Diocese of Coventry eBulletin

Dear , The final eBulletin of 2021 will be sent out on Monday 13th December. If you have any news or upcoming events that you would like to include in the eBulletin, please make sure it is submitted by 12pm on Friday 10th December. You can submit an article by clicking here.

Bishop of Coventry to lead Further and Higher Education work The Bishop of Coventry, Dr Christopher Cocksworth, has accepted an invitation from the Archbishops and Canterbury and York to be the Church of England’s lead bishop for Higher and Further Education, succeeding the Bishop of Winchester who has held the role for the last six years. In 2020 the Church of England launched its Vision for Higher Education and in 2021 set out plans for a major shift in engagement with the sector as part of its Vision for Further Education. Bishop Christopher has been Bishop of Coventry since 2008. After teaching in secondary education, he trained for ordination and pursued doctoral studies. He has served in parochial and chaplaincy ministry and in theological education, latterly as Principal of Ridley Hall, Cambridge and in 2010 was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity by the University of London for his services to education. He was also awarded a Lambeth DD earlier this year. Read more

The Equip Hub The Online Learning Platform from the Diocese of Coventry. Once you've signed up, this email will contain personalised recommendations for topics you are interested in exploring.     Sign Up Now

Advent and Christmas on the Equip Hub The ‘Advent and Christmas’ topic is now available on the Equip Hub. Advent is an exciting time in the Calendar of Christian worship; as we prepare in heart, mind and spirit for the coming of Jesus, and we want everyone to be able to join in the celebration and reflection. This topic contains a number of resources and ideas to help us prepare and celebrate through Advent and Christmas such as short devotions, session studies, children’s activities and the online BCDM course ‘Advent’. In the next few days we will also be launching a Customizable Carol Service. To make sure that no one misses out, we are creating a full 9 Lessons and Carol service that can be downloaded for free, to be used by groups and individuals. There will be a variety of content available aimed at a number of different groups; Many churches would like to host a Carol service for their local community, but struggle to find musicians – We will be providing 9 Carols as both video and audio. The videos will have the words for the Carol on screen, and there will also be a printable pdf booklet for those who would prefer to do it that way. See more

What’s your story of generosity? Anna and Jen (from the Serving Christ Project) are already thinking about Lent and Easter resources! One of the things we are pondering is how Lent can be a time of living generously. It got us wondering about how many stories of generosity there must be across the diocese. We would love to gather some of these stories to inspire ourselves and others over Lent and to use in our Lent/Easter resources. You might have a story of someone who was generous to you or your own experience of being generous to others – we would love to hear it! If you have a story that comes to mind, please click below to share your story with us. And, if you know someone else who has a story, please send them the information and link. Contact us

Diocesan News Holy Theatre and Holy Worship by Bishop John Bishop John has had an article published in “The Way” magazine – an international journal of contemporary Christian spirituality published by the British Jesuits. The paper was originally written for the biennial gathering of the Diocesan Spirituality Advisers Conference in 2020, but that was postponed several times because of the pandemic.  The conference is organised by the Association for Promoting Retreats of which Bishop John is president.  The paper looks at the resonances between theatre and worship through the lens of Peter Brook’s seminal book, The Empty Space. To view Bishop John’s article, click here. Christmas Voices from the Holy Land This book, produced by Friends of the Holy Land,  follows the route of the Holy Family through Advent and Christmas. From Nazareth, the place of the Annunciation, Zababdeh, by tradition the place remembered as the Visitation of Mary and Elizabeth, Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus, Jerusalem, where Jesus was sanctified in the Temple, Gaza, where the Holy Family rested on their flight to Egypt. Once again Fr Richard Nesbitt has written poems reflecting on our journey through Advent to the Nativity of Jesus matched with contributions from the Holy Land connecting the experiences of Mary and Joseph with those of the Christian minority still witnessing to Christ today. Bishop Christopher recently received a copy of  this book and has given it his personal recommendation. For more information, click here. Long Covid support for families from the Clergy Support Trust Clergy Support Trust is offering a wide range of help for clergy and their families living with Long-Covid. The support is in response to emerging needs of clergy living with the condition. Some are finding they need to reduce their hours or are unable to carry out their ministry altogether. Others are experiencing physical and mental health difficulties or finding their health is affecting their relationships. Clergy Support Trust can provide funding for things like: Maintaining independent living, such as help around the house or other tasks. Grants towards larger than usual energy bills if people are spending more time recovering at home Mobility aids or other assistive equipment Rest or recuperation through a holiday, retreat, or a respite break For more information, click here. Archdeacon Barry's new song Archdeacon Barry has recorded a new song called ‘Just One Yes’. Click here to listen to it and find out more. Single Friendly Church Christmas resources Single Friendly Church have a number of Christmas resources on their website to help churches include single people over the Christmas period. Click here to find out more. Click here to submit an article