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Welcome to the website of the Church of England Deanery of Colchester. The Deanery comprises 24 Parishes in and around the City of Colchester, Essex. Read our news items below, and click the menu to view our other pages.. |
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Latest News
Have you booked in to Deanery Day?
Saturday 10th October will soon be here! Our plans are all set for an inspiring day at St. John's Church, with 12 excellent speakers covering topics to enthuse everyone, whatever our age, interest or background - the Day is for you, all Church members and our families. Click here to see our latest plans and for lots of publicity material. With coffee and Danish pastries on arrival at 9:30am and a hearty lunch, with worship and seminars to feed the soul, it's a Day not to be missed. There should be a signing-on sheet in your Church, so do encourage everyone to come along and have a great time together.
Administrator vacancy at St. John's
St. John's Colchester are currently advertising for an Administrator - with duties including responding professionally and promptly to enquiries, and enabling Church members and hirers to make effective use of their buildings by managing the booking system. Information on how to apply is on the Church website at https://www.stjohnscolchester.org.uk/Groups/440617/Vacancies.aspx and the closing date for applications is Wednesday 16th September.
Rooted - for 18s to 30s at St. Botolph's
Are you aged 18 to 30? Or, rather more likely, have you 18s to 30s in your family or Church fellowship? Then 'Rooted' is the event and St. Botolph's Church is the place to be at 6pm on the third Sunday of each month, starting on Sunday 20th September. Enjoy food, faith and community. Real people & real conversation, leading to a deeper real faith. All are welcome - just turn up. Why not display this poster on the Church noticeboard, to encourage people to respond.
Friends of Essex Churches Autumn Study Day
Essex Churches ride again
But before then, the Friends of Essex Churches Ride & Stride takes place on Saturday 12th September Now's the time to galvanise neighbouring Churches, family & friends to make the most of this opportunity to raise funds for FOECT and your Church. Picnics, dog walks, bike rides, cake sales, coffee mornings, displays - anything to encourage people into the Church for an open day. you'll see all the information on this web page, and why not display this poster, to encourage people to get involved.
Abbie to be Ordained Deacon
On Sunday 13th September, Abbie Pledger is to be ordained Deacon in Chelmsford Cathedral. Abbie will be serving at St. John's Colchester. After five years Church Planting in Cardiff and theological training in Cambridge, ordination is an exciting step for her - and there's more to look forward to as her husband Daniel is also preparing for his ordination in 2027! Please pray that Abbie and Daniel settle in quickly and well, and that the Lord richly blesses their ministry.
Dominic to be Ordained Deacon
Church Building Support Conversation
Our Mustard Seed Team's latest Newsletter
Jo and Stef to be ordained Priests
Practising The Way - Course in Christ Church
Here's an invitation to slow down and draw near to God - at Christ Church, Ireton Road CO3 3AT this autumn. Some books stay with you: John Mark Comer's 'Practising The Way' is one of those reads - honest, practical and quietly life-changing for anyone wanting to follow Jesus in the busyness of everyday life. Explore it together in eight evening sessions starting on Monday 28th September. Come as you are. Bring your questions, hopes & doubts. Sign up at https://ccstb.churchsuite.com/events/aalqqcia and encourage others with this poster.
Revd Hannah Cooper is appointed Vicar of St. Luke's
Revd Sue Howlett to become Canon of Chelmsford Cathedral
We can also announce the good news that Revd Sue Howlett is to become Revd Canon Sue Howlett - Sue has been preferred Non-Residentiary Canon of Chelmsford Cathedral. We are delighted that this honorary title is being conferred, but equally so that Sue continues as Vicar of Greenstead, leading the ministries of St. Andrew's, St. Matthew's and St. Anne's.
Revd Emma Smith Licensed
Revd Emma Smith, who has been ministering in the Parishes of Christ Church and St. Botolph's, has now been licensed as Associate Priest of the Parishes in a service in St. Botolph's Church. Whilst this would appear to be a continuation of her role, it is now more formal, with Emma having declared her allegiance to the King and Bishops and affirmed her willingness to undertake this new position with the Lord's help. We add our prayers to that!
Growing in Wholeness at St. John's
Taizé with Cantus Firmus Trust
Leading Your Church into Growth: 2026 Conference
This year's LYCiG Conference for the Colchester Area is to be held on Saturday 17th October. LYCiG is a good way for Churches to develop a vision for mission, and get practical ideas too. The venue is the Salvation Army Chelmsford Citadel, 70 Baddow Road, Chelmsford CM2 0DD. Click here to see more information on the Diocese's web page, where it's already possible to book.
Choral Evensong at St. James the Great
Vocations Day 2026
The Colchester Area Vocations Day this year will be on Saturday 7th November, and it will be at Great Notley Church, CM77 7GN. If you or someone in your Church is currently thinking and praying about how you can develop in faith and service, it will be good to put the date into the diary so that prayer is even more focused. There'll be more details published soon - but perhaps now's the time to speak to someone and move things forward!
Could you volunteer at Beacon House?
Beacon House do wonderful work in Colchester City Centre, bringing hope to homeless people, those in insecure accommodation and those at high risk of homelessness. Could you give one day a week to join the team, and change lives? There are several volunteer roles available, including in the kitchen, laundry and shower rooms, as well as admin support, wellbeing support and prayer support. No experience needed - just bring compassion, reliability and a willingness to help. Contact office@beaconhouseministries.org.uk - and every Church can help by displaying this poster.
Revd Emma Barr moves on
Bishop Roger is delighted to announce that Revd Emma Barr, Curate in the King's Ridge Parishes, has now completed her curacy. Emma, who has served for many years in the Church and the local community as Lay person, Churchwarden and priest, hears a call from the Lord to step out in faith - and her final service with the King's Ridge Parishes was on Sunday 19th July. We pray that, after a time of rest and reset the Lord will guide her into another effective and joyous ministry.
Safeguarding Conversation with Bishop Guli
Organist/pianist sought by Stanway
Forum for Green Spaces in Colchester
Colchester Area Mission Mailing
Places of Worship Renewal Fund
The replacement for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme has now been announced. Historic England, who will be managing the scheme, say that it is 'designed to support the repair of England's treasured places of worship and targeted at places of most need.' There is £23m available each year, which will set the bar high. But the Fund is already open - see how to apply on HE's website here.
Colchester Churches Charitable Trust - grants for Church building work
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The Church of England Deanery of Colchester is part of the Colchester Episcopal Area of the Diocese of Chelmsford. The Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Finance is a registered Charity, no. 249505 We are committed to Safeguarding children and young people and vulnerable adults. As a Diocese, we have adopted the Church of England’s policies and best practice on safeguarding which may be found on the Church of England’s website: https://www.churchofengland.org/more/safeguarding. Diocesan guidance is available at https://www.chelmsford.anglican.org/safeguarding
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Each autumn, the charity
Friends of Essex Churches hold a Study Day, when we are all invited to
visit a series of interesting Church buildings in our Diocese to learn
about them and their local ministry. The Churches are often mediaeval
ones in our area - but this year, they're 20th Century ones in Harlow,
Great Warley and Becontree! They're remarkable buildings, and well worth
a visit. It's on Wednesday 7th October, and
The
Diocesan Mustard Seed Team of children, young people and
families' workers have just issued their latest monthly
Newsletter and it's full of opportunities, ideas, resources,
gatherings and training. In particular there's an invitation to
the Colchester Informal Youth Worker Network on
Friday 25th September from 10am to
noon. It's at Firstsite - the 'golden banana' at Lewis Gardens,
Colchester CO1 1JH - and is being hosted by Bishop Roger. Read
the Newsletter
On
Saturday 26th September at 10am, Jo Jeffery and Stef Jones are to
be ordained Priest in St. Botolph's Church by Bishop Roger. They are each very
much a part of their Parish leadership already of course - Stef
in St. Luke's and Jo in Christ Church and St. Botolph's - but
this is a significant step in their ministry and for the life of
the Parishes in which they will continue to serve. All are
welcome at the service to support them, and of course we will
continue to pray that the Lord blesses all they do in His name.
It
has been announced that Revd Hannah Cooper, our Assistant Area
Dean and Priest-in-Charge of the Parish of St. Luke's
Colchester, is now appointed as Vicar of the Parish. We pray
that this new affirmation of the role will encourage all who
serve in St. Luke's, St. Mark's and the Oak Tree Cafe - amongst
other ministries by the Parish!
'Growing
in Wholeness' is a four-week course at St. John's Church,
Colchester CO4 0HP, held from 9:45am to 1pm on four successive
Saturday mornings starting on Saturday 3rd
October. It's a course to explore Christian expectations
concerning healing and wholeness so that we might all receive
more of the 'life in all its fullness' that Jesus promised.
There's more information in
Cantus
Firmus Trust are an accomplished choir and musicians who have
led services and concerts in our Deanery over a number of years
- and on Sunday 4th October they
will feature at a Taizé service at Orchard Baptist Church, 23
Blackheath, Colchester CO2 0AE. The service starts at 6:30pm;
there'll be light refreshments at 6pm, and a retiring collection
will be invited. The conductor will be Norman Eastbrook MBE, and
the service will be led by Howard Gardner. More information from
Bishop
Guli will be visiting each Archdeaconry in the coming months, and will
be with us on Thursday 4th March 2027 - at
a venue to be advised. The purpose is to have a wider conversation about
the culture of safeguarding around the Diocese. She will be joined in
the meeting by Bishop Roger, Archdeacon Ruth and Amanda Knight, the
Diocese's Director of Safeguarding. The invitation is to all Clergy,
LLMs and Churchwardens. Please could you ask those in your Parish to
reserve the date in their diaries.
Praying
hands for playing hands, please! The Organist at St. Albright's
Stanway retires this month after forty years in post, and the
Parish are seeking a successor - either an organist or pianist,
or both! Stanway has enjoyed a strong musical tradition, but the
congregation are open to a wide range of music in worship and
are very welcoming. If those could be your hands - or you know
someone who would like to consider the role - please
Colchester
Civic Society want to set up a local forum of people who look after
green spaces in our area (parks, meadows, Churchyards, woodlands etc)
and would like to meet up with people who are already involved in
tidying and managing them, to share projects, best practice & sources of
funding. If you would like to take part, contact our Town Crier
Just
published is the Colchester Area Team's first Mission Mailing (
