July 2021 - Team Vicar “Twaddle”. This is my 10<sup>th</sup> year in the Uttoxeter Area of Parishes. I know that is peanuts compared to others; however, somehow I feel long-in-the-tooth. I have now been in the Area for more time than my years in the Probation Service (eight years) and my combined time at university (seven years). In that time I have gone from being fairly green to the whole parish priest lark, to feeling reasonably knowledgeable and competent. When the diocese talks of ‘experienced’ priests it quotes those with at least ‘three years’ in a post, which doesn’t seem long to me but what do I know? I still feel like a bit of a fly-by-night. When I speak with people like Thelma, Hilda and Geoff, who seem to have been around the Area since time immemorial, I know that I am temporary, lacking in local knowledge compared with PCCs, parishioners and Ministry Teams, who have seen a dozen or more parish priests come and go. I hope I have always been conscious of the subservient nature of parish ministry and valued the dependence on volunteers in all churches, which will go on long after my retirement. Whilst obviously I still want to change the world, if I can be remembered half as fondly as Paddy (and Mark) Vidal-Hall was at her funeral recently, I think I will be happy with my stint in the Uttoxeter Area. We do face a different parish situation now. Whilst Leigh, Kingstone/Gratwich and Marchington St.Peter’s/Marchington Woodlands each had their own vicars, there are now 10 parishes in the Area, which bounce around between having 1-3 paid vicars at any one time. If I could wander around Leigh as a full-time post then I could probably do a better job but in 2021 it costs £56, 450 to pay for one vicar (which includes the stipend, housing costs, pension, diocesan costs and around 6% to the national church), which Leigh could not afford. I get £27,000 (gross) in my annual wage packet and am not complaining, but it does make you wonder about the funding structure in the Church of England. Perhaps we should go back to Glebe Land and Livings! Over the last year I have had the chance to look at Parish Shares across the Deanery and have come to the conclusion that different people are looking at the same picture through different lenses. The Diocese primarily sees Parish Share through a Benefice lens but staff deployment through a Deanery lens; the Deanery sees Parish Share and deployment through a Deanery lens but has no real power to effect either; and the parishes tend to see both through a parish lens. At points such as Shaping For Mission, some of the lenses intersect but not consistently enough and not with enough understanding from all parties together. As cheesy as this sounds, we all need to be singing from the same hymn sheet, or at least have the same hymn sheet available to sing from. We need to be focussing on working consensually as one (acknowledging our disagreements) in order to be able to plan well for the future. At the moment there is too much angst, too much anxiety and too little understanding of the bigger picture from all parties. We also need to be realistic about what is achievable and affordable in the 21<sup>st</sup> century, both in terms of finance and practise in the parishes. I crave the traditional parish priest role but find myself more often in front of a computer than in front of parishioners. Vicars often attend more meetings aimed at achieving a bigger impact than actually catching up with people. However, I can wander around as much as I like but unless enough money comes in for the building and Parish Share ….. In the end, I do not believe that the vicar can or should do everything, or can achieve the great charismatic wave of evangelism that would resolve all our problems. I am paid for by the people but cannot be the people. In the end my role must be to do the basics (services) but essentially to encourage and enable the wealth of experience, faith, passion, talent and hopefully compassion that people hold in their heads and hearts for those around them. That will be the wave that needs to come, to make the structures less top-heavy, less deferential to the powers-that-be and for those powers-that-be to more gracious and acknowledge that their very existence depends upon the donations and collections of the people on the ground. At the same time, the people on the ground need to accept that change will come and we should make the most of it and not just mumble into our beer, however comforting and traditional that beer may be. Peace and prayers, Joe Rev’d Joe Cant.
GRATWICH NEWSLETTERJuly 2021 For further information about anything in the newsletter, please contact:Rev. Charles Dale 01889 500428: email: revcharles.dale@btinternet.comJenny Talbot: 01889 50241 email: jenny477@btinternet.comFacebook: St. Mary’s Church Gratwich GRATWICH SERVICES IN JULY SUNDAY 4th 7.00pm Evening Prayer via ZOOM SUNDAY 11th 11.15am Holy Communion IN CHURCH SUNDAY 25th 7.00pm Evening Prayer IN CHURCHPhone Jenny (01889 502471) to book a seat in church and please bring a mask.How fast is this year going?! School summer holiday starting halfway through this month – let’s hope the Covid restrictions lift on the 19th so we can have a bit of a get together at some time during the hols, even if only for a coffee morning or a picnic on the church croft.After meeting with the church architect last month the PCC are putting together some exciting plans to make the church building more usable for events other than services.Of course this will take time and money – if anyone knows of organisations who give grants for improvements, etc. please let us know.And watch this space!!!!!!100 CLUB – JUNE - drawn at the Evening Service on 27th June1st Cynthia Bailey 2nd Leo Woolley 3rd Rev. John LanderThe 100 club starts it’s new year this month – if you would like to join/rejoin please fill in the attached form & return it to Sue (Church Treasurer) with your money by 20th July.The next draw will be at the evening service on 25th July in church .Kingstone Church Fete - Sunday 18th July 2021 2.00pm onwardsSubject of course to any government restrictions in place at that time, and will have a theme of the Earth. As well as the usual stalls, The Woodland Trust, Hoglets and Fairtrade Uttoxeter are attending. Waste Savvy Uttoxeter, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and Friends of the Earth also hope to bring a couple of volunteers.St. Mary’s Parish Church, Gratwich Churchyard ManagementMany visitors to the churchyard will know & love to see the spectacular display of wild daffodils, followed bluebells & other springtime wild flowers that grow in profusion there.In order to protect and encourage the flowers to produce their lovely displays, the Parish Church Council has a policy of managing the churchyard grounds by leaving the flower bulbs to die back naturally. This means that grass cutting of the grounds does not take place until the beginning of June, this will seem to some who visit, that the churchyard is a little untidy during this time. We hope you understand and support the PCC’s endeavours to protect the wild flowers and natural habitat in its care.Churchyard maintenance is a costly item and we are very grateful for the financial assistance received from Kingstone Parish Council. However, this does not cover the full cost of the upkeep of the churchyard and church field (known as the Croft). Any financial donations towards the upkeep of the church and grounds are always gratefully received and very much appreciated. If you would like to make a donation this can be sent to: Church Treasurer, Bank Top Farm, Gratwich, Uttoxeter ST14 8SDCarol Woolley and Ruth Adams Church wardensThe Uttoxeter Area of ChurchesInvites you to <span style="font-size: 1rem;">AN AFTERNOON TEA!</span>Sunday 15th August 3.00 – 5.00pm <span style="font-size: 1rem;">At Marchington Woodlands Village Hall ST14 8PF</span>Join us for an afternoon of activities for all the family – and tea & Cake!! Area Letter this month from Rev. Joe Cant - Team Vicar TwaddleThis is my 10th year in the Uttoxeter Area of Parishes. I know that is peanuts compared to others; however, somehow I feel long-in-the-tooth. I have been in the Area for more time than my years in the Probation Service (8 years) & my combined time at university (7 years).In that time I have gone from being fairly green to the whole parish priest lark, to feeling reasonably knowledgeable and competent. <span style="font-size: 1rem;">When the diocese talks of ‘experienced’ priests it quotes those with at least ‘three years’ in a post, which doesn’t seem long to me but what do I know?</span>I still feel like a bit of a fly-by-night. When I speak with people like Thelma, Hilda & Geoff, who seem to have been around the Area since time immemorial, I know I am temporary, lacking in local knowledge compared with PCCs, parishioners and Ministry Teams, who have seen a dozen or more parish priests come and go. I hope I have always been conscious of the subservient nature of parish ministry and valued the dependence on volunteers in all churches, which will go on long after my retirement. Whilst obviously I still want to change the world, if I can be remembered half as fondly as Paddy Vidal-Hall was at her funeral recently, I think I will be happy with my stint in the Uttoxeter Area.We do face a different parish situation now. Whilst Leigh, Kingstone/Gratwich and Marchington/ Marchington Woodlands each had their own vicars, there are now 10 parishes in the Area, which bounce around between having 1-3 vicars at any one time.If I could wander around Leigh as a full-time post then I could probably do a better job but in 2021 it costs £56, 450 to pay for one vicar (which includes the stipend, housing costs, pension, diocesan costs and around 6% to the national church) which Leigh could not afford. I get £27,000 (gross) in my annual wage packet and am not complaining, but it does make you wonder about the funding structure in the Church of England. Perhaps we should go back to Glebe Land and Livings!Over the last year I have had the chance to look at Parish Shares across the Deanery and have come to the conclusion that different people are looking at the same picture through different lenses. The Diocese primarily sees Parish Share through a Benefice lens but staff deployment through a Deanery lens; the Deanery sees Parish Share and deployment through a Deanery lens but has no real power to effect either; and the parishes tend to see both through a parish lens. At points such as Shaping For Mission, some of the lenses intersect but not consistently enough and not with enough understanding from all parties together. As cheesy as this sounds, we all need to be singing from the same hymn sheet, or at least have the same hymn sheet available to sing from. We need to be focussing on working consensually as one (acknowledging our disagreements) in order to be able to plan well for the future. At the moment there is too much angst, too much anxiety and too little understanding of the bigger picture from all parties.We also need to be realistic about what is achievable and affordable in the 21st century, both in terms of finance and practise in the parishes. I crave the traditional parish priest role but find myself more often in front of a computer than in front of parishioners. Vicars often attend more meetings aimed at achieving a bigger impact than actually catching up with people. However, I can wander around as much as I like but unless enough money comes in for the building and Parish Share …..In the end, I do not believe that the vicar can or should do everything, or can achieve the great charismatic wave of evangelism that would resolve all our problems. I am paid for by the people but cannot be the people. In the end my role must be to do the basics (services) but essentially to encourage and enable the wealth of experience, faith, passion, talent and hopefully compassion that people hold in their heads and hearts for those around them. That will be the wave that needs to come, to make the structures less top-heavy, less deferential to the powers-that-be and for those powers-that-be to more gracious and acknowledge that their very existence depends upon the donations and collections of the people on the ground. At the same time, the people on the ground need to accept that change will come and we should make the most of it and not just mumble into our beer, however comforting and traditional that beer may be.Peace and Prayers, JoeSt. Mary’s in Gratwich 100 Club runs from July to June each year with12 draws – one each month after the 4th Sunday Evening Service in church.Each person entering is given a number and three are drawn out of a bag containing all the numbers on bingo balls by members of the congretation.The prizes are:1st - £202nd - £103rd - £5The cost to join is £12 for the year.The proceeds go towards the upkeep of the church. ST. MARY’S IN GRATWICH 100 CLUBNAME……………………………………………………………………………………………………..ADRESS…………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..NUMBER OF ENTRIES…………..@ £12 per entry. TOTAL TO PAY……….…………… Cheques Payable to: PCC GRATWICH PARISHBank details for direct payment: Account name: PCC GRATWICH PARISHAccount Number: 00124548Sort Code: 30-98-90Your Reference (initials and 100 CLUB)NAMES OF ENTRANTS…………………………………………………………………………………………………….………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………….……………………………………………………………………………..Please return completed form and payment to:Mrs S Capewell,Banktop Farm, Banktop, Gratwich, Uttoxeter, Staffs. ST14 8SDBy 20th July. (Sue’s phone number 01889 502241)
GRATWICH NEWSLETTERJune 2021 For further information about anything in the newsletter, please contact:Rev. Charles Dale 01889 500428: email: revcharles.dale@btinternet.comJenny Talbot: 01889 50241 email: jenny477@btinternet.comFacebook: St. Mary’s Church Gratwich GRATWICH SERVICES IN JUNE SUNDAY 6th 7.00pm Evening Prayer via ZOOM SUNDAY 13th 11.15am Holy Communion IN CHURCH SUNDAY 27th 7.00pm Evening Prayer IN CHURCHPhone Jenny (01889 502471) to book a seat in church and please bring a mask.Well let’s hope June weather is better than May was - I began to think we were still in April with all the showers and even hail storms! Still not much grass and not muchsilaging being done yet let alone haymaking, this time last year some people had made hay. I set my tomato plants out in the greenhouse yesterday and as I dug the holes they started to fill up with water, hope the plants don’t drown. St. Mary’s Church is in desperate need of the electrics being re-wired. If anyone has any ideas of events we could hold to raise money for this please contact Jenny (01889 502471)At last month’s Annual Parochial Church Council Meeting the following were elected Chairman Rev. C. DaleChurchwardens Miss R Adams & Mrs C WoolleySecretary & Safeguarding Co-ordinator Mrs J TalbotTreasurer Mrs S CapewellElectrol Roll Officer Mrs M CottonDeanery Synod and Team Council Rep. Ms C HollinsPCC Members – all the above plus Mrs S Cotton and Mrs M Recine100 CLUB – MAY - drawn at the Evening Service on 23rd May 1st Fearn Woolley 2nd Simon Capewell 3rd Molly CottonThe next draw will be at the service on 27th June in church .Dianne in St. Mary’s Uttoxeter office is collecting GENUINE Brother, Cannon, Dell, Epson or Hewlett Packard ink cartridges and used postage stamps, both foreign and British, for MS research.Please let her have any if you can.Some Good News!Rev. Jules Walker will be joining us as team vicar and living in the village of Marchington.She will be the team vicar for Marchington, Marchington Woodlands, Kingstone and Stramshall and will be working within the Uttoxeter Area of Parishes, for a period of three years.We look forward to meeting her and welcoming her and her family into our communities. Rev. Jules will be licensed on the 5th August by the Bishop.Hi everyone,We had a lively discussion about Mark's Gospel of Action last week, and appreciated it all the more for reading it in one sitting. It was our 1st gospel together as a group, but we're going back to the Old Testament for our next book....Obadiah. As it's only one chapter (oh yes!), we thought we should try out a few more of the minor prophets, so we're also going to read Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah and Haggai.Probably not books many of us have read at all, so do join us on Zoom on Wednesday June 30th at 7.30pm, same link as before; https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85964445235Kind regards,LesleyLesley J White (Mrs), Area Coordinator and PA to Area Rector for Uttoxeter Area of Parishes.Bramshall Checkley Gratwich Kingstone Leigh Marchington Marchington Woodlands Stramshall Upper Tean UttoxeterAnswers to last month’s Country Words1) YUN – is Worcestershire word meaning lambing2) PEGGLE – is a word from Essex for cowslipDATES FOR YOUR DIARY25th June – National Cream Tea Day – treat yourselves to a cream tea in the garden!18th July - Kingstone Fete Some thoughts for the Area June 2021The final episode of BBC One's Line of Duty was watched by an average of 12.8 million viewers on that Sunday night, the most watched episode of any drama since modern records began in 2002. Were you one of the viewers who tuned in to find out the identity of criminal mastermind, H? And did you agree with the critics that the series ended with an anti-climax with lots of loose ends and plenty of scope for further episodes.One of Hastings most famous quotes is “Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the wee donkey” and it seems to be one that has been appreciated. Several lines of duty are incorporated into that phrase. Jesus: the main character in a murder story, one series finished with his resurrection, not a disappointing end that time. The next series is underway, and God knows that the last episode will be triumphant. Mary: a girl who chose to embrace with joy the challenges of her line of duty, no guns required for this strong but humble woman.Joseph: a key character who takes a back seat after the first episodeThe Wee Donkey: carrying Mary to Bethlehem and Jesus to Calvary, not a fast car with a siren, but still getting people to places at the right time.Jesus needed Mary Joseph and the wee donkey, in order to complete his purposes. The complexity of their relationships with each other and the world haven’t been fully explained yet- but they will be one day. And we are also characters in this epic drama, may not be in uniform, may only be a split second on screen but still specially selected by God and part of the big picture. What now for us? The fear may be genuine, there is a lot at stake, there are so many opportunities, and we don’t know where the story line is going. We may have been slow to grasp who H was but let’s grasp who HS is. We do have a Heavenly Director in charge of our reality, a Colleague who won’t let us down, and the Holy Spirit to guide us. Whether you have watched Line of Duty on TV or not, we are in this amazing set and with colourful characters let’s play our part in the exciting adventure God has for Uttoxeter Area.Lucy ToynReader Uttoxeter Area
Some thoughts for the Area June 2021The final episode of BBC One's Line of Duty was watched by an average of 12.8 million viewers on that Sunday night, the most watched episode of any drama since modern records began in 2002. Were you one of the viewers who tuned in to find out the identity of criminal mastermind, H? And did you agree with the critics that the series ended with an anti-climax with lots of loose ends and plenty of scope for further episodes.One of Hastings most famous quotes is “Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the wee donkey” and it seems to be one that has been appreciated. Several lines of duty are incorporated into that phrase. Jesus: the main character in a murder story, one series finished with his resurrection, not a disappointing end that time. The next series is underway, and God knows that the last episode will be triumphant. Mary: a girl who chose to embrace with joy the challenges of her line of duty, no guns required for this strong but humble woman.Joseph: a key character who takes a back seat after the first episodeThe Wee Donkey: carrying Mary to Bethlehem and Jesus to Calvary, not a fast car with a siren, but still getting people to places at the right time.Jesus needed Mary Joseph and the wee donkey, in order to complete his purposes. The complexity of their relationships with each other and the world haven’t been fully explained yet- but they will be one day. And we are also characters in this epic drama, may not be in uniform, may only be a split second on screen but still specially selected by God and part of the big picture. What now for us? The fear may be genuine, there is a lot at stake, there are so many opportunities, and we don’t know where the story line is going. We may have been slow to grasp who H was but let’s grasp who HS is. We do have a Heavenly Director in charge of our reality, a Colleague who won’t let us down, and the Holy Spirit to guide us. Whether you have watched Line of Duty on TV or not, we are in this amazing set and with colourful characters let’s play our part in the exciting adventure God has for Uttoxeter Area.Lucy ToynReader Uttoxeter Area
