On Saturday 22 July, people from the Whiteshill and Ruscombe community came together to take part in a fundraising day at St Paul’s Church to help keep its doors open.
Month: July 2023
Celebrating God’s story through stained glass windows
This July and August, the Church of England is running #StainedGlassSummer, a campaign which brings an opportunity for churches to share more about their beautiful buildings and encourage people toContinue reading
Message from Bishop Rachel, 25 July 2023
I seem to have spent quite a lot of time over the last two weeks in and around tents and marquees. Here at Bishopscourt, there has been a marquee in the garden and it has been wonderful hosting people for garden parties amid sunshine and rain: clergy and lay leaders, people from charities and organisations, children and adults – and all of it I hope has been about welcome, being present together and perhaps having a couple of hours of different rhythm.
Workshop helps churches welcome adults with learning disabilities
St Barnabas Church, Cheltenham, held a workshop run by the charity Count Everyone In, to discover ways to be more accessible and welcoming to adults with learning disabilities. Count EveryoneContinue reading
The Music Works launches bid to raise £15,000 for new community music venue
The Music Works is a local charity offering innovative music programmes, workshops, and projects for young people. They have launched a crowdfunder to help them complete a new community musicContinue reading
Richard shares how the Energy Footprint Tool is saving money in Cam
The Eco Church team at St George’s Church in Cam explain how they have been using the Energy Footprint Tool (EFT) to help cut the church’s energy usage, its carbonContinue reading
Free Canva Pro for parishes
Canva is an online design tool that can be used to design a range of publicity materials from graphics for social media to fliers and videos. As a charity, PCCsContinue reading
Message from Bishop Robert, 18 July 2023
Some 40 years ago, I was a student volunteer with the Missions to Seafarers in Fremantle, Western Australia. It was there, as in my mind I thought of what I might do when I returned home after this gap year experience, that the chaplain challenged me to take seriously the call to ordination. I still studied Business on my return to the UK, but that swiftly led to theological college, ordination and for the last 34 years the most fulfilling ministry as deacon, priest and bishop.
13 new members of the Company of St Kyneburga
Thirteen new people have been admitted to the Company of St Kyneburga. This Company, created in 2013, is a group of people who have served the Diocese of Gloucester withContinue reading
Adopt a traffic light for ‘Protect our planet, 24/7 day’
Local environmental campaigner Jonathan Whittaker is asking people to ‘adopt a traffic light’ on 24 July to spread awareness about the climate change crisis 24/7. Jonathan, a dentist who livesContinue reading
St Catharine’s bike repair initiative helps refugees stay on the road
Over four hot days in June, Henrietta Cozens from St Catharine’s Gloucester and Gareth Cook from GC Cycles helped to repair 67 bikes belonging to refugees from over 15 countries.Continue reading
Keeping traditional skills alive with stone masonry course
This September, St Saviour’s Church in Redbrook is hosting its annual practical workshop in stone masonry, a pioneering partnership between cathedral masonry apprentices and this small village church in theContinue reading
Raising awareness of climate change in Nailsworth
St George’s in Nailsworth is working toward its Bronze Eco Church Award. Environment lead, Daphne Tomlinson, shares her experience of working through the process. Daphne Tomlinson, 73, is the environmentContinue reading
Holy Trinity Minchinhampton celebrates Eco Church Bronze Award
The Sunday service on 11 June, at the start of the Great Big Green Week, was a day to celebrate for Holy Trinity Minchinhampton for receiving an Eco Church BronzeContinue reading
Clare Dyson remembered
The Revd Richard Coombs, Rector of Cheltenham, fondly remembers the life and ministry of a much-valued colleague and friend, the Revd Clare Dyson, who died on 9 July. “The RevdContinue reading
Message from Bishop Rachel, 11 July 2023
Last week, it was a privilege to host a reception in the House of Lords the day before the Online Safety Bill returned for debate. At the event, a number of young people from Gloucestershire addressed MPs, peers and leaders of charities and organisations regarding social media and the impact it has had on them and some of the issues they would like the Government to address in the bill.
‘Give it a go’ this summer at Sportily holiday clubs
Summer is fast approaching and Sportily holiday clubs are back with a range of fun activity days across the Diocese of Gloucester encouraging children to #giveitago. The TRAC summer residentialContinue reading
Ride + Stride – building community while raising funds for church buildings
Saturday 9 September will see people from worshipping communities across the Diocese taking part in Ride + Stride, the Historic Churches Trust’s annual fundraising event. Churches across the Diocese ofContinue reading
Bishop Rachel speaks in General Synod, on sentencing and rehabilitation
Speaking as Anglican Bishop for Prisons, Bishop Rachel spoke in General Synod on GS2294A; a motion from Worcester, on the Contribution of faith to the Rehabilitation of Offenders. Read theContinue reading
Share your stained glass windows this summer
Encourage people to visit your church building by joining in with the Church of England’s #StainedGlassSummer campaign. Many of our parish churches are full of beauty and history, attracting visitorsContinue reading
Liedentity campaign in the House of Lords
Young people from The Cotswold School and All Saints Academy joined Bishop Rachel at an event in the House of Lords this week to call for strengthened protections on ageContinue reading
What happens when someone meets a spiritual director?
Dr Joe Neary, a retired GP living in Birdlip, is a spiritual director and teaches on the Gloucestershire Spirituality Course. Joe uses a fictional example to illustrate what happens duringContinue reading
Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme: Grants towards the VAT – New website
The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme makes grants towards the VAT incurred in making repairs and carrying out alterations to listed buildings mainly used for public worship. The Scheme hasContinue reading
Message from Bishop Robert, 4 July 2023
The 75th Anniversary of the foundation of the National Health Service, which we celebrate tomorrow, is rightly a cause for thanksgiving, reflection and renewal.
