A New Chapter for the Church: Welcoming the Archbishop of Canterbury As the seasons change and autumn gives way to winter, the Church of England enters a new season of its own. This November, we give thanks for the appointment of Dame Sarah Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury — and, for the first time in history, a woman will lead the Anglican Communion from that ancient seat at Canterbury. For many, this moment feels like a gentle whisper of renewal — not a sudden wind, but a steady breeze of God’s ongoing work through His people. It is a reminder that the Holy Spirit continues to raise up servants for each generation, calling both women and men to shepherd His Church with faith and humility. Sarah Mullaly’s Life of Service so far Before her ordination, Dame Sarah served as a nurse and later as Chief Nursing Officer for England — a life already devoted to care, compassion, and healing. Her journey into ministry was marked not by ambition, but by obedience. “My call to serve God has always been about saying ‘yes’ to Him,” she once said, “even when I did not know what that ‘yes’ would lead to.” That same spirit of trust now carries her into this new calling. She will officially take up her post in early 2026. Her appointment comes at a time when the Church faces many challenges — questions of unity, trust, and relevance — but also fresh opportunities to bear witness to the unchanging love of Christ. Hope for a Divided World Across our nation and the wider world, people are hungry for hope, for meaning, and for leaders who serve rather than rule. Archbishop-designate Mullally has spoken often about the need for the Church to be a place of “listening, healing, and reconciliation.” Those words are not only timely — they are biblical. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) As Christians, we are all called to that work — to be agents of peace in our families, our communities, and our church life, our work life and to play our part in the peace of the world, where possible. The Archbishop’s appointment reminds us that leadership in God’s kingdom always begins with service and humility. Gratitude and Prayer As November invites us into thanksgiving, we can give thanks for the new leadership God provides for His Church. Let us also hold Archbishop Mullally in prayer: That she may be guided by wisdom and grace; That she may be a bridge-builder in a divided world; That her leadership might draw people closer to Jesus, the true Shepherd of us all. And perhaps we might ask ourselves: how can we live out that same spirit of service in our own communities? Whether we are called to lead a parish, serve a neighbour, or simply pray faithfully, God delights in every small act of obedience done in His name. Our prayer for this time Lord of the Church, We thank You for calling Dame Sarah Mullally to serve as Archbishop of Canterbury. Bless her with courage, compassion, and wisdom. Strengthen Your whole Church to be one in faith, steadfast in hope, and rich in love. May Your Spirit guide us all as we follow Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. Amen. One piece of scripture that keeps coming back to me time and time again for this season as we head into the Christmas season, is, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’ Philippians 4:13 and I offer it to you as a help with anything you may need help with. May God give you the strength you need at this time. Don’t forget I am your Priest in this place and I am happy to meet you for a chat, if that would be helpful for you. There are plenty of opportunities for us to come together as a community and I look forward to meeting you at one of these events advertised in this magazine. Every blessing Alison
Dear FriendsWe have 6 candidates being Confirmed on Saturday 25th October at St Albans Cathedral. At our service at St James, High Wych this Sunday 26th October at 9.30 am we will be welcoming them into our church fellowship at the beginning of the service. I hope you can be there to encourage them and pray for them as they take this next step on their faith journey.If you would like to pray for them, please pray for - Mitchell, Robyn, Tom, Jean, Bimla and Kiran.Following on from that service we have our Family service at St Botolph’s at 11.15 am – all children welcome.And then in the afternoon we are baptising Freya Holloway – I was able to baptise all the rest of Freya’s family before Freya was born. This is a lovely family who come and worship at our Messy Church.Our church family is growing and expanding and I hope you feel as encouraged as I do.Please continue to pray for our growth as we begin a very busy Autumn in our church.I also attach the flyer for our All Souls Service that you can invite your friends to who have lost someone they loved. It is a beautiful and poignant service and will take place next Sunday at 4.00 pm, there will be a sign up sheet at the back of church to add names to – this will be removed after this weekend so that we can compile up-to-date lists.We have a very busy November, full of community dog walks, extra services and a concert for some fun. Please take a note of all the Forthcoming Events on your notice sheet.I hope I see you on Sunday, may God bless you whatever you are doing.Every blessingAlison
Dear FriendsThis Sunday we are able to meet on two different occasions:-9.30 am at St James for a Communion service, and3.00 pm – 5.00 pm in the Memorial Hall in High Wych for Messy Church.Whilst being very different services, they both offer sung worship to God, ways of worshipping that are appropriate for all ages, hopefully the fun of being together and also the fun of eating together and remembering Jesus.In our first service we remember Jesus in the bread and wine and in Messy Church we share in the hospitality that God shows us as we eat together and spend time getting to know each other better. Both services will be looking at the parables that Jesus told us and pondering what that means for us today.We are so fortunate, because of our amazing teams, that we can worship God in such diverse ways and pass on his teaching in ways that people and children can understand. Thank you for everyone who gets involved in all our services.I attach the flyer for the Quiz Night as a reminder – don’t worry if you haven’t got a whole team we can group into teams on the night.Every blessingAlison
Dear FriendsPlease find attached all the information you will need for this weekend.So, this Sunday we will be celebrating our Harvest Service at both St James, High Wych and St Mary’s, Gilston.9.30 am will be a Family Communion service at St James, High Wych11.15 am will be a Family friendly Harvest service (no communion) at St Mary’s, Gilston.At both services we will be talking about the Bishop’s Harvest Appeal this year, which we would appreciate you being able to contribute to, if possible.This year the Bishop’s Harvest Appeal is working with Mission Direct to provide access to education for some of the world’s most under-resourced communities. Please come and hear more about the work that Mission Direct are accomplishing and would to accomplish as they move forward into next year.We will also be welcoming contributions for our Pop-Up shop in Sawbridgeworth, dry goods and tins, also products to help with washing clothes and cleaning homes too.This year, following on from our 11.15 am service at St Mary’s we would like to invite you to our Harvest Lunch, all are welcome.We will have a Harvest loaf to share, made by Anthony Bickmore, and some delicious food prepared by the team at St Mary’s.All contributions are welcome.Please check out the forthcoming events on the notice sheet and if you need Quiz Night tickets – please contact Christine Law.Looking forward to seeing you this weekend.Every blessingAlison
