Lucy Harrison
The angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see - I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people ...’
Luke 2.10-11
The Church of England’s Advent and Christmas theme for 2025 revolves round a single word: Joy! Our churches will - as always - be seeking to make the most of the opportunity December brings to share The Joy of Christmas with their communities.
The great joy of Christmas, of course, is the good news the angel declared to the shepherds - the news of Jesus’ birth as Emmanuel (God With Us).
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On this page you will find Advent and Christmas resources for churches, individuals and schools designed to help all ages to be drawn into the joy of the first Christmas.
We will be posting weekly videos and daily prayers on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
As I write it is not even December yet but by 4pm it is already nearly dark! All the darker as the weather gets wilder and wetter, with the promise of the white stuff coming any day now. At least in the dark the snow will bring its own unique reflective brightness.
Whilst officially still autumn until December 21st – by which time the last leaf in Derbyshire will surely have fallen - these rapidly shortening days and lengthening hours of night shroud us in this season with foreboding, as much as in anticipation. These are the days we learn to appreciate the light, and begin to pine for more of it long before Spring comes.
Our regular seasonal gathering gloom is more than matched by the dark shadows which prevail in our nation and in the wider world. Like buses it seems existential crises all arrive at once – poverty and inequality, destructive weather events caused by climate change, and persistent conflict erupting in devastating wars. Dark days indeed for a world that had come to believe in progress. And most especially, for the poor, the vulnerable, and the dispossessed.
At our churches in Advent, Sunday by Sunday we hear the words of the Hebrew prophets. They were realistic about darkness, about human failure and sin, and its impact on the whole of society, especially on those who were most vulnerable – in that time the orphan, the widow, the alien or stranger. A society that failed to live up to God’s call to justice, integrity, and compassion was doomed to fail. Judgment was inevitable where people turned their back on the responsibilities of being human.
In the days of the Hebrew prophets there were those who thought you could away with thinking of your own nation only. But this was not the whole picture. In the scriptures and most especially in the New Testament we see a different perspective emerging – the recognition of the whole human family as created by God, invited to share in the ‘fullness of life’ which is Jesus’ gift to us.
The internationalism of the Gospel is a core value of the Christian faith. Contemporary versions of Christianity that revert to the attitudes of the Crusades are perversions of our faith. As the established church in England we have to be careful not to misrepresent Jesus, the Saviour not just of our people, but of all people. Why? Because ‘God so loved the world.’ Not just me and the people who agree with me. Not just my people, not just my ethnic group or my country, but the whole wide world. This includes everyone:
The orphaned child taken care of within a family fleeing the fighting in Sudan. The elderly woman who cannot understand why she has to leave her pacific island home, soon to be devoured by the rising sea. The young man fleeing persecution for his faith. All these, along with our friends and neighbours here at home and at school and at work, are part of that same human family into which Jesus was born, and for which Christ died and rose again. And yet the journey is so hard, and the way is so dark, for many today.
John Donne, 16th Century poet and Dean of St Paul’s in London, published a poem expressing the darkness of his grief at the loss of his beloved. On St Lucy’s day, 13th December, then believed to be the shortest day, he wrote of his experience of loss: ‘It is the year’s midnight, the Dies Lucies’. Not from 13th December, but from the end of the month, the days do begin to turn brighter and longer again. Donne in his darkness did not despair absolutely – he knew the light would return. So even in the thick darkness of December we detect the seeds of hope. As someone reminded me recently, during the winter there is life and growth – we just don’t see it because it is going on underground.
This theme of light and darkness stays with us throughout Advent, and then on Christmas morning the Gospel hope resounds: with Jesus coming ‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.’
May the light of Christ shine ever more brightly in our world and in our time, and in each one of us. We do well to learn from the Jewish Rabbi who asked his students: “how do we know when the night has ended and the day has begun?”
One bright student offered an answer: “When I look out at the fields and I can distinguish between my field and the field of my neighbour’s, that’s when the night has ended and day has begun.”
The rabbi shook his head. That was not it.
Another student answered: “When I look from the fields and I see a house and I can tell that it’s my house and not my neighbour’s house, that’s when the night has ended and the day has begun.”
No – that wasn’t it either.
A third student suggested: “When I can distinguish the animals in the yard – and I can tell a cow from a horse – that’s when the night has ended.”
Disappointed in his students, the Rabbi replied, and went on to say:
“When you look into the eyes of the person who is beside you and you can see that that person is your brother or your sister, when you can recognize that person as a friend, then, finally, the night has ended and the day has begun.”
May God open our eyes to the true light that has come into the world, and make us able to live in this light always.
‘The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world’ John 1.9. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
The Rt Revd Malcolm Macnaughton
The Bishop of Repton
21 November
Revd Matthew (Matt) Green will be instituted as Rector of the Benefice of Aston-on-Trent, Elvaston, Weston-on-Trent and Shardlow, Barrow-upon-Trent with Twyford and Swarkestone, on Saturday, 24 January 2026, at 3 pm at All Saints, Aston-on-Trent by the Bishop of Derby and inducted by the Archdeacon of Derby City and South Derbyshire, subject to all legal and safeguarding requirements being fulfilled.
Revd Frances (Fran) Smettem will be licensed as Priest-in-Charge of the benefice of Eyam with Foolow and Baslow, and Priest-in-Charge of the parishes of Curbar and Stoney Middleton, on Wednesday, 18 March 2026, at 7 pm at St Lawrence’s Eyam, by the Bishop of Derby, assisted by the Archdeacon of Derbyshire Peak and Dales, subject to all legal and safeguarding requirements being fulfilled.
Thomas (Tom) Smith has been appointed full-time Administrator to the Bishop of Derby. He started in post on Thursday, 13 November 2025. His contact details are: thomas.smith@derby.anglican.org.
6 November
Canon Jack Cooper, Lay Canon of Derby Cathedral until 17th October, when his term of office came to an end, has been appointed Lay Canon Emeritus with effect from 18 October 2025.
The Revd Susannah (Susie) Curtis, Ordained Ministry Development Officer and holder of the Bishop of Derby’s Permission to Officiate, Diocese of Derby, has stepped down as Assistant Area Dean of Derby City. Her last day in this role was 14 September 2025.
The Revd Alan Winfield, Associate Priest of Melbourne, Smisby, Stanton-by-Bridge and Ticknall, Diocese of Debry, has been appointed Assistant Area Dean of Mercia. His first day in this role was 3 November 2025.
St Peter's Church in Hartshorne is delighted to announce that we have been awarded a generous grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to support essential repairs to our historic building and develop a hub for our local history. The restoration work is scheduled to begin next spring and will focus on preserving the church’s architectural integrity for future generations.
As part of the project, there will be opportunities for the local community to get involved. This includes educational activities and engagement sessions with our local schools and the village community, offering a chance to learn about heritage conservation and the church’s rich history.
Debbie Patrick, Churchwarden of St Peters Church. “We are very excited to get this project going; giving us the opportunity to do much needed repairs to our village church, which has stood on the hill in Hartshorne since the 15th century and has played a significant role in the life of our village for many generations; seeing the villagers through good times and bad, feasts and famines, peace time and wars. The restoration works, undertaken by ASBC of Melbourne - www.asbc.ltd - will be the beginning of ongoing work to ensure that our church remains a vital part of our community for many years to come; not to mention the fantastic opportunity this project gives us to explore and display the history for visitors and locals alike for years to come”.
We are grateful for the support of the The National Lottery Heritage Fund and look forward to working closely with the community throughout this exciting project.
This will include work in residential and nursing homes and sheltered housing as well as supporting our Lunch Club, Dementia Service and our pastoral visiting programme. They would also inspire new work to reach out to older people with the love and truth of the Gospel, helping them rediscover their faith from younger years, or encounter Jesus for the first time.
They would also grow, train and manage a team of volunteer Anna Friends to support the chaplaincy work across the parish.
The successful applicant would also become part of the growing national network of Anna Chaplains with the Bible Reading Fellowship who can provide training.
To see a fuller picture of the BRF Anna Chaplains across the country, please visit www.annachaplaincy.org.uk and to find a fuller job description go to www.stpeterlittleover.org.uk/anna
It is an occupational requirement for the person appointed to be a professing and practising Christian, lay or ordained, in a church affiliated to the Council of Churches in England and Wales (Equality Act 2010).
Enhanced DBS and references will be required.
Please apply in writing.
Closing date for applications Friday 14 November 2025.
Madelaine Goddard retired from Derby city deanery after over ten years as their lay chair. At the most recent meeting of the Deanery Synod (October 2025) Madelaine offered a typically grace—filled retirement speech.
Rev’d Sarah Watson, Area Dean of Derby city, thanked Madeline for her support and wisdom and presented her with flowers and a crowd-funded gift as a token of the deanery’s great appreciation.
Archdeacon Matthew Trick, Archdeacon of Derby and South Derbyshire, commented, “Madelaine Goddard has been a faithful servant of Christ, guiding Derby City deanery from the two city deaneries merging into the present deanery, and successive Area and Asst Deans. She has held the deanery as Lay Chair with care and prayerfulness, offering helpful wisdom and insight into discussions across diocesan life. We are truly grateful for Madelaine's long and faithful service”.
Photo: Revd Mina Mumms presents Madelaine Goddard with a bouquet of flowers.
Derby Cathedral welcomed people from all over the diocese on Sunday 5 October for the second Bishop's Badge service.
This special service celebrates ministry and service in the church and the community. The Bishop of Derby’s Badges presented recognise the distinguished service and dedication of many individuals contributing in Jesus’ name to the mission of the church. The service was led by the Right Revd Libby Lane, Bishop of Derby, assisted by the Very Revd Dr Peter Robinson, Dean of Derby. The Reflection was given by the Right Revd Malcolm Macnaughton, Bishop of Repton. Music for the service is sung by the Cathedral Voluntary Choir.
Awards for Missional Innovation
Jane Baker, The United Benefice of Brailsford with Ednaston, Edlaston, Osmaston, Shirley and Yeaveley
Keith Brown, St Peter, Hope
Steve Burton, St Edmund, Allestree
Mandy Cairns, Gresley
Sue Leese, The United Benefice of Brailsford with Ednaston, Edlaston, Osmaston, Shirley and Yeaveley
Michael Lilley, Stanton in Peak
David Stuart, St Francis, Mackworth
Sue Stubbs, Gresley
Lucy Thompson, The United Benefice of Brailsford with Ednaston, Edlaston, Osmaston, Shirley and Yeaveley
Helen Walker-Foss, The United Benefice of Brailsford with Edlaston, Ednaston, Osmaston, Shirley and Yeaveley
Sonia Wright, St Bartholomew, Whittington and St Barnabas, New Whittington
Awards for Missional Service
Susan Abbott, Bolsover Parish Church
David Baker, The United Benefice of Brailsford with Ednaston, Edlaston, Osmaston, Shirley and Yeaveley
Cheryl Baxter, Boulton St Mary, Alvaston
Paul Baxter, Boulton St Mary, Alvaston
Tony Betteridge, Emmanuel, Swadlincote
Adrian Blanksby, St John the Evangelist, Newbold with Dunston
David Brierley, St Matthew, Darley Abbey
Jane Burton, St Edmund, Allestree
David Chinn, Brimington
Ann Cleaver, St John, Walton
Anne Cogley, St Edmund, Allestree
Jennifer Crump, St Giles, Killamarsh
Sue Duffill, Boulton St Mary, Alvaston
Roger Easton, St Mark’s Church, Winshill
Sheila Exley, All Saints, Ockbrook
Francine Franklin, St John the Evangelist, Hazelwood
Joan Garrett, Cathedral of All Saints, Derby
Sue Goodhall, St Lawrence, Great Barlow
John Gratton, The Parish of St Matthew
Jerry Haynes, The United Benefice of Brailsford with Ednaston, Edlaston, Osmaston, Shirley and Yeaveley
Katrina Hayward, Saint George the Martyr, New Mills
Doreen Hickman, Sinfin Moor Benefice
Richard Hughes, The Parish of St Matthew
Michael Joyce, St Mary and St Lawrence, Bolsover
Patricia Kellogg, St John the Evangelist, Hazelwood
Janet Leigh, Christ Church, Belper
Joyce Lewis, Kirk Hallam
Janet Love, Cathedral of All Saints, Derby
Margie Martindale, St Michael, Sutton-on-the-Hill
Ann Morton, St Matthew, Renishaw
Kevin Needham, The United Benefice of Brailsford with Ednaston, Edlaston, Osmaston, Shirley and Yeaveley
Lesley Needham, The United Benefice of Brailsford with Ednaston, Edlaston, Osmaston, Shirley and Yeaveley
Lisa Ollerenshaw, Boulton St Mary, Alvaston
Vicki Owen, St Barnabas, New Whittington
Andrew Pollett, Christ Church, Belper
Frances Prockter, St Luke the Beloved Physician, Derby
Barbara Rawson, St Luke the Beloved Physician, Derby
John Richardson, Saint George the Martyr, New Mills
Beth Robson-Smith, St Thomas and St Mark, Brampton
Andrew Rosser, St Peter and St Paul, Old Brampton
Lindsey Schroeter, The United Benefice of Brailsford with Ednaston, Edlaston, Osmaston, Shirley and Yeaveley
Samantha Sharland, Emmanuel, Swadlincote
Helen Shaw, St Lawrence, Great Barlow
Michael Shepherd, St Anne, Derby
Judith Slater, Sawley
John Smart, Cathedral of All Saints, Derby
Frank Stevens, St Anne's, Derby
Muriel Stirland, Brimington
Simon Thompson, The United Benefice of Brailsford with Ednaston, Edlaston, Osmaston, Shirley and Yeaveley
Carl Veal, St Peter, Chellaston
Allan Voice, St John the Baptist, Ault Hucknall
Chris Willis, St Edmund, Allestree
Sonia Wright, St Bartholomew, Whittington and St Barnabas, New Whittington
In September, Bishop Malcolm visited Sinfin Moor church for a special tree planting service to help celebrate the installation of solar panels and their commitment to a sustainable future.
The church paid for the panels with help from the Church of England's 'Give to Go Green' initiative. What began as a spark of vision in Lent 2022 has now blossomed into a vibrant eco-journey, with the whole congregation and wider community coming together to make it happen.
Revd Gael Browne, Assistant Curate at Sinfin Moor Church shares their experience:
Our story began in Lent 2022, when, as a church, we explored the book "Embracing Justice" by Revd Dr Isabelle Hamley. One session on climate justice particularly challenged us, and a retired member of clergy in our congregation, the Revd Eileen Bangay, felt deeply that she had heard from God regarding our call to creation care as a church.
With Melanie (steward) and Joshua (Church Warden) forming a small team alongside Revd Eileen, we took our first step by registering with A Rocha UK’s Eco Church scheme in early 2023.
Momentum quickly built, and by that summer, community groups such as the Guides and Rangers were joining us in eco-focused activities. In June 2023, we were delighted to receive the Silver Eco Church Award, as well as the Bronze retrospectively.
Spurred on by this momentum, our vision continued to grow. By August 2023, we began researching the possibility of installing solar panels. As we are an LEP (Local Ecumenical Partnership), we were able to approach our various denominational partners for support. In early 2025, we received confirmation of successful grant applications from the Methodist Church and the URC Church. This was a huge encouragement that our dream of using more sustainable energy could become a reality.
The real breakthrough came in May 2025, when we joined the Church of England’s 'Give to Go Green' scheme. With encouragement and visits from our Diocesan Parish Support Officers, we set out to raise £5,000 in just six weeks so that match-funding could be unlocked. Through coffee mornings, a beetle drive, a sponsored Bible reading, and a shared lunch, our congregation and community rallied together, and we reached our goal!
Wendy, a member of the congregation, says:
“I love the fact that Sinfin Moor Church has taken responsibility for installing Solar Panels to help reduce the greenhouse effect. It is a great witness to the surrounding community as to how much we care for Father God's creation.”
By August 2025, the solar panels and battery system were installed. In our very first week, we were already feeding energy back into the national grid; a visible sign of stewardship and sustainability in action.
This has been a journey of faith, community, and determination. We wanted to respond to God’s distinct call to care for creation, and it has been amazing to see people inside and outside the church joining together to make this vision a reality.
As the psalmist reminds us: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (Psalm 24:1). Installing solar panels is just one way of living out our calling to steward God’s world faithfully.
With lower bills, greener energy, and a renewed witness to our community, we pray that our journey will encourage other churches across the Diocese to explore the Eco Church path and seize the opportunities offered by initiatives like 'Give to Go Green'.
The Rt Revd Libby Lane, Bishop of Derby today reflected on the announcement of The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury
“I am delighted that Bishop Sarah has been nominated as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury. I have long valued her as a colleague, and I look forward to serving with her as she leads the Church of England and the Anglican Communion in the coming years.
I am grateful for all the gifts and experience she brings from her work before ordination as Chief Nursing Officer, and the rich episcopal ministry she has offered in both the Diocese of Exeter and latterly serving with humility and courage the diverse communities that make up the Diocese of London. She will be a huge blessing to the wider Church and the nation as our next Archbishop.
This is a significant moment for the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Church; please join me in praying for Sarah and her family as she takes on the enormous challenges and responsibilities of archbishop ministry.”
His Majesty The King has approved the nomination of the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, as the next Archbishop of Canterbury, Downing Street has announced.
Bishop Sarah will be the first woman to hold the office.
She will be installed in a service at Canterbury Cathedral in March 2026. Sarah Mullally has been the Bishop of London since 2018, the first woman appointed to that role, and before that was Bishop of Crediton in the Diocese of Exeter. Prior to her ordination in 2001, she was the Government’s Chief Nursing Officer for England – the youngest person ever to be appointed to that role at the age of 37 – having previously specialised as a cancer nurse. Bishop Sarah has described nursing as "an opportunity to reflect the love of God".
The Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) for Canterbury nominated Bishop Sarah following a process of public consultation and prayerful discernment that began in February this year. The Canterbury CNC was made up of representatives from across the Church of England, global Anglican Communion and the Diocese of Canterbury.
Bishop Sarah said: “As I respond to the call of Christ to this new ministry, I do so in the same spirit of service to God and to others that has motivated me since I first came to faith as a teenager.
“At every stage of that journey, through my nursing career and Christian ministry, I have learned to listen deeply – to people and to God’s gentle prompting – to seek to bring people together to find hope and healing.
“I want, very simply, to encourage the Church to continue to grow in confidence in the Gospel, to speak of the love that we find in Jesus Christ and for it to shape our actions.
“And I look forward to sharing this journey of faith with the millions of people serving God and their communities in parishes all over the country and across the global Anglican Communion.
“I know this is a huge responsibility but I approach it with a sense of peace and trust in God to carry me as He always has.”
Lord Evans, Chair of the Crown Nominations Commission for Canterbury, said: “It has been a great privilege to have chaired the Crown Nominations Commission as it sought to discern who God is calling to lead the Church of England and Anglican Communion as Archbishop of Canterbury.
“That discernment began with the public consultation, which heard the voices of thousands of people as they expressed their hopes for this nomination, and continued all the way through to the Commission’s final meeting.
“I would like to thank all those who took part in this process, particularly those who took time to share their views in the consultation and the members of the Commission who worked so diligently over several months, ably assisted by the Appointments Secretaries and by the Appointments and Vocations team at Lambeth Palace.
“I shall be praying for Bishop Sarah as she prepares to take up this new ministry in the coming months.”
Bishop Anthony Poggo, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, said: “I welcome and commend the nomination of Bishop Sarah as the next Archbishop of Canterbury and invite the churches of the global Anglican Communion to pray for her as she prepares to take up this important ministry.
“May God grant her wisdom and discernment, as she seeks to listen to Member churches, encourage mutual support, and foster unity.
“The Anglican Communion Office is fully committed to supporting her ministry as she works with other Provinces and the Instruments of the Anglican Communion.
“Let us pray that God will pour out His Spirit on the Anglican Communion to boldly share Christ's transformational love and the hope of the Gospel in today’s world.”
