Dear Friends,
I want to start with an apology that it has been so long since my last Team Rector’s letter. Life has been extremely busy for me with the building of St.Mary’s extension (which we hope to complete before Christmas) and with all that has been going on with Fit for Mission. As you are hopefully aware, the new proposed parish will be called the Parish of Warrington but this will not stop each church from continuing to use its local name, i.e. St.Mary’s, St.Paul’s, St.Philip’s and St.James’. It was very encouraging to have 90 people across the deanery sign up for the two Cultivate courses that were run in September/October time and over 40 people met for a 1:1 talk with a clergy person/course leader to explore what God had been saying to them through the course. This past Sunday over 20 people met at St.Philip’s to explore next steps in terms of setting up or joining new worshipping communities, so watch this space!
I wanted to update you with some clergy developments in our deanery. As you will know, Martin Thorpe retired in the summer and since then work has been taking place behind the scenes thinking about future ministry patterns. What I can tell you is that the deanery has agreed to appoint a vicar to St James’ who will also become the vicar of St Barnabas when Karen Timmis, their current Vicar, retires. Both churches are involved equally in the appointment process. Within the deanery it has also been recently announced that Philippa Shaw, currently Curate at St.Ann’s Orford, will become the Vicar of St. Margaret’s, Orford and Priest in Charge of St.Andrew’s, Orford. In addition, it has been agreed that Christ Church Padgate and Church Collective will collaborate together when Neil Shaw, the Vicar of Christ Church and our Area Dean retires, and Simon Renison, the current Church Collective minister, will take responsibility for both. That’s quite a lot of change in the pipeline and reflects the fact that life never stands still in our deanery as we move forward through the Fit for Mission process. It should be noted that the reduction in clergy numbers would have been taking place anyway, regardless of Fit for Mission, in order that we can pay for a sustainable number of clergy in the future.
Back to team matters, and as we soon prepare to start the Advent season, and look ahead to Christmas services and events, I would like to let you know that our Team Communion Service will be at St. Paul’s on Sunday 29 December at 10.30 a.m. There will be no other services across our team that day. Thinking of carol singing, please do also come and join folks from across our town’s churches as part of Church Warrington’s ‘Carols in the Marketplace’ on Saturday 7 December between 11 am – 12 .30 p.m. We have permission to sing under the old marketplace (or fish market) in the town centre and there will be two slots of 45 minutes each, at 11a.m. and 11.45 a.m. Do come and sing at one, or both!
With my very best wishes for a Happy Christmas when it comes and an exciting New Year ahead as we continue to work together towards the creation of the larger single parish of Warrington.
Jeremy Tear, Pioneer Team Rector
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