We are looking forward to welcoming our new incumbent, Rev’d Josh Bailey, and his family to their new home in June. They will move in on 13 June, with a couple of weeks to settle in before Rev’d Josh is licenced on Monday 28 June. The licencing will be limited to those officially invited, in church or civil positions. There will be ample opportunity for us all to meet Josh and his family at subsequent events.
One such event will be the Summer Lunch, on Wednesday 21 July. Nick and Jenny Caddick have kindly offered us the opportunity to hold the lunch at Shipmeadow church again this year. The venue is outdoors, and so we pray for good weather! Tickets will be on sale from the beginning of July, from Bridget Westmacott, 01502 713465.
The APCM was held in the church on 20 May, and the appointments were as follows:
Diana Rawlinson will take over as Churchwarden from Cheryl. Bridget will continue in her Churchwarden post.
Dominique Bacon will be Church Secretary, in place of Diana. We welcome Dominique, not only to this position but also as Patron, Minutes Secretary and a new member of the PCC. Robert Bacon will be joining the PCC, and we appreciate his commitment to the church.
The PCC members are as follows:
Dominique Bacon (Church Secretary); Robert Bacon; Malcolm Bardsley (Fabric Officer);
Alan Bartram; Colin Harris (Church Treasurer); John Randall; Diana Rawlinson, (Churchwarden); Bridget Westmacott, (Churchwarden, Vice Chair PCC).
Grateful thanks to all of them for volunteering their time and energy.
“Love the earth and the sun and the animals.
Despise riches; give alms to everyone that asks.
Stand up for the stupid and crazy.
Devote your income and labour to others.”
(From “This Is What You Shall Do”, by Walt Whitman, American poet, 1819-1892.)
“Nature’s first green is gold, her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower, but only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf; so Eden sank to grief.
So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay.”
(Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost, American Poet, 1874-1963.)
April collections totalled £1,232.
Food Bank donations numbered 165 in April.
Diana and Cheryl baked Pavlovas and cakes to raise money for Christian Aid Week, and Sarah Jane sold jellies and chutney: £250 was sent in total to Christian Aid. Thanks to all who bought cakes or donated to the envelope scheme.
The “A Church Near You” website, which Bev kindly updates, has attracted 156 “hits” in the last week, and 772 last month. It is a valuable form of communication.
FUNDRAISING and FORWARD PLANNING:
Orchid Walk at Mardelle, Clarke’s Lane, Barsham: Pat and Neville Smith have kindly offered to open their orchid meadows again, to view these special wild flowers. Because of the unusually cold spring, a date has not yet been set. When the orchids are ready there will be an announcement in church notices. Please contact Cheryl on 07788971211/01502 714655 for more details.
Monday 28 June: Licensing of Rev’d Josh Bailey at Holy Trinity Church, Bungay.
Wednesday 21 July 12.30pm: SUMMER LUNCH at Shipmeadow Church, by kind invitation of Jenny and Nick Caddick.
Sunday 19 September 6.30pm: HARVEST EVENSONG with The Bishop of Richborough, Rt Rev’d Norman Banks. Followed by HARVEST SUPPER in the Village Hall.
“There is only one good: knowledge, and one evil: ignorance.”
(Socrates).
Church correspondent: Cheryl Coutts 01502 714655/[email protected]