Welcome to the website of the Church of England Deanery of Colchester. The Deanery comprises 24 Parishes in and around the City of Colchester, Essex. Read our news items below, and click the menu to view our other pages..

Latest News

Another grant from the Mission Opportunity Fund

Last November we wrote out to all Incumbents and Churchwardens with the news that the Deanery's application for a grant from this year's mission Opportunity Fund had been approved, inviting Parishes to apply for the money. Around £1,500 may be available, and can be for anything at all that supports your mission work. We gave a deadline of 16th January, but a third of our Parishes have yet to apply. Have you sent yours in, to mail@colchesterdeanery.org.uk? If you need a reminder of what to say, here are the details. We're meeting very soon to approve Parish applications, so send yours in without delay!

Taizé in Christ Church

On Sunday 8th February at 6:30pm., the evening worship at Christ Church, Ireton Road CO3 3AT will be a Taizé service, and the Parish are pleased to widen the invitation to all Churches in our Deanery. So, at the end of a doubtless busy day, take time out to be blessed!

Lord, teach us to pray

On Sunday 8th March at 6.30pm, Bishop Roger, Bishop of Colchester, will be at Christ Church Colchester CO3 3AT to teach on “Prayer” within an evening worship. All are invited to come along and will be warmly welcomed; and we're encouraged to bring our friends.

CYO Celebration - we're all invited!

Christian Youth Outreach invite us all to celebrate God's inspiring work through CYO in schools and in partnership with Churches on Saturday 14th March from 10am to 12 noon in St. Anne's Church, Compton Road, Colchester CO4 0BQ. Yes, all are invited including children - activities will be provided. Book in through Eventbrite by clicking here, and publicise the event using this invitation.

Thank you for the Parish Share

The Diocesan Office have now published the amounts of Parish Share paid by each Parish in 2025. We've written to each Parish - and now we're saying to you - thank you most sincerely for all you have done to help cover the costs of Parish ministry over the last year. We are so aware of the issues you face and the mission opportunities that you'd like to take forward, so we're very grateful that you have risen to the challenge.

Patrick Regan's new book

Patrick Regan, who was such a hit at our Deanery Day, has written a new book: 'Small Steps for Big Change - a guide to overwhelm', and it launches in Mental Health Awareness Week, 11th - 17th May. Publishers Ebury Vine (part of Penguin) expect it to be a best-seller, and Patrick is doing a promotional tour before then. He invites Churches to book him to speak at a service or event in April or May, or host a book launch in (say) a coffee shop. If you'd like to explore this, contact him through www.brighterdays.life.

Cornerstone comes to Colchester

Cornerstone is a tool from the Church's National Giving Team which is available to all Parishes in our Diocese and helps to identify income opportunities including Parish giving - and also provides access to grant opportunities and much more. There's an event planned for our Deanery, on Wednesday 4th February at 2pm at Christ Church, Ireton Road CO3 3AT. Come and see what this will do for you! Book in by contacting giving@chelmsford.anglican.org

Can your Church support Korban?

This is the time of year when Parishes may be considering supporting worthwhile Charities, and Korban (Patrons: our Area Bishop and Archdeacon) are certainly in that category. Their mission is to break the cycle of homelessness for young people in Colchester, and with only two years left on the lease of their property they can see significant challenges approaching. Read more about them at https://www.korban.org.uk/ - and if you can, please do consider supporting them with a Christmas appeal.

The latest Newsletter from the Mustard Seed Team

The January Newsletter from the Diocese's team of Children's & Youth Leaders is as helpful as ever. It includes details of a Mental Health Toolbox event on Saturday 31st January, a Ministry Essentials Course and lots of useful resources such as a Line Management Toolkit and some 'how to' videos. Read the Newsletter online here.

Presentations from Deanery Day - and next year's date

A number of people have asked to see the PowerPoint presentations and other material delivered at our Deanery Day on 11th October. To see and download them, visit our Deanery Day page for those that are available. There'll be another Deanery Day next year - something similar but different, on Saturday 17th October 2026. Put it in your new 226 diary now!

Sign up for CYO's free Training Courses!

Christian Youth Outreach (CYO) are hosting training courses for churches within the Colchester Deanery. CYO are committed to equipping, encouraging, and enabling churches to deliver chaplaincy within local schools. These free courses are:

Schools Ministry 101 St. John's, Colchester, 28th February - all you need to know about schools and the educational context today, the what and why of school ministry, and best practice; and

Chaplaincy, Mentoring & More - St. Mary's Wivenhoe 24th January and St. John's Colchester 21st March. The nuts and bolts of CYO's chaplaincy framework, key skills for mentoring, Playground Pastors, and ideas to keep things going. 

Booking is essential. Links to more details of the courses, dates, and locations are below:

These Powerpoint slides will also introduce the courses to your congregations. Sign up now - see you there.

Colchester Churches Charitable Trust - grants for Church building work

Is your PCC turning its thoughts to the needs of the Church building - either to do Quinquennial repairs or make improvements? Do remember that the Colchester Churches Charitable Trust can donate up to 50% of the cost of a project up to £10,000 for each Church building - so if you've not claimed already, surf along to colchtrust.org.uk

SHAPE - an excellent nurture course

Our Area Mission & Ministry Adviser, Phil Ritchie, is looking again at the SHAPE course - that stands for Spiritual gifts; Heart's desire; Abilities; Personality; Experience. If you'd like to consider this as your next nurture course,, all materials can be downloaded for free here; and why not email Phil - he'll be delighted to hear from you.

Contact us by email

The Church of England Deanery of Colchester is part of the Colchester Episcopal Area of the Diocese of Chelmsford.

The Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Finance is a registered Charity, no. 249505

We are committed to Safeguarding children and young people and vulnerable adults. As a Diocese, we have adopted the Church of England’s policies and best practice on safeguarding which may be found on the Church of England’s website: https://www.churchofengland.org/more/safeguarding. Diocesan guidance is available at https://www.chelmsford.anglican.org/safeguarding