‘And Finally………..’This well-known ‘catchphrase’, used regularly by newscaster Sir Trevor McDonald for many years as he concluded presenting his TV news programme, feels strikingly apropos for me as I write this final column for the benefice’s Parish News, drawing to a close more than 23 years of serving as Vicar of Alrewas with Fradley and Wychnor – as I now rapidly approach my final day of over 40 years of stipendiary ministry on the 30th day of September and begin a new chapter in my life as a retired Vicar!Although I’ve certainly used plenty of words throughout my ministry in both the United States (as a Lutheran Pastor) and for the past 33 years serving in the Lichfield Diocese of the Church of England, on this occasion I’m finding it strangely difficult to find the words which can truly capture the many deep emotions and cherished memories I have of worshipping, working and serving with the wonderful communities and residents of our three special villages!Suffice to say, I have felt incredibly honoured and grateful to be part of your lives during the time I and my family have had the privilege of residing in this special benefice; I wish to share my deepest personal thanks and appreciation to all in our three churches as well as communities for your friendship and support, which has indeed sustained and energized us in continued ministerial service over the decades.I also wish to express my sincere gratitude to both the ordained and lay colleagues I’ve had the immense joy of working alongside over these many years – your unique contributions have blessed our shared ministries and endeavours immeasurably!!Relieved that this column will not be the final opportunity to share thoughts and feelings (my family and I are looking forward to the numerous exciting events we’ll be sharing with you throughout September!), I wish to offer reflections on three specially selected words which I hope will be a reminder of the heart of my own Christian faith and conviction which I’ve endeavored to offer you over these precious years together, and which I hope will continue to sustain and empower you long after I have completed my time with you:‘Love’ - more times than I can possibly calculate, I’ve had the joy of sharing with you my all-time favourite Bible passage which, for me, is the heart of the Good News of Christianity and the ‘vital key’ for our faith and hope:‘Beloved, let us love one another, for God is Love….Anyone who loves is born of God, and knows God…No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another,God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.’ (I John 4: 7ff)To believe and trust that God’s very ‘DNA’ is that spirit of Love which is truly unconditional, unchanging and unending, is the key to releasing us from fear and anxiety, and empowering us with hope and strength beyond our own ability….the assurance of God’s loving presence and power sets us free to live our lives ‘to the full’, ‘abundantly’!‘Affirmation’ - When I was being ordained in the USA to serve as a Lutheran Pastor, a very wise professor told us that ‘the stole a Priest is privileged to wear signifies the power to affirm others….’ My subsequent ministry has been profoundly shaped by this insight!The fact is, each and every one of us needs, and longs for, affirmation – the assurance that (to give some examples) you are ‘one of a kind’, utterly unique in the universe, loved and valued by God more than you could ever imagine; that your unique being and contribution in this world matters to God and all those whose lives we touch.This truth is beautifully expressed in the following anonymous quotation:There is an old Christian traditionthat God sends each person into this worldwith a special message to deliver,with a special song to sing for others,with a special act of love to bestow.No one else can speak my message,or sing my song,or offer my act of love…..these are entrusted only to me.I most sincerely hope that the assurance of the value and importance of you as a beloved human being liberates you to deliver your message, sing your song, bestow your special act of love…..and that your love and value for others helps them to feel similarly affirmed, and be set free to affirm others too!‘Dash’ – Those of you who have attended a funeral I have conducted over these many years will possess ‘insider knowledge’ about this third special word! It’s not in this case a reference to running in a race, nor a grammatical symbol – it refers to a very precious and powerful poem called ‘The Dash’ (written by Linda Ellis, and readily available on the internet) which I’ve felt privileged to share in many funerals as we’ve reflected on the significance and impact of the life that beloved person lived whilst on planet Earth, and challenging us to think seriously about the significance of that ‘little line’ between our own birth date and death date, and how we spend ‘our dash’ – including how we would wish to be remembered by others, and what lasting impact we would want our life and love to have on those around us.Elaine Dolman, of Alrewas, completely surprised me with a very personal, hand—crafted tapestry she made in honour of my retirement by stitching the words of The Dash poem and surrounding it with a variety of things associated with my ministry in the benefice (including my musical rainbow waistcoat!). I am deeply grateful to you, Elaine, for this fabulous and amazing gift, which certainly has helped me contemplate my own ‘dash’….I hope this inspirational poem helps each of us to be ‘intentional’ with the way we live and spend our own ‘dash’ in ways which bless others with love, affirmation, and abundance of life – and puts a big smile on God’s face in the process! And finally….. whilst I hope these ‘three key words’ speak personally to you, I sincerely hope I will have the joy of meeting and speaking with you ‘in person’ in the weeks leading up to 30th September – that will provide me with the greatest gift of all!With the assurance of my love, prayers, friendship and every blessing - Vicar John
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
