CTE

Education Sunday is this Sunday - A Word in Season - join us

Join us as we get ready for Education Sunday which is held this year on 12th September!

For well over one hundred years there has been an annual recognition of Education Sunday in England and Wales. It is a national day of prayer and celebration for everyone in the world of education.

This year the theme is: A Word in Season.

There are lots of inspiring and helpful resources and materials to help you in your church to celebrate this day. As well as a thought-provoking sermon, there is a theme introduction from FCG Moderator, Revd Dr Hugh Osgood, a ‘Commissioning Prayers’ for Education Sunday, an all age worship outline, primary and secondary school age collective worship and a new hymn written especially for the celebration.

We hope you enjoy using and sharing these resources (via the Churches Together in England website) which you can access by clicking the button below:

(cover photo courtesy of Aaron Burden at Unsplash)

Education Sunday is on 12th September: lots of inspiring worship materials to share!

For well over one hundred years there has been an annual recognition of Education Sunday in England and Wales. It is a national day of prayer and celebration for everyone in the world of education.

The theme is devised by an ecumenical steering group representing different Christian denominations and organisations - the theme this year is “A Word in Season”. There are lots of interesting worship materials to share, including a new hymn written by the URC Minister, Revd Anne Sardeson.

To help you get ready to celebrate this day in your church and community:

This year, the resources have been inspired by: Isaiah 50. 4-9a, Psalm 116. 1-8, James 3. 1-12 & Mark 8. 27-38

1116310.png

(cover photo courtesy of Markus Spiske at Unsplash)

Churches Together in England is delighted to announce the appointment of two new incoming Presidents

Churches Together in England is delighted to announce the appointment of two new incoming Presidents.

Archbishop Nikitas, of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Archdiocese of Thyateira and the United Kingdom, will be our new Orthodox President.

Bishop Tedroy Powell of the Church of God of Prophecy, will be our new Pentecostal and Charismatic President – having been elected by the Pentecostal and Charismatic Forum within CTE as their next Moderator and President.

The new Presidents, who will take office in September, succeed Archbishop Angaelos of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of London and Pastor Agu Irukwu, leader of Jesus House RCCG in north London, and until recently the leader of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in the UK. Archbishop Angaelos and Pastor Agu have been tireless in their commitment to the work of the CTE Presidency, and we thank them for their service in the cause of ecumenism among the churches in England.

Bishop Tedroy Powell of the Church of God of Prophecy (left)  / Archbishop Nikitas, of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Archdiocese of Thyateira and the United Kingdom (right)

Bishop Tedroy Powell of the Church of God of Prophecy (left) / Archbishop Nikitas, of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Archdiocese of Thyateira and the United Kingdom (right)

The new Presidents will take up office in September, to later be joined by another new President in April 2022 – Rev Helen Cameron, Methodist Chair of the Northampton District – who will be succeeding Rev Dr Hugh Osgood, the current Free Church President and Moderator of the Free Churches Group, of which Helen Cameron is the Moderator-elect.

Bishop Tedroy Powell represents the Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. Of his new role at CTE he says, “It is an honour, great privilege and a truly humbling experience to be selected to serve as one of the six presidents of Churches Together in England.

“As the Pentecostal and Charismatic President-elect, I congratulate Pastor Agu Irukwu, current incumbent, who has built on the foundations of his predecessors... It is my aspiration and prayer that I can contribute the gifts, leadership experience and collaborative graces that God has bestowed upon me to fruition, in this sphere, as we serve the ecclesia of God, and our country in these uncertain times and seasons.”

Archbishop Nikitas represents the Eastern Orthodox churches (which alternate with the Oriental Orthodox churches to nominate a President to represent all Orthodox).  Of his new role at CTE he says, "Now more than ever before, our world is in need of faith in action, and only through our own example will society experience the power of the message of salvation. Our world desires a “culture of solidarity” among all people, and most especially, among Christian sisters and brothers.”

CTE General Secretary, Rev Dr Paul Goodliff, says, "Following in the footsteps of Archbishop Angaelos and Pastor Agu is no small challenge! They have both served the Presidency wonderfully well, but I am convinced that Archbishop Nikitas and Bishop Tedroy will more than meet that challenge.

"Although Archbishop Nikitas is relatively new to his appointment as Archbishop to the principally Greek community in England, arriving in 2019 from California, every time I have met him, I have grown in my appreciation of his many gifts  his ecumenical commitment and his passion for the mission of the church.

“Similarly with Bishop Tedroy, whose recent promoting of vaccine uptake among his own Church of God of Prophecy has been inspirational. He has played a full part in CTE’s Pentecostal and Charismatic Forum and I know him to be a person of deep faith and generous ecumenical commitment.”

You can read the full article on the CTE website HERE.

972900.jpg

(cover photo courtesy of Joshua Eckstein at Unsplash)


"God of all creation Help us to see each other through Your eyes so, we can appreciate the beauty of diversity and difference...."

To mark the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, Churches Together in England (CTE) is sharing daily prayers on racial justice from our Member Churches. Today we pray together…

God of all creation
Help us to see each other through Your eyes
So, we can appreciate the beauty of diversity and difference.

Help us to walk in Your strength
So, we can challenge inequality and fight injustice.

Help us to feel with Your love
So, we can hold each other with compassion and kindness.

Help us to experience Your peace
So, we can comfort those who are broken and suffering.

Lord, help us to be more like You.

Amen.

Written and shared by Jennifer Laurent-Smart, Equality & Diversity Manager, The Salvation Army

(cover photo by Timothy Eberly at Unsplash)

"O God of love..." join as we pray for racial justice

To mark the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, Churches Together in England (CTE) is sharing daily prayers on racial justice from our Member Churches. Today we pray together…

O God of love and Giver of oneness of heart, Who grants the true oneness of mind towards virtue; Who has also granted unto us, through Your Only Begotten Son, the new commandment that we love one another as You have loved us... We ask You, O our Lord, grant us, throughout our lifetime on earth, and more especially at present, thoughts that do not recall to memory former evil deeds, and a conscience without hypocrisy, but grant us faithful thoughts and a heart full of fraternal love.
Amen
Prayer of Reconciliation; Coptic Orthodox Liturgy of St Cyril, shared as part of the daily prayers for racial justice by Fr Morkos Fakhry, Coptic Orthodox Church, Diocese of London.


(cover photo by Jack Sharp at Unsplash)