As we approach Racial Justice Sunday on 8 February, we’re reminded that the call to racial justice is shared by the whole Church. 🙏 We encourage everyone across the Diocese to mark Racial Justice Sunday through prayer, conversation, learning, or quiet reflection. 🔗 Read more here: buff.ly/A0VVKQk

🌱 Leading Your Church Into Growth Residential Weekend – Bookings Now Open! Looking for fresh vision, renewed energy, and practical tools to help your church grow? 📅 Friday 16 – Sunday 18 October 2026 👉 Find out more and book your place: buff.ly/YFUMUMl

🎙️ Did you know the Diocesan Schools Team produce a podcast called Flourishing Together? A new episode has been released today, titled "How I approached the Understanding Christianity resource via a worldview lens". 👉 Check out the Flourishing Together podcast here: buff.ly/d0HHl00

The Diocese of St Albans is inviting anyone with experiences or knowledge of abuse or harmful behaviour connected to St Andrew’s, Chorleywood (1980s–2000s) to come forward. This is a voluntary, survivor-centred process. Read further: buff.ly/gL9XZ9z

✨We are hiring! Could this be you or someone you know? ✨ There are still 6 days left to apply for this role, as part of our Mission and Ministry Team as the Growing Younger and More Diverse Administrator. 👉 Check out all of the details here: buff.ly/ubiqoRO 📅 Applications close: 12pm, Weds 28 Jan

🚀A celebration evening last week marked the end of a five‑week course as participants completed their Launchpad training. 👉 Another course is set to run in the Autumn. Find out more about Launchpad here and register your interest for the next course: buff.ly/rzHhmQs

🌳 Bookings are now open for our next Hope for Rural Churches Conference, 6 June 2026 🌳 Join us for a day of inspiration, discussion, workshops and worship. We welcome anyone with a heart for their local rural church to come and join us. All details and booking here: buff.ly/DuDus1u

🐋 Have you experienced the whales yet at St Albans Cathedral? The installation, now entering its final fortnight, features three majestic sperm whales suspended in the nave of the cathedral. Do check out the details and see some more pictures in our story here: buff.ly/W03dmAn

Bishop Richard recently hosted an event at Bishop’s Lodge for Civic Mayors in Bedfordshire (alongside Mayor Tom Wootton, the elected Mayor of Bedford). This was an opportunity for the mayors to meet together to further build on their shared concern for Bedfordshire and its communities.

We’re delighted to share that the Church of England has awarded the Diocese of St Albans £2.3 million in Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment funding, which comes as a major boost for local mission, leadership development and church revitalisation. 👉 Read more here: buff.ly/akYRCsu

🌿 St Mary’s Watford has taken an important step in caring for God’s creation by switching its buildings to green gas. This makes the parish one of the first in the area to run on renewable energy rather than traditional fossil fuels. 👉 Read the full story here: buff.ly/7mt8D9g.

✨ We have an exciting new role as part of our Mission and Ministry team, for a Deaf and Disability Concerns Officer. Could this role be for you or someone you know? 📅 Closing date for applications: 21 January 👉 For more information, visit: buff.ly/5dSs1zh

✨ We are recruiting ✨ Could this role be for you or someone you know? We are looking for a senior administrator to join our Property Team. It is a part time role (0.8), with a closing date of Monday 19 January for applications. 👉 For more details and to apply, visit: buff.ly/BKA9R1N

🌱 Interested in Eco Church? Our colleagues at Ely Diocese are hosting some online training tomorrow evening (Tues 13 Jan) from 6-7pm on Zoom and have extended this invitation. This is part of a wider series on Eco Church Support. Read more and register here: buff.ly/VXT0F87

✨ Could this role be for you? We're looking for someone interested in sustainability and the built environment with strong administrative skills. 📅 Closing date for applications: Wednesday 14 January at 12pm 🔗 More information and how to apply here: buff.ly/w5kWrmV

🙏 Please join us in prayer for the interviews which will take place on 20–21 January, for the next Bishop of St Albans. We invite you to pray, both personally and within your church communities, that God’s wisdom and guidance will be deeply felt throughout this process.

✨ Applications for The Alban Way 2026 cohort are now open ✨ A year-long discipleship programme for 18-35's, designed to help deepen faith through a year of exploration of spiritual practices, rooted in community, running alongside your normal work/study patterns. Find out more: buff.ly/ABR8iuv

✨ Four job opportunities worth checking out at the start of this new year: Net Zero Carbon Support Officer Property Team Administrator Buildings Administrator Deaf and Disabilities Concerns Officer Could any of these be you or someone you know? Visit buff.ly/wIxSuba.

Happy New Year 🎆🎉 May God's peace and grace be with you in 2026. A prayer for the new year: buff.ly/ysf7QIg

🎄🙏 Wishing you and those around you a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful and joyful New Year ahead. A Christmas greeting from Bishop Richard and Bishop Jane.

✨ Building faith with Lego blocks! Families are being invited to explore Bible stories in a creative way at the new monthly Lego Church at All Saints' Hockerill, including a video reflection, hands-on creations, prayer, and food. 👉Read more here: buff.ly/RlizEiz

🐾🎄 Bark the Herald! Holy Trinity Lyonsdown, New Barnet, welcomed 50 people and 24 dogs to its first dog-friendly carol service which concluded with a joyful twist on Hark the Herald! Read the full story here: buff.ly/CQvPOzV #DioceseofStAlbans #ChristmasWelcome

A look back at some festive, joyful stories of hope and celebration that have taken place already in this season of Advent and Christmas around the Diocese: buff.ly/6lvm6YJ Do find out what is happening locally to you through A Church Near You: buff.ly/T2kwbgI

Today the Crown Nominations Committee (CNC) meet for the first time to begin shortlisting candidates for the new Diocesan Bishop - the Bishop of St Albans. Let us join together in prayer for the six elected CNC members, for discernment and guidance from God as they meet.

“I’ve learnt God is everywhere, even on the internet.” This was some feedback from a 12-year-old attending one of our one-day school symposium events this week, hosted by the Diocese's schools team for year 8 and 9 students. Read the full story here: buff.ly/bYaSY4I

🌟The schools team are hosting a symposium today on 'Thriving in a (Dis)connected World', for secondary school students. 🙏 Please be praying for the students, staff and those involved in hosting the day. The students have so far been exploring the idea of where God is at work on social media.

Lovely to see churches around the Diocese preparing for Advent and Christmas, and sharing the joy of Christmas with their communities, through events, services, drop ins and more. This banner has recently gone up @St Pauls, St Albans. ✨Free resources: buff.ly/fAPnUza

🌍 On Monday night, around 150 people came together for our Diocesan Interfaith Event at St Albans Cathedral. 👉 Read the full story and see the pictures here: buff.ly/Xm3pjRr #InterfaithWeek #LivingGodsLove

🍫✨ The Chocolate Stop – a sweet success in Silsoe! What started with a simple idea and a £250 grant has quickly become a much‑loved community fixture at St James the Great, Silsoe. Read the full story here: buff.ly/WIhp0TY #LivingGodsLove

🍴Today is the final Learning Lunchtime in this current series, don't miss it! We're talking all about how to prepare for generous giving at Christmas, led by Giving Adviser Kate Ford🎄: 🕐1-2pm, online 🔗 For the link, register here: buff.ly/dW5vObm

🙏 A prayer for Safeguarding Sunday, which is today, 16 November. More prayers and resources available from @Thiryone:eight #SafeguardingSunday

🌍 Continuing with our stories for Interfaith Week, we hear from a brilliant initiative called The Barnet Collective, run by St Mary's Church, East Barnet. 👉 Read the story here: buff.ly/r9vSw2q #InterfaithWeek #Community #FaithInAction

This Sunday, we mark #SafeguardingSunday ➡️ Find safeguarding information and support from the Diocese here: buff.ly/8ITMCVt ➡️ Explore resources from Thirtyone:eight, including a free digital church resource pack available for download: buff.ly/dY424xy

🌍✨This week is Interfaith week and we are featuring some stories of how churches in our diocese are working together with other faiths. 👉 Read this story from Christ Church Radlett, offering a lifeline for families living with dementia: buff.ly/smhY9aq

Join Bishop Christopher Herbert, former Bishop of St Albans, for a sneak peak into his new book, ‘Jane Austen’s Favourite Brother, Henry’, written for the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. 🎟️ Tickets here: buff.ly/cZEcCs2

Today marks the opening of COP30, the UN Climate Conference in Belém, Brazil. As world leaders gather to confront the climate crisis, we join together in prayer for our world. 🙏 Read more about the Church of England's engagement with COP30 here: buff.ly/pcZWxGi

🎉 Congratulations to the 2025 Alban Way cohort! We celebrated their year of discipleship with a joyful commissioning service at St Albans Cathedral last Saturday. Read the news story here: buff.ly/DEGnGQ4 🙏 We pray for blessings on their next steps.

✨ In ten days time we have our diocese interfaith event at St Albans Cathedral, in partnership with Grassroots Luton: 🗓️ Monday 17 November, 7pm at St Albans Cathedral 🎟️ Get your free tickets here: buff.ly/uBNbWuj 👉 Find out more about the event here: buff.ly/hpID3r0

🎉 Congratulations to The Parish Church of St John the Baptist, Royston, who have today been removed from Historic England's at Risk Register, following an impressive restoration after a devastating fire in 2018. 👉 Read our news story here: buff.ly/0URhNts

🎨✨ Local schools to All Saints' Church, Parish of South Oxhey and Carpenders Park (Watford), are bringing faith to life through their art and creativity this week in an interactive exhibition called Saints Alive! Read all about it here: buff.ly/cEQHH72

A message from Bishop Richard to the Jamaican Community in the Diocese of St Albans.

A recent service of thanksgiving and prayer for rural churches in the Diocese was held at St James' Church Silsoe. Read about the service and see more photos here, featuring creative prayer stations: buff.ly/YuVr82h See links at the bottom of the article for further opportunities.

“Church should always be like this!”, declared one nine year old boy during a jacket potato dinner at St Swithin's Church recently. The church received a Small Mission Grant from the Diocese that enabled them to provide a summer Messy Church project for the community.

Following a gathering last week for young adults at Bishop's Lodge, we hear from two of those who attended the evening and what they most appreciated. 👉 Read the full story here, including hopes for further meetups in the future: buff.ly/8MYIbFB

⛪ St Mary's Church in Meppershall recently celebrated the completion of extensive restoration works to their historic tower and transepts. 👉 Read the news story and see before and after photos here: buff.ly/0I8FVw4

🎄 This is a great time to be planning for activities and offerings available for the Advent and Christmas season for your church or community. Take a look at this link for helpful webinars and resources: buff.ly/faReCuQ

✨ We are hiring! Could this be the job for you or someone you know? We are looking for a Vocations Administrator. 📅 Closing date for applications: 12pm on Monday 3 November 👉 Find out more: buff.ly/OTVAlRD

Last week, 72 headteachers, diocesan staff, archdeacons and bishops gathered for a day to prioritise the place of the spiritual within our schools and trusts. 👉 Read our news story here with thoughts and pictures from the day: buff.ly/pfWWiTP

The UK Cohort of the Alban Way recently returned from their pilgrimage to Lindisfarne (the Holy Island), walking in the footsteps of saints who went before them. Learn about what the group got up to and see some pictures from their adventures here: buff.ly/PwwOS3V

✏️ Take a look at our update on this year's Bishops' Harvest Appeal: buff.ly/U6iWEIX 👉 The appeal is well under-way and it is not too late for you to get involved: buff.ly/axxDs7s #2025harvestappeal #educationforall #pencilontour #rewritetheirfuture