Letter From Rose - September & October 2014

Dear Friends,

In my letter to you last time I mentioned that we were still looking for a new Team Rector.

By now you will know that following an interview with The Archdeacon of Dudley, a representative from Worcester Cathedral, the Rural Dean, Lay Chair, Revd Jan Ashton, representatives from the Kidderminster Parish Church Team Ministry, Wolverley and Cookley and the Superintendent of the Methodist Church, and an invitation from our Diocesan Bishop, Dr John Inge to the vacancy, I have been appointed as Team Rector Designate for the Kidderminster Ismere Team Ministry.

The decision to apply for this role was not taken lightly as after a great deal of prayer and ‘doing the job’ of Acting Team Rector since Owain’s retirement last year I was well aware of what not only lies before me, but before the whole of our new Team as we move into the reality of serving our Lord across a much larger area.

However, a lot of hard work has already been carried out by many people, both lay and ordained that will begin to take us forward from the firm foundations laid by both Revd Canon D. Owain Bell and Revd Geoffrey Shilvock, to whom we are eternally grateful, but now the time has come to begin to use the amazing God given gifts we have among us now.

With my appointment to Team Rector Designate this will of course mean that we still have a vacancy – this time for a Vicar in the Team with special responsibility for Broadwaters and Cookley and Workplace Chaplaincy with ‘Faith @ Work’ in Worcestershire, the role I have been doing for the last seven and a half years.

The wheels have already been put in motion to advertise this post and we are hopeful that it will be easier to fill than the Team Rector Designate. However, until then we, that is myself, Jan and Alex will be continuing to carry out the work across the Team together with the generous help of our retired clergy, Readers, ALM’s, senior Clergy (Bishop’s, Archdeacon’s and other Diocesan Staff) and of course everyone who carries out their own particular ministry in the seven churches.

In my previous letter to you all I wrote about the ‘winter period’, where seeds can lay dormant waiting for the spring when they will be given the opportunity to sprout, grow and bear fruit. Well we haven’t quite arrived at spring yet, but we are making progress towards it – towards the day when we have another colleague, are fully staffed and spring will have arrived!

Of course each new spring brings with it new life and with new life there can be change.

However, Jonathan Sacks, one time Chief Rabbi wrote in his book ‘Celebrating Life’ that –

‘Change is not threatening, so long as we keep firm hold of the values by and for which we live.

We can travel with confidence so long as we have a map.

We can jump with safety knowing there is someone to catch us as we fall.
It is when we lose these things that change creates anxiety…………..
The possibilities of happiness are all around us, if we would only open our eyes and give thanks.’

And so we move forward, we give thanks to God for bringing us to where we are and we pray that together as the Kidderminster Ismere Team we will indeed open our eyes, give thanks and bear good and abundant fruit in God’s world.

With every blessing for our future together,

Rose

Revd Rose Lawley

Team Rector Designate
Kidderminster Ismere Team

From the Parish Registers

Christenings

Emily Joan Bennett; 27^th July at St. John’s, Wolverley

Havanna-Leigh Griffiths; 27^th July at St. John’s, Wolverley

Mason Oliver Kent; 27^th July at St. John’s, Wolverley

Christopher Hough; 4^th August at St. John’s, Wolverley

Oscar Ben Ronnie Hodgetts; 10^th August at St. John’s, Wolverley

Tallulah Elizabeth Morgan; 17^th August at St. John’s, Wolverley

Erica Rose Copson; 27^th August at St. Peter’s, Cookley

Storm Alexander Rice; 31^st August at St. John’s, Wolverley

Layla Joy King; 31^st August at St. John’s, Wolverley

Tiana Rose Clarke; 7^th September at St. John’s, Wolverley

Lillie Mae Clarke; 7^th September at St. John’s, Wolverley

Lacey Sharne England; 14^th September at St. Peter’s, Cookley

Elle Marie Baker; 14^th September at St. Peter’s, Cookley

Miley-Mae Baker; 14^th September at St. Peter’s, Cookley

Finn Luca Turvey; 14^th September at St. Peter’s, Cookley

Maggie-Beau Fowler; 21^st September at St. John’s, Wolverley

Peggy Maud Frances Thomas; 21^st September at St. John’s, Wolverley

Weddings

Simon Robert Knight and Marie Louise Wyatt; 26^th July at Cookley

Richard Charles Moreby and Leanne Julie Mills; 2^nd August at Cookley

Adam Charles Howell and Hayley Dawn Branford; 16^th August at Wolverley

James Philip Paul Swift and Ruby Barnell; 27^th August at Wolverley

Terence Edwin Harris and Sarah Maureen Freeman; 29^th August at Wolverley

Gary Robert Hawkins and Jodie Michelle Hobbins; 30^th August at Wolverley

Colin David Prince and Christine Elizabeth Parsonage; 30^th August at Cookley

Scott Graeme Hynd and Kirsty Louise MacGregor; 6^th September at Cookley

Funerals

Michael Kennedy Ayre; 24^th July at St. John’s, Wolverley

Rosella Edna Page of Cookley; 28^th July at Wyre Forest Crematorium

Phyllis Maud Thompson; 29^th July at St. Peter’s, Cookley

Joyce Chillington of Wolverley; 6^th August at Wyre Forest Crematorium

Janet Elizabeth Bridges; 13^th August at St. John’s, Wolverley & Wyre Forest Crematorium

Christopher Danks; 14^th August at St. John’s, Wolverley

Sybil Margaret Clee; 29^th August at St. Peter’s, Cookley & Wyre Forest Crematorium

Diane Day of Wolverley; 4^th September at Stourbridge Crematorium

David John Turner of Cookley; 4^th September at Wyre Forest Crematorium

Patricia Kirk of Cookley; 5^th September at Wyre Forest Crematorium

Doris Laidlaw; 10^th September at St. John’s, Wolverley