Shadow of palm leaves

Bishop Steven reflects on the quiet revival taking place in our churches among Gen Z and young people for Palm Sunday.

On the value of prophets and short sighted seers

I visited Greyfriars church in Reading yesterday for the 9.30 and 11.30 am services.  Greyfriars are part way through a sermon series on Micah and the sermon was on passages in Micah 2 and 3. 

Supporting families is much too important to be left to government

THE Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Revd Steven Croft, has welcomed the Manifesto to Strengthen Families. In a speech to the House of Lords on Thursday November 2nd, he said: "My Lords I warmly welcome this report. I like it more each time I…

A Beatitudes Hymn

I attempt at least one new hymn every year as the verse for my Christmas card. I’m under no illusions that they will endure. I love words and enjoy crafting them in different ways. The satisfaction is as much in the writing as in the singing...

The Mission Community of St Frideswide

On Wednesday of last week, I was able to license the Revd. Kate Seagrave as Mission Priest to St Fridewide’s church and parish in Oxford and to a new community in Oxford, the Mission Community of St Frideswide. The community will seek to live out what it means to be a Christ-like Church.

Contemplative, Compassionate, Courageous : Dorchester Area Development Day

A few weeks ago I invited the Diocese of Oxford to dwell deeply in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 in the coming year in many different ways.  As part of this dwelling deep we are holding a series of Area Days in different parts of the Diocese. …

A Kimberley and Kuruman diary

I spent four days in Kimberley with over fifty people involved in links and partnerships across our two diocese. Here’s a snapshot.

Thoughts and prayers for the Diocese of Sheffield

My thoughts and prayers are with the Diocese of Sheffield following publication of Sir Philip Mawer’s report into the recent process of appointment of my successor.

Faith Communities and Climate Change

We are communities of hope whose values lead us to work for change, not against the findings of science but in tandem to bring about a more sustainable world.

Called to be Christ-like: contemplative, compassionate and courageous

I am writing to invite every church, chaplaincy, small group and school in the diocese to do something very simple but life changing over the next year.