Most churches will be aware of the need to have Child Protection Policies in place. Perhaps less will be aware of the need to also have policies relating to dealing with Vulnerable Adults. It is perhaps difficult to clearly define a ‘Vulnerable Adult’, but the term will include those with special needs, those who are long-term sick, those involved in substance misuse and those less able to look after themselves because of age.

To help ..read more

Putting Jesus back into Easter…

The Real Easter Egg company is the UK’s first and only Fairtrade Easter egg to explain the Christian understanding of Easter on the pack; it also gives a sizeable donation from profits to charitable projects.

If you would like to know more, and to order your Christian Easter Eggs, then please go to: www.realeasteregg.co.uk – please note the last date to order is 17th February.

Supermarkets agree to stock Christian-themed ..read more

NEWS FROM THE MARRIAGE FOCUS GROUP

Please take time to read the attached summary of future plans for the re-launched MFG.

If you agree that churches should be addressing the serious decline in marriage, please show your support by coming to the next meeting:

10am on Monday 7th February.   St John’s Methodist Church.

We particularly need help for Publicity and other important roles.

If you cannot come but want to register support please email  Rev. John Clark (chairman) at: johnynorma@yahoo.ca or ..read more

Support for the Environment, Support for Ecumenism and Support for the Poor. . More than 120 people from many congregations thronged Sudbury Catholic Church on the evening of Sunday 17 January 2010 for the United Service in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The offering, to support the work of Future Vision and n:vision with Assemblies, RE lessons and clubs in local schools, amounted to £319.79. The Revd John Boardman, minister of St John’s Methodist Church in Sudbury, preached ..read more

A Conference ‘Taking Humanity from Fear to Hope: New Directions for the Worldwide Community’

on Saturday 24 October at Sudbury Town Hall,  10-15 am to 1-30 pm.

Is the Church irrelevant today?

Let us know what YOU think!

Occasionally someone makes a provocative statement that really challenges people to think again about something they have previously taken for granted. Peter Riddell, a well known journalist and Christian writer said this:

“The greatest barrier to the Gospel in contemporary Western culture is the Church. The forms of the church, its life and pronouncements: these act to prevent people from hearing the liberating story of Jesus.”

..read more

Self-sacrifice tale: one for the ages

Just after midnight on Feb. 3, 1943, an act of extraordinary unselfishness by a group of men became a legend of martyrdom and sacrifice.

When the Army ship Dorchester was torpedoed by the Germans just south of Greenland that night, its passengers and crew had 25 minutes to get off the boat. As 902 people went for the life jackets, it quickly was discovered there weren’t near enough. Of the 13 lifeboats, only two functioned.

In ..read more

The views of contributors are their own, and do not necessarily represent those of CTiS.

The latest artistic obscenity is to desecrate the Bible. This is the extent of the creativity of two resident artists at the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) in Glasgow! An open Bible is a central part of their exhibition titled ‘Made in God’s Image’ and visitors are encouraged to deface the Scriptures. A note beside it says: “If you feel you have been excluded from ..read more

So the National Secular Society is advocating the end of chaplaincy services in hospitals. Terry Sanderson, its president, argues that “most of us go to hospital for medical treatment not for church services”. The society – using the Freedom of Information Act – has learnt chaplaincy activities cost NHS trusts £32 million and believes it would be better spent to employ 1,300 extra nurses or 2,500 cleaning staff. Mr Sanderson wants a patient’s individual vicar or priest to provide spiritual ..read more

At the 2007 Annual General Meeting the Revd Keith Horton gave a sobering talk on Climate Change – a concern which is often secondary to our daily lives.

He asked us to acknowledge the facts that there was evidence of an increase in temperatures in the Antarctic over the last fifty years with resultant rise in sea levels and melting ice caps. Earth’s resources were finite and we had to accept responsibility. ..read more