An island wide event that re-launched after a two-year pause saw a pilgrimage to St Hellier in Jersey. Among those who trekked from Town Church to the Hermitage where St. Helier lived and died were Bishop Stephen and his wife, Carol, Dean Mike Kerl and The Lieutenant Governor of Jersey.
Last Sunday Bishop Andrew spoke with BBC Wilts about #StainedGlassSummer. Listen to it here. Talking about the history of stained glass windows, Bishop Andrew explained: "Stained glass turned churches into the IMAX cinemas of mediaeval England. Cascades of kaleidoscopic colour and light onto the people gathered inside"
Pupils from All Saints School in Weymouth, Dorset, embarked on a three-and-a-half-day walk this week. Accompanied by members of the staff and with the Archdeacon of Dorset and diocesan Youth and Children's Adviser in tow. They began their adventure early Sunday morning at Durdle Door before walking 47 miles to St Wite's shrine at Whitchurch Canonicorum.
Last weekend, families across Dorset, along with Bishop Karen, our Diocesan Secretary David Pain, Rector of Bride Valley, Revd Jane Williams and Community Hub Advisor, Hannah Tarring, enjoyed a day at Monkey World! The heart of the visit was to spend time in consultation with families and hear their views on the future of the church, and get the children's perspective. 14 children (aged between 2-12 years) and 11 adults participated in the consultation.
The day was filled with fun and well-being activities as a thank you to clergy and LLMs for all the work they put into our parishes. This included; magic and comedy from Steve Legg, as well as his testimony and his trust in God, a drumming workshop from Drumbus and poems and music from Revd Ruth and Nick Wells.
On Saturday 30 September four new lay ministers will be licensed in Salisbury Cathedral by Bishop Karen as Warden of Readers, and many more will renew their promises, as they do each year in a service that celebrates this essential ministry.
The small primary school in west Dorset has been judged to be Good in all aspects following a two-day visit by two inspectors from the education watchdog in May.
Jean Garrard, Lay Pastoral Assistant in the benefice of Charminster Stinsford and the Chalk Stream Villages, has become the first Anna Chaplain to be commissioned under a licence agreement between the Diocese of Salisbury and the Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF).
In their quest to improve the immediate environment of the church, Winterslow Eco Church have sought innovative ways to reduce their carbon footprint. They have done this by using sustainable products within the church and reviewing their heating plan. Recently, they have looked at ways in which they can increase the biodiversity of the churchyard.
Many parish churches are full of beauty and history, attracting visitors from near and far. A large number include stunning stained glass windows, often depicting characters and stories from the Bible. To encourage people to visit your local church building, whether they are churchgoers or not, we invite you to share a picture or video of one of your stained glass windows, with some text to explain it, on your preferred social media channel(s).
