News from the Diocese

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=210 BGCOLOR="#99CC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="05c8dfc3.jpg"> <div> <B><IMG SRC="0cd4e680.png" border=0 width="78" height="104" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>The Diocese of St Albans is part of the Church of England and home to more than 1.6 million people. </B></div> <div> <B>It includes Bedfordshire, Luton, Hertfordshire and parts of the London Borough of Barnet.</B></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=82 style=" border-bottom: 1px solid #999980;" BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="05d8dfe1esnpes.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Knebworth Parish Church</B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|</B><B>     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Knebworth Parish Church"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="rector_welcome.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rectors Welcome">Rector's Welcome</A>   |   <A HREF="services.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Service Times">Service Times</A>   |   <A HREF="pcc.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PCC">PCC</A>   |   <A HREF="groups.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Organisations">Organisations</A>   |   <A HREF="contact.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact">Contact</A>   |   <A HREF="news.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News">News</A>   |   <A HREF="buildings.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church">Church</A>   |   <A HREF="weekly_sheet.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Weekly Sheet">Weekly Sheet</A>   |   <A HREF="site_map.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Site Map">Site Map</A>   |   <B>News from the Diocese</B>   |   <A HREF="links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links">Links</A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=398 width="100%" colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="05d8dfc3.jpg"> <div> <I>News from the Diocese</I></div> <bR> <div> <B>February 2008 - News and events from around the Diocese of St Albans and the Church of England</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Please feel free to forward this to others and to reproduce in full or part in parish magazines and newsletters.</B></div> <div> <B>News from the Diocese</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Bishop of St Albans to retire</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Announcing that he will retire on 7th January 2009, his 65th birthday, Bishop Christopher said: “As I look ahead to these last few months I realise how vibrant the diocese is and how much I have valued the tremendous variety of people in our communities and the many ways in which they express their thriving, living faith.”</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>On 8th November 2008 the diocese will say goodbye to Bishop Christopher in his last public engagement, a special Service in St Albans Abbey.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>LENT</B></div> <div> <B>Be a better Neighbour during Lent</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The Archbishops of Canterbury and York are encouraging us to make the world a better place in small and simple ways, such as leaving a thank-you note for the postie or going a whole day without gossiping. The Love Life Live Lent booklets produced by Church House Publishing contain other suggestions for each day in Lent. This year, daily suggestions are also available through social networking sites including Facebook, MySpace and photo-sharing website Flickr .</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Fairtrade Fortnight falling in the middle of Lent this year from 25th February to 9th March, provides opportunities to make it part of our journey towards Easter joy.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Resources available on the Fairtrade website Fairtrade Fortnight page and on the St Albans Diocese website’s World Development Page</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Churches Together in Stevenage want to make sure you eat just chocolate. Their campaign promotes fairtrade chocolate, avoiding the 40% of cocoa beans produced in the Ivory Coast where over 12,000 children work in dreadful conditions to harvest them. More at www.justchocolate.org.uk</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Carbon Fasting for Lent</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The Church Times and Tearfund are making a series of energy-saving ideas available as a daily e-mail or a one-off download from the Tearfund website.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>One suggestion is to remove a lightbulb from a room with two lights as a visual reminder of the need to cut carbon emissions.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>St Albans Cathedral Easter Pilgrimage: One More Step</B></div> <div> <B>Monday 24th March, Easter Monday, is expected to see 1500 pilgrims take one more step then another and another as they journey to St Albans Cathedral to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Join pilgrims in the Abbey Orchard from 1pm. Bring a picnic. Processions start moving into the Abbey at 2:30 pm, the informal Eucharist begins at 3pm, led by Bishop Christopher for whom this will be his last Easter Monday as Bishop of the Diocese. More about the pilgrimage on the diocesan website.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Click here for more or make enquiries to Canon Stephen Lake at subdean@stalbanscathedral.org.uk</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Queen's new Chaplain is from St Albans Diocese</B></div> <div> <B>Buckingham Palace has announced that The Revd Edward Lewis, who lives in St Albans Diocese, has been appointed as a chaplain to Her Majesty The Queen. Fr Edward is Chief Executive of the Hospital Chaplaincies Council. The Bishop of St Albans comments: “As a priest who lives and regularly officiates in this diocese, Edward’s appointment to this prestigious role is a source of great joy for all of us connected to the Church in Bedfordshire, Luton, Hertfordshire and Barnet.”</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Choral Evensong at the Cathedral</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>BBC Radio 3’s Choral Evensong for Ash Wednesday from St Albans Cathedral can be heard via the BBC website here until 12 February.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>BBC to screen The Passion series during Holy Week</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>A dramatic retelling of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus will be shown on BBC 1 at peak time starting on Palm Sunday and running through to Easter Sunday.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Local Ministry Consultation Day</B></div> <div> <B>A look at local ministry from biblical perspectives with the Bishop of Bedford to how to start a Local Ministry Team. For more information or to book call Canon Robin Brown, 01727 818151 or rbrown@stalbans.anglican.org </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>St Albans Diocese Evangelical Fellowship Annual Conference - Thursday 28th February</B></div> <div> <B>Steven Croft: the Archbishops’ Mission Adviser will speak on Fresh Expressions “Good News from parishes across the country”.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Venues: </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>1.  Barton-le-Clay. Noon – 14.45pm  including Lunch</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>(Bookings will be required for catering purposes.) </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>2. St. Marks Colney Heath  7.30pm – 9.30pm including Coffee and Biscuits</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Contact: Philip Lovegrove, 01462 481880, 020 7448 4754 Philip.lovegrve@fiskeplc.com</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>BBC 1 Question Time</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Is in Watford on February 14th. Apply for tickets to be part of the studio audience here</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Bike ride raised £100,000 in 2007</B></div> <div> <B>The Beds & Herts Historic Churches Trust set a target of £100,000 for its 2007 Sponsored Bike Ride last September. Now the Trust is able to report that this target has been reached. The Bike Ride has been held annually since 1991 and a total of over a £1,000,000 has been raised through sponsorship since then. Half this money goes each year to the churches and chapels that support the Bike Ride; the other half is used by the Trust to provide grants towards the repair and maintenance of churches and chapels across the two counties. This year's magnificent result, as in previous years, owes everything to the support of the many riders, sponsors and organisers who make it happen. Congratulations to all concerned.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Events of the month</B></div> <div> <B>St John the Baptist, Chipping Barnet, Gentlemen & Boys Choir and special guests perform J.S.Bach’s ‘St John Passion’ on Sunday 9th March at 6.30pm. Conducted by Terence Atkins. Admission free but donations invited. Details Tel: 020 8440 8593.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>St Michael’s Church, Windhill, Bishop’s Stortford is holding a Wedding Fayre, on Saturday 16th February, 11am- 4pm. Experience the atmosphere, listen to Choir and Organ recitals, enjoy lunch and the fashion show taking place at 1:30pm. All you need for your wedding will be on display, resourced by local businesses. Proceeds to be split between St Michael’s and Herts Air Ambulance.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B> An evening of musical excellence and friendship with Face2Face - a unique blend of music from classical, rock, jazz, pop, ballads, opera and Christian songs. All welcome.  One FREE place if you book a table of 8 - 10 people - why not invite your friends, family or work colleagues. Saturday 1st March 2008 – The Chapel, Porter's Park Drive, Shenley, Hertfordshire 7.30 pm for 8.00 pm - Tickets £12.00 (Concessions £10.00) Light refreshments included    Contact: Christine on 01727 827092 or Ann on 01707 642193</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>All this month’s events can be seen here</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>News from the Church of England</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>General Synod sits 11 February – 14 February</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Major debates on detention without charge, mental health issues and casinos will be on the agenda of the General Synod when it meets at Church House, Westminster, from Monday, February 11, to Thursday, February 14, 2008. There is a large programme of legislative business, the most substantial item being the Revision Stage of the Clergy Terms of Service legislation. Synod will have further opportunity to debate the Anglican Communion Covenant and Senior Church (Crown) Appointments, following earlier debates in July 2007, and there will also be a focus on Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue.</B></div> <div> <B>http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr0908.html</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Church of England appoints Representative to the EU Institutions</B></div> <div> <B>The Revd Dr Gary Wilton has been appointed to the newly created post of Church of England’s Representative to the EU Institutions. The Bishop of St Albans, who chairs the House of Bishops Europe Panel welcomed the appointment, saying: “It is really good to have been able to appoint Gary Wilton to this new post.  The Church of England must continue to increase its role in Europe in partnership with other churches so that together we can play our part in helping to shape the Europe of the future.”</B></div> <div> <B>http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr0808.html</B></div> <bR> <div> <B> </B></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>