This Christmas, more than ever, St Stephen’s Church needs your generosity.
Please bring a gift to any of the events at St Stephen’s in December.

St Stephen’s Church Christmas Services
Christingle : 13 December at 9:30am (FULLY BOOKED)
Christmas Reflection : 20 December at 4pm
Midnight Service : 24 December at 11:30pm
Christmas Day : 25 December at 11am

St Leodegar’s Church Christmas Services
Christmas Reflection : 24 December at 4pm
Christmas Day : 25 December at 9:30am

We also aim to provide online Christmas services including carols, choir anthems, nativity and Christmas readings.

On All Saints Day the Archbishops wrote to all the clergy in the Church of England. In this letter they stated their conviction that the first and primary response of the Church at this time was prayer.

“Bearing in mind our primary vocation as the Church of Jesus Christ to pray and to serve we call upon the Church of England to make this month of lockdown a month of prayer. More than anything else, whatever the nation thinks, we know that we are in the faithful hands of the risen Christ who knows our weaknesses, tiredness and struggles and whose steadfast love endures for ever.

Above all we recall people to some of the fundamental spiritual disciplines that shape our Christian life. How we do this is up to each congregation and clergy person. We will publish resources to support you before the first day of lockdown. During the first lockdown we cheered for the NHS every Thursday. During this second lockdown we invite you to fast in a way appropriate to you as well as pray for our nation every Thursday, for its leaders, its health and essential services and all those who suffer.”

The Archbishops, in consultation with the House of Bishops, decided that this call would take the form of an invitation to every Christian and person of good will to pray at 6pm every day, beginning this Thursday 5 November for the period of this present lock-down. In order to stimulate this time of prayer, where it is possible, churches are encouraged to ring a single bell at 6pm.

This call is going far and wide – and the hope is that many of our ecumenical partners will join us.
The Archbishops promised some resources in the form of different styles of written prayers with a particular thematic focus for prayer each day.

The weblink to the resources is https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-churches/call-prayer-nation. In addition, please find here a direct link to a simple printable prayer booklet which is intended to be shared with all members of your congregation – Prayer Booklet.

This material is intended simply as one tool to enable participation – the hope is that individuals and worshipping communities make these times of prayer their own. There is no desire to be directive in this – rather simply to encourage all to be united in Prayer for the Nation.

PLEASE NOTE: Change in time for St Stephen’s Church private prayer opening times

St Stephen’s Church will be open for private prayer in November. There is a change in the time as it is will now be open from 9:30am till 11 am only.

Dear friends,

I hope that this finds you all safe and well and coping with the ongoing challenges of this season. Thank you for your faithfulness and perseverance in prayer and witness. You are all remembered daily in my prayers, with thanksgiving.

I wanted to write with an update about where we are in the process of discerning the next chapter of ministry in your Parish. First, may I thank you all for your openness and generosity of spirit in being willing to explore the possibility of making a joint appointment with Bishop Luffa School. As you know, the intention has been to appoint a 0.5 Incumbent to the Benefice with a 0.5 chaplaincy to Bishop Luffa School. Following my meetings with your Wardens and the PCC, I have been working closely with the Head of the school and with your Parish Representatives over several months now. This has been hugely positive and encouraging. We have interviewed a prospective candidate and also had wider conversations.

Unfortunately, though, we have not been able to identify the right candidate to serve both your Parish and the school.

As a result, the time has come to see if the chaplaincy for the school might be combined with another appointment elsewhere, and now move to advertise your 0.5 Incumbency in its own right after Christmas.

I realise that this will come as a disappointment, and know how much you have all invested in the prospective partnership with the school. As we have said from the outset, this is not a simple recruitment process but one of prayerful discernment. Having tested this fully, it does seem that this is now the right way forward. As always, we know that the Lord goes before us and has already prepared the heart of the priest who is being called to serve you. Confident that He who calls is faithful, we continue to trust that He will work out His purposes and lead your parishes into His future. Our calling, as always, is to be attentive in prayer that we might be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We must continue to pray for one another, and I will continue to work closely with your Parish representatives and look forward to being able to visit your Parishes again in the near future.

With prayer and all good wishes,

Luke

The Venerable Luke Irvine-Capel

Archdeacon of Chichester

On All Saints Day the Archbishops wrote to all the clergy in the Church of England. In this letter they stated their conviction that the first and primary response of the Church at this time was prayer.

“Bearing in mind our primary vocation as the Church of Jesus Christ to pray and to serve we call upon the Church of England to make this month of lockdown a month of prayer. More than anything else, whatever the nation thinks, we know that we are in the faithful hands of the risen Christ who knows our weaknesses, tiredness and struggles and whose steadfast love endures for ever.

Above all we recall people to some of the fundamental spiritual disciplines that shape our Christian life. How we do this is up to each congregation and clergy person. We will publish resources to support you before the first day of lockdown. During the first lockdown we cheered for the NHS every Thursday. During this second lockdown we invite you to fast in a way appropriate to you as well as pray for our nation every Thursday, for its leaders, its health and essential services and all those who suffer.”

The Archbishops, in consultation with the House of Bishops, decided that this call would take the form of an invitation to every Christian and person of good will to pray at 6pm every day, beginning Thursday 5 November for the period of this present lock-down. In order to stimulate this time of prayer, where it is possible, churches are encouraged to ring a single bell at 6pm.

This call is going far and wide – and the hope is that many of our ecumenical partners will join us.

The Archbishops promised some resources in the form of different styles of written prayers with a particular thematic focus for prayer each day.

The weblink to the resources is https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-churches/call-prayer-nation. In addition, please find here a direct link to a simple printable prayer booklet which is intended to be shared with all members of your congregation – Prayer Booklet.

This material is intended simply as one tool to enable participation – the hope is that individuals and worshipping communities make these times of prayer their own. There is no desire to be directive in this – rather simply to encourage all to be united in Prayer for the Nation.

No church during the second lockdown

The Government rules for the second lockdown clearly state that places of worship will be closed except for a few specific eventualities, one of which is private prayer. All worship services in St Stephen’s Church and St Leodegar’s Church will be cancelled from Sunday 8 November 2020 until and including 29 November 2020. We are hoping to be able to open for worship again on Sunday 6 December 2020.
 

St Stephen’s Church open for private prayer
Every Sunday in November from 10am till 12 noon. Please let Lynn know if you are coming to church during these times.