Revd Marion writes...

Firstly, Paul and I thank you for such a warm welcome back to Amelcote benefice. We are so happy to be back and look forward to serving you in ministry and socialising with you as time goes by.

It has been a rather hectic couple of months but is steadying off now as we settle into a pattern of services and begin to discuss ways we can reach out more into the benefice as we go forward together. There are some very special events to celebrate in church over the next few months.

Going into our 3 church schools, not only to lead collective worship, celebrate special occasions at school or in church, but also to assist if and when necessary in KS1 and 2 Christianity curriculum. Dates are already in diaries for the next academic year. We also wish our hardworking teachers, teaching assistants, all the support staff and children a very happy (and hopefully warm and sunny) holiday. Church schools have an additional inspection to Ofsted called SIAMs. We congratulate both Tiffield and Gayton schools for their excellent SIAMs outcome - well done everyone.

At the end of May the church celebrates its birthday - Pentecost. Fifty days after Easter, Pentecost is the day when the promise of Jesus to his first disciples was fulfilled as he sent the advocate/ helper/ enabler, or to use the very theological word - Paraclete - the Holy Spirit to enable them to begin what Jesus commanded of them at his Ascension - to go to all nations and make disciples; and he promised to be with them in a miraculous way by sending the Holy Spirit. You can read the story of the start and early days of Christianity in the New Testament book Acts of the Apostles. We are the disciples of today who are still given that same command and same promise by our Lord Jesus.

Revd Marion Reynolds