Welcome to the E-News bulletin from the Diocese of London. We aim to keep our members and friends in touch with developments in the Church of England in our part of the capital.
Church life in London is producing record numbers of ordinands. London Diocese currently has 146 people in training for ordained ministry, which represents 11 per cent of the national total. On average, each diocese in the country has only 31 people in training. Our contribution to the wider Church of England is significant since many of these ordinands will go on to serve the Church of England in parts of the country where there is a shortage of clergy. Reader numbers are also up with 256 in active service across the Diocese and 50 in training.
We have 31 men and women from all walks of life being ordained deacon by the Bishop of London in St Paul's Cathedral at 5pm on 1st July. All are welcome to attend the service.
Churches across the Diocese will be marking the anniversary in different ways. St Paul's Cathedral and churches local to some of the explosions have announced their plans.
Find details of services and read about the way the Church responded to the attacks
A new campaign aimed at reducing the Church of England's carbon emissions to 40 per cent of current levels by 2050 has been launched under the title 'Shrinking the Footprint'. The first step in this process will be to map the way in which energy is presently used and forms will be sent to parishes in the coming months.
There has been lots of environmental news in London this month:
St Aldhelm's, Edmonton is already rising to the challenge - www.london.anglican.org/NewsShow_6016
The Bishop of London has just celebrated Britain's First Fleet of Eco-Friendly Private Hire Taxis - www.london.anglican.org/NewsShow_6142
Please pray for Fr Malcolm Hunter from St Michael's, Camden Town, as he prepares to live as one of the homeless people his church serves. The twist is that he's going to do it on the church roof! His aim? To raise £1,000,000 to serve the local community.
Sunday 9 July marks ALMA Sunday - a day to celebrate the Angola, London and Mozambique Association, a diocesan partnership which has borne much fruit. Last year's Lent Appeal, for example, raised £75,000 for health projects in Southern Africa, including Angola.
The Bishop of Kensington is presently visiting our Sister Church in Angola with Mrs Colclough and Peter Southwood, the ALMA Link Officer. They will return in the last week of June with much up to date information for parishes wishing to mark ALMA Sunday with prayers, a special collection or by circulating information to parishoners.
The Guardian recently covered the innovative scheme operated by St Clement & St James Community Project which attempts to do just that.
Did you know you can find out what's on in the Diocese, register to receive event updates and even add your own events to the website?
For City Churches there is also the monthly publication 'City Events', www.cityevents.co.uk
The Bishop of London is encouraging London's churchgoers and friends to write to their local MP or the Chancellor of the Exchequer in support of this new English Heritage five point plan to assist historic places of worship.
