Learning to swim

So I've officially been in post for two weeks. One week spent mainly on a course and then this week.
Time to try to get out and about in the town and among the church folk. A visit to the Scrabble group on Monday afternoon & Small Talk on Thursday afternoon - good opportunities to let my face be seen and hopefully let those who don't see me on Sundays realise that I'm fairly human and that a dog collar doesn't make me unapproachable. Both groups consist mainly of non-Sunday attenders and I don't think either group would consider themselves 'Church'. But both meet on Church premises and both are listed as church activities. They also both at first glance appear to be communities with people who support each other outside of the meeting place. Interesting.
I've also visited three sets of people at home. One housebound elderly lady with early Alzheimer's and have arranged to take her Home Communion - along with her Pastoral visitor.
I dropped in on a family whose husband/granddad had been to hospital for tests, and also had a great evening meal & conversation with a couple who are feeling God is calling them to use their many gifts for something other than youth work which they have been doing for many years.. Exciting times!
I've also prepared Sunday worship, and something for a Harvest 'service' for an old folk's club next week.. I've been invited to go to that with the organist who was already booked to be there.

But perhaps the most testing thing this week has been that my colleague's son has been diagnosed with testicular cancer and has had to have emergency surgery. I can't begin to imagine the stress he and his wife have been under. The operation has gone well and scans have been encouraging so hopefully the prognosis is good. Communication by text message with someone I don't know terribly well has been challenging - getting the 'tone' right is so hard.
Nothing quite beats face to face encounters and hopefully that can be a major part of my ministry here - even though I don't always find it easy - I  must try to,remember it's a whole load easier than texting!

There for a season

No sooner had the induction service finished, the curry been eaten and mother waved goodbye to, than I was on my way to Belsey Bridge Conference Centre in Ditchingham for the Eastern Synod Ministers' Get Together!
An annual event, the timing was actually perfect for me, as I had time to reflect on my change of role and church.
Speakers Ann Morisy and Roy Crowne were inspiring and challenging on the subjects of community mission and an ageing population. Just what I need to be thinking about.
The chance to catch up with colleagues was much appreciated and I guess will be even more important next year after a year of working on my own. I know that I have Stephen as a colleague but it won't be as close a working relationship as that I had with Sam.
It was interesting to reflect on the difference in my feelings and confidence to those I had just days after my ordination at a similar Get Together in 2009.  Then I felt lonely and all at sea. This time I felt I belonged and hope I in some small way helped Melanie to feel part of the group. She  was ordained on Saturday.
It was good to hear of people's plans for the future, and how they were working.

A good time and hopefully I can bring much of what we heard about and talked about back to Needham

Something Old - Something New

Well, what a fabulous send off from the West Suffolk Group. A sumptuous 'Bring and Share Tea', with so much food that I swear people returned home with more leftovers in their 'doggy bags' than they came with. It was a case of bringing 6 cheese scones and taking two Victoria sponges home!
Fortunately there wasn't an embarrassing photo display or party games, instead Sam gave an account of all that I had done in the three years - far more than I had realised, and I think, more than many there had realised too!
There were representatives from almost all the churches, and one of the folk whom I had visited regularly had been brought to the hall to share in the celebration tea. It was lovely to see little Helen - small in stature but a huge inspiration and blessing to me over the time in WSG.
And then there was the cheque - a most generous gift - far in excess of anything I could have considered. So fgenerous in fact, that it has enabled me to purchase the iPad I am writing this blog on.
And so, I left the WSG on the Saturday and led worship at Christchurch Needham Market on the Sunday. To be honest, I was rather nervous - but very soon be came of a spirit of welcome, of friendship, and of hope as the service was underway. Playing Gloria Gaynor's 'I am what I am' was risky but I think I got away with it!

And then a week later and  it was the Induction service - the church was full the singing was fantastic, the sermon thoughtful and inspiring, and the messages of goodwill for the future were immense.
It was good to have Mum with me, and I really appreciated her gift of the Bible & Psalter Dad had given her when she was young. It would have been so good to have had him there as well.
The rest of the family - Helen, Conor, Monica & Alan were also there along with Hilary & Trevor who are family in all but name.
The presence of good friends like Kate & Sal, Mark and Andrew helped to make it an unforgettable evening. The Curry we shared after the service just Boeing a perfect ending to a busy day.

And now the work begins - starting with listening to people - not rushing in with answers and with solutions. I've been re- reading 'Hitting the ground kneeling' by Stephen Cotterill - a book I think I should return to again before too long.

There is a sense that I am now in the right place, and although the WSG was great, it was a step along a journey which has brought me back to Needham Market. Yes, I'm still nervous- but not anxious. I wonder what plans God has for us - let's pray that we are all alert, all ready to listen and all ready to go where he leads us.

Inbetween Times

As I write this I am in a state of transition.
I've officially left the West Suffolk Group of URCs having been given a great farewell tea and very generous gift - which has funded the purchase of the shiny new iPad on which I am currently writing this!
It's been a generally enjoyable three years. The people are without exception really  lovely - well perhaps there are one or two exceptions, but let's not go into that - but the travelling and distance from the communities has been a real problem.
So now I prepare for my induction into Christchurch Needham Market on Sunday. It's what I could call my home church so I have to confess I'm wondering how the challenge of embracing the role change is going to work out. I led worship there on Sunday this week and have to confess I was extremely nervous. You only get one chance to make a first impression - but I think the service was well received and there were positive comments afterwards. I was slightly concerned about one particular lady - could she see me as 'minister' after just being Mary?
But yesterday - Monday- I received a fabulous email from her - saying how my appointment seemed to be an answer to prayer and the service on Sunday had reinforced some thoughts she had already had.
So two things to learn.
1: Trust God to know what he's doing. This appointment has never been my wish but is in response to discernment to God's calling

2: Slow down don't rush and presume

So in response to that last comment I am going to take time to read a little book I have call 'Hitting the ground kneeling' and take time to listen and observe instead of thinking I can make an impact from day one.

And maybe with the iPad to hand, I'll make more regular entries to this blog.

Who knows eh!!??!!