers credit union in Epping Forest opened at St John's Church, Epping in September with volunteers from St John's Church and Epping Roman Catholic Church.

• Essex Savers expands

  
  ESSEX Savers is expanding its services and is looking for more collection points and volunteers to run them.

• Doing the Eleanor Walk

  
  A PILGRIMAGE has re-enacted the original 225 mile route of the funeral cortege of Queen Eleanor, Queen Consort of King Edward 1.

• Church to open an debt centre

  
  PERSONAL debt is at a record high according to Credit Action with 18 per cent of people saying that their debts are unmanageable.

• Christians Against Poverty help out in Walthamstow

  
  THIS summer, in partnership with Christians Against Poverty (CAP), the national debt counselling charity, St. Mary's Church in Walthamstow offered church members and local residents the chance to get their finances back on track with a free money management course called 'CAP Money'.

• A place for them?

  
  By RAYMOND DRAPER Vicar of Leytonstone St John the Baptist THIS year there are many young people who will be asking: “Is there a place for me?”

• Ten ways churches can help young unemployed

  
  DID you know that more than one million young people will be unemployed by 2011, with almost a third out of work for longer than a year? These are the findings of a recent study by research institute, Centre for Cities.

• Bishop John will be new Citizens Advice chairman

  
  AS the recession drives more and more people to Citizens Advice Bureaux, their national body Citizens Advice has announced that its next Chair will be Rt Revd John Gladwin, the soon-to-retire Bishop of Chelmsford.

• More need Essex Savers as recession bites hard

  
  WITH the City in turmoil Essex and East London are bearing the brunt of the recession. But it is not only the financial services sector that is affected. What remains of manufacturing is shrinking. So too is retail.

• Essex boy is new Harlow Archdeacon

  
  THE new Archdeacon of Harlow has been appointed by the Bishop of Chelmsford and says he is proud to be “an Essex boy”.

• Are you struggling with debt?

  
  STATISTICS compiled by the organisation Credit Action paint a worrying picture of the nation's personal finances.

• Improving access to church

  
  HAVE been Priest in Charge of the Bumpstead Parishes for almost three years. Before I came, the PCCs knew that I suffered from Multiple Sclerosis and were most supportive of me and I appreciate that.

• Tony Benn to launch St Mary-le-Bow lecture series

  
  JUSTSHARE has announced a series of lectures on Christian social and political thought.

• Award will help Barking church to maintain work in community

  
  A BARKING church has been awarded a grant to continue its support for the local community.

• Strret Pastors save soles

  
  SOUTHEND’S Street Pastors have handed out flipflops to revellers to stop them cutting their feet over the festive period.

• Tackle culture of binge-banking, Bishop John tells the Government

  
  THE Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Revd John Gladwin, drew from his experience with Christian Aid when speaking on the Economy in the House of Lords on November 3

• Happy hour culture is dangerous

  
  HAPPY Hours and drinkers making the most of alcohol promotions are increasing the pressure on police time.

• Green Trains for Olympics

  
  SPEAKING on his return from the Beijing Olympics, the C of E Olympic co-ordinator Canon Duncan Green stressed the importance of securing a lasting legacy when the Games come to London in 2012.

• Archbishop?s award for Vijay Menon

  
  THE Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has announced the award of the Cross of St Augustine to 13 recipients with an Upminster man among them.