The Household of Cornelius and the Conversion of Peter

Bishop Steven delivers his sermon at the clergy conference 2025diocese of oxford

The Household of Cornelius and the Conversion of Peter In Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian cohort as it was called. So begins the third in this sequence of stories of conversion. Again the Holy Spirit is at work beyond and outside the Christian community. Again the Holy Spirit […]

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Tending Creation

In the 21st Century, the Church of Jesus Christ should be at the forefront of tending creation and care for the beauty and life entrusted to us.

Abundant Life: discovering together a Common Vision

Address from the Common Vision Area Day at Green Park Conference Centre in Reading, 3 March 2018

Is that hat comfy?

Getting ready for Lent

Lent begins this year on Ash Wednesday, 14th February, and lasts for 40 days until Easter. Lent began in the early church as 40 days of preparation time for new Christians to prepare for baptism at Easter.  The whole Church started to…

Plough Wednesday: a rural adventure

A couple of weeks ago I had my first experience of “Plough Wednesday”: an annual opportunity to explore rural life and ministry across the Diocese of Oxford.

Called to be Christ-like

An update on our common vision process Over a hundred people from across the diocese came together on Saturday 20th January to reflect on progress so far in our common vision process. We gathered as lay chairs, area deans, members of Bishop’s…

Radio 4 Thought for the Day

Bishop Steven gave his Thought for the Day on Saturday 30th December 2017 during a programme edited by Artificial Intelligence (AI). “How are you feeling?” “What’s your energy like today?” Imagine being asked the same questions…

Joy to the World 

A very happy Christmas. One of the best carol services I took part in last week was in prison. There were about 100 prisoners and staff and volunteers gathered for the service. The very ordinary dining room was turned into a chapel. The music…

A very short history of catechesis

It has long been my conviction that the renewal and reform most needed in the life of the Church of England and the Church in the United Kingdom is the renewal of catechesis: laying the good foundations of faith in the lives of enquirers and new Christians.