First and foremost, I would like to begin by expressing the heartfelt thanks of the PCC to congregation members, the wider village community, and those living farther afield, for the response and generous donations which have been received in support of the ‘Raise The Roof’ appeal.I am delighted to be able to report that the contract for the works was signed last month and the contractors will be on site from Tuesday 27th August with a projected finish date of 2nd November.We were very agreeably surprised when the contractor who was awarded the tender, following input and recommendation from the Church’s architect, provided a quote that was significantly lower than the indicative figures which were used to inform the target amount we needed to raise.As a consequence of the lower costs, the PCC will be able to retain a portion of the reserves it had earmarked for the Nave Roof with these to be allocated in due course to the next stages of the project. All of the roof will need to be replaced when funding is available with the Nave being the section where the need for action was most urgent.I can confirm that all donations received up to and including the 31st August will be spent on the Nave Roof project at which point that element of the appeal will close. However, the Roof Appeal fund will remain open and any donations made from 1st September onwards will be set aside for use in the next phase. Further details of our plans will be communicated once the Nave project is successfully concluded.Finally, may I reiterate our thanks to all of our donors for your support and generosity.Nick KilfordPCC Treasurer1st August 2024
What happens when the Vicar retires?Many people in the villages and the community have been asking the same question, “What’s going to happen when Vicar John retires?” Rumours are also rife every time someone with a dog collar is seen in the village! So, hopefully, we can set your minds at rest and let you know what’s happening over the next few months.The Church of England is governed by many historic rules and laws which means that it is never a quick process obtaining a new vicar! The period between vicars is called the Interregnum and during this time, the churchwardens of each church, together with the Parochial Church Councils and associated clergy, arrange for services to be held in the respective churches. These are usually covered by retired clergy, associate ministers, lay readers and lay people. ( A lay person is anyone who is not ordained.) This does mean that there will be changes to the number of services being held and we hope to publicise these monthly so everyone knows what is happening. We have already looked at the Christmas Services and are able to keep the majority of these.Behind the scenes, we are working with the Archdeacon of Lichfield, to draw up a Parish Profile ( It’s a bit like a job description) and prepare an advertisement for the post. We have had to look at the nature of our benefice (the group of 3 churches) as Wychnor will cease to be open for regular worship from 1st October. Due to the growth of population in Fradley, an application has been made for it to become a parish in its own right but keeping a shared vicar with Alrewas. As you can imagine, this involves a lot of paperwork and meetings, but we are doing our best to ensure that the faith and secular communities of Alrewas, Fradley and Wychnor continue to flourish and grow.An interregnum has no time limit! We could be lucky and have a new vicar by next summer or we could have to wait longer. This has been the case in several parishes across the diocese.During this time, please bear with us. We have been blessed to have had John with us for the past 23 years and we are hoping to appoint someone who will build on his good work and guide us to the future. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask us. If we know the answer, we will share it!We are delighted that our churches are so loved by the communities they serve and we thank you for your continued support through a difficult process.Jen Matthewman and Mark Emly (Churchwardens, All Saints, Alrewas)Marian Derry (Churchwarden, St Stephen’s Fradley)Frances Mayes (Churchwarden, St Leonard’s Wychnor.)
‘Something Important’s Missing…’ A friend e-mailed me the following delightful story…“One day, a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided that the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; he concluded that it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey.He invited all his neighbours to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening, and cried horribly.Then, to everyone’s amazement, he quieted down.As the farmer’s neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped over the edge of the well, and happily trotted off!Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up –simply shake it off, and take a step up! REMEMBER THESE FOUR SIMPLE RULES TO BE HAPPY:1.Free your heart from hatred – Forgive.2 Free your mind from worries – Most never happen anyway.3. Live simply, and appreciate what you have.4. Give more, and expect less.”*********************************************************************************I must admit that I do like that story! Not only is it a message of great encouragement about not giving up in the face of adversity, it could be said that it is indeed quite ‘biblical’ in its outlook – especially the ‘four simple rules’.Nevertheless, it seems to me that there is something important missing from this story, something which the Christian Church has just been celebrating in recent weeks – namely, the presence and power of God’s Holy Spirit! The ‘donkey story’ in its present form could too easily convey the idea that when all the troubles of life get on top of you, you have to climb ‘out of the pit’ by your own strength and power alone. If that had to be the case, it would bad news for all of us! But, the truly Good News is that we don’t have to cope with all the hassles and challenges of everyday life using only our own resources, for God has sent his own Spirit into the world (often pictured as a dove) which desires to live in us, and give us strength and power to draw upon for dealing with all of life’s daily struggles! PERHAPS THE MAIN QUESTION IS… HOW HAVE I ALLOWED GOD’S SPIRIT TO LIVE IN ME, AND LOOK TO HIM AS MY STRENGTH AND POWER? IF YOU HAVEN’T, IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO START – YOU’LL BE GLAD YOU DID!!Your Vicar and friend, John
“A Most Special Invitation for Each of Us”When a friend invites us to join in an event which has special significance for them, enabling us to share more fully in their life, it is a wonderful expression of their appreciation and love for us……and that is especially the case when Jesus, the presence of our living, loving God ‘in the flesh’, invites each of us to ‘come and follow him’ (the very same personal invitation he gave to the fishermen who became his earliest followers), offering us the opportunity to ‘come and see’ for ourselves how the living God is revealing his own awesome presence, power, purposes and promises in the events of Jesus’ life and ministry. This personal invitation especially includes journeying with Jesus through Holy Week (24th – 31st March), and our churches in Alrewas, Fradley and Wychnor most warmly wish to welcome you and your family to join in with the various special services and activities hosted by each one (details available in each church’s section in this edition of Parish News)…..Come and experience the first day of Holy Week – Palm Sunday (24th March) – as Jesus’ triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem is retold in story, movement and symbol (with palm crosses for all) …enter into the awe and wonder of the crowds which celebrated Jesus as King, but had no idea what that might mean for their own lives……what might it mean for ours? On Maundy Thursday (28th March), join us at All Saints Alrewas as we gather from all three villages to enter into the experience of Jesus’ ‘last supper’ with his disciples, and Jesus blows his disciples’ minds as he reveals completely unexpected insights into God’s presence and power in their lives….and ours too! This moving Communion Service will include symbolic ‘handwashing’ for those who wish to partake…….……as we remember Jesus being betrayed by one of his very own and his disciples abandoning him out of fear for their own lives, from 9pm to 12am a ‘Night Watch’ will continue in All Saints, with opportunity for candle-lit personal meditation and occasional readings – you are warmly invited to ‘drop in’ and stay for however long you wish, as we prepare for the world-changing events the next day…On Good Friday (29th March), you are invited to participate in a variety of services and activities which help us to experience the awesome depth and costliness of God’s love for our world, and for each one of us personally, as the events leading to Jesus’ death are retold in story, song, activities and experiences for all agesFollowing an eerily quiet ‘Holy Saturday’ as the painful reality of Jesus’ death sinks in, we sincerely hope everyone will join in our churches’ joy-filled celebration of our Lord’s Resurrection on EASTER SUNDAY (31st March) as we celebrate the life-changing victory of God’s love!We sincerely hope you will accept this personal invitation to join in the wonder of Holy Week, and experience afresh the amazing presence and power of God tomake all things new….including me and you, and our lives now and eternally!Vicar John
