I hope you and all your family are well and enjoying the late April sunshine. Whatever happened to April showers?!

The Church of England has been in the news this week quite a bit this last week. It started with the Panorama programme on BBC1 on Monday asking the question as to whether the Church is racist. It was a very challenging programme and well worth watching on iPlayer if you missed it first time around.

Later in the week, the Church published the report of its Anti-Racism Task force. It’s a very important document and you can find it here https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2021-04/FromLamentToAction-report.pdf. Please give some time to read it. ‘Racism is a sin,’ as the Archbishop of York said yesterday, and ‘[l]ike all sin it must be confronted with a call to repentance and with the healing, reconciling promise of the gospel.’

You can read the rest of his comments here:- https://www.archbishopofyork.org/speaking-and-writing/archbishop-yorks-presidential-address-general-synod

This is an issue that affects and concerns each one of us, whatever our background and whether or not we have a faith.

Thanks to all those who supported our special appeals over the last few weeks. The Lent appeal for USPG’s climate education programme in India raised £100. The Easter Appeal for Church funds raised £250. Both of these appeals are subject to a very small deduction by our bank who administer these special appeals on our behalf.

A follow up to what I said last week about the changes in marriage procedure. From the 4th May we will not be able to issue Marriage Certificates for weddings that have happened in the past. That will now be done by the Town Hall Registrar. This will be particularly important for those of you who have to provide Certificates for a new passport, mortgage application etc.

On a lighter note, I discovered a sleepy hedgehog by the church this week. Have a look at the photo at the top of this news item. It’s been moved to a place of safety and this morning I noticed that it has moved on.

Don’t forget to reserve your seat for tomorrow morning’s service here:- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/all-saints-church-daresbury-15013411336

Gill has already sent out the service for tomorrow in her earlier email but it is also attached

With God’s blessing,

David