Life with Barney a.k.a. Mr Dog enters its second month with more early morning walks. This week the tide has been fairly low first thing so we have gone down there most days. Mr. Dog is very good at returning the missiles launched from the 'Chukkit' and so exercises hard for an hour. If he needs a break he chases the waves instead while we take in the joys of being alive under heaven from the dawn and the sea air. One end of Portreath Beach is freezing and the other end is warm once the sun begins to get to it. Prayers today were for those who for one reason or another cannot enjoy the warm enfolding of the rising sun or the Risen Son. (I post on photos and prayers on Twitter @Trewirgies )An Interview with Carrie Tucker as she leaves the Diocese and he role as Secretary to the Readers. So in attempting to replace Carrie with three people we have so far received enquiries from er.... one person. Readers / Licensed Lay Ministers we really do need you if you have minute taking skills, enjoy organising events or just want to help your fellow Readers in a practical way. I asked Carrie the question that we so often ask those discerning their vocation to become a Reader which is; If you could only preach one(more) sermon what would be the topic and why? Carrie only thought for a moment before saying that it would be a bout practical love - all very well to follow Jesus commands to love one another but practice has to follow intent and rally that is what Carrie has done, to love her felw Readers through service and for that we are all hugely grateful. In the interview she says what she enjoyed and some advice for us all - please do pray for Carrie and pray for your own evolving vocation and ask God if it is something to which you should contribute some time.https://youtu.be/uXxXWKeEfhAUnconscious BiasI attended the course yesterday ably led by Dawn from somewhere in the South East on ZOOM. It is always good to be reminded of these things although through my work as a Governor and in my pre retirement career in primary schools I was steeped in the culture of non-discrimination and often had charge of writing the equalities policy. the racial abuse policy and the bullying policy as well as the school access plan so I probably did not learn anything new. When I moved to Cornwall from London having been brought up in Birmingham where my friends were from a variety of ethnic backgrounds I was actually surprised by the level of racial prejudice. Examples were often preceded with the phrase, "of course I am not racially prejudiced but...................." At the time (1978) I was teaching 38 children in a temporary classroom in a medium sized village school. When plotting where the children had been on holiday I was amazed that 10 had never visited the…
So what is God asking you to do in the near future? Vocation evolves, it does not stand still and it is not restricted to accredited ministry. We should all leave regular space in our prayers to ask God about what we should be doing, or exploring.I am sure many of you will have stories about where God has dragged you out of your comfort zone into something which you realise is what was needed. As a young reader when i was teaching I was a preacher and teacher and specialised in anything to do with children from assemblies to youth groups and from family services to drama groups. I did the funeral training, and discussed pastoral visiting and even took a few home communions but I never envisaged doing much of those things and in fact avoided anything to do with funerals, age and illness. 35 years on and funeral ministry turns out to be something that I am actually quite suited to and sitting listening to the bereaved and teasing out the stories about the departed is s huge privilege. That I was asked to be chaplain was a surprise too - but that is another story. So why am I writing this now? Well as you will have heard, Carrie, our brilliant, hard working, efficient and tireless secretary to readers is moving out of the county and away from the job. She did so much that after some thought we have split the role to make it more manageable by ordinary human beings rather than Super-Carrie who would be almost impossible to follow! Below are two links to documents from Bishop Hugh! Readers / Licensed Lay Ministers we really need you to pray for the discernment process and to ask yourself whether you might be called to one of the roles. Clergy colleagues are asked to pay and give their readers a nudge if they think they might have the skills.... and other readers with a small 'r' are asked to pay that we find someone 2021 April 28 - letter to Readers re Admin rolesReaders Administrator role descriptions Please do contact me for further information or to chat through the commitment. This Mixed Week.... it has been another interesting week.... time seems to fly past at alarming speed, I am surprised Barney does not bark at it as it whooshes by!Lez and I had our second covid (Pfizer) jabs on Wednesday and both felt a bit groggy yesterday so dog walking was a bit of a chore but either side of that Barney and I headed over Carn Brea in mist and in sunshine and prayers were said. I was booked to do a funeral yesterday but it had to be postponed for a week for lack of official paperwork which was something of a blessing because I was not at my best! It has been wonderful to see the grandchildren this week who are all desperate to play with Barney - eleven year old Ellie, on hearing that I had had my second jab asked, "Does…
In the beginning was the ball, and the word was ballDog looked at the ball and gave it freely expecting that it would be thrownAnd it was thrownAnd Dog saw that it was good….. Then created was the walk,And dog was told that he may partake of any pleasures in the walk excepting the fruits of chasing cars, cyclists or eating joggers.But the seed had been sewn and dog saw only the moving cars, the delicious cyclists and the scrumptious joggers no matter whether they were lithe and fast or large and wobbly…. And dog could not resist. Thus there was much gnashing of teeth, of cries in the wilderness and elsewhere and there was much anguish. Thus came the great commandments “Closer!” – thou shalt place the ball within easy reach if thouest wants it lobbed verily.“Sit!” – Thou shalt sit, an remain sitting until thy owner allowest movement“Stay!” Thou shalt remain, until told “good boy” or instructed otherwise.“calmmmmm….” Thou shalt sit, make an attempt at relaxing and breathe - and take in the good air“Oh Barney / Barnabus !!!” Thou shalt consider what sin thou hast committed and repent with anappropriate sorrowful expression.“Get DOWN! ?Get Off!” Thou shalt not attempt to climb into thy owner’s ear, nor trample the flower beds, or share the duvet.“Come to me/ Barney come!” Thou shalt come.Nb. The final commandment currently needs more work. (With thanks and credit to Simon Cade who created a version of this on Facebook a few years ago and from whom I pinched the idea) Barney the 10 month old Collie has been with us for a fortnight and progress has been made albeit slowly… but the taste for cyclists and joggers in going to be hard to break. The head harness has stopped the pulling to a large extent which means I no longer have to stop to recover while I sew my arm back onto my shoulder! Saturday morning’s dawn expedition yielded something of a breakthrough when a jogger ran past without much reaction from Barney and he did not jump at any cars until the final one before we got back through the gate. A fortnight ago I was celebrating a year of solitary morning lockdown walks when I prayed, wrote sermons in my head, rehearsed sermons and mulled over the issues of the day. Then suddenly all changed and all focus was on whether a jogger might be around the next corner or whether I could grab his collar at the sound of a car which has rather curtailed the spiritual meditative rhythmic pacing in the dawn light along the mineral tramway and the Great Flat Lode. Life changes suddenly and lurches off in a different direction from that which you expect, sometimes in a good way and sometimes in a way that can devastate. As chaplain, a spiritual director and as a licensed Lay Minister who now has a funeral ministry I talk to all sorts of people about tragedies ranging from grief for a recent bereavement to the…
From Saturday Morning prayer - the Ester Bonnet parade on Zoom before our rather solemn service with much prayer for those in our thoughts for various reasons. I am giving Zoom a miss next week as far as I can, and will be walking the newest addition to the Seth household who is travelling down from Bristol today.Apparently he is a bit of a handful.... but we are looking forward to the challenge and the delights of having a dog again. It may have influenced my choice of the Easter Picture further down the page! :) and on the dog theme here is Jac's story on the diocesan website A story about Percy, God's dog - Truro Diocese : Truro Diocese "The Elephant in the Church" Clicking the title will take you to an interesting piece in The JC (The Jewish Chronicle) sent to me by an old friend from college days, Pauline, who worships at Hatch End Reformed Synagogue. For me, I do not think of the condemning crowds before Pilate as being Jewish, I think of them as representing countless numbers of human-kind across the millennia who when faced with oppression and injustice can be manipulated by religious or political organisations.When you look around our world today it is repeated over and over again with mobs, factions, rioters, violent extremists all looking to blame, to shame and often to maim. The resurrection of Jesus gives us hope that somehow we can rise above, be something more forgiving, more loving and caring, more discerning about what we are told. The general populace is swayed by the media that tells us what to think, the loud voices of the tabloid press, the stirring up of anger by the likes of Piers Morgan and by the well oiled machine of spin that is the stuff of Government. I feel rather sorry for Judas..... a man who took his own life realising that he had got it so badly wrong. A zealot who was probably manipulated himself to think that what he was doing was for the best- I just don't buy the "dishonest thief who stole from the common purse" picture, that is a Piers Morgan type catch-all simplification. How could anyone be around Jesus as a disciple with that intent? But I can believe that he thought that precipitating action by his hero would bring down the powerful oppressors. How deluded was he and how desperate he must have felt! From the Easter hope we need dialogue, understanding and above all the love of the risen Christ. Not only between the world's religions, between countries and continents but between ourselves. When women are still not seen as equal to men, when we discriminate on the grounds of race, colour, creed and sexuality and when we cause hurt to others because of our views, whether or not we have been manipulated into thinking them, we are not being loving.Simply, the message from Jesus is to love everyone and that through the resurrection and the gifting of the Holy…
'There’s One Thing I Know . . .’ ‘It is 4.30am and I’m lying in the dark, in an unfamiliar bed, feeling rather miserable. It’s not just the discomfort caused by the varied symptoms of post-surgical radiation therapy, though I’m beginning to wonder how I’ll live with these ongoing symptoms. Will I continue to be able to ‘do it anyway’ – my life-long policy when faced with things that could stop me or inhibit my plans – or maybe this time, will it really prove too much for me? Does God want me to get licensed as a Reader in October and move into that ministry? Or perhaps God is saying ‘Time to give up – you’ve done your best, I know. No shame on you but let it go.’This is also the morning of my seventieth birthday. Who would have thought I’d be spending it in a city far from home, undergoing cancer treatment, in the middle of a Covid-19 pandemic with all the restrictions that we have/have not got used to. Well, that’s the reality, I think. So get over this misery moment and cheer yourself up before your hubby starts to stir in the bed beside you. Get ready to enjoy your birthday, and give thanks you are still around to celebrate your ‘three score years and ten’.So I find my phone and put in my headphones, searching my music library for the right music. Maybe my lovely Bach, my favourite composer – who shares my birthday, though he was born in 1685, not 1951. No, I know, I’ll play my CD of the Penguin Café Orchestra. That always cheers me up. I love the joy these musicians express in their playing together. So I click on the first track, feeling calmer and anticipating the opening strains of the cello section. But – what’s this? This isn’t the PCO. It’s a work by Gavin Bryars that I haven’t listened to in years.Jesus’ blood never failed me yet,Never failed me yet,Jesus’s blood never failed me yet.There’s one thing I know,For he loves me so . . . Click the Picture NOW for the music- while you read! https://youtu.be/xMrjhN_iQF8How did this happen? I don’t even have that CD in my music library! What a mystery!* * *Gavin Bryars composed this work in a novel way, at the time. He began with a recording he had made when he happened to hear an old homeless man singing under the arches near the river in south London. The man was singing words from this hymn he’d remembered, maybe from childhood, who knows. He may have been drunk, but his voice is so touching, singing this hymn of comfort with such feeling. Bryars added orchestration that gradually joins in with the voice, reaches a crescendo, and then fades away, leaving just the solitary sound of the old man singing, until that too fades away. The sound continues to haunt you long after the music stops.As I listened to this work, on my…
Carrie Tucker - Our Secretary is Moving!! Carrie is moving house when Covid restrictions allow the details to be sorted out to be closer to family in Plymouth. So as she is leaving the Diocese we will be saying goodbye to her with huge thanks for her amazing work and support of Reader/LLM ministry - without her the admin would look very different. I am interviewing her on ZOOM in the very near future and hope to post it on here next week. In the meantime... here are a couple of links to Carrie articles.Maundy Money arriving by post not pageantry - Truro Diocese : Truro Diocese Kathy Lang - Methodist Local Preacher - RIP Many Readers/LLMs will have known Kathy Lang who was a Methodist Local Preacher in Looe who preached occasionally in St Martins Liskeard. She died last night having discovered a few months ago that her cancer had returned. Even though she knew her time was limited she managed to come to some of our Monday Morning Sessions where she joined in discussions enthusiastically and even came this Monday though she did look poorly. As a serial attendee at any training day many will miss her presence, her sharp mind and often witty responses. I met her properly wen she came down to St Andrews in Redruth to hear me preach before booking me for the choir festival in Looe that summer.... she was a woman who knew exactly what she wanted but her love of the Lord never faltered. Rest in Peace Kathy..... and rise in Glory.Malcolm BowersSo sorry to hear this news. I valued her as a friend. Her faith was at the centre of her life. She had a sharp mind and loved music winning cups at competitions. The Lord will certainly say “well done good and faithful servant”. Jane DarlingtonRest dear Kathy xJacqueline HainesA very special person xxJohn James Kendrick-CrawshawOh my gosh, I'm so saddened to hear this, Kathy has touch so many peoples lives, from her preaching to her 'at home' get togethers. Rest in Glory Kathy Lang xxxRoss IsbellSo very sad to hear this news. Rest in peace dear Kathy. xx A Cartoons I found on Social Media..... tis week! DISCUSS :) Maybe a Monday morning theme? Morning Prayer continues on ZOOM with a growing congregation at 9am each day.There always seems to be much hilarity before we begin, on the day of Mary's hat several of us were wiping tears of mirth from our eyes...but if you want the story you'll have to join us .... before 9 when all goes still and we pray together. The link is in the weekly email! So this week, having discovered that the roof of the shed was no longer completely watertight I bought some special sealant from Screwfix and set about painting it on...... that was at the beginning of the week, it took two attempts over two days and I am still aching having discovered pains in muscled I had forgotten I had. But the sky was blue,…
Reader David Watters found this heartwarming tale on social media Katharine Hepburn, in her own words:“Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus.Finally, there was only one other family between us and the ticket counter. This family made a big impression on me.There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. The way they were dressed, you could tell they didn't have a lot of money, but their clothes were neat and clean.The children were well-behaved, all of them standing in line, two-by-two behind their parents, holding hands. They were excitedly jabbering about the clowns, animals, and all the acts they would be seeing that night. By their excitement you could sense they had never been to the circus before. It would be a highlight of their lives.The father and mother were at the head of the pack standing proud as could be. The mother was holding her husband's hand, looking up at him as if to say, "You're my knight in shining armor." He was smiling and enjoying seeing his family happy.The ticket lady asked the man how many tickets he wanted? He proudly responded, "I'd like to buy eight children's tickets and two adult tickets, so I can take my family to the circus." The ticket lady stated the price.The man's wife let go of his hand, her head dropped, the man's lip began to quiver. Then he leaned a little closer and asked, "How much did you say?" The ticket lady again stated the price.The man didn't have enough money. How was he supposed to turn and tell his eight kids that he didn't have enough money to take them to the circus?Seeing what was going on, my dad reached into his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill, and then dropped it on the ground. (We were not wealthy in any sense of the word!) My father bent down, picked up the $20 bill, tapped the man on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, sir, this fell out of your pocket."The man understood what was going on. He wasn't begging for a handout but certainly appreciated the help in a desperate, heartbreaking and embarrassing situation.He looked straight into my dad's eyes, took my dad's hand in both of his, squeezed tightly onto the $20 bill, and with his lip quivering and a tear streaming down his cheek, he replied; "Thank you, thank you, sir. This really means a lot to me and my family."My father and I went back to our car and drove home. The $20 that my dad gave away is what we were going to buy our own tickets with.Although we didn't get to see the circus that night, we both felt a joy inside us that was far greater than seeing the circus could ever provide.That day I learned the value to give.The giver is bigger than the receiver. If you want to be large, larger than life, learn…
So I was walking along the mineral tramway the other day chatting to God as one does and the conversation went something like this: (I understand that God might talk to other people completely differently! Please don't take this too literally!) “Good morning God, here I am again…..”“Good morning Jim what’s on your mind?”“I thought you would know what is on my mind already…”“Well of course I do but it will help you if you articulate it”“I thought you may say something like that. Er…… So God…….”“Yes?..”“About healing…. ““You’re going to ask about why some seem to be healed and others not……”“Well…… sort of but more what do I say about it to folks who ask why they have had such bad fortune when others do not.”“Perhaps you have answered your own question,” remarks God.“eh? “ I pause, “what? Bad fortune?”“Bad fortune happens, 'stuff' happens… “says God philosophically.“But what about….”“Miracles?” God cuts across my thought, “I knew you were going to ask that.”“Well, what’s the answer?” I ask.“Giving you the answer would be too easy,” says God (I can almost hear God chuckling), “what is a miracle?”“Well…… “I begin promisingly, ”a miracle is something unusual that does not happen often, something that is unexpected, rare ……."“And…… “says God“– well miraculous!”“So if they happened all the time they would not be miracles. I know what you are going to ask next….”“What?”“Ask me and I will tell you if I was right.”“I know you are always right, because you are God and I am just me trying to work it out… but who decided who is going to get a miracle? I mean it’s a bit of a lottery…… ““yes I knew you were go to ask that one, let’s come back to it,” says God changing the subject….. “what were you going to ask about earthquakes and famine”“oh that… well yes, what do I say to people who ask how ‘You’ as God could let it happen…. ?”“So tell me what I have given you, and by you I mean all humankind….. and then I will answer…”“well , brains, natural resources, a beautiful planet, the ability to evolve…. And solve problems, create vaccines, grow food efficiently and much more….”“Now we are getting somewhere….. “Prompts God….“oh so if we used our talents and resources better, if we shared more and built less missiles, we could find more cures and find ways to help avoid natural disasters.”“I will let you ponder on that one….. “Comments God, “what about miracles?”“well I wondered about the amount of faith, and mustard size faith moving mountains and all that…. But that does not help.”“why?”“well, there are lots of faithful people who have prayed for miracles and not got them!”“you mean the answer to their prayer was not what was expected?”“Well there is some of that, but sometimes really awful stuff happens to people…. And maybe they get blamed for not having enough faith or it’s retribution for past behaviour…”“It doesn’t work like that,” says God sagely, “besides that…
How life changes! I remember as a boy sitting in our lounge at home in Birmingham watching Andy Pandy and the Wooden tops on a TV set build by my uncle Aub. It had a screen the size of an iPad in the box the size of a dark plywood refrigerator! This week we found a couple of series of programmes we had watched some time ago on Britbox and we pondered between that and the offerings on Netflix and Amazon Prime..... and BBC1. and then we found The West Wing on More 4....... the choice was endless. Choices are endless not just of TV but also of food to the extent that we really are spoilt for choice. Gone are the days when you chose what you wanted from the local cooperative store with sugar and rice in plain blue bags. We got quite irritated doing out 'Click and Collect' the other week from Tesco because they had not got any Aubergine, I mean fancy that no aubergine!! Then we took a step back and realised how silly that is when much of the world has only the choice of a bowl of some cereal or not eating. Choice is something we treasure... there always being a choice, even if that choice is to do nothing. Sadly there are folks who have little choice in these times of pandemic and lockdown, with loneliness being high on the list of problems. One could argue there is a choice about whether to break the law or not and group with others or choose whether to get connected electronically but in reality people feel trapped and choiceless. Lent is a time of choices:we can choose whether we are grateful or whether we just take things for granted, or worse still, moan when we can't get the aubergine of our choice. We can choose, on out shopping walks, or during exercise to greet people and with a smile and say hello or we can shut out the world and stare at the groundWe can choose whether we look up and breathe in the air and the wonders God has given us or we can choose to feel miserable or guilty because we have failed to give up chocolate for alcohol for lent. So this week, as I switch from Britbox to Netflix or order an aubergine, or an alternative by 'Click and Collect that someone else will take off the shelf for me it will remind me that in all I do I have choices and that I can choose to love God love my neighbour generously and gratefully.
Trelawny Was Here! St Sampson’s Church at South Hill was Trelawny’s first parish as a Rector in 1673, nearly 350 years ago. He must have purposely strode down the same path, entered the same door and stood on the same spot by the altar, where many priests have stood before and since.After South Hill, Trelawny became Bishop of Bristol, then Exeter and finally Winchester. But his links with South Hill were not forgotten. After Trelawny, two further family members became Rectors of South Hill, his brother Edward Trelawny and then his son Hele Trelawny.St Sampson’s Church is a small Grade 1 listed medieval gem in the rural parish of South Hill, near Callington in East Cornwall. Churches used to be community meeting places as well as places of worship. The St Sampson’s Unlocked project aims to make the church part of the community again by restoring and improving the building, ensuring its survival and making it fit for purpose for 21st century community use as well as worship.“Restoring St Sampson’s will benefit the whole community by providing an additional community space and keep our history and heritage alive.”“This is a fantastic project, fulfilling a big need in the parish”.It is going to cost about £550,000. March 5th, St Pirans’s day, is the day when Cornwall traditionally raises a glass to Bishop Trelawny and joins together in singing a heartfelt rendition of our “Cornish anthem” in the Trelawny Shout. Sadly, that won’t happen this year, with large, exuberant gatherings in our pubs not allowed. So, in memory of our Cornish hero and in place of buying a beverage or two, please donate to the worthy cause of restoring St Sampson’s Church, so that Trelawny can be remembered there for the next 350 years. A small donation will have a big impact on the need in this community.St Sampson's Church, South Hill, Cornwall, St Sampson's Unlocked project, - JustGivingA small church with a big history How well do you know your local Trelawny connections?March the 5th is St Piran’s Day, and Trelawny Shout day. South Hill, and in particular St Sampson’s Church, has more connections with Cornish hero Trelawny than you may have thought.Bishop Trelawny’s first parish was St Sampson’s, South Hill. He was Rector here from 1677 - 1685 It is amazing to think of him at our little church. He lived at Trelawne in Pelynt and probably had a curate based at St Sampson’s to do most of the work, but he most surely would have visited here and as his prominence and importance grew so did his influence on St Sampson’s at South Hill. `Even after Trelawny became Bishop of Bristol, the family connection with South Hill continued. He was succeeded as Rector here first by his brother, Edward Trelawny, and then his son, Hele Trelawny.The Trelawny family was also connected with the Manaton family of South Hill, who had been here for over three hundred years. Like the Trelawnys, the Manatons were active nationally and had various eminent connections. Sampson Manaton (1583-1642)…
Thank you Chatting to my Spiritual director the other week, I was asked what I was going to do for Lent - which is always an interesting question! I don’t give things up for lent, apart from attempting to give up moaning, but then I am always attempting to give u that and inevitably failing. I try to take something on; this year it is being more positive and therefore less negative and to say thank you and give praise rather more. I have also got a couple of books to read but currently the reading is a bit laboured to say the least… I won’t say which as me nodding off the fastest. I began the positive thanks on Twitter giving praise and thanking Will, the guy who is usually out in all weathers in Tesco Car Park in Redruth making sure we get our click and collect shopping. His concern for ‘his’ customers is marked and he commented yesterday that he worries when his regulars miss their usual slots. He’s an example of ‘salt if the earth!’ and definitely deserves recognition for his invariably cheery greeting, care for customers and his empathy for those who find it hard to bend down to pick up their shopping. Thanks too to the lass in Morrish's fish and Chip Shop whose job it is to ferry the orders from the kitchen to the waiting customers in the car park We go every other week at the moment and whatever the weather she makes it sounds as if she is smiling and cheery behind her mask. I left a note on the Facebook page. So when I got notification that I was to get the Cross of St Piran award, I was not really sure how to react or what to feel though it is always nice to get some feedback that you are doing something that actually helps people and that you are not getting in the way. I was not quite prepared for the flood of congratulatory encouraging emails and messages but I a grateful and indeed thankful that I can make a positive difference. It still seems weird getting an award for something that I like doing as well as being called to do a lot of it. So to all the folks who have written – thank you and a special thank you to Caspar, our rector who is quick to encourage and who shows such support for lay ministry. It is a curious thought that if people were not there to need what I can provide then I would not be getting the cross of St Piran…. So maybe it is really for all of us in these strange pandemic times. News - Truro Diocese : Truro Diocese Click the link to find out about the other 18 recipients this year..... I suspect all 19 really represent teams and communities all of whom are working to capacity to help other. Now how do I go abut getting…
It seems strangely ageist that at the age of three score years and ten Licensed Lay Ministers suddenly stop being licensed and are given permission instead. Personally I find this somewhat baffling. Someone said it was to be in line with ordained clergy but that seems no good reason to have a line drawn in the sand when many readers have a good 2 years of ministry after their 70th birthdays!If it is a matter of assessing competence, then that should, and indeed does, apply to all licensed lay ministers (readers), currently once every 5 years, probably to go along with DBS checks. Again from a personal perspective of dealing with a myriad of LLM/Reader problems over the last 5 years I think the relicensing should be every three years and continue until the person is no longer capable / motivated / healthy enough to carry on. Why? The greatest woes inflicting LLM/Readers seem to stem from lack of communication and the relicensing has performance management built in to the requirements. Effectively this means talking through a work agreement with a focus on the needs of the parish / benefice, the training and support needed by the LLM to carry out their ministry, and a review of performance as applied to all aspects of ministry from leading services to relationships with the church people as a body. Alongside that, safeguarding training updates must be completed on time, there are no good excuses for this and DBS checks should be up to date. It would be helpful if Reader/LLM records were held by the safeguarding team and reminders sent out from there which would eliminate those problems of lost certificates or not having completed the final task of the training.as LLMs/ Readers we are not paid, but neither are we amateurs. Considerable resources are need to train us and we must provide good value. That needs some sort of measure.I shall submit this article of my ideas to the Warden's Committee working group- but I am equally happy to add or change ides in response to thoughts form other LLMs/Readers! Do book a chat, or write!