Coming Back Home – Laura’s Living Hope Story
“The first time I walked into church I was overwhelmed with the feeling of being back home.” Sitting down with Laura and hearing her story of returning to her childhood faith was such a joy. Laura stopped going to church in her university years, but when her daughter was born she felt a pull back. Instantly she felt she had returned home. As she began to get more involved, Laura sensed God inviting her to serve in a new way. She
Good News Spotlight: St Nic’s breaks ground for new building
St Nic’s Church Nottingham held a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday 17 December 2025 to mark the start of construction on its new annexe. This multi-million-pound project has a vision of becoming a ‘tree of life’ in the city centre, offering nourishment and healing to diverse groups. The annexe will be a place where relationships are built, community is fostered, and faith is explored, providing space for both existing and new activities that will allow St Nic’s to better serve the
Diocese of Southwell & Nottingham’s ‘Home for Christmas’ campaign reaches over 2 million views
Last month, our Christmas short film inviting people to rediscover church as a place of welcome and belonging reached more than 2 million views, striking a chord with audiences across social media. The Home for Christmas film is a modern retelling of the biblical parable of the Prodigal Son, told in the style of a John Lewis Christmas advert. The story centres on themes of forgiveness, reconciliation and coming home, ending with a simple invitation for viewers to ‘find a church near you’. The
Start the Month in January with Bishop Paul and Sarah (188) – 2nd January 2026
‘Blessed is the one…whose delight is in the law of the Lord and who meditates on his law day and night.’ Psalm 1:2 In a special Start the Month for January and the New Year, join Bishop Paul and Sarah as they walk in Southwell and read from Psalm 1, reflecting on the blessings that flow to us through Jesus. Psalm 1 opens a door into all the blessings that flow to us from Christ, and inspires us to keep trusting him
Bishop Paul’s Christmas Sermon from Southwell Minster
'Jesus was born not to make sure we know how badly we’ve messed things up, but so that we can discover how greatly we are loved by God.' In his Christmas sermon at the Midnight Communion in the Cathedral on Christmas Eve, Bishop Paul spoke about how at Christmas, God comes to find us in Jesus, offering a peace that can satisfy our very deepest need and longings, and inviting our hearts to come home to Him. He reflected on the success
Start the Day on Christmas Eve with Bishop Paul and Sarah (187) – 24th December 2025
‘God doesn’t leave things to chance - he creates order and beauty out of chaos’ In this special Start the Day message on Christmas Eve, Bishop Paul and Sarah reflect on the angels appearing to the shepherds in Luke 2 - a moment where heaven breaks into the ordinary and the shepherds’ eyes are opened to a wonder that changes their perspective. As we look at the chaos around the world or in our own lives, Bishop Paul and Sarah remind us
O Holy Night | Home for Christmas
'A thrill of hope, a weary world rejoices' We've loved seeing the many reactions to our Christmas short film, 'Home for Christmas', and we are now pleased to share with you the beautiful rendition of O Holy Night from the film. This cover is performed by Hannah Crutch (Diocesan Worship Leader Facilitator) and Tom Walters (Diocesan Contemporary Worship Lead). As you listen, we hope you are reminded of God's deep love for you, the Good News of Jesus, and the warm
Good News Spotlight: Clifton Parish premieres ‘The Wise’ Christmas Film
We love seeing parishes across our diocese find creative ways to engage their communities. Last night, Clifton Parish in Nottingham premiered a short film titled The Wise, a 24-minute modern retelling of one of the most famous stories in the world. The film follows the journey of the Magi as they evade the disturbing pursuit of King Herod’s agents and encounter an extraordinary child, a gift from God. As the story unfolds, viewers are invited to journey alongside the Magi in
Christmas Stories Part 2
We’ve loved seeing and hearing about many more Christmas events and services taking place in churches across the diocese as we invite people to Come home this Christmas. Read below for a selection of stories, and explore even more stories in our previous round-up here. St Mary's East Leake Last Sunday afternoon, St Mary’s East Leake celebrated Christingle with a wonderful mix of regular churchgoers and newcomers. Each person received a bag containing all the ingredients needed to make their own Christingle. The
Christmas Video Featured on Local Radio
It’s been wonderful to see the response to our newly released Christmas short film. With over one million views across our social media channels, the response has been incredibly encouraging. On Tuesday morning, Bishop Paul joined BBC Radio Nottingham to share the meaning behind the film and the message at its heart. Click button below to listen (the interview begins at 1 hour 22 minutes): listen here If you haven’t yet seen the film, you can watch it below: https://youtu.be/zsae3jJaCn4 We hope it offers you