In July, the 91��������’s General Assembly passed a resolution encouraging all churches to observe the Feast of Creation on the first Sunday in September – which this year falls on 6 September.

A paper called Celebration of Creationtide was brought to General Assembly by the Worship, Faith and Order Committee. Its authors said: “There is growing ecumenical support for the formal acknowledgement of the Feast of Creation on or around 1 September each year.” Not only is there theological merit in celebrating the Feast, they said, “but it is also appropriate to do so as we face the climate emergency.”

The Moderator was invited to write a reflection for as this year’s Season of Creation approaches, and he has now also shared these thoughts in the latest of his Moderator’s Blogs.

He writes that, at General Assembly, “we focused on God’s creation and how deeply we belong within it; our lives inextricably and wonderfully part of all life on Earth”, and added: “In the light of recent heatwaves and the unfolding of climate and ecological crises, there could hardly be a more critical time for us to bring out this profound theme within our theology and our reading of scripture.”

Marking the first Sunday of September “with special attention in our worship upon creation and all it means to belong within it … can lead on into whatever ways this theme can be explored locally in subsequent weeks.” Mr Thorogood’s thoughtfully crafted reflection will prove valuable for anyone planning worship at this time.

The Revd Andy Braunston, Minister for Digital Worship, has also prepared worship notes for the first Sunday of September and additional pointers to Creationtide themes for the rest of the month.

Image: Sudipta Mondal | Pexel

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As we resolved to encourage United Reformed congregations “to observe the Feast of Creation in Christ on the first Sunday in September from 2026”, we focused on God’s creation and how deeply we belong within it; our lives inextricably and wonderfully part of all life on Earth.

We warmly welcomed the global ecumenical focus upon the importance of creation care and the suggestion that we mark the first Sunday of September each year with special attention in our worship upon creation and all it means to belong within it. This can lead on into whatever ways this theme can be explored locally in subsequent weeks.

In the light of recent heatwaves and the unfolding of climate and ecological crises, there could hardly be a more critical time for us to bring out this profound theme within our theology and our reading of scripture.

I was kindly invited to write something for as this year’s Season of Creation approaches. I hope this meditation might also speak more widely…

You speak, and the stars begin their burning.
You speak, and lands emerge from the waters of chaos.
You speak, and the emerald greens of plants beyond number dance in fresh breeze.
You speak, and the seasons begin to weave their rhythms.
You speak, and the oceans and rivers team with amazing life.
You speak, and the stunning flocks fly free across a dazzling sky.
You speak, and the myriad creatures roam within the gardens of your glory.
You speak, and we arrive.

You see the intricate beauty and delicate balances, the interconnection that brings life to a world of wonders; everything depending upon the flourishing of everything else.
And you see that it is good.

We want to see as you see.

We want to listen to the heartbeats of your world, feel the beauty as much as see it, love the fragility and the splendour as you do.

Let us touch your Earth gently.
Teach us the wisdom we risk forgetting;
that life is made from sharing,
restoring what is damaged begins with understanding,
understanding our powerful selfishness is humbling…

humbling and transforming.

Transforming, because we find the place you always made for us:
our home within creation’s sanctuary,
our work with the wonders of your world of generosity,
our peace in treasuring the gifts of your abundance,
our life within the sharing.

You speak, and long for us to listen.

Image: Sudipta Mondal | Pexels

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The 91��������’s Youth Moderator, Kacie Hodgson, and Youth Moderator Elect, Alex Clements, have teamed up to write a monthly blog for the 91�������� website. They say, “we want to take you along on our journey – sharing our day-to-day work, reflecting on events and, above all, celebrating the incredible things young people are doing right across the United Reformed Church”.

In this month’s blog, Kacie and Alex describe the “overwhelming” welcome they have received right across the UK as part of their Mods on Tour project.

From Woking to Glasgow, from a 91�������� Youth Camp to an ecumenical gathering hosted by the Greek Orthodox Church, they say they have already felt supported and encouraged by their conversations and meetings. As they travel around the country, they say that words from the New Testament letter to the Hebrews sum up both what they are experiencing and what they hope to share throughout the year:

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering”, “provoking” one another “unto love and to good works.”

If you would like to invite Kacie and Alex to visit you at your church meeting, please email urcyamoderator@urc.org.uk to see what might be possible.

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To kick things off, I recently spent two days with the Woking 91�������� Youth Camp, and the experience was amazing. When I asked them what mattered most about Woking, every single person gave the same answer: the strong sense of community, genuine welcome, and safety.

At its best, church is defined by how safe, accepted, and valued people feel when they gather together. The Woking camp was a wonderful picture of true Christian fellowship – a place where people hold each other up and share their lives.

Our prayer is that this blog becomes an extension of that same spirit across the wider 91��������. We want this to be more than a place where we share scheduled updates; we want a space where we share our hope, encourage one another, and highlight the love and good deeds happening across 91�������� Youth and beyond.

sums up what I saw at camp and what Alex and I hope to build here.

– Kacie

Hi all!

The last month since General Assembly has been a busy one for me. The response to, and engagement with, Kacie and my “Mods on Tour” project has been fantastic. Because of this, I have bounced around East Midlands Synod a bit this month, visiting Bulwell with the East Midlands CYDO Richard, and Gainsborough with the Synod team: the support for the project from the Synod has been a source of huge encouragement for me.

Kacie and I are committed to reaching churches that are very distant from Church House or Synod offices. So, I was up in Glasgow for a weekend to visit Rutherglen 91�������� and to attend an ecumenical service of prayer at St Andrew’s Roman Catholic Cathedral. The welcome from Rutherglen and the cathedral was more than I could have expected, and more generally the welcome I have felt from the Church in the role of Moderator Elect has been overwhelming.

Finally, at the end of July, I was invited to a Churches Together in England reception in London, hosted by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain. The Archdiocesan Chapel (pictured above) was beautiful, and the enthusiasm for ecumenism among young leaders across the denominations was obvious. This is something I look forward to exploring further with the contacts I made at the event.

– Alex

Main image: Mike Bird | Pexels

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The striking, illustrated Bible was brought to London by Catriona Wheeler, the immediate past Moderator of the General Assembly, from Trinity 91�������� in Lincoln, which closed in January this year. The congregation had been gifted the Bible by the congregation of the Pauluskirche in Hambach, an area of the city of Neustadt an der Weinstrasse in the Rhineland-Palatinate, or “Pfalz”, in western Germany.

Trinity had been twinned for thirty years with the Pauluskirche, and was one of around twenty local 91�������� congregations that are twinned with partner German churches from the region.

As a member of the Lincoln Choral Society, Catriona visited Neustadt again recently and had the opportunity to attend a service at the Pauluskirche, bringing greetings from Lincoln and from the wider 91��������, and participating in worship with a Bible reading. Catriona said it was a happy opportunity to confirm an ongoing friendship with Oliver Jaehn, the minister of the Pauluskirche (pictured left), and other members of the congregation, who have visited Lincoln over the years.

The individual church partnerships between 91��������s and German congregations have grown out of the Covenant of Pulpit and Table Fellowship, established following the Second World War between what is now the United Reformed Church and the Evangelische Kirche der Pfalz.

One aspect of that Covenant is the tradition of biennial theological consultations that alternate between locations in Germany and the UK. This year’s gathering will take place in London in October, taking the theme “The Church’s Prophetic Voice: Naming and Resisting Evil in Society, War and the Climate Crisis”. The event will include a visit to St George’s German Lutheran Church in Aldgate, the oldest German church in Britain, with a history that includes strong associations with the German theologian and martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Conversations are now being held about how best to display the Pauluskirche-Trinity Bible at the Offices of the General Assembly. What is certain is that its presence will be a permanent visual reminder of the ongoing value of a European relationship now over 60 years old.

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Yorkshire Synod

Who needs just one scarecrow when you can have a congregation of them instead?

In time for Harvest, the famous Bridge Church Scarecrows have planted themselves around Otley Bridge 91�������� church lawn and are set to remain there until early September.

“Another great Otley tradition just at a time when we all need to raise a smile,” said one local resident. “Amazing as always,” said another, though one resident was sad that it “doesn’t look like our favourite one is there this year”. Well, there’s always next year…

Wessex Synod

Two young members of Park 91�������� in Reading are hitting the spot with a pop-up burger bar in August. The pair, dubbed “the Burger Brothers”, will pull in the punters on Wednesday 12 August from 5pm. Home-made beef smash burgers with chips for just a fiver. What’s not to like?

Meanwhile, outside Salisbury 91�������� books spilled onto the pavement at the start of August, as the church’s popular second-hand bookstall got into full swing. Fiction, non-fiction and children’s books were all priced under £2. Inside, the church’s newly refitted bookshop was also open. This permanent fixture is the ideal add-on to a visit to the Spire Coffee Shop, which is regularly open on Tuesday and Saturday mornings.

Mersey Synod

Christ Church Haydock 91�������� in St Helens is delighted to have begun work on an extension that will incorporate a second hall into the building.

“This project isn’t just about bricks and mortar,” they say. “It’s about creating space to share the love of Christ in practical ways, offering hospitality, building relationships, and serving our neighbours faithfully.

With the installation of a larger kitchen as part of the plans, and the refurbishment of some existing rooms, “this new space will give us room to grow the work we’re already doing with children and young people, while opening the door to new ways of serving our local community”.

North Western Synod

Over sixty people gathered for a pop-up service at George and Clemmie’s Farm on 2 August. North Blackburn 91��������’s “sunflower service”. With calves in attendance, and blessed with a warm, bright day, the intergenerational service was a great success. The Sunflower Service has become an annual highlight in the church calendar.

George and Clemmie’s Farm on Meins Road in Blackburn is a working dairy farm with its own ice cream parlour, also offering seasonal flower picking and woodland walks.

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The congregations of Stainbeck and St Andrew’s Roundhay United Reformed churches were among those represented at a vigil held for victims of the attack that took place during a Pride celebration in Berlin’s Tiergarten last month.

The vigil was held at Leeds Minster, coordinated by the Revd Mo Onyett, a minister in the Leeds South and West Methodist Circuit. Candles were lit and a minute’s silence was held for all those affected by the attack, which took place on 25 July.

One woman was killed and 29 others were injured, some seriously, when a van was driven into a crowd of pedestrians during the event, which is also known as Christopher Street Day Berlin.

Leeds City Council showed solidarity with the vigil by illuminating council buildings in rainbow colours – and in the sky, nature showed solidarity with its own rainbow.

“The rainbow over Leeds Minster and the candles lit inside reminded us that we are not alone,” said one participant, who added: “Love calls us to oppose hatred and work for the freedom and dignity of LGBTQ+ people, and all people.”

Stainbeck and St Andrew’s  Roundhay 91��������s are both member congregations of the Leeds 91�������� Partnership.

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In the second of his “Moderator’s Blogs”, Neil describes the carnage wrought by wildfires across over 350 acres of Dunwich Heath on the coast of Suffolk. He says the destruction has also affected his own family.

In a powerful reflection that is one of a series of blogs Neil will publish throughout his year as Moderator, he asks the same question cried by the psalmist: “Creator, are you also destroyer?” And he prays: “Do not close your eyes and ears, Lord.”

Read Dunwich Heath Lament at The Moderator’s Blog, and catch all Neil’s updates here over the coming months.

Image: Dunwich Heath Lament by Neil Thorogood

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is a volunteer-based project that provides homemade, washable quilts to babies, children and teenagers. The quilts on display in the beautiful Abbey 91�������� were made by members of the Romsey Quilters. Following the exhibition, the quilts were donated to children’s care homes, premature baby units and to other children in need of a hug. As part of the display there were two full-sized quilts. These were given to 18-year olds who would soon be moving on from children’s care homes.

In the past, “portable hugs” have been donated to a wide range of needy children and young people, many of them  sick, disadvantaged, living with a disability, or having experienced some form of trauma.

Project Linus, which is a not-for-profit organisation, relying entirely on volunteers and donations, was founded in the UK in March 2000. It was based on the original Project Linus movement that started in the United States in 1995, and is named after the security blanket-toting character from the Peanuts comic strip. The cartoon’s creator, Charles Schultz, was pleased to have Linus inspire quilt makers to help sick and traumatised children. Since its own foundation, Project Linus UK has delivered 666,45 quilts nationally.

Alongside a thank you for the exhibition on was this apt thought for reflection: “We are all works in progress. We do not have to be perfect to receive God’s unconditional love.”

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Just days after Mr Burnham’s appointment, , coordinated by refugee charity HIAS+JCORE, reminded him that “those fleeing persecution are no different to us”.

The faith leaders, who included the Revd Neil Thorogood, Moderator of the 91��������’s General Assembly, stressed their concern “that our society’s unity and cohesion are increasingly under threat”, and expressed their “hurt for this division and for those affected by recent unrest and violence in Southampton, Belfast, and Edinburgh.”

They put forward a series of policy requests, calling on the new Prime Minister to fully reinstate refugee family reunion rights, reverse the 30-month protection model, and return to a five-year route to settlement for refugees.

Scotland’s Chief Imam, Imam Dr Sayed Razawi, said that a fair and well-managed immigration system and compassion for those fleeing persecution “are not competing values. As people of faith, we believe that protecting the vulnerable and maintaining the common good go hand in hand. The United Kingdom is at its best when its immigration system is orderly, just and rooted in the dignity of every human person.”

The faith leaders were drawn together by , a charity that exists “to enable refugees and asylum seekers to flourish as a part of a society free from xenophobia and racism”. It describes itself as being led by its “Jewish values and a history of Compassion (Rachamim), Responsibility (Arvut), Solidarity (Shlemut) and Partnership (Gishur)”.

91��������, Methodist and Baptist leaders had previously , to assure him of their prayers, and to outline their vision of a society that “enables the flourishing of all life”. The leaders, whose Churches cooperate on justice issues through the Joint Public Issues Team, called for a government “of integrity that pursues justice and peace and seeks to serve the common good”.

They declared: “As Church denominations, we share a vision of a society where the poorest and most marginalised are at the centre, where refugees are welcomed, where the environment is renewed, where a just economy enables the flourishing of all life, and where politics is characterised by listening, kindness and truthfulness, and of a world that actively works for peace. Where there is common ground around this agenda, we are committed to seeking a constructive relationship with your government which will help to enable those hopes to be fulfilled.”

Image © House of Commons – used under an Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) licence

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