The rector of Cringleford and Colney, Revd Graham WIlkins, is on sabbatical from 6 July 2026, returning on 20 September 2026. During this time, the Ministry Team of clergy and Licensed Lay Ministers, and church wardens will be responsible for day-to-day matters. Your first point of contact will be Jayne Wood, the Parish Administrator.Graham writes about his sabbatical. 'A sabbatical feels like a bit of an oddity. In short, in this Diocese they are usually granted after about 7 years of ministry including 5 years in one place. They are a mix of a chance to slow down, space to refind a rhythm to recharge, and a chance to do other types of theological and spiritual activity which parish life does not always easily allow.'Sabbaticals are a real blessing for a priest and I am incredibly grateful to be able to take one. I am obviously thankful to the Diocese for the opportunity but my most heartfelt thanks goes to all those who will continue the good work at St Peter's and St. Andrew's during my absence'While away things will basically continue as normal - we have a good team in this benefice who will continue with the great work they do. If you have something you would usually bring to me and aren't sure where it should go during the next few months please do speak to Elisabeth or Jane at St Peter's or email Jayne our parish administrator.'I will be not be contactable during my sabbatical, and my email address will not be checked until I return on 20 September. I will, however, be around in Cringleford for most of the time and if you bump into me when out and about it would be lovely to chat, but please excuse me if I change subject quickly if the talk strays on to things about the church - I still very much care but this will stop me from having the temptation of getting involved in a period when I should be absent.'Jayne will continue to send out weekly emails from the Ministry Team.'I will be praying for you all during my sabbatical and I look forward to rejoining the life of the community fully in September.'In ChristGraham
Revd Graham Wilkins writesEvery Parish Church in the country has an electoral roll of people who have chosen to be connected with a specific church. A few facts about the electoral roll:You can still very much be part of St Peter's or St Andrew's even if you are not on the Electoral Roll.You can join the electoral roll if you are baptised (and almost 16 or over) and either resident in the parish or a regular worshipper at one of our churches.If you would class yourself as a worshipper at our church but haven't been able to make it due to illness/being abroad/any other reason, you can still join our electoral roll. This therefore includes anyone who joins in on Zoom or who would like to.It costs nothing to join the electoral roll - for either you or the church.If you are already on the electoral roll, there is no need to worry about anything. If you would like to be on the electoral roll, the relevant form is attached. There should also be copies in church. Please get the forms back to us by the end of the week.
The gathering around the Cathedral’s Peace Globe on Sunday 15 March is an opportunity for people to show solidarity with all who are suffering as a result of the unrest in the Middle East and in other places of conflict around the world.The hour-long vigil will begin at 5pm. The Universal Prayer for Peace will be said by the Dean of Norwich (and former vicar of Cringleford), Andrew Braddock. People will be invited to light candles and join in a time of silence and reflection in the Cathedral Nave.Further details on the cathedral website.Image courtesy Norwich Cathedral.
Tim Harle, one of our Licensed Lay Ministers (LLMs), joined over 70 fellow LLMs for a training morning at Norwich Cathedral on 7 March. The morning was split into two sessions:Let everything that has breath praise the Lord: the science and theology of climate change and nature loss, led by Bishop Graham.What can I do in my life and my parish?, led by Barbara Bryant, Norwich Diocese Environment Officer and Norman Johnson, LLM in the Heart of Norfolk benefice and an Eco-Chaplain.The morning started and ended with worship, and was followed by an excellent lunch courtesy of Bread Source.Tim says we should watch out for snippets turning up in sermons in months to come. 'Bishop Graham dealt with some really big global issues, but I was also struck by practical examples from Barbara and Norman. It's not always that you get to consider big theological questions from the book of Genesis alongside choice of cleaning materials for church buildings'.Photo courtesy Barbara Bryant.
