Anna Chaplaincy for Older People - BRF

26/10/2026

New article! 💫 In the first of two extracts from our new title Power and Privilege: Reckoning with stories from scripture for everyday life, editor Sam Hole sets out the aim of this collection of contemporary essays on eternal and universal themes. .

Read our new article on the BRF Ministries website: brf.org.uk/power-and-privilege-part-1/

23/10/2026

Wonderful to celebrate the 500 amazing Anna Chaplains in the network.

We had such a brilliant day gathering as a staff team! A day full of reflection on our powerful history, and planning for what God has in store for us in the future. We also celebrated an amazing milestone for Anna Chaplaincy, reaching 500 current Anna Chaplains!

13/10/2026

The Anna Chaplaincy Team are really looking forward to our online Annual Gathering today, gathering Anna Chaplains from across the UK.

13/10/2026

Entries for the 2026 Upper Room writing competition are now invited from new and experienced writers alike.
The Upper Room, with the tagline ‘where the world meets to pray’, is a unique Bible reading notes series published in 33 languages and read by an estimated three million people worldwide every day. What makes The Upper Room special is the fact that its readers are its writers. Contributors from the widest imaginable range of backgrounds and locations share their faith experiences and biblical insights with the entire Upper Room community.

Find out more information at: brfresources.org.uk/upper-room-competition

12/10/2026

New article! 💫 Supporter spotlight: an occasional series in which supporters share their stories with BRF Ministries. We always love to hear from supporters and readers about what BRF Ministries has meant to them, and some remarkable stories emerge. This week, we meet Jim Parratt, professor emeritus in physiology and a longtime fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Jim lives with his wife Pam in Bearsden, Glasgow.

Read our new article on the BRF Ministries website: brf.org.uk/supporter-spotlight-jim/

06/10/2026

We are delighted to welcome Revd Dawn Stokes to the Anna Chaplaincy Network supported by Liz Kelly, Anna Chaplaincy Coordinator for the Diocese of Peterborough.

The Revd Dawn Stokes has become the first ordained Anna Chaplain in the Diocese of Peterborough, marking an important milestone in the Diocese’s growing ministry with older people.

On Sunday 31 May, the Revd Dawn Stokes, Rector of Holy Cross Church in Daventry, was commissioned as an Anna Chaplain during a special service at Holy Cross led by Bishop Andrew Proud.

Bishop Andrew was joined by Liz Kelly, the Diocese’s Anna Chaplaincy Co-ordinator and local trainer, who introduced the ministry and its mission to offer spiritual care, friendship and support to older people, whatever their faith background. Anna Chaplaincy seeks to ensure that older people feel valued, listened to and connected, particularly at times when they may face loneliness, loss or changing circumstances.

Dawn was commissioned after completing the six-week Anna Chaplaincy training programme, which equips chaplains to support older people in a variety of settings. The course combines practical guidance, resources and opportunities to learn from others involved in this growing ministry.

Speaking during the service, Dawn reflected on the importance of reaching out to older people, including those for whom attending church is no longer possible. She described Anna Chaplaincy as a “vital ministry” and expressed her enthusiasm about joining the growing network of chaplains serving communities across the Diocese.

There are now sixteen Anna Chaplains serving across the Diocese of Peterborough, with more training each year. Many are Licensed Lay Ministers who feel called to support older people, but the ministry is open to anyone with a heart for this work and the encouragement of their local church.

Dawn’s commissioning is another encouraging step in the Diocese’s commitment to supporting older people and helping churches respond to the needs of an ageing population. Through Anna Chaplaincy, older people are offered care and companionship ensuring they remain connected and valued within their communities.

Anna Chaplaincy for Older People - BRF

06/10/2026

New article! 💫 Bethany Sollereder reflects on ‘God’s book of nature’, in the second of our articles to mark the Season of Creation. This is an edited extract from her series in the forthcoming issue of Guidelines, our Bible study notes for readers who want to engage deeply with the biblical text and current scholarship.

Read our new article on the BRF Ministries website: https://www.brf.org.uk/the-season-of-creation-part-2/

01/10/2026

We are so grateful to Richard for his vision and support of Anna Chaplaincy to enable it to flourish as a local and national ministry.

Thank you, Richard, for your commitment to enabling and empowering others and for your leadership within Anna Chaplaincy and across all of BRF ministries.

We wish you every blessing for your retirement.

BRF Ministries announces that, after 38 years of dedicated leadership, chief executive Richard Fisher is to take early retirement.

Richard has led BRF Ministries through nearly four decades of significant change in the Church and wider society. His tenure has been characterised by a deep commitment to Christian discipleship, a willingness to innovate, and a determination to find new ways for BRF Ministries’ resources and ministries to serve the Church and enable people of all ages and stages to encounter and grow in faith.

Check out our website to find out more: brf.org.uk/richard-fisher-to-retire/

29/09/2026

New article! 💫In a special collaboration between BRF Ministries and the JustMoney Movement, Sarah Edwards highlights some key ethical questions in her upcoming reflections for Guidelines.

Read our new article on the BRF Ministries website: brf.org.uk/ethical-finance/

14/09/2026

New article! 💫To mark the new Festival of Creation in Christ, Margot Hodson reflects on the urgent necessity of caring for creation after a summer in which the reality of the climate crisis we all face has become dramatically apparent. Christopher Irvine and Timothy Howles introduced the new festival in the Church Times: ‘The idea of God’s creative work is deeply and intentionally woven into Christian liturgy: in our prayers and in eucharistic worship, in the way we use material elements, and in the rhythm and structure of the church year itself. In recent years, however, many around the world have advocated something more: a dedicated liturgical celebration held on a common date across worldwide denominations.’

This dedicated liturgical celebration has now been added to the church’s calendar. The Festival of Creation in Christ will be celebrated annually across the world on 1 September or the first Sunday in September.

Read our new article on the BRF Ministries website: brf.org.uk/the-season-of-creation-2026/