St Mark’s had a great Holy Week, with some of our Junior Choir joining in the Palm Sunday Celebration! Service, (despite the loss of an hour’s sleep as the clocks went forward), and a very enjoyable Easter Teddy Bear’s Picnic. We had some challenging Holy Week Reflections (thanks to Margaret Williams and John Cooper), and a thoughtful Good Friday Service.

St Mark’s members joined in the Churches Together events. On Good Friday, Anne Roper carried the cross for the first part of the procession from EBC to the Bandstand, and Colin provided the music. Dave, having the loudest voice, led the Easter morning Sunrise Service on the beach. It is great the Swanage churches are able to join together for these events.

Easter Sunday was amazing with the largest attendance many people could remember for a long time, an anthem from our growing choir and some brilliant flower arrangements. Thanks to all involved!

Just before Easter we held our Annual Meeting. We welcomed Anne Roper and John Way back for another year as Church Wardens, said thank you to Stephen Higgins as PCC rep. and to Ann Higgins and Uta Keats as Church Committee members. We promptly welcomed Uta back as a PCC rep. (such devotion to duty…) and welcomed Anthony Malpas and Gerard Jensen as new Committee members. Thanks to all who serve faithfully as Church Leaders – we are grateful for all you do.

It was unanimously agreed at the Annual Meeting that Colin Burgess should be known as Director of Music, rather than Organist and Choirmaster. To emphasise the point, Anne Roper presented him with a badge (and a celebratory bottle of wine) the following Sunday. We are immensely grateful for all the music that Colin provides!

Looking forward, there is a lot happening. Pentecost will be a Celebration! Service – what a great chance for some lively music; Trinity Sunday will remind us that God is more complex than we can ever imagine, and all our musicians are gearing up for our annual Afternoon Concert of Light Music, (followed, of course, by wine and nibbles, in true St Mark’s tradition) on 14th June.

On a personal note, I reach the age of 70 in June. This is the normal age for clergy to retire and hand back their Licence to the Bishop. I am grateful to Bishop Karen for agreeing to extend my Licence for a further 2 years. After 45 years of ordained ministry (and 2 years as a Reader prior to that), I am still excited about the Gospel of Jesus, and I am pleased that I can continue to officially proclaim that Gospel.

Rev David Richards