School pupils facing exams can look to a new source of revision aid this year, with the publication of a set of downloadable prayer cards designed to be included in students’ crib card packs. The brief prayers – written in bullet point style on a postcard-size format – call for God’s help in facing the stressful time and ask for a sense of calm and focus during revision ahead of the big tests.

The Church of England has also published the following selection of prayers for use in churches, in light of the developing situation regarding influenza A/H1N1 ('swine flu').   Advice and information from the NHS on swine flu is available here, while more details on the Church's response can be found here.

The Church Commissioners intend to continue planned levels of support for Church of England dioceses through to the end of 2010, despite a year of declining asset values. Audited results published today in the 2008 Annual Report show a negative total return of 19.6 per cent in 2008 - an improvement on earlier unaudited figures, released in February that indicated a negative return of around 22 per cent. More details here 

Churchgoers across the Church of England are set personally to invite up to half a million people to services on Back to Church Sunday, 27 September 2009 making the event one of the largest co-ordinated evangelism events shared across the Church in recent history. More details here

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York Dr Rowan Williams and Dr John Sentamu say they have been humbled by the response to the appeal launched at the beginning of Lent which highlights the support needed by churches, which are struggling to feed the hungry and provide health care. In a joint statement, the Archbishops said: "The support of the general public has been overwhelming, and we have been humbled by the response so far. We know that rebuilding Zimbabwe is a long-term aim, and this short intervention is still only reaching a small number of the many millions in need. Thank you for enabling us to do this.” Read the full story here

The Bishop of Peterborugh the Rt Revd Ian Cundy, died suddenly this month. He collapsed while travelling to a family event in the West Country, and was taken by ambulance to Swindon General Hospital, but staff were unable to save him. His wife Jo was with him. Tributes, funeral details and biography here.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has expressed his sadness over the death of Bishop Cundy. More details here
 

David Shreeve the Church of England’s Environment Adviser has been selected as one of the 16 members of the new Third Sector Task Force on climate change, the environment and sustainable development. The appointment was made by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn and the group meets for the first time this month. Full story here

Podcast highlights include the Bishop of Reading, the Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, talking about his new book Hit the Ground Kneeling, which offers a different approach to all types of leadership. Dr John Preston, the Archbishops’ Council’s Resources and Stewardship Officer, offers hope and advice for households and churches in the current financial situation in his podcast, while the Revd Jean Coates talks about her work as a busy Rural Officer for Dorset. Catch up with our top podcasts by clicking here.

A new website launched by the Church of England marks a groundbreaking initiative to identify the distinctive values that make Christian schools popular with parents and students, and promote ways of living out those values in the day-to-day activities of a busy school environment. One in four primary schools in England and one in 16 secondary schools are CofE schools. More here