For a young adult coming to church for the first time, simply getting to and through the first service is a daunting prospect. Churches’ online presence, where it exists, describes their beliefs and practices in euphemisms that make sense only to those already familiar with the smorgasbord of Church of England options.

Jargon and out-of-date websites unite to confound the uninitiated. My local churches advertise everything from “Catholic Worship” through to “English Missal Eucharist” and “liturgy inspired by the Iona Community”, and detail membership of the Evangelical Alliance, The Society, or the Inclusive Church network, without explanation. For a generation used to finding information online, clear and accurate websites or social media make church significantly more accessible.

Once you are at church, the average service is an hour of the unknown: so much to follow, so many unwritten “rules”, and so (potentially) intellectually challenging or emotionally taxing. At better-resourced churches, you might be greeted at the door, have a well-produced service booklet handed to you, and have your moment to ask questions. Finessing the church “user experience” is difficult on a shoestring, but such small operational improvements could make coming to church for the first time infinitely less baffling.

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How churches can adapt to the ‘quiet revival’@WinifEvans, a recent convert, suggests some ‘operational improvements’ that parishes can make #quietrevivalhttps://t.co/tvmo0NSdpS

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) October 3, 2025

Mullally, 63, who was confirmed Oct. 3 as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, is the first woman ever to hold the post. Formerly the Bishop of London and before that Chief Nursing Officer for England, she now succeeds Archbishop Justin Welby as the spiritual head of the Anglican Communion, which represents some 85 million members worldwide.

“The election is a double jeopardy,” Ndukuba said. “First, it disregards the conviction of the majority of Anglicans who cannot accept female headship in the episcopate; and second, it is more disturbing that Bishop Sarah Mullally is a strong supporter of same-sex marriage.” 

“It remains to be seen how the same person hopes to mend the already torn fabric of the Anglican Communion by the contentious same-sex marriage, which has caused enormous crisis across the Communion for over two decades,” the Church of Nigeria statement said.

The statement continued: “This election is a further confirmation that the global Anglican world could no longer accept the leadership of the Church of England and that of the Archbishop of Canterbury.”

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The Church of Nigeria Breaks from Canterbury: A Bold Stand for God’s Word

The Church of Nigeria, the largest Anglican province in the world, has officially declared spiritual independence from the Church of England. This historic move comes after the appointment of Bishop Sarah… pic.twitter.com/aYfgWubXpI

— The Canberra Declaration (@TheCanDec) October 9, 2025

Ari Emanuel, the Hollywood talent agent and sports tycoon, has raised almost $3bn from investors for a new events venture in a bet that artificial intelligence will shrink the working week and give people more free time. 

The world could be “down to four-day work weeks” in the coming years, he told the Financial Times. This could go “down to three with AI” as more people use the technology to expedite everyday tasks, he said. “There’s going to be more free time.” 

MARI, Emanuel’s new company, will house the Madrid and Miami tennis Opens, as well as the Frieze art fairs, which Emanuel bought out of Endeavor, the sports and entertainment group he co-founded. The company announced on Wednesday that it had also agreed to acquire Barrett-Jackson, the collector car auction company, from Endeavor.

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Ari Emanuel bets AI will boost leisure time with three-day working week https://t.co/tkaSMs2V7c

— Financial Times (@FT) October 8, 2025

Hard plastic made from bamboo is as strong and durable as conventional plastics for uses such as household appliances and car interiors, but is also recyclable and biodegrades easily in soil.

Plastics derived from biological matter, or bioplastics, are increasingly popular, but they still only make up around half a per cent of the more than 400 million tonnes of plastics produced each year. This is, in part, because bioplastics lack the mechanical strength of many oil-based plastics and also can’t be easily used in common manufacturing processes.

Now, Dawei Zhao at Shenyang University of Chemical Technology in China and his colleagues have developed a way to produce plastic from cellulose derived from bamboo, which can replicate or surpass the properties of many widely used plastics.

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Hard plastic made from bamboo is as strong and durable as conventional plastics for uses such as household appliances and car interiors, but also recyclable and biodegrades easily in soil. https://t.co/POqQscIGEe

— New Scientist (@newscientist) October 7, 2025

Grant us O God, thy grace to follow the example thy faithful servant and bishop Paulinus, who sought to turn those from the dominion of darkness and by your Holy Spirit be transferred to the kingdom of your beloved Son; Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Today's the feast of St Paulinus, 7th Century Roman missionary to the Anglo-Saxons. Fourth from the left in glass by Leonard Evetts, 1969, at Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, with St Aidan, St Bede, St Peter and St Cuthbert. First Bishop of York and later Bishop of Rochester, Paulinus… pic.twitter.com/obRGuv3omH

— Simon Knott (@SimoninSuffolk) October 10, 2025

O God, author of the world’s joy, bearer of the world’s pain; Make us glad we are men, and that we have inherited the world’s burden; deliver us from the luxury of cheap melancholy; and, at the heart of all our trouble and sorrow, let unconquerable gladness dwell.

–Robert W. Rodenmayer, ed., The Pastor’s Prayerbook: Selected and arranged for various occasions (New York: Oxford University Press, 1960)

Narrow Morning Lanes. 8°C and blue skies. Elderberries. pic.twitter.com/omW4im3vLi

— Yorkshire Wolds Weather (@WeatherWolds) October 10, 2025

And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly charged them, “See that no one knows it.” But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

As they were going away, behold, a dumb demoniac was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the dumb man spoke; and the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”

–Matthew 9:27-34

#Autumn set her leaves ablaze with
sunlit colour on the sky’s blue face.

~ Angie Weiland-Crosby#October #Autumn2025 🍂❤️🍁 pic.twitter.com/Rh3bjAMNDU

— Margaret O'Connell🌻 (@MargaretOC6) October 10, 2025