Monthly Archives: July 2020

What could COVID-19 teach us about responding to the threat of nuclear weapons? How might Christians respond? It is widely acknowledged that COVID-19 has accentuated and laid bare many pre-existing issues within society, and has set a precedent for governments … Continue reading →

As leader of the Joint Public Issues Team, Rachel Lampard calls the Church to a new song of opposition against increased antisemitism. Friends of mine, who I didn’t even realise were Jewish, told me last year how worried they were about … Continue reading →

The past few months have seen us all adapting to new ways of managing our lives, as we strive to contain the spread of Covid-19. One change that a hospice chaplaincy team in Farnham has made, is to provide “comfort pebbles” to residents and their loved ones. Read More … … Continue reading →

There was relief and joy on the Isle of Man, as St Andrew’s United Reformed Church (URC) – along with other congregations linked to Churches Alive in Mann – resumed services, 38 days after the island’s last Covid-19 case. Read More … … Continue reading →

In April 2020, the JPIT partner Churches joined the UN Secretary General’s call for a global ceasefire to enable Governments to respond to the threat of Coronavirus, along with many civil society groups and over 70 nations. On 1st July, … Continue reading →

The Revd John Reardon, a former United Reformed Church (URC) Deputy General Secretary, has completed a sponsored walk of 88 miles in one month in his 88th. John, who is a member of Newport Pagnell URC (NPURC), Buckinghamshire, is part of a fundraising team for the Mead Centre – a community building project aimed at creating space for people who would normally find themselves on the margins of society. The vision is for those people to come together, build relationships and find a sense of community. Read More … … Continue reading →

The Revd Richard Church has retired, after 39 years of ministry in the United Reformed Church (URC). Richard has served the URC as Deputy General Secretary (Discipleship) since May 2015. His last working day was on 17 July. As staff were unable to celebrate the occasion in person, a leaving party was held online, using Zoom. Read More … … Continue reading →

The new Moderators of General Assembly, Claire Downing and Peter Pay, have joined 75 other faith leaders to call for a ‘debt jubilee’ for the 77 poorest nations as they deal with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Saving lives in this pandemic is not only a health challenge, but a financial one too. Around the world, preventing the spread of the disease has required the shutting down of whole sectors of the economy on which many people depend for their livelihoods. In the UK the government has poured resources into supporting people through the resulting crisis – with welfare support,… Continue reading →

United Reformed Church (URC) Youth are celebrating that the wider denomination has officially recognised the climate emergency. URC Youth presented a resolution, which subsequently passed, at Mission Council, the executive body of General Assembly, held digitally on 10 July. Not only did the resolution ask Mission Council to officially recognise the climate emergency, it also asked that local churches across the denomination be challenged to “make conscious changes to their practices in order to reflect this.” Read More … … Continue reading →

In light of the various guidance issued by the governments in England, Scotland and Wales, the United Reformed Church (URC) Synod Moderators strongly encourage the use of face coverings for all people attending worship and other URC events that involve face-to-face meetings.  We recommend that these do not need to be surgical-type masks but should have at least three layers of material, in line with World Health Organisation guidance. Read More … … Continue reading →