At Diocesan Synod in March Bishop Steven encouraged a greater focus on children’s and youth ministry across the diocese.

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.

The importance of education

The Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Revd Steven Croft, spoke in the House of Lords today on the role of education in building a flourishing and skilled society. The debate was proposed by the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. --- "My…

Seven reasons to say the Lord’s Prayer each day

Most of us learn the Lord’s Prayer as children. But then we forget what it means. Over the last few weeks, I have found myself teaching the Lord’s Prayer to several different congregations – over 2000 people in all, including many young people.

Artificial Intelligence: the eight key issues

My top eight issues in AI and the deep theological questions they raise...

Mental health and the Churches

“Why are you so full of heaviness O my soul And why are you so disquieted within me?” The psalmist asks the same penetrating, painful and honest question three times in Psalms 42 and 43. The Psalms testify here and elsewhere that anguish…

The Great Identity Crisis

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15.13) Jesus words from John 15 have a special resonance this evening: Remembrance Sunday. They are inscribed on many a war memorial or chapel built…

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.