If you’ve ever wondered where the oldest remaining church bells are in the world, you just need to venture to Suffolk to see and hear them.Take a trip to St Lawrence Church in the centre of Ipswich, and there you will find the set of five bells which all date back to between 1450 and 1480. The bells – collectively known as ‘Wolsey’s Bells’ – rang for hundreds of years before falling silent in 1985 after the tower they were housed in became too unstable to support them. 24 years later however and the bells were restored in 2009 thanks to a £100,000 restoration project.
The Church of England is collaborating with the Church Times and the Roman Catholic Church to launch the "Green Church Showcase."This will be a hunt for inspiring church initiatives to protect and preserve the planet and builds on earlier successful collaborations: the Green Church Awards and the Green Health Awards. Participating churches, church schools, dioceses, and Christian groups of any denomination, are invited to submit details of work that they have undertaken to combat climate change, protect nature, and involve their communities in making changes. A judging panel chaired by the Bishop of Norwich, Graham Usher, the new lead bishop for the environment, will sift through the entries at the end of July. They will be looking for projects that are most easily reproducible by others, so the whole Church contributes to the reversal of climate change. These selected projects will feature in a specially commissioned video — the ‘showreel’ — to be launched during the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow at the start of November. Participants will be encouraged to include information about:Building projects moving towards net-zero carbon, such as energy efficiencies, pew heaters, heat pumps, and solar panelsBuilding projects that balance conservation and the environment, such as maintenance programmes, sympathetic retrofits, and using low-carbon materialsCourageous advocacy and community engagementNurturing the natural world, and using church land to develop health and wellbeing Involving young people at every levelDiocesan initiatives that break new groundSimple but effective gains on a shoestringPast winners of Green Awards, eco-congregations, and groups from any denomination are invited to tell their stories. The showreel will be launched during an online debate about the Church’s response to the climate crisis in early November, hosted by Church Times. The selected projects will also feature in a booklet, published at the same time. Advice will be available online, to give other churches and groups the tools they need to replicate the successful projects. Timetable:Launch: 4 JuneClosing date for entries: Wed 21 JulyJudging w/b: Mon 26 JulyCreation of videos, booklet, and dossiers: August-OctoberLaunch event and publication: w/b 1 November The Rt Revd Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich and Chair of the Church of England’s Environmental Working Group, said this week: “It’s my great pleasure to support the Green Church Showcase as one of my first actions, in the week I take over as lead Bishop on the Environment.“In this vital year for climate action, I encourage churches and church schools around the country to tell their stories. The Showcase aims to celebrate practical action on the ground and, through these real examples of what is possible, inspire others.“Whether your project has tackled the energy use in your building, cared for nature in your grounds, or engaged your community, please do apply as part of the Green Church Showcase.” Paul Handley, editor of the Church Times, said:“Nothing is more encouraging than learning from people who have tackled the same problems and met the same challenges — and overcome them. We know that many Christian communities have taken huge strides in reducing their carbon footprint and protecting the natural world. It will be a privilege to report these achievements and inspire others to follow their lead.” For more information, and application forms, see https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/green-church-showcase
A church is to create an educational area about a slave trader who became an abolitionist.John Newton was curate of St Peter and Paul's Church in Olney, Buckinghamshire, between 1764 and 1780. During that time he wrote the hymn Amazing Grace.Churchwarden David Phillipson said the church was "not trying to glorify the slave trade" but rather educate people about Mr Newton's work to help abolish slavery.Thousands of people visit the church every year, prompting the plans for an educational space.Proposals for the project were approved by the Church of England's Consistory Court.Mr Phillipson said: "We are not trying to glorify the slave trade by having this area but educate people and explain what happened and what John Newton eventually did in terms of his work to abolish the slave trade and write Amazing Grace, which is known worldwide."In 1780 Mr Newton forged a friendship with politician William Wilberforce and went on to advise and support him through the campaign to abolish slavery.Later, they worked together to establish a home for freed slaves in Sierra Leone.Amazing Grace was published in 1779 and is considered one of the most recognisable songs in the English-speaking world.Mr Phillipson said the plan was to use a currently unused area for educational purposes.He said it would feature artefacts directly related to Newton, including a coffin plaque and descriptive brass plate, and a picture.The work, which includes removing unused pews, would cost about £1,000 and could be completed by the end of July.
