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 or magazines.

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/

Please scroll down to read items. Comments, please, to Peter Crumpler, Director of Communications on peter.crumpler@c-of-e.org.uk

This month’s contents:

Love Life Live Lent - now str8 2 ur fone
Petitioning Downing Street on Church Buildings
Latest Figures for Church-going Released
Archbishops welcome BA uniform policy review
Churches say Government policy must support Public Service Broadcasting
Church House Publishing – looking to 2007
No home no justice - Church Army backs Homelessness Sunday 2007
The Pastoral (Amendment) Measure 2006
Lengthy but clear! Church of England welcomes new DfES School Admissions Code and issues guidance for dioceses
Research shows couples rate the Reverend as much as the photo backdrop
Archbishop calls for support for Christians in the Middle East
Archbishop's Christmas Sermon - 'the poorest deserve the best'.
Archbishop's guest editorship of the Today Programme
Archbishop's New Year Message - 'hunger for justice will change the world'.
Archbishop announces Covenant Design Group members
Archbishop appoints Bishop for the Falkland Islands
Letter from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to the Prime Minister
Archbishop of York gives Martin Luther King lecture

Love Life Live Lent - now str8 2 ur fone

Multi-media campaign launched

The season of Lent – a period of penitence in preparation for Easter - has been given an extra twist this year with a multi-media campaign backed by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, Dr Rowan Williams and Dr John Sentamu.

Love Life Live Lent gives inspiration for simple things that people can do to spread a little generosity and happiness in their community, and particularly aims to bring Lent alive for people who might not go to church. In a bold move, the campaign is being delivered through two colourful booklets, an interactive website, and a text message service. Find out more at: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pro607.html

The campaign website is: http://www.livelent.net and to register for the text service please text the word ‘Lent’ to 64343

Petitioning Downing Street on Church Buildings

Thanks to the initiative of a parishioner in Bristol diocese, an on-line petition is now available on the Downing Street website, encouraging the Government to provide more financial help for repair of Church of England church buildings.

The challenge of funding repairs to church buildings goes much wider than the CofE alone, and the Church’s documents have made the case for all listed places of worship. However, this local initiative is broadly in line with the motion passed at last February’s General Synod calling for greater government support, and with discussions currently taking place with government departments. The petition reads:

“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to arrange for the cost of repairs to C of E church buildings to be reimbursed to help preserve our archeological & historic heritage for the future.

“Churches are a valuable part of our heritage and a major tourist attraction, yet the funding of repairs is left to the parish in which the building is situated. Thus the cost of maintaining a national asset is left to the minority. This is grossly unfair and should be rectified.”

Anyone wishing to sign up can do so at: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Preservation/

Latest Figures for Church-going Released

Figures just released by the Church of England for 2005 continue to show a mixed picture for trends in church attendance with smaller Sunday congregations but more children and young people taking part in parish worship.

Regular Sunday attendance fell by two per cent, while weekly and monthly attendance fell by one per cent or less. This follows two years in which the numbers increased or held steady.

Meanwhile, Christmas Eve/Christmas Day attendance increased by six per cent, the number of children and young people attending at least monthly increased by one per cent and more than half the parishes reported running or planning a ‘fresh expression of church’.

The new statistics confirm that around 1.7 million people attend Church of England church and cathedral worship each month, while around 1.2 million attend services each week – on Sunday or during the week - and just under one million each Sunday. The figures for 2005 can be seen on the web: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/info/statistics/2005provisionalattendance.pdf

Archbishops welcome BA uniform policy review

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have welcomed the decision by BA to change its uniform policy to allow the wearing of crosses and other religious symbols.

Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, said: “I am grateful that BA have listened to the deep concerns that have been expressed about this issue and that their change of policy now allows Christians to wear crosses openly. Important issues have been raised; this is a positive and constructive outcome.”

Dr John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, said: “Praise the Lord! I am grateful that BA have finally shown both grace and magnanimity in this change of policy so as to enable their Christian employees to display their commitment to their faith. I welcome the efforts made by BA to allow the wearing of the Cross by those Christian employees who wish to do so. Nadia Eweida’s courage and commitment to her Lord is a challenge to us all that love and loyalty to Christ conquers in the end.”

Churches say Government policy must support Public Service Broadcasting

News, religion, science, children's television, programmes reflecting community and culture as well as other 'public service' content should be freely available on television, radio, internet and mobile phones. So says a joint response from the Church of England and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales to a government inquiry. The submission also criticises Ofcom's decision to release ITV from some of its public service broadcasting obligations. See full details of submission: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr0807.html

Church House Publishing – looking to 2007

The coming year will be jam-packed with fresh titles from Church House Publishing to provide information, inspiration and guidance for churches and individual Christians.

While retaining a focus on the timely and accurate production of the Church of England’s official publications, Church House Publishing will continue to break new ground in innovative Christian publishing. CHP will produce resources that get to the heart of what it means to be a Christian in twenty-first century Britain - resources that offer support, encouragement and challenges to those at all stages of their journey of faith. For full details, see: http://www.chpublishing.co.uk/category.asp?id=2393327

No home no justice - Church Army backs Homelessness Sunday 2007

Church Army’s Chief Executive, Mark Russell launched Church Army's support for Homelessness Sunday (to be held on 28 January 2007) outside the Marylebone Project in London.

"I am delighted that Homelessness Sunday helps the Church to focus on the injustices which society inflicts on homeless and poorly housed people - this is an issue close to the heart of Church Army", he said. For more information see: http://www.homelessness-sunday.org.uk/

The Pastoral (Amendment) Measure 2006

The Pastoral (Amendment) Measure 2006 came into force on 1 January 2007. It provides a new mechanism through which a lease may be granted of part of a church building, provided that taken as a whole the building continues to be used primarily as a place of worship. The Legal Office has issued guidance which explains the background to the 2006 Measure, what a parish has to do if it wishes to proceed under it, how to assess whether the new provisions will be of value to it and how to carry out the consultation required. It also gives examples of successful alternative uses and contains a model lease. Details: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/churchlawlegis/measures/pamguide.rtf

Lengthy but clear! Church of England welcomes new DfES School Admissions Code and issues guidance for dioceses

The Church of England has welcomed the new School Admissions Code, published by DfES and issued guidance for dioceses on the advice they should offer to their schools to match with the requirements of the new Code. Full details: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr0207.html

Research shows couples rate the Reverend as much as the photo backdrop

More than half of those planning to get married in church say that the vicar who will be officiating at their service is just as important a part of their wedding as the setting of the church for their photos.

Research findings show that 75 per cent of those opting for a church ceremony say that one of the main reasons for their choice is that they want a 'proper' wedding. They see church as a positive choice, and not ‘just another venue’. In fact, 60 per cent of those surveyed said that their church has a particular meaning for them or their fiancé.

Full details: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr0307.html

Archbishop calls for support for Christians in the Middle East

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, pledged his support for the Christian Communities of the Middle East. Writing in The Times on Saturday 23 December 2006, Dr Williams said that factors such as reaction to the war in Iraq, mistrust from surrounding communities and security measures have combined to put intolerable pressure on Christians in countries across the region including Iraq, Iran, the Holy Land, Egypt and Turkey, to the point where many are migrating away from their homelands. Read the article in full:http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/releases/061223.htm

Archbishop's Christmas Sermon - 'the poorest deserve the best'.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams says that the care he saw being given to a baby in Bethlehem was a shining reminder of the Christmas message – that God’s love comes to us as a gift. In his sermon for Christmas Day, Dr Williams tells how, whilst visiting a crèche attached to Bethlehem’s Holy Family Hospital funded by international donations, he cradled an abandoned new-born child in his arms. He recounts asking the hospital's director, Robert Tabash why the standard of care was so good, despite the harsh economic conditions in the town."Dr Tabash said that all of this is important simply because ‘the poorest deserve the best’ …'The poorest deserve the best': when you hear that, I wonder if you can take in just how revolutionary it is."

Read the sermon :http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/releases/061225.htm

Archbishop's guest editorship of the Today Programme

The Archbishop of Canterbury was the guest editor on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, which was broadcast on 29 December 2006.

Read a transcript of the Archbishop's interview on the programme: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/releases/061229.htm

Archbishop's New Year Message - 'hunger for justice will change the world'.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has said that we need to feel the same hunger for justice that ended the slave trade if the world is to be changed for the better. Speaking in his New Year message, broadcast on BBC Television in the UK on New Year’s Eve and repeated on New Year’s Day, he drew on the example of William Wilberforce to urge people to act to change the world. Read the full text of the New Year message: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/releases/061231.htm

Archbishop announces Covenant Design Group members

The Archbishop of Canterbury announced the members of the Covenant Design Group that he has appointed in response to a request of the Joint Standing Committee of the Primates’ Meeting and of the Anglican Consultative Council.

See list of members here: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/releases/070109.htm

Archbishop appoints Bishop for the Falkland Islands

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has appointed the Rt Revd Stephen Venner, Bishop of Dover, as his Episcopal Commissary for the Falkland Islands. Bishop Stephen, who continues as Bishop of Dover, will be known as the Bishop for the Falkland Islands and will have all the rights and functions of the Ordinary – in effect becoming the Anglican Bishop for the Islands – under the authority of the Archbishop. The appointment has been made to enhance the provision of pastoral care for the Islanders and oversight for the Islands' parish, which is served by Christ Church Cathedral, Stanley.

Letter from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to the Prime Minister

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York wrote to the Prime Minister raising concerns about the effect of the Sexual Orientation Regulations (SORS) on faith-based agencies working in the public sphere. Read the full text of the letter: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/releases/070123.htm

Archbishop of York gives Martin Luther King lecture

The Archbishop of York gave the Martin Luther King lecture on Saturday 20 January. His text can be read via this link: http://www.dioceseofyork.org.uk/cgi/news/news.cgi?t=template&a=983