Communications Update

Communications Update  – July 2010

Monthly news bulletin from the Communications Office, Church House, London.

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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/

It can also be subscribed to at no charge for automatic delivery every month to email inboxes via http://www.cofe.anglican.org/commsupdate.html. Please scroll down to read items. Comments are welcome, to Peter Crumpler, Director of Communications, at commsupdate@c-of-e.org.uk.

Key fingertip facts about the CofE can be found at http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/thechurchofenglandtoday/

This month’s contents:

• Wedding wrap – Made in Cyberspace; Have a ‘paparazzi moment’
• General Synod 2010; debate summaries plus agenda and Archbishops’ amendment
• Closing sermon at General Synod – Archbishop of Canterbury
• Archbishop of York launches new national charity to help make a practical difference in local communities.
• Bishops encouraged to go back to school to mark big birthday of church schools
• Full text of Book of Common Prayer available online for first time
• New Yew at Lambeth
• Bishops’ call for ‘hopeful realists’ to serve the common good
• Pensions Board Secretary honoured
• Full agenda for July General Synod sessions at York University
• General Synod Draft Legislation: Women in the Episcopate amendments
• Bishops highlight unchanging duty to share the Good News
• Church of England backs English Heritage call on Government to support local efforts to maintain England’s architectural heritage
• Financing clergy retirement housing
• More news from the Archbishop of Canterbury
• More news from the Archbishop of York

Weddings made in cyberspace – innovative website for planning church weddings is an online hit
An innovative way of planning a church wedding by web has been a surprise hit with couples. What began life as a pilot less than two years ago with a change in the law initiated by the Church - the Marriage Measure - is now at the heart of one-third of Church of England weddings, statistics suggest.

Experiencing rapid growth, the website www.yourchurchwedding.org draws a third of a million visitors a year (27,000 unique visitors a month) and over the past 21 months since launch in October 2008 has been used to plan more than 28,000 of about 90,000 Church of England weddings taking place during that period. http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr6610.html

Make it a service with a smile and have a ‘paparazzi moment’ – new guidance for giving wedding guests a day to remember, too

Weddings are a special day for guests, too, and with over 40 per cent of people attending a church wedding every year the Archbishops' Council's Weddings Project has drawn on extensive feedback from more then 700 vicars to develop new resources to optimise guests’ wedding day experience. More here

General Synod – York 2010

Summary information about the General Synod’s discussions and decisions, which met in York from last Friday until yesterday, is available on the Church of England website at http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/gensynod/agendas/july2010. This online coverage of Synod includes sound files of each debate. See below for agendas and papers. 

Archbishop of Canterbury’s closing sermon at General Synod

The Archbishop preached at the celebration of the Eucharist at the end of the Quinquennium 2005-2010, during General Synod in York.  http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/2935

Archbishop of York launches new national charity to help make a practical difference in local communities.
The Archbishop of York tonight launched the Acts 435 charity nationally at Synod. The charity helps churches to make a practical difference in their local communities helping those who are going through tough times financially. In the face of further government austerity measures the Archbishop has said it is important for the Church to reach out to those in need. More here

Bishops encouraged to go back to school to mark big birthday of church schools

Preparations for celebrating the 200^th anniversary of the Church of England opening the first free schools in England and Wales have begun, with the launch of a website, www.natsoc200.org.uk. The site is aimed at inspiring and supporting today’s 5,000 Church of England and Church in Wales schools, and their associated churches, to mark the landmark birthday in creative ways. More here

Full text of Book of Common Prayer available online for first time

Following the publication of Common Worship on the Church of England website, the Archbishops’ Council has added the full text of The Book of Common Prayer to the worship pages of the site at http://www.cofe.anglican.org/worship/liturgy/bcp. More here

New yew at Lambeth
The Bishop of London the Rt Revd Richard Chartres has planted a yew tree in the gardens of Lambeth Palace to celebrate the UN International Year of Biodiversity. The tree was donated by the Conservation Foundation, which has launched a campaign to find the 7,000 Millennium Yews ten years on, many of which were planted in churchyards. Read the full story with pic.

Bishops’ call for ‘hopeful realists’ to serve the common good

Christians are called to be “hopeful realists” about the state of the world, politics and economics, “living thankfully” while challenging unjust systems and regimes, according to a new Church of England teaching document. More here

Pensions Board Secretary honoured

Among those honoured in the recent Queen's Birthday Honours is Michael Geoffrey Shaun Farrell, Secretary & Chief Executive of the Church of England Pensions Board, awarded the OBE ‘for services to the Church of England’. More here

Full agenda for July General Synod sessions at York University

Key debates centred on women bishops’ legislation, while other subjects included clergy pensions, clergy terms of service, relations with the Church of Scotland, the status of deaneries and resources for Fresh Expressions in sessions of the Church of England’s ‘parliament,’ the General Synod, was held at York from July 9^th to 13^th. More here

General Synod Draft Legislation: Women in the Episcopate amendments

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have submitted the following amendments to the Draft Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure, GS1708A, to be considered at the forthcoming July sessions of the General Synod of the Church of England. http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/2925

Bishops highlight unchanging duty to share the Good News

The Church of England’s long history of witnessing to the unique significance of Jesus Christ is a duty that continues in today’s multi-faith environment, reiterates a new report. More here

Church of England backs English Heritage call on Government to support local efforts to maintain England’s architectural heritage

The Church of England, through the fundraising and hard work of its congregations, keeps thousands of historic buildings not only in good condition but also open to the public for worship and, increasingly, a growing range of community activities. More here

Financing clergy retirement housing

The Church of England Pensions Board has announced that it has entered into a £50m loan agreement with Santander Corporate Banking to provide the finance needed over the next 3-4 years to assist clergy with their retirement accommodation. It is envisaged that further tranches of finance will be arranged in the future to enable the scheme to continue.  More here

MORE NEWS from the Archbishop of Canterbury

Archbishop's statement on the retirement of His Eminence Walter Cardinal Kasper

Responding to today's announcement of the retirement of His Eminence Walter Cardinal Kasper as President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in Rome, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams made a  personal statement

MORE news from the Archbishop of York

Director for Youth Trust appointed

The Archbishop of York Youth Trust announces the appointment of its first Director Robin Rolls. The Trustees of the Archbishop of York Youth Trust are delighted to announce the appointment of Robin Rolls, currently Director of Youth Ministry for the Diocese of Leicester, as the Director of the Youth Trust.