Who is this page for?
This page is intended for clergy, school leaders, children, youth and families workers, and volunteers involved in offering Come and See.
This is a growing library of resources for leaders and advance sight of videos. Sharing the materials with you early means that you can plan and prepare for groups, lessons and Sunday services well in advance.
Jump to: Overview | Films | Guidebook and supporting content | Promotional materials | FAQs
What's the plan for 2025?
The theme for 2025 is Earth, Water, Wind and Fire - Understanding Baptism. This is a chance for people to explore baptism for the first time or to revisit their own baptism, reflecting on its meaning.
Key dates
Come and See runs through Lent with daily emails and weekly films, the latter forming the main content for parish groups.
The first daily email goes out to individuals on Ash Wednesday (5 March), and they'll run through to the Monday or Tuesday following Easter, 21 or 22 April. The six weekly films are sent out each Sunday, starting from Sunday 9 March, and this year there will be three different options - the videos from Bishop Steven (aimed at adults), a video aimed at primary-aged children, and a video aimed at secondary-aged children.
How do I get involved?
You can now sign up for the organisers' emails - do that by clicking here. Please note leaders need to sign up again, even if you've done previous years of Come and See.
Come and See weekly films
Each Sunday of Lent, we release a short film delving deeper into that week's topics. This year, as well as the usual films from Bishop Steven, there are two additional films each week - one for primary school-aged children and one for secondary school-aged children.
Click the + below on each row to open the view and download links for the films. You can choose whether the download the film with or without subtitles on screen.
Week 1: Fashioned from Earth
Watch | Download film | Download film (subtitled) | Transcript
Week 2: The Waters of Cleansing
Watch | Download film | Download film (subtitled) | Transcript
Week 3: The Waters of Salvation
Watch | Download film | Download film (subtitled) | Transcript
Week 4: The Water of Life (coming soon)
Watch | Download film | Download film (subtitled) | Transcript
Week 5: The Breath of God (coming soon)
Watch | Download film | Download film (subtitled) | Transcript
Week 6: New Fire (coming soon)
Watch | Download film | Download film (subtitled) | Transcript
Week 1: Fashioned from Earth
Watch | Download film | Download film (subtitled) | Transcript
Week 2: The Waters of Cleansing
Watch | Download film | Download film (subtitled) | Transcript
Week 3: The Waters of Salvation
Watch | Download film | Download film (subtitled) | Transcript
Week 4: The Water of Life (coming soon)
Watch | Download film | Download film (subtitled) | Transcript
Week 5: The Breath of God (coming soon)
Watch | Download film | Download film (subtitled) | Transcript
Week 6: New Fire (coming soon)
Watch | Download film | Download film (subtitled) | Transcript
Week 1: Fashioned from Earth (more links coming soon)
Watch | Download film | Download film (subtitled) | Transcript
Week 2: The Waters of Cleansing (more links coming soon)
Watch | Download film | Download film (subtitled) | Transcript
Week 3: The Waters of Salvation (more links coming soon)
Watch | Download film | Download film (subtitled) | Transcript
Week 4: The Water of Life (coming soon)
Watch | Download film | Download film (subtitled) | Transcript
Week 5: The Breath of God (coming soon)
Watch | Download film | Download film (subtitled) | Transcript
Week 6: New Fire (coming soon)
Watch | Download film | Download film (subtitled) | Transcript
Jump to: Overview | Films | Guidance and extra resources | Promotional resources | FAQs
Guidebook and supporting content
Leaders' guide
At the core of Come and See is a series of six sessions exploring profound truths about baptism, which can be used in small groups or as part of a series of Sunday services. Meetings can be held online, onsite, or with a hybrid approach, whichever suits your group.
Daily email content
This year, we aren't offering a printed booklet. However, if you or any of your parish would like to, you can print all of the daily email content by downloading the PDF below. This contains a Bible reading, a reflection from Bishop Steven and a 'pause' for each day of Lent (excluding Sundays).
Alternative Bible readings
In our leaders' webinar, some leaders mentioned wanting appropriate alternative Bible readings they could use in church, if they use the Come and See videos in their usual Sunday services. Our suggestions are below.
Coming very soon:
- Supporting resources for Come and See with primary school-aged children and families
- Supporting resources for Come and See with secondary school-aged children
Jump to: Overview | Films | Guidance and extra resources | Promotional resources | FAQs
Promotional materials
Poster
This year's poster has a customisable space to add your own details of how, when and where your parish can engage with Come and See.
Postcards
There's still time to order a set of free postcards to hand out to your parishioners in the weeks running up to Lent.
Social media content
Ahead of Lent, we'll be creating a variety of trailers and teasers perfect for your social media feeds. You'll be able to share these from diocesan social media channels or download them to post directly on your own social media or to show in church.
Stay tuned!
Jump to: Overview | Films | Leaders' guide | Promotional resources | FAQs
FAQs
Across the diocese, Come and See has been run in church services, small groups, schools, prisons, youth groups, online meet-ups, Lent lunches, and more. There are many different ways that you and your parish can work with Come and See.
You can encourage each other to register for the daily emails, you can use the weekly films as part of a talks series, or you can use the dedicated materials for course organisers to offer Come and See to Sunday and small groups. And don't forget we'll have bespoke resources for children and young people too, aimed at primary-aged and secondary-aged kids, with weekly videos and a contemplative exercise.
The Christian life is something that we do together. What might you and your church offer?
Links for your parishes
Come and See is a real team effort! The process starts with Bishop Steven - he comes up with the theme and writes six video reflections.
Then our Discipleship team swoop in. Our Discipleship Enablers help develop age-appropriate resources for the family version, and other members of the team provide daily 'pauses' - small actions or prayers for each day of Lent, sent out in the daily emails - as well as helping develop the leaders' guide.
Our Communications team develop the video and audio content in-house, put everything together and make sure it all goes out to the right people at the right time.
And of course, church leaders, both lay and ordained, add their own spin as they deliver Come and See in their parish.
So happy you're back for more! If you're a church leader, we ask that you register afresh on the 2025 organiser list. This keeps our info on where Come and See might be run at a parish level as up-to-date as possible.
If you've previously signed up for the daily emails, or for the weekly children and families emails, we'll automatically sign you up for the same again this year. We've found that once people sign up, they enjoy sticking around over the years, but if this year's isn't for you, you can unsubscribe at any time (there's a little link at the very bottom of each email we send you).
Not this year - but all content is available in a written format, whether through the daily emails or through transcripts. If you'd like to speak to us about this, please do get in touch.
Of course! We know that people have had great success across the diocese running Come and See in loads of different ways.
The guide is adaptable, and the content can be used however best suits you and your group. Why not reach out to your Parish Development Advisor to discuss how it might work best for you?
"The leader's notes and suggestions for conversation worked well, especially helpful as I was new to leading a small group."
Support and advice
Our Parish Development Advisors (PDA) are there to help every parish/benefice, so feel free to contact them at any time about how you can offer Come and See in your church.
Berkshire and City of Oxford - Rhodri Bowen
rhodri.bowen@oxford.anglican.org
Dorchester (Oxfordshire) - Anne Perry
anne.perry@oxford.anglican.org
Buckinghamshire - The Revd Asa Humphreys
asa.humphreys@oxford.anglican.org