Online church services, prayers and worship
Serving our neighbour: Coronavirus community support
FAQs for churches during the coronavirus crisis
Read Bishop Robert's latest newsletter

Live Swift Cams in Dartmoor Church

The bell tower at St Michael the Archangel in Chagford has become a nesting site for Common Swifts for the first time in over 25 years. Last week, Nick Baker, a local naturalist and TV presenter, hosted a livestream from the church, which was broadcast on the RSPB England Facebook page and featured live camera feeds of the swifts nesting in the church and a live Q&A with Nick. Nick said: “There were swifts in…

Stepping Out of the Boat: An Online Service by the Archdeacon of Exeter

The Archdeacon of Exeter is leading an online service on Sunday 9 August, on the subject of ‘Stepping Out of the Boat.’ The Venerable Andrew Beane, Archdeacon of Exeter, said: “Perhaps we can all think of a time when we have had to take a risk, try something new, a moment when we like Peter in our Gospel Reading have had to ‘step out of the boat’, and trust God as we head out on…

Rural Church Receives Grant Which Will Help Bring The Community Together

St Sylvester’s Church in Chivelstone, Devon has received a grant of £384,300 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for its Renovation and Community project. The project will focus on weatherproofing the church to preserve its medieval heritage and enable it to be used by the whole community for open days, concerts, plays and events. The Ven. Douglas Dettmer, Archdeacon of Totnes, said: “This is the fruit of hugely imaginative and committed work by a small…

Fighting Food Poverty During the Summer Holidays

Transforming Plymouth Together is helping feed families across Plymouth through their ‘Feast of Fun at Home’ initiative. Transforming Plymouth Together (TPT) is a joint venture between Church Urban Fund and the Diocese of Exeter, and they work with churches and other organisations to tackle poverty and inequality in Plymouth. Plymouth is within the 30% most deprived of all local authority districts in England, and for those families experiencing poverty, the school holidays are a particularly…

First stone unturned in hunt for clues about Exeter Cathedral cloisters

A new archaeological dig has begun in Exeter Cathedral Cloisters, an area which has never been excavated before. It aims to discover the layout of the cloisters in medieval times, in the hope of re-using the original foundations to design a new Cloister Gallery linking the main Cathedral building with the cafe and historic Chapter House. Camilla Finlay, the Cathedral’s architect, said “It’s brilliantly exciting, what I’m really hoping we’re going to find are the…

Exe Estuary Pilgrimage Brings Light After Lockdown
A Devon vicar and former Royal Marine is leading a one-day walking pilgrimage from Exeter Cathedral to Exmouth to celebrate the re-opening of church buildings after lockdown and raise money for charity. The Reverend Steve Jones and others will set off from the cathedral on Saturday 11 July, following a short service led by Canon James Mustard and a blessing by the Bishop of Exeter. They will be carrying a candle lit from the Cathedral’s…
Read More »
Online service to say thank you to the NHS
The Bishop of Crediton is leading an online service on Sunday 5 July to commemorate the 72nd anniversary of the NHS. The Service of Thanksgiving was filmed in the chaplaincy of the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. It features contributions from NHS staff, including an Emergency Care Assistant from South Western Ambulance Service. There are reflections from former medics who worked in the NHS from its earliest days, including Henry Gossman, a former neurosurgeon who…
Read More »
Thy Kingdom Come Zoom Prayer Room is a Hit
The Reverend James Grier is a happy man. The Diocese of Exeter’s Mission Enabler had been worried that running a continuous 10-day, 24 hours a day prayer room on Zoom would be hard to get people to sign up to and he would end up doing the lonely overnight slots on his own. But in the end, the prayer room, which was part of the international Thy Kingdom Come prayer initiative, exceeded expectations. Over 500…
Read More »