G'day from the Vicarage - July 2011

Dearly Beloved in the Lord

Looking back at the last letter some things stand out:

A brilliant performance of the Messiah on Good Friday (raising around £600 for the Spire Fund); a Holiday Club with a very consistent attendance of over 150 every day, and many members of the church working together; a restful month in Canberra (March), visiting my mother most days, and enjoying Australia’s “Bush Capital”. It was sad for us also that George Leeson passed on to glory: he had been in good heart, but had been going backwards and forwards to hospital for a long time. The choir turned up in force for his funeral, and George’s family were very appreciative.

At the Annual Meeting Peter Shepherd and Mark Weddell were re-elected as our Churchwardens. The other officers continue as last year. Andrew Lewis is a new face on the PCC, and Andrew Peel has joined the Finance and General Purposes Committee. Angela Seddon has stepped down as the leader of the crèche after very many years, which she did very diligently, and Kat Peel has taken over.

Spire Appeal

The Quiz Night raised more than £840 so many thanks to Luigi Sterlini, and the team he organised, with Real Food (the Twenties and Thirties group) who organised the food. The total in the Spire Fund is now over £21 000, and we are beginning to see about getting a design.

Choral Evensong

On the 10th of July at 4pm you can meet up with our old friends Michael and Peggy Moseley, and also enjoy a wonderful Choral Evensong, with refreshments afterwards in the Vicarage Garden. Michael will be preaching (and singing the Versicles) as I will be up in York for General Synod.

Study Leave plans

As well as my month in Canberra, I have so far visited Christ Church Cockfosters, The Southgate Christian Fellowship, St Lawrence’s Cathedral Trogir (near Split in Croatia), Christ Church North Finchley, St John’s Clay Hill and St Andrew’s Southgate. I plan to attend the ordination of our former Administrator and Youth Worker Si Walker in Carlisle Cathedral on the 3rd of July. Si will be Curate at St John’s Hensingham, part of Whitehaven.

Recent Visitors

We were pleased to see Raymond Gobum over from Nigeria for the Evangelical Ministry Assembly; and also Cephas Masaba back from Uganda and living at the moment in East Ham. Margaret, Donald and I were present at the wedding of Rich Arnold and Suzi Avery in Bromley

Staff next year

At the end of July Kathryn Smith will leave us, after four years helping with our youth and children’s work, as she has finished her course at Oak Hill College. Kathryn has been appointed Children’s Evangelist with the Birmingham City Mission. Adam Thrift will be Youth Worker at St John’s with St Andrew’s Chelsea. Adam is recently engaged to Sarah Morris, who will be staying for another year with our youth work. Ricky Vaiphei will be returning to India: we pray for guidance and open doors for his next step.

Tom Brown is going to stay with us as a Ministry Assistant, and we are also looking forward to welcoming Phillip Brokenshire (and his wife Rosalie) who has been working in Penzance and will be coming to join us while he studies on the Cornhill Training Course. Two Careforce International volunteers hope to get visas to join us: Suanlian Tonsing (male) from Manipur in India and Julian Nshemereirwe (female) from Uganda.

Thank you for your partnership in the gospel,

Christopher

From the Registers

Baptism

James John Bunting

Confirmation

Edward Ellis

Kay Lawrence

Ian Warner

Marriage

Richard Ellis and Louise Cable

Funerals

Geoffrey Lane

George Leeson