St Philip’s Church in Webheath, Redditch, was filled with excitement and wonder when two Reception classes from Webheath Academy stepped into the story of Palm Sunday in a truly memorable…
The children arrived full of energy and curiosity, ready to discover the events leading up to Easter. Together, they took part in their very own Palm Sunday procession, waving Palm leaves they’d made at school and calling out “Hosanna!” as they journeyed through the churchyard, echoing the welcome given to Jesus all those years ago
The highlight of the visit came as a complete surprise. Waiting to greet them were three gentle donkeys from The Animal Pantry at Astwood Bank, bringing the story vividly to life. The children were delighted to meet them up close, carefully stroking their soft noses and experiencing a tangible connection to the Easter story.
Vicar Sarah Jayne Hewitt, said: “It was such a joy to welcome the children into church and to share the story of Palm Sunday and Easter with them. Their enthusiasm, their singing, and their sense of wonder made it a really special occasion for all of us.”
Staff from Webheath Academy also praised the visit, noting how beautifully the children engaged with the experience and how meaningful it was to bring learning to life in such a hands-on way.
The visit is part of St Philip’s ongoing commitment to working with local schools and helping children and families explore faith through creativity, storytelling, and shared experiences. As the children left, still chatting excitedly about the donkeys and the story they had taken part in, it was clear that this was not just a school visit, but a moment that will stay with them for a long time.
At the recent Clergy Conference, the diocesan stewardship team launched a Boomerang offering, to help activate generosity across the Diocese. Each person was given a £5 note to take home, pray with and see what act of generosity God was calling them towards. We also asked them to share their stories of how the money was used.
Many of our churches hosted ‘light parties’ at the end of October as a popular alternative to Halloween. Some of our renewal churches hosted the biggest celebrations.
Our diocese has been awarded £3.6 million to continue to support churches as part of phase two of our programme to ensure our churches are healthy and sustainable for the future.
Kelly Gordon is a member of Wordsley Parish in Greater Dudley Deanery. She has recently been selected as one of only three people in the UK to be part of the Leaders Europe programme within the Obama Foundation.
St Peter’s CE Academy and St Peter’s Church in the Saltway Team have been awarded a silver Church and School Partnership Award recognising the close relationship between the church, school and local community.
This year’s Church of England Advent and Christmas theme focuses on the first and greatest Christmas gift of all: the gift of God being born as one of us in Jesus Christ.
An article from Archdeacon Mark for December editions of parish magazines.
The Muslim-Christian dialogue group in Lye, Stourbridge, arranged a litter pick on 31 October to clear up two local streets.
A new singing group for children will launch at St Peter’s Centre at Pedmore Church on 15 November, 10 years after Singing Angels originally began at St Andrew’s Church on the Straits.
Bishop Hugh visited Cropthorne with Charlton C of E First School on 3 November to share in their collective worship and meet with the children.
