Our dedicated ‘Flower Team’ meets on Friday mornings in church to renew and refresh the flower arrangements. They very modestly describe themselves as ‘enthusiastic amateurs’, and do not have any formal training in floristry, but share a great love of flowers and a desire to use them to glorify God and to celebrate His creation.

Established back in the 1960s by Jo Walford, the ‘Flower Team’ has been strengthened and enriched over the years through a mutual support network providing fellowship, prayer and guidance on arranging techniques. The photograph shows some of the current members of the team poised to begin their weekly task. The flower-arranging usually takes a couple of hours to complete; the team often find themselves absorbed in their work, which fosters a sense of focus. Working together also provides an opportunity for conversation and friendship.

Flower arrangements are used to compliment the liturgical calendar and to enhance worship. Locally sourced and seasonal flowers are used whenever possible. John, a member of our congregation, is a keen dahlia grower and over recent weeks he has kindly donated dahlias from his garden which have filled the church with a vibrant burst of colour. Each week, three or four pedestals of flowers are prepared along with the Mother’s Union arrangement, which is displayed in the North Aisle. The windowsills and font are decorated on special occasions such as Easter, Christmas and Harvest. Different flowers are associated with specific seasons, for example Longiflorum Lilies are the traditional flowers used during the Easter season, symbolising the resurrection of Jesus and the hope of new life. Posies of daffodils and foliage are distributed in church on Mothering Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent, but flowers are not displayed in church during Lent as this is a time of solemn reflection leading up to Easter. The team is also often involved in decorating the church for weddings and funerals, creating personalised arrangements that reflect the occasion and the preferences and needs of the families involved.

Particularly memorable events for the ‘Flower Team’ were the Flower Festivals, which raised money for local charities. For the ‘Talents from God’ Flower Festival, a framed cross stitch version of ‘A Flower Arranger’s Prayer’ was created by Chris, one of the members. This intricately stitched piece of work is displayed in church and is a visual reminder that the artistry involved in flower arranging is a gift bestowed by God. The prayer is also an expression of faith and trust in God and acknowledges the wonder and beauty of His creation.

A Flower Arranger’s Prayer

May God grant that our hearts,

Our eyes and our hands may

receive His inspiration, enabling us

to glorify His House with the beauty

of leaves and blooms

which He has created.

The ‘Flowers and Wedding Dresses’ Festival took a whole year to organise and coffee mornings and cake sales were held to raise money for the flowers. Wedding dresses spanning the decades were donated and the unique and cherished memories associated with the dresses were shared. Buckets of flowers and foliage were supplied for the arrangements and an avalanche of pink and cream Stargazer lilies, carnations, lisianthus and roses filled the church.

The former Bishop of Gloucester, David Bentley, once wrote in the Gloucester Citizen ‘‘People say to me ‘I only do the flowers’ and I say ‘only, it’s very important doing the flowers or the coffee or mending the hymn books.’ The Church is full of these unpaid volunteers, and they really are God’s gift to life. We can’t do without them.”