Items filtered by date: November 2025
Ben says he had a sense of God calling him for a long time and that he was called because of his love of being around people.
All of us are invited to follow Jesus and to serve God faithfully in our everyday lives, and some people are called to serve God in a specific ministry or role.
If you feel a sense of calling, a nagging voice inside your head, see our Vocations page for information about how to explore what God is calling you to do.
More to watch:
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A statement from the Right Reverend Libby Lane, Bishop of Derby, following the resignation of Archbishop Justin Welby:
The victims and survivors of abuse will have suffered unimaginable distress at the findings of the Makin Report, and I want to convey my thanks for their bravery in telling their stories.
I also commend Archbishop Justin for his honourable decision to take both personal and institutional responsibility for the failings described in the report.
The Church of England has made a commitment to safeguarding, to creating a safer Church, and to learning from the Makin Report - and the Diocese of Derby and I echo those commitments wholeheartedly.
We will continue to put victims and survivors of abuse first and to prioritise their care.
We will continue to work together with survivors to build a safer Church in which they, and anyone who has suffered as a result of their relationship with the Church of England, receive the support they need and deserve.
It must also be a church where, collectively, we promote a culture in which victims are heard and responded to well, and children and other vulnerable people can know that they are protected and safe. That is the responsibility of us all.
Please pray for all those who have been harmed, for Archbishop Justin and for the wider Church that it may truly become a place of welcome, compassion and safety.
>> Read Justin Welby's resignation statement in full
>> A sermon for Safeguarding Sunday (Archdeacon Matthew Trick)
>> A sermon for Safeguarding Sunday (Archdeaon Nicky Fenton)
The Diocese of Derby has a new gold Eco Church, and new silver and bronze awards were awarded to a number of parishes over the summer months.
St Peter's Church in Belper is the second recipient of the gold award in the diocese.
Achieving gold means that creation care is embedded in the life of a church for the long term.
To achieve this, churches must reach a gold level across all five categories of the Eco Church survey (worship and teaching, buildings, land, community and global engagement, and lifestyle) and showcase their activities by presenting supporting evidence.
A spokesperson from A Rocha, the Eco Church scheme organisers, said: "Well done to everyone who has worked so hard to reach this milestone.
"Thank you for becoming a beacon for saving nature, for joining A Rocha UK’s Eco Church movement and for answering the missional call for creation.
"And thank you on behalf of the insects that are now buzzing, the birds that are singing, and the plants that are springing into life."
Silver Eco Church awards have been made to:
And bronze has been awarded to:
- Newbold St John the Evangelist
- North Wingfield St Lawrence
- Chesterfield Ss Augustine
- Etwall St Helen
- Old Brampton St Peter and St Paul
- Dinting Vale Holy Trinity
- Sutton on the Hill St Michael
- Derby St Peter (St Peter's in the City)
The Diocese of Derby has also been awarded bronze Eco Diocese status and provides a framework to support parishes in taking practical action to care for God’s earth.
On hearing of the awards, Bishop Libby said: "It is heartwarming and incredibly encouraging that more and more churches in the Diocese of Derby are demonstrating their commitment to caring for God's creation and inspiring others to follow their lead.
"All these individual actions, be they small or large, collectively make a positive difference to the local environment and, ultimately, to the planet."
15 November
The Revd Max Marsh, Assistant Curate of St Mary the Virgin Lewisham, Diocese of Southwark, has been appointed Priest-in-Charge of Ilkeston Holy Trinity and of Long Eaton St. Laurence, Diocese of Derby.
The Revd Charlotte Wallington, Assistant Curate of Hathersage with Bamford & Derwent and Grindleford, Diocese of Derby, has been appointed Priest-in-Charge of Wickham Market with Pettistree, Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.
14 November
The Revd Adele Barker, Bishop’s Chaplain, has been appointed Interim Chaplain to Retired Clergy in the Archdeaconry of Derby City and South Derbyshire, until such time as a permanent appointment is made.
7 November
The Revd Onyekachi (Julius) Anozie, Assistant Curate of Kirk Hallam, Diocese of Derby, has been appointed Vicar of St Hilda Ashford, Diocese of London. Julius will be licensed to his new post on 16th December, 2024.
The Revd Canon Peter Jenner, Curate of Upperby St John The Baptist (Carlisle) 1985-1988, Chaplain of the University of Reading (Oxford) 1988-1996, Priest-in-Charge of Mellor St Thomas (Derby) 1996-1999, Vicar of the same benefice 1999-2006, Vicar of Mellor St Thomas (Chester) 2006-2012, Rural Dean of Chadkirk 2008-2011, Senior Chaplain and Dean of Chapel at the University of Chester 2012-2022, Canon Residentiary of Chester Cathedral 2012-2015, who retired in 2022, and held the Bishop of Derby’s Permission To Officiate, died on Friday 1st November 2024. Funeral details will follow in due course.
The Revd Simon White, Curate of Chadkirk St Chad (Chester) 1990-1994, School Chaplain Stockport Grammar 1994-1999, Curate of Stockport St George 1994-1995, Team Vicar of Stockport South West 1995-1999, Priest-in-Charge of Stanley All Saints and St Andrew (Derby) 1999-2002, Priest-in-Charge of West Hallam and Mapperley 1999-2002, Rector of West Hallam and Mapperley with Stanley 2002-2013, Vicar of Tideswell 2013-2023, who retired in 2023, died on Saturday 2nd November 2024. A service of thanksgiving will be held in the New Year.
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Churches in the Diocese of Derby that have tried contactless giving have hailed the devices a success.
Contactless giving has become an important tool for encouraging generosity within parishes and, to help parishes understand the advantages, the Church of England’s National Giving Team distributed 50 free contactless devices to parishes in the Diocese of Derby, thereby facilitating easier giving in an increasingly cashless society.
The devices - essentially simple card readers - allow visitors and congregation members to make donations effortlessly during services, weddings, christenings, and even quiet moments of reflection in the church.
This is particularly relevant as fewer people these days are carrying cash.
One church to try contactless giving is Horsley St Clements, which installed a card reader in August 2024.
The church reported that income soon increased considerably and that more than £300.00 was donated in September - money that the church says would not have been received without the device.
Many churches in the UK are adopting cashless methods to encourage spontaneous donations, especially from visitors or infrequent attendees who are inclined to give but want to pay digitally.
This has led to the launch of a Try-Before-You-Buy scheme, whereby a church can use a contactless donation device to assess how it may work in its own church context without the risk of capital outlay.
Making it easy for people to give
Steve Johnson, the Diocese of Derby's Living Generously Adviser, has been a key figure in this initiative.
He said: "What we have to do is lower barriers to participation and engagement in church life, making the church more accessible and appealing to the broader community.
"The Diocese of Derby has embraced this as part of efforts to make giving easier, more convenient, and aligned with today's digital habits."
St Bartholomew’s Church, Hognaston, used the Try-Before-You-Buy option.
Treasurer Kay Wright said: "Our village church installed a contactless giving station in June this year.
"Within the first three months we collected £280.
"Whilst a portion of this may have been cash in the collection plate, it has made it so much easier for our congregation and visitors too!"
And Revd Sarah Watson, Derby City's area dean and priest-in-charge in Allestree, Quarndon and Darley Abbey, said: "Steve has been a tremendous support to our parishes giving his time & expertise which has really helped.
"The CollecTin trial led to us purchasing one. Increasingly people give and spend by phone or contactless card which can be (but not exclusively) generational and younger visitors have especially commented favourably."
The benefits of contactless giving are that congregations and visitors can give easily, without needing to carry cash, and that they can give quickly via card or mobile.
This in turn makes it easier for both the church and donors to keep track of the funds and churches are reporting higher donation amounts.
And St Werb's in Derby has reported that the advantages have gone beyond occasional giving.
Alex Dann, the Operations Manager there, said: "We now have a contactless donation point by way of a grant, QR codes linking with Give A Little and the majority of our regular givers using the Parish Giving Scheme, which has resulted in regular automatic gift aid payments boosting our cash flow."
Many contactless systems allow donors to add Gift Aid to their donations, meaning churches can reclaim an additional 25% on eligible donations. This provides a significant boost to the funds raised, especially during a period like Christmas when giving increases.
Steve Johnson said: "Churches that have adopted these devices have praised their ease of use and the financial benefits they bring, helping ensure their sustainability in the future.
"Contactless donations continue to increase month by month, with September 2024 being the highest month so far and they will surely rise further at the end of the year."
And so as we approach Advent and Christmas 2024, a season of generosity and reflection, our churches find themselves at the intersection of tradition and modernity. While the heart of Christmas remains unchanged, the way people give has evolved, with contactless giving becoming a vital tool for churches.
In 2024, contactless giving is more than a modern convenience—it’s a critical tool for Diocese of Derby churches during Advent and Christmas.
It ensures that the spirit of generosity is met with accessibility, helps churches adapt to changing financial habits, and supports their ongoing missions.
By embracing these technologies, churches can focus on what truly matters: spreading the message of hope, love, and compassion during this sacred season.
31 October 2024
The Revd Samantha (Sam) Tredwell, Vicar of Long Eaton St John, Diocese of Derby, has been appointed Vicar of St Mary with Christ Church and Holy Apostles, Diocese of York.
25 October 2024
The Revd Mick Fitzsimmons, Assistant Curate of Barlborough and Clowne, has been appointed Team Vicar in Leek and Meerbrook, Diocese of Lichfield.
17 October 2024
The Revd Canon Christine (Chris) Dyer has stepped down as Chaplain to Retired Clergy in the Archdeaconry of Derby City and South Derbyshire. Chris will continue to hold the Bishop of Derby’s Permission to Officiate. Details of interim arrangements will follow in due course.
The Revd Anita Matthews will be licensed as Priest-in-Charge (Vicar designate) of Derby St Peter and Christ Church with Holy Trinity, Diocese of Derby, on Sunday, 24 November at 2pm at St Peter’s Derby by the Bishop of Repton assisted by the Archdeacon of Derby City and South Derbyshire.
The Diocese of Derby is pleased to announce that Lisa Marriott has been appointed as Head of Safeguarding.
Lisa joins the Parish Support Team from Derbyshire County Council, where she was the team manager in the Children's Services, Early Help and Safeguarding team.
On starting her role, Lisa said: "I am thrilled to be here at Derby Church House to support parishes and churches with their safeguarding responsibilities.
"I am extremely passionate about safeguarding and making people feel safe and being able to live their life how they want to live it.
"I want us to be transparent about the way we work and for people to have full confidence in our churches as safe places where we welcome everyone."
Lisa also holds the designation Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser (DSA) and will advise the bishop on matters relating to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.
She will lead the Safeguarding team and sit within the operational Senior Leadership Team.
We love all the creative and different ways churches are engaging with their parishes and beyond.
Our vision is The Kingdom of God, Good News for All and it's great to see how so many churches in the Diocese of Derby are sharing stories of their success in achieving transformed lives through growing church and building community.
Here are some of the social media stories that have caught our eye recently:
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Join one of our A Church Near You workshops, run by the diocesan communications team, and benefit from the national advertising campaign during advent.
Sign up here
Bookings close on Friday 18 October
Making sure your A Church Near You page is up to date is really important.
As always, the Church of England's national campaign will be sending people to the main A Church Near You website.
From there, people can find the relvant pages for our churches and if your details are not there, you will be missing out on attracting potential visitors to your church over Chistmas.
Remember too that being an A Church Near You editor also gives you access to a whole load of Christmas resources that you can use for free!
A little time invested now could easily see you rewarded with people engaging with you for the first time over Christmas and beyond.
Adding information to ACNY is easy and the functionality is improving all the time. Incumbents are automatically editors of their church’s ACNY pages, but special arrangements are easily put in place for those parishes in vacancy.
People are already planning which events and activities they will attend this festive period so don’t leave it until Advent before updating ACNY – make sure you have access now so you can get everything in place before the seasonal rush!
At the very least:
- Ensure your contact details are up to date on ACNY. That means an up-to-date telephone number that people can call (if possible) and a link through to your church's website and/facebook page.
- Make sure your page's welcome message is there and is actually welcoming! Make it invitational and, most importantly, make it relvant to those visitors to the page who may not already be regularly enganed with the Church. We assume people know they arealways welcome in church, but the sad truth is that many don’t realise that or find it intimidating. A genuine, warm, welcome will ease any anxiety.
Ideally:
- Post details of all your Christmas services and special events (such as Christmas tree festivals). This makes them searchable and more easily findable by the general public.
- Use the system's 'tag' facility to make your events stand out even more.
- Add your other regular services and group activities. If people like what happens at Christmas, they may want to come back – so make it easy for them!
- Facilitate your facilities! Does your church have toilets? Accessible toilets? Do you serve refreshments? Is it wheelchair friendly? Do you have a hearing loop? It’s all useful information to let first-time visitors know what to expect.
- Lighten up! Christmas is a time of joy and hope and of giving and sharing, so let your communicatios reflect this and don't be afraid to inject a little humour.
See also:
>> How to become an editor of your A Church Near You page (CofE website)
If you struggle with your A Church Near You page, please contact the Communications Team. (Please note, the Comms team cannot give you access to your page or update it for you, but we can help you get there!)
Want to take this further?
Watch how to use your ACNY page as your main website
