From the Vicar: Continuing to ‘Be Church’

24 March 2020

Dear Friends,

Whilst all public acts of worship have stopped and churches closed, we must continue to ‘be church’, functioning albeit in an unprecedented form.

At my Induction Service as Team Rector of the Berkhamsted Team, Bishop Michael, Bishop of Hertford, challenged us to find new ways to be the church in these extraordinary and unprecedented times; to find new ways and means to be ‘generous, joyful, imaginative and courageous’, in all our actions. The time has come when we must ask ourselves what our Christianity actually means to us.

I shall continue to say my Daily Prayers and as Michael Ramsey once wrote, will be praying with the prayers of the people on my heart – that is one of the vitals roles of a priest in God’s church, but I simply ask you to do the same.

Do please refer to the Little Gaddesden church website which will be updated frequently to reflect the latest news from the church. 

I can be contacted by email (vicar@littlegaddesdenchurch.org) or by phone or text (01442 214898/07950 105802).

We also have three Licensed Readers who are part of our leadership team and will support in any way they can:

  • Anthony Archer        (01442 842397)
  • Gill Moore                     (01442 842054)
  • Heather Tisbury        (01582 842507)

In the meantime, do please continue to keep in touch with one another over the coming weeks and months, by phone and electronic means, it’s amazing how uplifting a 10 minute chat with somebody can be over the phone. 

Please pray for me and all my ministry colleagues, rest assured that you are in our thoughts and prayers as we endeavour to mirror the love God shows for each and every one of us. We journey on together in the light and power of the Holy Spirit through these unprecedented times, hoping and believing we will soon be delivered from these dark times.

I am yours in Christ,

John.

An edited version of this post, which updates and replaces that of 18 March 2020, appears on the front page of the website.