An update from Mark

Dear Friends,

As our Church family approaches the APCM - One heart, many voices united we serve, I wanted to extend our thoughts further afield. What happens here locally is of course very important and I hope and pray our APCM will give time for thanksgiving on our past year and give some pointers for our life together for the next year.

We are part of a wider community, the Diocese and indeed the national Church. So here is a simple signpost with some good material that answers questions that are rightly and increasingly asked of myself and the team here.

The Diocese - what is its new model of ministry with Oversight Ministers and Focal Ministers?

Here is a great a very simple explanation - enjoy!

When can we sing? When can we get back to normal for congregational gathering? (and many other supplementary questions!!! )

The Church of England has a set of rules that we are obliged to follow - we do keep an eye on them but so too can you. It saves a question and indeed you might get the fuller answer you need. Do please continue to pray for those juggling complex issues and seeking to simplify them for others. The team here are as fully up to date as we can be and are ready to be as adventurous and as adaptable as possible.

View the guidance from the Church of England here.

Offering to help with volunteering for teams and rotas and new ways of doing things would be a really great gift to receive so we can be more adaptable and serviceable in sharing with others. If you feel you can help then please get in touch.

And finally

We are part of the one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church local, regional and national and we are also members one of another. Please never hesitate to reach out to us if we can help you feel more connected. I am pleased we are re-doubling our efforts to be accessible and welcoming to visitors and those returning to our building even now for the first time.

Yours in Christs service,

Mark Brown

Waiting for the Spirit

So our time between Ascension and Pentecost encourages this sense of expectancy.

For our prayers together, as a Church family, may I outline some areas where together we are seeking to share the Lord's love among those we live.

Our Youth Minister
Our advert is out soon, we wait on the Spirit to see who He is calling to be with us to encourage this vital work.

Our APCM
Where we will be looking back and in the main looking forward to what God might be calling us to do and be together. Will the Spirit create a willing hearing and participation? We will have to wait and see and in prayer ask Him to come with expectancy.

Our open churchyard week
In keeping with significant national profile will there be a local stirring to visit our wide open space for stimulus and conversation. This will be great fun for us but it is aimed at passers by and members of the public who regularly benefit from our wonderful grounds

Our lives together
Will the Spirit move His people to be active and caring in drawing others back to our Church building? Will the anticipation of loosened voices to sing soon lead to a willingness to help and serve our many ministries. The Spirit is waiting for volunteers to fall upon and bring His own special joy? We would love to see a good Spirit storm on this. I am reminded of our recent hailstorm, may we actively wait for the Spirit to so move.

With my thanks for supporting us in prayer in these and in so many other ways.

Mark

Covid-19: humans, animals and the pandemic - An article from Transforming Ministry Magazine

How does reflecting on Scripture help us to understand our current situation? Geoff Snell brings insights from his professional background to bear on this question

Geoff Snell has had the following article printed in The Transforming Ministry Magazine.

Update regarding church services

Mark Brown give us an update regarding church services, new events and how you can get involved.

From the Vicarage - May 2021

In conversation

Well I do hope this will continue to be a blessing and I am grateful for the feedback for this relatively new initiative. However I wanted to share about times I have been most frequently in conversation with others. It is happening with such rapidity and frequency that it seems worth passing on. It is not surprising perhaps therefore to note that really good conversations seem to happen in the open air – invites into the home are restricted so it is those chance and increasingly frequent conversations that happen when we are out and about.

Fresh air faith is of course really good for you!

Maybe it is because I live next door, but some great conversations happen with people I meet in the huge churchyard and estates grounds, All Saints is blessed to care for. Sometimes people see a dog collar (and a dog!) and that prompts a chat, and at other times I simply say ‘Hello – I live next door I am the Vicar!’

Good conversations in a good space and it is always heartening to know just how much the space is valued and appreciated by members of the public. We want to make a serious fuss and have some fun extending the invitation to enjoy the churchyard to a wider audience during the first early weeks of June, it is a national campaign called Caring for God’s acre. Keep an eye on the news and if you are intrigued, let us know and we will put you in touch with the small team planning some open air, green goodies for you to commend to members of the local community who all seem to enjoy a good conversation in the open air!

The Revd Canon Mark Brown