His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
It's with great sadness that we heard the news of the death of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke ...
Weekly Newsletter, Friday 2 October
To read this week's newsletter, click here. Please note that there's a correction to the newsletter as I missed a ...
News update 11 Sept
Dear Friends, So how do you feel about the “rule of six.” It’s a dreadful name isn’t it? I am ...
Latest news, 5 Sept 2020
Dear Friends, It’s quiet here at last! For the first time in nearly six months, all the children are at ...
Latest news 21 August 2020
Dear Friends, By now you’ve probably heard the joke about Education Secretary Gavin Williamson setting up an ABBA tribute band ...
Church administrator news
In mid September, our administrator Clare Bell is moving on to pastures new. She's been in the role for 12 ...
Latest News 8 August
After a two week holiday of glorious sunshine and excellent French food, I wouldn't be being entirely honest if I ...
Latest news 24 July
Dear Friends, As we’re into the holiday season, and I’m currently on leave, this note should have been brief, except ...
Latest news 17 July
Dear Friends, Just a short note this week. I hope I find you well. Getting back to my desk after ...
Latest News 11 July
Dear Friends, I’m writing this from Cornwall, where I’m having a short break with my family. It’s been good to ...
News 3 June 2020
Dear Friends, I’m writing this after watching my oldest son’s school leaving assembly, all streamed online, and it served as ...
Vicar’s Update Letter 26 June 2020
Dear Friends, I hope you’ve had an enjoyable week and that the heat hasn’t been too much for you. We’ve ...
The Church Lockdown Survey
Dear Friends, As the government begins to relax the Coronavirus Lockdown, it's time for us to think about how we ...
Vicar’s Update – 19 June 2020
Dear Friends, I have some good news. At long last, we’re ready to reopen three of our eight churches for ...
Vicar’s Letter 5 June 2020
Weekly Newsletter, 5 June 2020 I’m sure you’ve been very aware of the sad story of race and cruel policing ...
Easter Means Hope
I'm loving this new Rainbow-themed campaign, building on the way people have used the Rainbow as a symbol of hope ...
Church Update – Coronavirus
Last updated 23 March 2020 The last few days have been a bit of a rollercoaster ride, so in the ...
Coronavirus Update 10 March 2020
Changes to communion services as a result of Coronavirus On 10 March, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York wrote to ...
Coronavirus and Church
It's been hard to ignore Coronavirus in the media this week. I, therefore, wanted to write a brief update for ...
Latest Vicar’s Letter
I recently sent out a Lent letter to our mailing list. If you'd like to see it, you can download ...
Diocese of Worcester “Open Conversations” about the future
Published in the Bridge Magazine, 1 Feb 2020 In January, the Diocese of Worcester began a series of “open conversations” ...
Scammers beware!
Bridge Magazine, February 2020 Just after Christmas, a church member (let’s call her Brenda, though that isn’t her name) received ...
Happy Valentine’s Day!
First published in the Bridge Magazine March 2019 How did your Valentine’s Day go? Chances are your February 14th went a ...
From the Manifesto to the Manger
From the Manifesto to the Manger Have the children in your life compiled their Christmas lists yet? One child I ...
We will remember them
Until I moved here in 2016, I didn’t know that Upton was the home of a Dunkirk hero: Captain William ...
Changing your mind
The man who never alters his opinions is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind” (William Blake) So ...
Latest Vicar’s email
I recently circulated an email updating everyone about this Sunday's benefice service at Hanley Swan. To read it, click here ...
Don’t go out, there’s a lion in the streets!
Vicar's article from the Bridge Magazine, September 2019 If you’ll forgive a small holiday boast, I was enjoying a cold ...
Vicar’s September Update
To see the latest email update, listing lots of things that are going on this Autumn, click here ...
Why gratitude is good for you!
One night in July last year I was woken by a loud low buzzing as something large and striped landed ...
Introducing our New Administrator
We’re delighted to announce that Clare Bell has joined us to work as our new Benefice Administrator. Based in the ...
Diocese of Worcester faces financial difficulties
The Diocese of Worcester’s spent around £1 million more than it received in income during 2018, and is heading for ...
Bishop Confirms Five at Upton Parish Church
On 23 June we were delighted to welcome Bishop Anthony Priddis, former Bishop of Hereford to Upton Parish Church for ...
Parish Office Summer Closure
On 8 July our administrator Helen Inman departed, and while we're recruiting her successor the office won't be operating as ...
Birmingham Community Gospel Choir to play Upton Church!
On Sunday July 20th, as part of a special Blues Festival Service, The Birmingham Community Gospel Choir will be performing ...
Think you can help get us organised?
Administrator – Hope Church Family 14 hours per week, £10 per hour. The Hope Church Family is a group of ...
How to get better not bitter!
Vicar's article from the Bridge Magazine, May 2019 How to get better, not bitter I was catching up with some ...
All you need is love…
Vicar's article from the Bridge Magazine, March 2019 All you need is love How did your Valentine’s Day go? Chances ...
The Kingdom of Easter
Published in the Bridge Magazine, April 2019 The Kingdom of Easter So what’s Easter really all about? The crucifixion and ...
Palm Sunday 2019 – you’re invited
An invitation to lunch in Palm Sunday This Sunday is Palm Sunday, the time we begin our Easter anticipation by ...
A new look to the church office
Decorating isn't something I normally get excited about, but I'm going to make an exception for last week's decorating work ...
Losing Jesus.
First published in the Bridge Magazine, February 2019 What have I got in common with David Cameron and Jesus’ mother ...
If it bleeds it leads
First published in the Bridge Magazine, October 2018 I was chatting with someone recently and we got onto politics and ...
The Power of Forgiveness
First published in the Bridge Magazine, November 2018 edition. On March 28 2010, 19-year old Conor McBride shot his fiancée ...
Vicar’s Update – September 2018
If you'd like to read my latest update, highlighting lots of things coming up in the next few weeks, click ...
Madagascar: Help me make a difference!
Help me make a difference! First published in the Bridge Magazine June 2018 Madagascar is one of the world’s poorest ...
All Change in the Church Office
We've made some changes to our office administration. Wendy Thompson ceased to be our administrator at the end of August ...
Grenfell Fire Disaster – what can we do?
The Grenfell Tower fire is very much on my mind today. Mark O'Donoghue, who was my neighbour when I was ...
Music Programme at St Peter and St Paul, Upton, April-July 2017
Music at St Peter and St Paul, April – July 2017 Saturday April 8th 7.30 pm Hanley Voices – A ...
February and March events update
To see the February & March vicar's events bulletin, click here ...
Beer & Ethics
Join us for Beer and Ethics! What? – A chance for some grown-up discussion on issues that people encounter every day ...
Lent Events
This year, Lent begins on Wed 1 March. To mark the beginning of Lent we'll be holding three Ash Wednesday ...
Vicar’s Christmas Email
Christmas Eve, 2016. To read the vicar's latest email update, click here ...
God, Science and a Post-Truth Nativity
If you spend any time on social media, reading the comments of what policy-makers like to call “opinion formers”, you ...
Christianity Explored
No matter where you are on your journey with Jesus -whether you’re just setting out or whether you’ve been on ...
Remembrance Sunday 2016
Remembrance Sunday - 13 November We have three opportunities across our churches to give thanks to God for those who ...
Why a Bright Lights Party?
On Halloween this year we're hosting a Bright Lights Party at Upton Parish Church. It's going to be a great family ...
There’s a new vicar in town…
This article was originally published in the Bridge Magazine, October issue. Where are you from? I grew up in the ...
Wing Walk Plane Sailing for first-time flyer
Congratulations to Mary Purser, church warden at St James, Welland for completing her charity wing walk, and making the BBC ...
Tom Holland: Why I was wrong about Christianity
Great article by Tom Holland, writing in the New Statesman It took me a long time to realise my morals are ...
Why the Hope Church Family?
The Hope Church Family is eight Church of England churches (and a ninth, which is redundant) working together at the southern end ...
My Greatest Adventure – Bear Grylls
Over the past few years Bear Grylls has become the embodiment of adventure and outdoor survival in the public imagination ...
In defence of Justin Welby: mediator, not homophobe
Journalist James Macintyre writes an interesting article on the Christian Today website looking at the Archbishop of Canterbury's much-misrepresented comments on ...
Music at St Peter and St Paul, Upton – September – December 2016
Between September and December we've a number of concerts and recitals at St Peter and St Paul's Upton Wednesday September 7th - 12.30 ...