February message
Every year on the last weekend of January I meet up for the day with the group of Lay Ministers I was licensed with in 2000. We get to catch up with what God has been doing in our lives and in our churches during the last year, and we receive some training input from the clergyperson who leads the day. The afternoon is rounded off with a communion.
Over the years a special bond has grown up between us as we have shared our ups, downs, challenges, achievements, disappointments and celebrations of ministry. We are representative of the whole broad spectrum of the Church of England and if you asked us to organise a service or a day of prayer together the chances are we’d never agree with each other. The amazing thing is we have grown to recognise Jesus and His work in each other and so we are able to value, appreciate and encourage one another.
Over the next few weeks at HTL and the Priory, as we prepare for Megan to join us as our vicar, we will be receiving ministry from a number of visiting clergy, some who we know already, others who we have yet to meet. They come from a range of church situations and traditions, but if we are open to God, He will have something to say to us through each of them. I am sure that as they prepare to minister to us, they will be praying for God to use them to speak to us. So please pray for them – their names are in the services diary overleaf. Please also go on praying for our Churchwardens Jackie Thomas and Alison Gardner as we continue in vacancy.
I shall be trying to spend as much time as I am able at both the Priory and HTL over the next few weeks just to keep some continuity.
I pray God will bless all of us in the coming weeks.
Alison
Lay Minister
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