January 2010

Dear Friends
As we prepare to start a New Year I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has made 2009 such a good year for me and my ministry. It was at about this time last year that I was seriously considering the possibility of taking responsibility of being the incumbent of two churches. Since then that has come to pass and as you know I was inducted as vicar of both St Nicholas’ and St Jude’s on the 26th of March. It is mainly due to everybody’s willingness to co-operate in this grouping that things have got off to such a good start as the year has progressed, and with the first nine month’s together behind us I am confident that all will be well for the foreseeable future. Having to deal with two of everything e.g. Easter Vestry’s, Christmas Fairs, Christingle Services, PCC meetings etc. has not been as hectic as I might have anticipated. But this is mainly due to the support which I have been having from both congregations, and especially the four wardens of the two churches, and I would like to thank Mock, Phil, Robert and Ken for their continual help. Of course there are a great many other people who also lend their support to the running of the two churches and I do not have room to name you all here in this letter, but I’m sure you know who you are and that you can be assured of my thanks and appreciation. I would also like to say how pleased I am that the joint services for the two churches held when there is a fifth Sunday in the month are so well attended.
I wish you all a very happy and successful New Year in which I hope we will continue to flourish with every blessing afforded us by the grace of God.
Howard

From The Registers
Funerals: 26th November, John Squires; 2nd December, Alfred Farrell;
3rd December, Martinus Rol; 11th December, Susan Phillips;
15th December, Joyce Simisker; 17th December, Wilfred Lavis