Faith

Sunday 8 July was Sea Sunday - a day set aside to remember seafarers of all nationalities and faiths and to celebrate their work combating disasters in the face of the all-powerful seas.

It's a day that's marked internationally and involves churches and parishes from many different countries.

This year has already proved a harrowing one for seafarers, but then again, when isn't it a harrowing time for those who seek to make their living from the oceans? It's a dangerous working environment, able to turn in a few minutes. 

Joe Wilson has been speaking to the Reverend Chris Barnes of the Mission to Seafarers who says it's important for us to remember on this Sunday, those who sail the seas.

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She's one of the most passionate and influential singers of recent years, with 25 years of music making behind her. A multi-award winner who has never been afraid to speak out, Sinead O Connor has just released her new album which is called "Theology."

She talked to Joe Wilson about her reasons for making this deeply personal album.

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Blackburn's Hindu community say they're concerned about plans by their local council to store bodies for up to 24 hours to save energy costs. The bodies will then be cremated one by one, in groups of three.

The policy, which is about to become reality in Blackburn, has outraged the local Hindu community who say that cremation should happen immediately after the rituals and ceremony are completed.

Peter Hunt is the director of the Environment Department at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and spoke to Daniyah Hafiz about the new guidelines...

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Around 2000 Methodists are gathering in Blackpool this week for their annual meeting, a meeting which marks a great period of change for the Church.

The Conference is the governing body of the Church, and as usual there will be a full agenda for the several days that the conference runs.

Issues such as climate change, ethical investment and the church's relationship in the Methodist Covenant with the Church of England will all be up for discussion.

Joe Wilson spoke to Anna Drew from the conference media office.

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The climate, your carbon footprint and the concept that we are all custodians of God's earth will be one of the major talking points at the Methodist Conference which is taking place in Blackpool.

Anthea Cox was speaking at the Conference about these issues, and she spoke to Joe Wilson on the day after the world wide Live Earth concerts.

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The Conference is the governing body of the Church, and as usual there will be a full agenda for the several days that the conference runs, but the future is one topic that will exercise all of the delegates.

One of the hosts of the conference at the Norbreck Castle is the North Lancashire Districts of Methodists, their Chairman is Stephen Poxon, effectively the leader of the county's Methodists, spoke to Joe Wilson.

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A man with his own insight into life at a top Premiership football club was visiting Lancaster at the weekend.

The Reverend John Boyers has been working for champions Manchester United for 15 years as the official chaplain at Old Trafford.

And as national director of the SCORE chaplaincy organisation, he has been to the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games and will be at the Rugby World Cup later this year.

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The Burnley and Pendle Faith Centre is holding a celebration to mark the end of its first school year in existence.

The centre - believed to be the only one of its kind in the country - was set up as part of Lancashire County Council's Building Schools for the Future programme.

It is based in the grounds of Burnley School's Sixth Form, opposite Disraeli Street, and will move next door to the new Burnley Campus when it opens in September 2008.

Terry Murnane is the Community Faith Co-ordinator and he told Joe Wilson about how the centre came to be created.

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