From the Vicar Dear Friends, Last time I wrote in the magazine I referred to you as “friends in the making”, but I am delighted to be able to say that because you are such a friendly bunch Charles and I now feel very much at home in Deeping St James. We would like to thank you very much indeed for the kind and warm welcome! Spring and early summer is a marvellous time to arrive in a new place, with everything in blossom and the church in the thick of it all, still resonant with Easter and the promise of the Holy Spirit. So what have I noticed especially? Well, the amazing scope of the church here and the huge amount of talented and committed people we have, for a start! We are very blessed indeed in all sorts of spheres – children’s ministry, music ministry, relationships both within and beyond the church, fundraisers… those are the high profile components of parish life. But where would we be without the people who endlessly go the extra mile, often unnoticed or taken for granted: tidying up notice boards, unclogging gutters, ringing our bells, running prayer groups, organising coffee, removing dead flowers and putting wonderful new displays up, volunteering at the Food Bank, visiting young mums, compiling the magazine….the list goes on and on, and I am profoundly grateful to you all. I vowed before I arrived that I would sit back and observe for a full year before making any changes – “Why mend it if it ain’t broke?”! And yet just by being here things have changed, and I am especially grateful to Sonia for her willingness to share the ministry and cede some responsibilities she has been carrying, as well as answering my endless questions – and also to Simon, because as Treasurer he has to deal with my hapless attempts to sort out expenses, on top of the heavy demands his role already makes of him. And of course I am grateful to our amazingly efficient church wardens and lay chair, without whose efforts I (and we!) would be lost. But of course things have changed despite my original intentions. It became clear to me, for instance, that we need to provide something for the children over the summer break, and this will affect the liturgy while the choir are off duty because in addition to offering a midweek activity we need to make sure they are included in our Sunday worship. So for six weeks of summer, while we will not be in any way dumbing down, we will be experimenting with a less formal eucharist with more congregational singing and active children’s involvement. I would value your feedback! One final thing that has changed, though, which I am definitely NOT happy about….. You have all stopped telling me your names, already! I now know you all far too well by sight to ask, so please, please, please remind me at every opportunity, even if you suspect I already know! It is a real problem for me and one of my major failings. Just to alert you to the scale of the problem, I can visualise twenty of you so far and attach a name, which means I am only about a quarter of the way there. On the plus side, perhaps your assumption that I know everyone springs from a sense that Charles and I already belong here, which is comforting. Bless you. Revd Sue 1 Parish Directory Vicar The Revd Susan Paterson [email protected] Curate The Revd Sonia Marshall [email protected] Martin Fisher [email protected] Churchwardens Caroline Herron Doris Bellairs Assistant Churchwardens John Worthington Parochial Church Council Chairman Canon Niccy Fisher [email protected] Vice-Chairman Caroline Herron Hon. Secretary Roger Bridgeman Hon. Treasurer Simon Marshall [email protected] Covenant Secretary Peter Wilde Electoral Roll Officer Barry Fisher Synod Members Diocesan Synod Canon Niccy Fisher Canon Niccy Fisher The Reverend Sonia Marshall Deanery Synod Simon Marshall Jo Astle Choir Master John Worthington [email protected] Organist Philip Spratley [email protected] Organisations Bellringers Hilary Gentle [email protected] Church Hall Bookings Nick Drewett [email protected] Church Ladies’ Fellowship Margaret Flegg Jane Thompson Church Coffee Group Margaret Flegg Pauline Brooksbank Church Flowers Christine Masters House Group Doris Warner Rose & Sweet Pea Show Jill Ironside [email protected] Junior Church Lisa Goodchild [email protected] Priory News Caroline Herron Editors [email protected] John Worthington Advertising John Marsh Printing John Worthington Distribution Doris Bellairs Webmaster Adrian Hallam [email protected] 2 In this Month’s Priory News … Dear All, Bishop’s Letter 19 June has turned out to Bishop’s Social Justice Fund 17 be a busy month for Childrens’ Church Messy Church 4 some of us - at the Church Calendar 10 recent Plant Sale, my Cooking with Margaret 15 natural inquisitiveness during Pauline’s Deeping Men’s Breakfast 9 demonstration eventually led to a general Directory 2 assumption that clearly I was, or was about to Hog Roast 5 become, an expert in pedestal flower arrangements. In This Month’s Priory News 3 Following this Sonia was inspired to announce me as Letter from the Vicar 1 one of the principal organisers of the Plant Stall at Mission Matters 5 the Rose and Sweet Pea Show! Oh, the agonies I’ve New Church Library 13 suffered - even GQT have invited me to join their News from the Tower 4 panel! So, let me set the record straight - I am not, Priory Church Coffee Group 4 never have been and never will be expert in Readings and Readers 17 anything, least of all gardening! I will confess that I Registers 15 do enjoy watching Victoria heaving bags of compost, Reports and News 4 Rose Queen and Attendants 14 digging flower beds, weeding, watering and laying Rotas for July 16 gravel whilst I direct operations from a comfortable Sacred Spaces 6 seat and consume gallons of Taylor’s Yorkshire tea. St. James’s Day Celebrations 14 This year I did also enjoy my first visit to the Chelsea The body of Christ given for you 12 Flower Show, but I assure you that I shall not be The New Archdeacon 9 presenting a floral display for Harvest! Tony’s Travels 8 As I write, the Rose and Sweet Pea Show has only just taken place so, apart from the picture of the 2015 Rose Queen and her attendants further details will have to wait until next month. However, we are able to report that around £3000 was raised thanks to the efforts of the many people who helped. As I say, June turned out to be a busy month ..... John Our thanks to John Marsh for the cover photograph. Margaret’s recipe this month is very appropriate (Have you noticed our monthly attempt at colour for the time of year. Let’s hope there are more coordination with titles and cover? Visit the website gooseberries around this year than last year! and you will!) Thanks to those who have sent in articles for Priory News. Please keep them coming. Please note: pictures containing recognisable children must be accompanied by authorisation to publish from their parents or guardians. We will not publish the names of children pictured unless specifically requested to do so by their parents or guardians. John Worthington, Cranmore Farmhouse, DSJ - Tel: 343860 [email protected] Please let us have your contributions for the August edition of Priory News BEFORE the deadline of Friday 24th July. Thank you. 3 Reports and News News from the Tower The Revd Sue Paterson and Martin Fisher were given a conducted tour of the church roof, the clock tower and the belfry by Mike Gentle. The Revd Sue braved the elements and had a walk around the belfry parapet. The tour was to inspect the state of the roof and fittings in that area. Hilary Priory Church Coffee Group – Diary Dates Afternoon Tea - Thursday 6th August Autumn Coffee Morning - Saturday 19th September Advent Coffee Morning - Saturday 28th November Bill Children’s Church - Junior (Messy) Church! The summer holidays are upon us (almost!)…the choir pack their suitcases and vanish from the chancel…Junior Church leaders pack away their materials…and we all settle down for a quiet few weeks of sunshine and holiday refreshment. Well, not quite. The problem is that the Almighty doesn’t go on holiday (just as well!) and we still have our younger members of the church family around most of the time. So what will happen to them as regards the Church and their faith? Two possibilities have presented themselves, and the good news is we can actually do both! Firstly, on the Sundays when we are less constrained by the musical demands of formal liturgy, we have a golden opportunity to experiment with a Family Communion service where our children get to play an active part. They won’t all be away for the entire six weeks, after all. Neither, for that matter, are the choir necessarily away from the area – various members are likely to materialise in the pews, leading the music less formally but still with distinction. Whatever else family communion is, it is definitely not a dumbing down exercise. We offer God quality worship, and it is enriched by the presence of some of our younger members throughout. Secondly, worship doesn’t only have to happen on Sundays, and so we are offering a late Wednesday afternoon event, starting on 22nd July at 4.30pm.