Dear everybody,
We are taking tentative steps forward at the beginning of the new connexional year, my intention was to launch the new circuit quarterly plan at the beginning of September, but events somewhat overtook us, and things didn’t quite go according to plan. Our hope is that we will be working on the December, January, and February at the beginning of October, with a view to it being available on the Circuit website from the last week in October.
These are slow steps because we want to avoid the risk of any further lockdowns or tougher restrictions, so we are trying to restrict ourselves to one service per Church on a Sunday, mainly because we can now see that the Lockdown has had a more devastating impact on people, than the virus appears to have done, so we need to continue to be careful. The other consideration is the reduction in the number of people available to lead worship, meaning that we are struggling to fill all the morning appointments.
There have been a whole host of changes in the circuit, since we published our last quarterly plan, the main one being that we welcomed the people of Kelsale, Knodishall, Leiston and Peasenhall and Sibton churches into our Circuit and along with them, three supernumerary ministers, Rev Bev Barclay, Rev Mark Booth and Rev Helen Gardner and one Local Preacher, Mrs Margaret Gooderham. The development of the larger circuit wasn’t quite the celebration it could have been, because of the pandemic, but we hope that our new extended family feel welcome and are enjoying working alongside us.
I am also mindful as I write, that since the last “Ipswich Round” was published we have said goodbye to five of our Local Preachers as they have passed over to be with the Lord, so we remember Harry Chicken, Richard Vickerstaff, Roger Fern, Brian Loader and Martin Ellis, who collectively preached the word of God for an incredible two hundred and eighty-seven years! We have also said goodbye to Heather Bentley and Val Flint-Johnson as they have moved to new Circuits to serve God in those places, and we pray that our loss may be their gain.
We are also facing this new connexional year without two of our much-valued colleagues, Rev Martin Dawes, and Rev Diane Smith. Martin first joined the circuit in 2010 and has decided to apply for early retirement, following two years of illness, he and Pam will continue to live at the Woodbridge manse during the current connexional year. Martin has been a kind and thoughtful minister and his work among us has been greatly appreciated. Please hold Martin and Pam in your prayers as they face this year of changes. Please also remember Diane and Nigel in your prayers, Diane joined us in 2014 and has given seven years of quality pastoral ministry, particularly appreciated during the pandemic experience.
The Circuit Leadership Team are very grateful to our retired colleagues, who have stepped up to help us at this challenging time, we are working hard to try to find replacements for Martin and Diane and hope that next summer we will have a compliment of four full time presbyters. The work moving forward will be challenging for us and we will all need to think about how we can work in different ways to serve God in the most effective ways possible.
You are hopefully all aware of our Climate Crisis project. This is for nine weeks during this autumn, but hopefully will bring about changes in lifestyle that will ensure a cleaner, healthier future for our planet. We are therefore not printing hundreds of copies of the plan off and circulating them. This document will be published on our circuit website and can be printed off in PDF format. Please remember that the digital era excludes some of our people, who do not have access to this information. If you know somebody that can’t access this, please print it off and share it with them.
God bless you in all the work you do for him.
Derek