Letter from the Bishop- 07/12/2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

May this be a blessed and holy Advent as together we share that combination of waiting and expectancy in the days up to the celebration of our Lord’s birth. A time when we know that the number of those attending our churches will be greatly enhanced. Mission statistics show us that attendance at Christmas 2024 was 71,400 across the Diocese, which is encouraging. However, it is still significantly less than Christmas attendance pre-Covid. I encourage us all to consider how we can further extend the invitation to worship this Advent. How might we use our own resources, or those of the national church? More than that, will each and every person who comes, know what else what else is available for them in the New Year? Not just worship, but opportunities for nurture as we reach out to those, among them younger adults, whom the evidence suggests are increasingly open to faith. Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry announces that the Lord is nigh. Awake and harken, for he brings glad tidings of the King of kings!

With every blessing this Advent,

Richard, Bishop of Bedford, Acting Bishop of St Albans