EDITORIAL
RECTOR'S LETTER
As we prepare for our APCMs in April, I’d like to take this opportunity to share some of the accomplishments and work that has taken place across the Benefice in the past year.
During the year, we were very happy to welcome Ewan as our new curate to the benefice. Additionally, I was also commissioned to be the new rural Dean for our deanery. We commissioned five lay worship leaders.
Our church buildings remain in relatively good condition, although we have had several problems with bad weather and leaky roofs! We have carried out many essential repairs to the buildings and made some improvements in lighting and heating. May I say an enormous “thank you” to our churchwardens and all those who contribute to the upkeep and maintenance of our buildings and churchyards, without whom we could not keep going. Although most of our money and resources are spent maintaining and looking after our church buildings and mission, we also support many other activities including the food bank at Ross.
They are hugely grateful for your generosity. We have contributed to agricultural charities through our harvest festivals, and we are very proud of our continued links with the farming community. We have supported Christians in Tanzania, helping to provide technology to schools and colleges and providing much needed resources for the street children of Tanga. I hope to visit Tanzania this year with the bishop of Hereford - I think it’s always important to remember that we are part of the worldwide Anglican communion.
I would like to take the opportunity here to thank our church treasurers. We have improved our methods of giving, and some of our churches now have card readers. It is more difficult in some of our churches because we do not have Wi-Fi or even a phone signal.Our fundraising activities bring in valuable resources, but they also strengthen our links with the local community giving opportunities for people to meet and socialise. I would also like to thank all those local businesses and groups that help us through their continued generosity.
It is important not to forget the main mission of the church in all of our local engagement - we are proud to have a wide range of services teaching and Bible study courses. We also spend a lot of time ministering to the children in our church schools – the school children come to church regularly, and we have Open the Book services on a regular basis. We hope to develop our work with the schools over the coming year - sharing the gospel with the next generation is a great privilege and an awesome responsibility.
Rev David Howell
David Howell