Message from the Vicar

Dear Friends

For many people September is the beginning of a New Year. It doesn’t have all the traditions associated with January, but it is that time when schools start again, people coming back from their holidays take up new tasks and opportunities. September for young people follows on from a summer of exam results, uniform shopping and completion of those ubiquitous ‘what I did in my holiday’ essays.

I have also noticed over the years that many many adverts for new clerical jobs appear in the church newspapers in September. We think of schooling as something that children do, but for many learning is a life-long process; we spent some of the summer with a friend who has just competed an MA in her late thirties, and of course there is the U3A. Being set challenges to expand our horizons, asking big questions and growing new skills is not something that should be confined to childhood. Jesus’ first disciples were all adults when they started following him around and apprenticed themselves to him, learning from the Master. Sunday sermons are not all we need to grow as Christians, or even the right format for many people to explore the complexities of the Christian faith.

Many new groups are going to be starting up in the autumn, exploring our faith both intellectually and practically. How about joining a new group this autumn, explore new ways of being a christian, challenge yourself to read the Bible in a year, get involved in some practical Christian activity? Don’t stop learning and growing just because you’ve left school.

Phil Goodey

Holy Communion

Every First, Third Sunday at 10:15 a.m. for 1hr 30m

Book of Common Prayer Holy Communion

Every Second, Fourth Sunday at 8 a.m. for 45m