News

Volunteer!

Published: 1st August 2024

Bishop Michael ponders the nature of the Church of England and the thousands who make it work in this diocese.

Places of Welcome are a network of hospitality, safe spaces in the local community where people can connect, belong and participate. Registration to the national network is free, but the coffee morning or drop-in should fulfil five criteria to join.

Working together to create safer spaces

Published: 18th June 2024

In June's Chad Blog, our senior lead for Safeguarding, Neil Spiring shares some stories of how training in safeguarding has had practical positive results.

Pioneering Parishes – Creatively Connecting Church and Community

Published: 16th May 2024

Maybe you have a great idea for how your parish church could connect more with its local community, but you don’t know how to make this vision a reality?

Hope and peace for the anxious generation

Published: 1st May 2024

In a fretful, lonely and competitive digital world, your church, with all its grace and messiness, joys and frustrations, can be a place of hope and peace for the anxious generation.

Speak up and be counted

Published: 18th April 2024

So often diocesan synods are perceived as boring, dry and bureaucratic. This should not be the case! Rather they should exist to serve the mission of the wider Church, to make strategic decisions, and to encourage the growth of mission and ministry in our diocese.

Location, location, location.

Published: 2nd April 2024

After the furore of Holy Week, the joy of Easter Day many will have been out and about, avoiding pranks on 1 April, bank holiday Monday. Bishop Sarah gets away and stays connected

The Lenten Journey

Published: 15th March 2024

Four weeks into Lent, Clare Whitney sees in the saints of old the roots of good Christian habits and principles for ministry resulting from them asking ‘What is it Lord, that you have called me to do?’

Giving Up

Published: 18th February 2024

In the Chad Blog at the start of Lent, Jonathan Hill, Lichfield Diocese’s Director of Finance contemplates an alternative understanding of ‘giving up for Lent’

The banks that flourish

Published: 1st February 2024

Bishop Matthew has indigestion as we approach the start of Lent

Pathways is Back!

Published: 15th January 2024

Helen Scheven extols the virtue of our introductory course for thinking about vocation

Christmas greetings from our bishops

Published: 22nd December 2023

Bishop Sarah, Matthew and Jonathan mull over themes of the season

Your free gift! A guilt-free January!

Published: 18th December 2023

Bishop Jonathan's new year resolution to avoid advertiser-induced guilt and instead welcome Christ-inspired body-image.

Mark my words - all together

Published: 3rd December 2023

On the first Sunday of Advent, Isaiah’s words rip through the air and his prophecy will continue to thunder around us Sunday by Sunday. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus cries ‘Keep Awake!’ and we hear his passion for this world to flourish and for his followers to take their place on the side of hope.

As far as it depends on us

Published: 28th November 2023

Angels and Putin are in Bishop Matthew's thoughts at the start of December.

Lichfield Diocesan Digest Sound Magazine

Published: 15th November 2023

The Diocesan Digest was founded in 1989 and is the Sound Magazine for Lichfield Cathedral and the Diocese. Volunteers produce a full audio magazine every month which gives news and conversation for people who are blind and partially sighted, as well as anyone else who is interested.

Called to Serve?

Published: 20th September 2023

Did you know that 15 million people alive today attended a Church of England school? Today a quarter of all primary schools are Church of England schools and approximately 1 million children currently attend a Church of England School.

Bishop leads on the Methodist connection

Published: 29th June 2023

Generous passion for the gospel includes working in unity

Success & Failure

Published: 14th June 2023

As exam season begins to recede in requests at prayer meetings and results play on many minds, one of our school chaplains considers how we can all act when tested.

Praying from the heart

Published: 3rd May 2023

In the run up to Dementia Action Week, prayers are the solace many have contributed in our Share A Prayer Through Dementia Initiative.

Say what?

Published: 5th April 2023

A bit of Bananarama theology to start a Monday morning...

Dust and Glory

Published: 1st April 2023

Easter Day, a time for celebration - Easter eggs and bunnies? "Yes to all of that!" says Bishop Sarah - read why!

Prized Nature

Published: 10th March 2023

Churchyards are very important places for those whose loved ones are buried there, but a survey of visitors to some churchyards in Sussex found that they are often visited by people who value their peace and beauty. The Churchyard Award Scheme has been running for over 30 years. It’s run by volunteers to celebrate the work of volunteers in maintaining and developing churchyards and church gardens across the diocese of Lichfield.

Send more pauses

Published: 1st March 2023

Emails, debate and Lent

I got rhythm

Published: 13th February 2023

The Community of St Chad is a community founded on companion groups of three people who meet to pray together and who live out five Rhythms of Grace.

Open the eyes of my heart

Published: 1st February 2023

Bishop Sarah has been blogging after a recent revelation:

'Head to Heart' resource for families living through dementia

Published: 30th January 2023

This resource is born of personal experience. My dad died in 2018 and he was diagnosed with dementia ten years earlier. He’d been a solicitor in Birmingham and spent his working life making incisive, head-level connections. The journey of the last decade of his life was a journey from head to heart.