Governance in Multi Academy Trusts

Reflections on February General Synod

General Synod took place in London last week from the 9 to the 13 February. The General Synod is the national assembly of the Church of England, and it considers and approves legislation affecting the whole of the Church of England, formulates new forms of worship, debates matters of national and international importance, and approves the annual budget for the work of the Church at national level. Items discussed at February’s General Synod included the…

Licensed Lay Ministers Explore Enabling Others to Worship in Varied Ways

Enabling Worship was the theme of this year’s Licensed Lay Ministers (LLMs) conference from 7 to 9 February in Torquay. Carol Price, an LLM from Yeoford, near Crediton and Assistant Lead for LLMs, said “At the heart of our ministry is worship. I wanted the conference to highlight different ways of worshipping that we can access and bring to our churches, so we reach more people. “Our aim is to reach as many people as…

St Mary’s Church Totnes Celebrates Reopening as a Warm, Welcoming Space for the Community

A special celebration was in order on Sunday 1 February as a church in Devon reopened to the public. St Mary’s Church, Totnes, has reopened following a 12-month closure for a major £1.5 million renovation and reordering project. To mark it’s reopening and the new facilities, a day of rededication ceremonies and a special candle lit evening service with the Bishop of Exeter, the Rt. Rev’d Dr Mike Harrison, was held. The church congregation and…

360 Community project launches to encourage and equip children, families and youth ministers across Devon

Over 70 children, families and youth ministers met in Torquay last week to launch their 360 year with South West Youth Ministries (SWYM). 360 Community is a new project from SWYM. It is designed to wrap around children, families and youth ministers with regular encouragement, training, and rest through the year. It includes an annual retreat, an annual conversation, learning communities, small groups, professional development day, an annual commissioning, and a weekly 30 minute online…

Worship Leaders Gather for Lee Abbey’s First Songwriting Retreat

Songwriters and worship leaders from churches across the South West and beyond recently gathered at Lee Abbey Christian Retreat Centre in North Devon for its first Songwriters’ and Worship Leaders retreat. The weekend was led by Stephen Crowther, who runs worship at Lee Abbey with his wife Fiona. It included a talk on the theology of worship leading from Sarah Grant, who leads a community singing group for new mothers in Dorset, and songwriting guidance…