Dear friends,

September often feels like a season of new beginnings. The long days of summer begin to fade, schools return, routines settle, and many of us find ourselves looking ahead to what lies before us. It is a time of change, of renewal, of new opportunities, and this year that is certainly true for me.

After serving as Interim Team Vicar, Team Vicar and Acting Team Rector here in the Uttoxeter Area of Parishes since August 2021, I now leave parish ministry to take up a new role in the Diocese of Lichfield as Vocations Officer and Bishop’s Director of Ordinands. It has been a privilege to share in the life of these parishes - to worship with you, to celebrate baptisms and weddings, to walk alongside families in times of loss, and to see God's faithfulness at work in so many different ways. I leave with deep gratitude and many happy memories.

As I have prepared for this new chapter, I have found myself reflecting on the word vocation. We often think of vocation as something that belongs to priests or those training for ministry, but in reality, every person of faith has a vocation. The word simply means "calling"; God calls each one of us to follow Christ and then invites us to use the gifts he has given us in his service and for the good of others. Sometimes that calling involves a significant change of direction. More often, it is discovered in the ordinary faithfulness of everyday life: encouraging a neighbour, caring for a loved one, welcoming a newcomer to church, serving on a rota, offering hospitality, praying faithfully, or stepping forward to try something new.

As one chapter closes for me, perhaps this September is an opportunity for each of us to ask a simple question: Lord, what are you calling me to now? The answer may surprise us. God is always at work, and he delights in inviting ordinary people to join in his extraordinary purposes. And remember, even when that feels challenging, as God said to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” That’s the hope my family are currently holding fast.

Thank you for your prayers, your friendship, and the many ways you have enriched my ministry among you. As I begin this new role, I would value your prayers, just as you can be assured of mine for you all.

May God continue to bless these parishes, as together you seek to know Christ, and make his love known to others.

With love,

Jules