The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, has urged people to take steps now to protect each other as we prepare to celebrate Christmas – the second during the global Covid-19 pandemic – amid a rise in cases.

This Christmas should be a time for sharing, togetherness, faith and hope in the wake of the hardships of the last two years, according to voices in this year’s Church of England Christmas advert.

Nothing can ‘cancel’ the message of hope and new life at the heart of Christmas even if some celebrations are smaller this year, bishops' Christmas messages say.

With dragons, talking carrots, and even a surprise comeback for ET all vying for centre stage in the annual festive advertising bonanza, the Church of England is putting real-life stars at the heart of its campaign to invite more people to church this Christmas.

NEWS / Christmas attendance at cathedrals breaks records for second year running.

The Church of England is to release a new carol as part of its Christmas campaign for 2021

NEWS / Christmas attendance at services in cathedrals last year reached its highest figure since records began, statistics published today show. A one year rise of 5%, meant that 131,000 people came to cathedrals to worship last Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

In their Christmas messages, Bishops of the Church of England urge people to revisit the stark reality of the Christmas story to find hope in unlikely places.

NEWS / Major digital resources launched to help thousands find local Christmas services and events, including upgrades to AChurchNearYou.com the church-finding service