My (extraordinary) family

The Revd Canon David Tyler tells the story of his calling to Bishop Steven Croft. From an introduction to faith through close friends to becoming the next Archdeacon of Dorchester, David shares the passions and challenges of ministry and how looking to the fantastic people around him and the gifts they bring sees him through. oxford.anglican.org/archdeacon-of-dorchester

Episode 5: Distinctive The Church holds in tension two great images: on the one hand, we are a chosen race, God's own people. On the other, we are aliens and exiles, living against the grain as we wait for God's kingdom to come in its fulness. As we look forward in anticipation this Advent, the words of 1 Peter set us on the path of living as best we can in these in-between times. Photo: Shutterstock

Episode 4: Chosen Bishop Steven is joined this week by the Rt Revd Mary D. Glasspool, Assistant Bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of New York. As they delve deeper into 1 Peter, Bishop Mary discusses the complexities of being ‘chosen' without feeling entitled, as she and Bishop Steven contemplate the seeds of hope for a post-pandemic future and the idea of the church as a centre for healing and protection. She also has some thoughts about the Lambeth Conference, taking place in 2022... A video of their conversation is also available to watch on the Diocese of Oxford YouTube channel

Episode 3: Living Stone We have learned during the pandemic how important our church buildings are. But we've also learned more deeply than we did before, that the church is not the building. The church is the community which gathers for worship, whether virtually or physically, and is sustained by the presence of the Risen Christ in Word and sacrament. It is we who are the living stones. Church leadership teams can sign up to find out more about Come and See 2022 using this form The picture for this episode is taken from the poster on Bishop Steven's wall, referred to in his introduction.

Episode 2: Resilience In a candid conversation with the Bishop of Western Louisiana, the Rt Revd Jacob Wayne Owensby, Bishop Steven delves deeper into the first letter of 1 Peter. Facing the uncomfortable realisation of feeling too content in the world as it is, and the importance of being the light in a world that's aching for more, Bishops Steven and Jacob explore how to be people of resilience and grit in times of great hardship. A video of their conversation is also available to watch on the Diocese of Oxford YouTube channel

Episode 1: Exiles We will only navigate the challenges of the coming years if we learn to be a deeper church again. This new series of podcasts explores what God is saying to us as a Church through the first letter of Peter. Join the Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft, and some of his fellow bishops from around the world as they rediscover that the medicine Peter offers is good for today's church. Photo: Shutterstock

Bishop Steven concludes our exploration of Holy Communion - the meal through which we may come and eat and be restored.

In episode three of Come and Eat, Bishop Steven explores holy communion as a sign of hope, with wine as a symbol of both joy and suffering.

Episode two of Come and Eat, Bishop Steven's podcast exploring holy communion, focuses on Jesus as the bread of life.

The first in a short series looking at Holy Communion, beginning with the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19, the exhausted prophet.

Bishop Steven shares his thoughts on the final lines of the Creed in the last in the Come and See series for the Diocese of Oxford.

How do we experience the Holy Spirit at work in our lives? The fourth in the Come and See series from Bishop Steven.

In the third of the Come and See series, Bishop Steven explores the third part of the Creed - 'He was crucified, died and rose again.'

When all around us is in chaos, coming back to the Father can help us recover a sense of identity. But what’s the next step on our journey?

From the first line of the creed, we place our faith in God. But God is more than just our maker. Come and see it for yourself.

Over the course of the pandemic, many people have been asking questions about faith. In fact, one in five people in our online congregation were not regular worshippers before COVID. So now we want to invite everyone who is searching for truth and meaning to go deeper. As a Church, and across the Diocese, we […]

As we reflect on Isaiah 55, the verses offer a powerful invitation for weary souls: come. But our prophet turns this into a deeper invitation.

How are we to hear the words of Isaiah afresh today as we walk through the pandemic, and as we re-assess our lives?

The Queen has approved the appointment of Gavin Collins as the next Bishop of Dorchester. Meet Gavin in this special edition of Bishop Steven's podcast.

The next three months or so may well be the hardest of the COVID journey - how can we find the resources to give strength to our communities when we are already tired and worn down?

Welcome to Episode 6 of this podcast series, Comfortable Words. We’re exploring part of the Book of Isaiah: chapters 40-55, the songs of an unnamed prophet who sings at the end of the exile to call God’s people home.

The experience of death for human beings is universal. We will, all of us, pass through this river. There is no way around it. So what elements are important in preparing the dying for their death, and why is that a key part of the ministry of a priest? The Bishop of Oxford offers five themes to reflect on in our preparation for death and for dying.

As Christians we are called to a life of service together, to love and support one another in all the joys and sorrows of our lives. But where does that idea come from?

Fear is our unwelcome and sometimes unacknowledged companion in most situations of crisis and in many different parts of our lives. Look back over the last six months and reflect for a moment. What part has fear played in your own life and your life’s journey?

In times of crisis and difficulty, it is not enough to numb ourselves. The pain around us overwhelms our defences. Something much deeper is needed.

Series 5 of the popular podcast by Bishop Steven Croft takes its title from the opening verses of Isaiah 40-55. This series is intended to help the church find its voice again in the midst of the pandemic.

In the final episode of this series, Bishop Steven Croft explores how to live out Paul's extraordinary command to rejoice in the Lord always.

We come to Chapter 3 of Philippians and Paul takes us deeper still in this lockdown journey...

The Church in Philippi is a fearful and anxious church. Paul does everything he can in his letter to calm this anxiety but he offers them something much more important than an answer...

Almost two thousand years ago, a man we know as Paul sat down in his prison cell and wrote a short letter to his friends in a place called Philippi.

The Church will have returned to Ezekiel’s words countless times following war or disaster or famine or plague. We need to listen to the prophet’s vision today.

We’ve come to a particular place now in our journey through COVID-19. Restrictions are easing but the journey of recovery will be slower than our journey into lockdown.

The pandemic has taken lives and robbed people of loved ones and has threatened our way of life for a time. We are still in the middle of it. But if Psalm 8 gives us a perspective on human life, it is that this pandemic is not the greatest challenge of our generation...

We need to remember as a society our deep instincts of fairness and goodness and justice. Psalm 7 is a very good place to begin and it is a prayer for help.

Reflections for a Church in Lockdown, episode 6. In our journey through the Psalms we come to a psalm which focusses on illness, on anxiety and on healing.

Samuel Wesley’s beautiful setting of Psalm 5.8 is my starting place for episode 5 of Reflections for a Church in Lockdown.

The COVID-19 lockdown is an opportunity to come deeper with God, to address our spiritual poverty, to dare to explore that inner space. Psalm 4 is our guide.

Reflections for a Church in lockdown: I will lie down and sleep… because the Lord sustains me

The second episode in a new series of reflective podcasts by the Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft. The series aims to resource the Church during the period of lockdown due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Episode 2 - exploring Psalm 2 : You are my Son

The first episode in a new series of reflective podcasts by Bishop Steven. The series aims to resource the Church during the period of lockdown due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Episode 1 - an exploration of Psalm 1: Like a tree planted.

In episode 1 We begin with the betrayal and arrest of Jesus.

The story of Jesus passion takes place in the darkness and the cold of the night.

The Evangelists invite us to place ourselves in the story through the characters who come and go.

The theme of kingship runs through John’s story of the passion.

We have journeyed from the garden to the courtyard to the pavement of Pilate and now we travel with Jesus to the cross.

The final part of our story and the final part of our devotion this Good Friday must look forward.

Many listeners will know of Bishop Ossie, the Bishop of Kimberley and Kuruman, our South African link diocese. In the latest edition of My Extraordinary Family, Bishop Steven chats to Bishop Ossie about his vast, rural diocese on the edge of the Kalahari Desert, his forthcoming retirement and what it means for our two dioceses to be in close partnership.

Bishop Steven Croft and Katie Tupling discuss what it means for disabled people to be in church and society: celebrated, not pitied.

The Queen has approved the appointment of Olivia Graham as the next Bishop of Reading. In this special edition of the podcast, Bishop Steven talks with Olivia about her Christian formation, her ministry since ordination and her hopes for the role she is about to take on.

Dr Philip Salmon is a parliamentary historian by trade who is involved in a scheme to renew John Henry Newman's historic vision for St Mary and St Nicolas Church in Littlemore to provide a community space in one of Oxford's poorest communities. Bishop Steven visited the church to talk to Philip about the scheme.

Tony Wilson became our new Diocesan Director of Education, leading a team that supports 283 Church of England Schools across the Thames Valley region, in January. As he approaches the end of his first term in his exciting new role, Tony chats to Bishop Steven about the challenges and opportunities in the education sector.