Bringing together the authors's experience of working in Europe, the United States, and Australia, this book includes the latest rites for welcoming adults into church membership, together with a detailed account of the Adult Catechumenate and the way in which adults may make a journey into faith, making commitment at the right time on the way and following through into discipleship.

A service card including the text of the Holy Baptism service. It contains congregational responses rather than the full text of the service. Produced in a durable, tall, narrow format single-folded card with four panels.

In July 2011, the House of Bishops commissioned a review group to draw together and reflect upon explorations on human sexuality conducted since the 1998 Lambeth Conference, and to offer proposals on how the continuing discussion within the Church of England about these matters might best be shaped. The group, which included four bishops, was Chaired by Sir Joseph Pilling. This is the group's report. Recognizing the continuing deep divisions within the Church on matters of sexuality, its key recommendations are for a process of facilitated conversations across the whole Church of England and in partnership with the rest of the Anglican Communion. The report considers the rapidly changing context within which the group undertook its work. It examines the available data about the views of the public in our country over time. The report considers homophobia, evidence from science, from Scripture and from theologians. Included with the main report are a Prologue - 'Living with holiness and desire' by Dr Jessica Martin - and Appendices by Keith Sinclair, Bishop of Birkenhead and by the Revd David Runcorn, setting out two viewpoints on Scripture and same sex relationships. The Report of the House of Bishops Working Group on human sexuality - while it is not a new policy statement from the Church of England - offers findings and recommendations to form part of the process of facilitated conversations.

Adrian Empey: The medieval parish: a school for laity Colm Lennon: The formation of a lay community in the Church of Ireland, 1580-1647 T.C. Barnard: Piety 'too masculine, too much governed by right reason'? Lay people and the Church of Ireland, 1647-1780 Patrick Comerford: A silent laity in the days of a silken prelacy and a slumbering priesthood? Lay people, 1780-1830 W.G. Neely: Reform and reorganisation: the laity and the Irish church, 1830-1870 Kenneth Milne: the laity in the twentieth century David Hayton: The development and limitations of Protestant ascendancy: the Church of Ireland laity in public life, 1660-1740 Jacqueline Hill: The Church of Ireland laity and the public sphere, 1740- 1869 Martin Maguire: 'Our people': the Church of Ireland laity and the language of community in Dublin since Disestablishment Raymond Gillespie: Lay spirituality and worship, 1558-1800 John Paterson: Lay spirituality and worship, 1800-1900 Stephen McBride: The laity in the church: church building, 1000-2000

This leaflet is a simple guide to a vital new piece of Church of England legislation: the Bishops' Mission Order. Where fresh expressions of church involve collaboration between or across parish boundaries, a Bishops' Mission Order may be needed - so every PCC and deanery synod in the UK will need to get to grips with the content of this leaflet.

Taken from the Church of England's Common Worship liturgy, this booklet contains the text of the contemporary Morning and Evening Prayer services including the Thanksgivings, A Service of the Word, a selection from Prayers for Various Occasions, the Litany, all Canticles for use at Morning and Evening Prayer. It does not include the Psalter.

This timely, multi-faceted book by a collection of leading thinkers and practitioners provides church leaders with the resources to re-imagine church and ministry in the twenty-first century. Looking at both traditional forms of church and fresh expressions, this wide-ranging book offers invaluable historical, psychological, sociological and theological perspectives on the parish system. Leading thinkers outline the challenges facing the Church, present suggestions for areas for development, and set out principles for future growth.

Tensions within the Anglican Communion and discussions about the possibility of women bishops have thrown a spotlight onto underlying issues such as:
How are decisions taken in the Church?
What are the roles of synods, bishops and primates?
How should the Archbishop of Canterbury's ministry develop?
What do being 'in communion' and 'out of communion' mean?
How significant are diocesan boundaries in an age of globalization?
Behind the headline-provoking debates are questions about the very identity of the Church of England and the Anglican Communion. How do Anglicans understand their own church and its place within the wider Church?
In this lucid and accessible collection of essays, Colin Podmore draws on his expertise and experience, and explores these and related topics, setting them in their historical context. He also explains how synodical government works and looks at the Declaration of Assent, a defining statement of the Church of England's identity.

To mark the 50th anniversary in 2012 of the rebuilding of Coventry Cathedral after its destruction by incendiary bombs in November 1940, this lavishly illustrated volume celebrates a unique church with a unique mission. The decision to rebuild the Cathedral was taken the morning after the bombing - not as an act of defiance, but one of faith, trust and hope for the future of the world. Reconciling People tells the story of every aspect the Cathedral's life: its architecture in war and in peace, its theology, worship and spirituality, music and the arts, its mission and ministry, its place in the life of the city, the Cathedral as a place of reconciliation, its people over the decades and its life today. Co-published with the Friends of Coventry Cathedral, this celebratory volume is a record of a how a 900-year old cathedral rose from the ashes of violent destruction to become a symbol of reconciliation and to develop a unique mission among Britain's churches.

Anglican eucharistic theology varies between the different philosophical assumptions of realism and nominalism. Whereas realism links the signs of the Eucharist with what they signify in a real way, nominalism sees these signs as reminders only of past and completed transaction. This book begins by discussing the multifomity of the philosophical assumptions underlying Anglican eucharistic theology and goes on to present extensive case study material which exemplify these different assumptions from the Reformation to the Nineteenth century. By examining the multiformity of philosophical assumptions this book avoids the hermeneutic idealism of particular church parties and looks instead at the Anglican eucharistic tradition in a more critical manner.

The relationship between the Syrian Orthodox Church in the Ottoman Empire and the Church of England developed substantially between 1895 and 1914, as contacts between them grew. As the character of this emerging relationship changed, it contributed to the formation of both churches' own 'narratives of identity'. The wider context in which this took place was a period of instability in the international order, particularly within the Ottoman Empire, culminating in the outbreak of the First World War, effectively bringing this phase of sustained contact to an end. Narratives of Identity makes use of Syriac, Garshuni, and Arabic primary sources from Syrian Orthodox archives in Turkey and Syria, alongside Ottoman documents from the Basbakanlik Osmanli Arsivi, Istanbul, and a range of English archival sources. The preconceptions of both Churches are analysed, using a philosophical framework provided by the work of Paul Ricoeur, especially his concepts of significant memory (anamnesis), translation, and the search for mutual recognition. Anamnesis and translation were extensively employed in the formation of 'narratives of identity' that needed to be understood by both Churches. The identity claims of the Tractarian section of the Church of England and of the Ottoman Syrian Orthodox Church are examined using this framework. The detailed content of the theological dialogue between them, is then examined, and placed in the context of the rapidly changing demography of eastern Anatolia, the Syrian Orthodox 'heartland'. The late Ottoman state was characterised by an increased instability for all its non-Muslim minorities, which contributed to the perceived threats to Ottoman Syrian Orthodoxy, both from within and without. Finally, a new teleological framework is proposed in order to better understand these exchanges, taking seriously the amamnetic insights of the narratives of identity of both the Syrian Orthodox Church and the Church of England from 1895 to 1914.

This leaflet challenges the 50% of adults who have not yet made a will to do so, and to consider leaving a gift to their church. A pack of 50 leaflets, ready for display at the back of church.

In The Anglican Eucharist in Australia, Brian Douglas explores the History, Theology, and Liturgy of the Eucharist in the Anglican Church of Australia. The story begins with the first white settlement in 1788 and continues to the present day. The three eucharistic liturgies used in the ACA, and the debates that led to them, are examined in depth: The Book of Common Prayer (1662); An Australian Prayer Book (1978); and A Prayer Book for Australia (1995). The deep sacramentality of the Aboriginal people is acknowledged and modern issues such as liturgical development, lay presidency and virtual Eucharists are also explored. The book concludes with some suggestions for the further development of eucharistic liturgies within the ACA.

The Canons of the Church of England 7th edition provides a comprehensive and essential guide to all the legal aspects of running a church. This edition includes the First Supplement to the Seventh Edition, incorporating the changes which made it legal for women to become bishops in the Church of England; and the Second Supplement, introducing a new Canon to enable the Church of England to deal more effectively with safeguarding issues. The Canons also address: * The approved forms of services and service books * Orders of ministry * Doctrines of the Church of England * Government of the Church of England * Legal requirements relating to baptism, marriage and funerals * The role and responsibilities of Churchwardens and PCCs * Church property maintainence * Record keeping * Other uses of church buildings e.g. for entertainment * The admission of children to communion * Synods * The Ecclesiastical courts * Clergy housing * The admission of licensing of lay workers An essential reference companion and guide for all clergy, churchwardens, synod members and all involved in diocesan and national church governance.

St. Paul's is Halifax's oldest building, its first place of worship, and remains central to the civic life of the city after more than 250 years on the Grand Parade.
St. Paul's figures prominently in the city's long relationship with the British royal family, and has played an important role in key events in Halifax history, from the town's founding to the sinking of the "Titanic," the 1917 Explosion, and the immense tragedies of two world wars. Through it all the church has served as a place of worship and a source of outreach into the broader community. The building itself is fascinating, with many fine architectural features and beautiful furnishings. All these elements of St. Paul's history are explored in this book.
Illustrated with a wide selection of historical and modern visuals--many in full colour--"St. Paul's in the Grand Parade" is a vivid reflection on one of the country's most historic places of worship.

This text presents a practical guide to church cleaning, illustrated with cartoons.

A historical view of church floors and floor coverings. This text provides information on their construction and care.

The new edition of "The Church of England Year Book 2006" contains: selected church statistics; who's who directory of Synod members and other senior clergy, lay people and senior staff; summary of Synod business for the year; an outline of the structure of the Archbishops' Council and how the Council fits with existing bodies; details of the work of the Archbishops' Council during 2005; names and addresses of officers in the 44 dioceses of the Church of England; addresses, objectives and activities of organisations linked to the church; essential information about the churches and provinces in the worldwide Anglican Communion, including maps; and details of Ecumenical organisations linked to the Anglican Church.

How can we learn to relate better to one another across the differences and diversity that we find in our church communities? This five-session course is designed to help identify the roadblocks that can so easily hinder us from understanding each other better and loving each other more deeply. The course encourages us to find creative ways to grow and learn together in the love of God. The course is based on the Church of England's Pastoral Principles for Living Well Together. These Principles identify six 'pervading evils' that hinder our growth as Christians, hurt other people and create barriers that stop our churches from growing into Christian communities of welcome and belonging. Each session focuses on one or two of these 'evils' and includes resources for Bible study, refection, discussion and worship. Free accompanying videos are available via www.churchofengland.org/PAG By exploring these in our everyday lives and relationships, the course helps us to play our part in seeking unity in our church communities as well as in the wider community. It can be used to explore particular topics about which there is disagreement, or used simply as a means of becoming a community that lives more fully in the way of Christ. Pack of 6 copies.

As communities of Christians we are held together in the love of Christ. Our many differences are gifts that can build us up in trust and mutual affection, or they can mar the image of Christ that we are called to reflect through our life together. These Pastoral Principles cards are for you to use in your church community to examine afresh your life together. The focus relates to LGBTI+ people, but they apply to all sorts of difference and diversity among God's people. Each of the six principles has a card that describes the principle, offers some reflections and suggests some questions to ponder. They may be used as: * as a series of small group studies * on a parish weekend or a PCC away day * as part of a training session for people involved in pastoral care in your church * as a resource for teaching and preaching. The House of Bishops commends them to the dioceses and parishes of the Church of England.

The Emmaus course has been an effective tool for evangelism and adult initiation in the UK and throughout the world. Nurture is a 15-session course for enquirers and new Christians that is also suitable for an adult confirmation course. It consists of: Part 1: What Christians believe (5 sessions) Part 2: How Christians grow (5 sessions) Part 3: Living the Christian life (5 sessions) This fully revised Second edition includes the following new features and changes: Harmonized with Common Worship material wherever necessary More extensive background reading for leaders Inclusive language used throughout All Bible quotations from the NRSV More explicit links with other Emmaus materials Wider range of suggestions for using video as appropriate Members handouts have been reduced to 2 sides of A4 - making them easier to photocopy Members handouts are interspersed with the Leaders Guide, instead of being grouped together at the end of the book Additional information on the Emmaus series and issues such as time away and meals together Each session has either been revised or re-written - ensuring that the whole course is clearer and up-to-date A totally new-look cover and text-design Also includes a FREE CD-ROM that contains handouts and supplementary material, an Emmaus Poster, a Powerpoint presentation, and useful links to Emmaus website.