Dear Friends,

I’m writing on what I think is our hottest day of the year so far. It’s sweltering in my study which acts like a greenhouse on such occasions! I’m reminded that our climate is changing – wetter and colder at times, increasingly hot at others – and of our responsibility as Christians to take action to negate the effects of climate change not only for ourselves but also of course for those in poorer parts of the world who are suffering the most due to something which they did the least to cause.

At this time of year, Petertide as it is known (due to the festival of St.Peter on 29 June), we remember those who are being ordained as deacons and priests into God’s church. I can still vividly recall my own ordination as a deacon 25 years ago in Chester Cathedral. What a momentous occasion it felt. I imagine that Martin, who was ordained 30 years ago, will have had some similar memories too, as will Sarah and Rebecca as well. Amongst those recently ordained at Liverpool Cathedral were nine deacons including Emma Stonier who will serve within our Fit for Mission Team here in Warrington. Do keep them in your prayers.

The Fit for Mission process continues in our deanery with weekly meetings of the navigation team (lead by Sarah), monthly meetings of the treasurers, and the recent audit of all church buildings lead by the Right Buildings Team. We have also been thinking about names for the new parish – thank you if you contributed to that process – and we hope to announce a new name soon. The Cultivate course is currently being run in a number of churches across the deanery as we think about the gifts, skills and experience that God has given each one of us to be used in His service, and this autumn we will be running two deanery wide Cultivate courses. The Cultivate course is a 6 week course designed to equip lay leaders for developing or running new forms of church which will help us reach out to others and so grow as a deanery. There will be a midweek course running on Wednesdays starting on September 11th at Holy Trinity Church in the town centre between 2-4 p.m. There will also be a weekend course running on Sunday nights at St.Ann’s in Orford between 6.30-8.30 p.m. beginning on September 15th. Do speak to me of one of your clergy if you would like to attend.

Within our team, St. Mary’s is hopefully about to start work on its extension on Monday 8 July. We are very grateful for all the money which has been raised to allow us to do this. St.Paul’s continues to have its flourishing midweek ‘Lifetime’ congregation, its Sunday Lunch congregation (which it was a pleasure to visit last month) and also its midweek Dementia Café. St.Philip’s have started a Sunday evening quiet service at 7pm on the fourth Sunday of the month and St. James have recently launched their Sunday Supper Club at 5pm on Sundays. All of these are really encouraging developments which we can thank God for.

And finally, I want to end by thanking God for Martin Thorpe’s ministry amongst us, firstly at St.Philip’s and latterly at St.James’, as he approaches his retirement next month. Martin’s ministry has been appreciated by many across the team, with his concern for both pastoral care and for mission. We too will have the opportunity to say thankyou to Martin and to say farewell to him and his wife Polly at his last service in the parish at St.James school on Sunday 21st July at 10.30 a.m. They leave not only with our thanks but with our love and prayers for their new life together in Southport. Please pray too for all those at St.James as they begin a period of time without a Vicar.

Best wishes

Jeremy Tear
Pioneer Team Rector