Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and His Son Jesus Christ. The Lord be with you!
One upside about working with youth is that you get a glimpse of what the future has in store for us. One downside about working with youth is that you get a glimpse of what the future has in store for us. But that said, it is always a joy to be part of the development process of this generation and I am very aware of the challenges that we have to face and our need to assist them and to develop the skills and the attitudes and the mindsets required to deal with the changes and the challenges of our time. Those who are chronologically advanced must remember that they have the ability to see things differently because they have the hindsight of having seen different things and that should bring hope. If we have been afforded the grace to survive our history, we can live in the hope of surviving our future, but only those with life experience know that and can provide a confidence in faith. So make sure that you are able to “give an account of the hope that you have within you;
(1 Peter 3:15).
I give thanks to God for the few days that lie ahead that I will spend with my family in my special quiet place, nothing like a few days in the saddle to restore a bit of tranquility. I assure you of my prayers for you, and ask for yours as we travel and as we rest.
On my return there is much to be done as we enter the “Season of Intentional Discipleship” and mush of this will be focusing on being a “Mission Shaped” church. A church that works for the good of the community it lives in and reaches out to the broken and the lost. I do hope you will take the time to listen to my Ordination Message – which is available on our Facebook page, I really mean it when I say that we must embrace the Diaconal Ministry of the Church, and “interpret the needs and the hope and the concerns of the world to the Church” and the only way to do so is to interact with the world. I continue to seek to put together a Parish task teams for the environment, for social development and for education. These three key areas of our “mission ” need constant input and there is plenty of scope for your contribution to these ministries.
Please continue to pray for our Diocese and for our Parish and support the work we do, in him and with him and through Him, who gave His all for us.
May our God who is faithful, lead you in all righteousness as you trust in him.
As one who serves as a Deacon among you.
Fr Andrew
Rector.
