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As most of you will have now heard, I will be moving from the churches here to a new post in Oxford diocese at the beginning of March. I’ve loved my six years here, and it will be a wrench to leave, but I know I’m leaving a brilliant team in place. I’m so grateful for all the love and support I’ve received from the church communities and the wider community here. Arrangements for appointment of a new vicar will begin to be made in due course - and Archdeacon Mark will oversee

On Saturday 15 th  November, following an inspired idea from Annie Morphy, we hosted about 100 of our volunteers - people who help out in all sorts of different ways across our four church communities. People who clean our church buildings, arrange the flowers, act as welcomers, cut the grass, serve refreshments, wind the clocks, lead prayers, serve at communion, support our children’s work, take on our home visits, run our safeguarding, sit on our PCCs, organise our fundrais

I’ve been listening recently to a number of stories about adoption. Some of you may be adopted, or you may have adopted children yourselves. I have been struck by how, even where adoptions have been very happy, loving, and nurturing, it seems that often the adopted person, whether as a child or an adult, longs to know about their birth parents, and how powerful it can be for them even just to see a photo of someone who “looks like me”. That recognition that you have “the fami

Today we are celebrating the Feast of All Saints. It is one of our major Christian festivals, and it has been celebrated by Christians for over 1400 years. Three of the four churches in our benefice are dedicated to saints - Martin, Bartholomew, Philip and James. Our cathedral is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Oswald and Wulfstan. The lives of the saints are commemorated and celebrated not only because they set us a good example, but because they still surround and tra

Whether it’s Traitors, Bake Off or Strictly, have you noticed that most of our most popular TV entertainment is concerned with eliminating people?? Viewers watch agog to see if an overbaked meringue or a leaden foxtrot will spell the end for their favoured (or disliked) contestant. Or, if Traitors is your thing, bluff and double-bluff, throwing suspicion on your fellows and diverting attention in order to climb over the backs of other people is an essential skill. It strikes

I was away from the parishes for a couple of weeks in September, and because for the first week I was staying in a monastery on a...

The West Worcester Beacon Group of Churches is delighted to announce that, thanks to generous funding from Worcester Diocese, we have...

I don’t know about you, but I got MUCH TOO HOT in June and July. The scorching weather, the weeks without rain - it honestly made me a...

The West Worcester Beacon Healthy & Sustainable Churches Team (HSCT) is seeking an experienced and flexible partner organisation to carry...

I was asked to add this sermon to the blog - it starts with two quite long readings - I hope you’ll find it worth your time!   We are...

Some of the nation’s favourite poetry will provide the inspiration for an historic village church’s flower festival later this month....

This statement was coined by a large organisation that I know a few years ago and, whilst it is mildly amusing (maybe!) on initial...

Kalantha and I wanted to thank you for all your kind words regarding our recent trip to London for Kalantha’s presentation as Honorary...

As you may know, by the time you read this, I will (all being well) have been presented to His Majesty at Buckingham Palace as one of his...

I’m writing this at the beginning of Holy Week: the busiest week of the year for vicars - yes -  even  busier than the week before...

Our Benefice Vicar, Reverend Kalantha Brewis, has recently received a letter from the Lord Chamberlain’s Office, Buckingham Palace under...

Popular organist and YouTuber Ben Maton (The Salisbury Organist) visited Christ Church Lower Broadheath for his latest video! 🎼 Watch...

In March, The Times published an article documenting an unexpected phenomenon. While most non-fiction book sales have been declining in...

I was wondering the other day where the phrase “Mad as a March Hare” comes from. Apparently, the behaviour of hares during March becomes...

One of the things I’ve been reading about a bit lately is a practice called “gratitude journalling”. It’s not necessarily a religious...