Discernment Yesterday I spent most of the day at Church House in Threemilestone with the panel and two dedicated and selfless people who had put themselves forward to train as Readers. They had been asked to prepare two tasks including chairing a group discussion on a passage they found tricky and telling a story to illustrated a Bible reading for an inter-generational service. Between tasks they met the warden's group whilst balancing coffee and cake as they spoke and in the afternoon they had lengthy conversations / interviews with the selection panel. Over the years that I have been involved in the discernment for new Readers the process has become much more rigorous and the demands of training every higher. I trained with a colleague in the Redruth Team with a Tutor based in a nearby parish, the Rev David Stephens who set and marked our essays. I remember going to a few lectures in Truro with Canon Peter Boyd and doing a placement of sorts in another setting, the local Methodist circuit. I managed to complete the course and be licensed back in 1988 while working full time as a Primary School deputy head teacher and with a young family. I really doubt whether anyone in their thirties with a full time job and young family could train these days. I certainly could not although the study part was relatively easy following on the back of a Masters dissertation and an NPQH!These days training with the ordinands is a wonderful opportunity especially when we rely on teams to run our multi-church clusters and benefices. these days all the trainees have to attend 7 weekend sessions at MARJON in Plymouth and 14 reflective practice groups in Turo. Before that they must complete the Foundations in Christian Ministry Course ad afterwards complete the rigours of the very practical post Licensing year. Only after all that is done will a full three year license be granted.It would be good to record here any thoughts you have about your own path to Licensed Lay Ministry and any thoughts you have about how training might be done differently for today's needs. i have signed up for some training myself with the next Sens Kernewek Course which i am thoroughly looking forward to having heard excellent feedback from other Readers who have attended. Visitors For the last three weeks we have had a friend to stay and as a result the Garden has been transformed and many tasks that I have had on my To-do list for the past several years have been completed. ( I will post some pictures at the bottom later) Having a visitor, especially a really helpful visitor, is great but it changes all routines and as I get older I value my times of solitary meanderings more and more. Those times of prayer are time to mull over sermon thoughts, to pray for those in particular need and for others more generally and when that time goes there is certainly a sense of something…
Life is somewhat hectic at the moment and the last couple of weeks especially busy with the Bishop’s study day in Wadebridge and Reader Day in St Petroc’s with story telling afternoons in school in between – not to mention the second session of the new safeguarding leadership course which we leaders are getting our heads around.The All New Safeguarding leadership CourseThe new course is markedly different to the old leadership course although still delivered on ZOOM. The training team have adopted it before any other diocese because we don’t want people to have to repeat the old course…. And because it means we can feed our experiences back to the national team who write the courses. We have already changed quite a lot of the language in the document which might cause confusion and irritable complaints! So if you are approaching the end of your three years since your last leadership course do book onto a new one and give the team some feedback to help shape the course for others. It is all too easy to complain about courses and it takes a bit more effort to approach them positively with the aim of helping to make them really fit for purpose.Book Safeguarding Leadership Training Incidentally, if you need sample risk assessments for your church activities to get you started, Newcastle Diocese have a great resource here: Safeguarding Templates and Resources - Newcastle Diocese (anglican.org)Back to being busy…. And some thoughts about the two study days.I am not complaining about any of it however! It was wonderful to see a lot of colleagues at the two study days although with only about a quarter of the Readers at Bodmin on Saturday it did mean that many missed a thought-provoking and inspiring day.Links to documents of which you should be aware: The days were closely linked in many ways with The Diocesan Plan for Change and renewal being the common thread. Click the title to open the32-page plan from the Diocesan website. Before you get too deep into the technical detail of the plan it is probably wise to go the The Saints Way Page which describes the Diocesan vision behind the plan. Simon Robinson, the interim Dean at the Cathedral spoke about his journey on the saints way to begin the day. His is an interesting story and much of what he said resonated with others, especially with those of us who spent a lifetime in schools.The Saint’s Way document is here. On Tuesday afternoon Professor David Ford joined us by Zoom from Germany to talk about his latest book, A Theological Commentary on the gospel of John. it was a twenty year labour of love and he spoke with huge passion and enthusiasm about John being a Gospel of abundant truth, life, and love. There is a brief biography of David at the bottom of this post. You can find the book here in various formats and various prices at Amazon Much as the worship was uplifting at the Bishops study day, the speakers thought-provoking…
Reader Day 2023 Saturday 13th May St Petroc’s Church, Priory Road, Bodmin, PL31 2DP. Parking is available at the Priory Park car park, with a short walk across the park. Disabled access is available directly through the level access door and by assistance at the south door. ‘Readers in The Field’ The Harvest Is Plentiful; The Labourers Few 35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.” [Mt 9 35-38] Aims: To worship our Lord together To encourage Readers to feel valued To think together about the calling of Readers as ‘Community Theologians…’ To update Readers on Next steps on the way, including Deanery plans and the Diocesan plan To consider, individually and as a community of Readers, our part in the changes taking place Timetable 9.30am Refreshments please sign for workshops 10am Welcome 10.10am Opening Worship 10.30am Bishop Hugh On the Way, the Deanery plans and the Diocesan plan; with a time for questions and answers 11.15am Refreshments please sign for workshops 11.40am Dr John Ievins & Jim Seth An introduction to the phrase, ‘Community theologians who preach, teach and enable everyday faith’ * with details of forthcoming training sessions on the three elements: Community theologians; preach, teach and enable; everyday faith * and thoughts from some Readers on what the phrase, ‘Community Theologian’ means to them 12.30pm Lunch [please bring your own] refreshments & chat please sign for workshops 1.30pm Afternoon workshops. 2 workshops of 40 mins each 1.30pm // 2.20pm Local Ministry & Sens Kernewek - Bishop Hugh This session will look at how we are developing Oversight and Local ministry in the diocese, including the content of the Sens Kernewek (Cornish Saints) course and how it equips people to lead a local church. Creation Care & Net Zero - Rev Ben Lillie A faithful response to our inherently green gospel of justice: Revd Ben Lillie diocesan environment officer. The global response to climate crisis is one of the most important headlines on the agenda of young people. How do we as the Church respond with hope, joy and compassion? During this session we will reflect on scripture and walk through practical paths to action, whilst engaging in our diocesan environment strategy to Cherish Creation, Cut Carbon, Speak Up. Serving Our Communities - Rev Haley Preston Chaplaincy and Ministry within the Care Sector. This workshop will be a fun and interactive session looking at the diverse needs of those who live and work within residential care communities, and how we can begin to understand and meet those needs through presence, creativity, worship and pastoral care. Intergenerational Church - Archdeacon…
On Saturday I took my second funeral of the week.... the first was for an elderly chap from a lovely friendly family that I met for the first time. The second funeral was a complete contrast. Anna, who died aged 47 had asked me to do her funeral and I helped her to plan it a year ago. I knew her from my days of teaching in Primary School because she had been in my class for thre years running from the aged of 9 to 11. I taught her friends and I taught her brother Adam - I wanted, more than ever, to make sure this one was right! The funeral was at St Andrews, where I am at church most often which was helpful because I have keys, know where everything is and we have a projector and screen which meant I could do a slide show with collected images. Anna had sent me a collection... but I also had an archive of ones taken at school camps, school disco and in the classroom so that meant trawling through and reliving old memories.... Anna had wanted the funeral to be an informal celebration and had asked for a song from school camps, "Little Eyes" so my ancient EKO 12 string guitar was bought back into service and a mass sing-a-long of 250 voices raised the spirits and made what might have been a mournful occasion, a joyous one. We arranged that there would be a direct cremation because there were no appropriate Saturday cremation slots and so that the family, rather than being whisked away, could stay with the rest of the congregation for tea and pasties in the church. We thought there might be 150 people there but it was over 250 with fiends, neigbours, old school friends and work colleagues. With mothering Sunday, the day after the funeral the church was decorated with hundreds of daffodils donated by a friend of Anna's. A full church, brightly decorated, everything in place.... all I had to do was lead it. Anna had been a clinical physicist - with responsibility for the radiography equipment in the Treliske Sunrise Centre so when I read about that and briefly thought of the number of folk I know, including my wife Lez, who had benefited there was a moment when I had to take a pause and hold emotion in check. The other moment was when reading about the time in my classroom and the friends I had mention, four of whom had come to the funeral- it was so touching that they had kept contact over three decades! It was a long, long day with setting up and rehearsing in the morning, with Anna's youngest son carrying the cross in procession, then the service with the longest reading of Eulogies I had ever done and finally the tea pasties and chatter afterwards. I was shattered by 5 o'clock but it was worth the effort. Our organist, Lynne, received much praise too choosing lively arrangements of the…
Chaplain’s Blog Stardate 22/01/2023 Give me a pulpit or a chance to preach and I am in my element - it does not matter whether it is to two or two hundred. When preaching one has a certain authority, a certain distance and generally the people listening want to hear what you have to say about faith matters but outside church I find it very hard to strike up conversations about faith.I am hopeless at evangelising folks I meet in the street, offering to pray for them and the sort of joyous thing that others seem to do with ease. My workplace was always a school and there was little faith conversation away from assemblies.The on the spot evangelism or faith conversation is right out of my comfort zone, however.....Stopping to chat or to listen to people's stories and praying my own private prayers for them is something I do often. I thought the following two examples worthy of writing about and hope that it might inspire some of you to put pen to paper about chance encounters that have inspired you to prayer. Thought for the Day – Epiphany IV - This link is for Peter Coster's Thought for the day this week. He attended a Leadership Safeguarding Course and makes some very interesting points. Quiet Day at Epiphany House on February 10th - details Storytelling and Building Everyday Faith led by Jim Seth – Epiphany House Chance encounters – PC Binnie Most days I spend an hour or two walking with Barney a.k.a. Mr Dog the energetic collie. He attracts quite a lot of attention, especially when he sits patiently waiting for people to pass, looking up with a sort of RSPCA expression that pleads for interaction. Brief conversations with other dog-walkers are fairly frequent but the occasional longer conversations are things to be treasured. Mr Binnie is a long-retired policeman who must be well into his 80s, who I often see but yesterday I met him twice and listened to his stories both times. The first, as I was about to ascend the long sloping bridle path to the Wheal Euny mine, was about the day he had been instructed to investigate a body that had been found in the brambles at the side of the path. It was a sad story about an old farmer who had been in Barncoose Hospital (once the Redruth Workhouse) suffering with dementia. Somehow, he had evaded the security system and wandered out and made his way the mile or so to where he was found some ten hot July days later. Mr Binnie’s description of the task faced by the police that day was graphic but I won’t go into maggoty details here! The second time we met outside the infant school as we were a few hundred yards from our homes. I greeted him with, “no bodies to be seen!” Mr Binnie chuckled and asked, “did I ever tell you about the time I was shot?” Well…. You have to…
Greetings Reader / LLM colleagues and esteemed others! Having has a chest infection right across the Christmas period I am only just beginning to get some energy and motivation to do something more other than be dragged out for a daily dog walk by Barney the energetic collie! Thankfully antibiotics came to the rescue at the right time, but the festive season seemed to pass in something of a blur with the tastiest treat being max strength Lemsip! I am quite certain that I won’t have been the only minister in the diocese to have to miss out. On that note…. The Prayer List! Reader, Joy Gunter, and others have a vocation to pray of others who are suffering and would really appreciate a focussed up to date list. If you would someone put on the list or if you would like to be on the list yourself please let me know. I will only send the list to those Readers who request it for their own prayers. Those we have lost and making the most of each day. In the past year we have lost a number of friends through various illnesses, some well before they should have died. Some have been members of one of our churches and others have been friends from elsewhere but each one has underlined how important it is to make the most of each day. One of those who died recently and whose funeral I will attend remotely was in the first Sunday School class I taught at St Euny Church way back in late 1978- which in many ways marks the beginning of my path to ministry. Simon died in his late 50s as the much loved and respected headteacher of an International School in Pakistan. When Lez and I first met Simon, I had just taken a job teaching nine year olds at Stithians School and was reeling somewhat at the contrast with teaching in North London where fast, sharp wit was the order of the day. My first class in Stithians stared at me with some bemusement. Simon and that Sunday school group provided some respite from the puzzled faces of that first village class. He was a Truro school student who came as a pair with his friend Mike. At the age of 12 he wore a cravat and held some quite right-wing opinions setting himself as a fair target for my teasing. Like many young teenagers he had a tricky time negotiating life with his parents and so he spent increasing amounts of time at our house where he enjoyed the discussions and demolition of some of his wilder opinions. Simon and Mike once decided they would amuse themselves on the tricycle bought for our children who were quite young. Simon pedalled, knees sticking out at an odd angle, while Mike stood on the back. Much jollity was had until Simon forgot to steer and they ended up in the flower bed – the front forks bent beyond repair! When the curate moved up to Pencoys…
Sermons An ancestor of mine was a Church Minister and I have a book of his sermons. To my eyes the sermons are not particularly easy reading! But it is clear fro the book that the sermons were originally available at a price of one penny in leaflet form. This is, of course, the way some Charles Dickens novels first appeared. This has got me thinking. Some churches have sermons recorded – facebook, YouTube, church website etc. But most churches in Cornwall do not offer this facility. So why not distribute your sermon to those who may be interested? Or, better still, why not have a brief note or precis to give to anyone who might be interested? People have lots of paper in their lives; so it may be best to keep it short. Of course this can be distributed via email. Wouldn’t it be great if this prompted some inter action between preacher and congregation? I have attached a note from a sermon I delivered recently. It adopts a meditational approach. This is an approach well known to those who use Selwyn Hughes bible notes. The theme is hope. Let’s enjoy that hope as we “chew the cud” from Romans 15.13. William Hazelton Romans 15.13 and hope Are we gloomy about the world? And our lives? And the C of E?….Or hopeful? Ponder “if you want to walk on water you’ve got to get out of the boat” (Matthew 14.25-32) and note:Hope got Peter out of the boatTrust held him upFear sank himIt all hinged on whether he was focused on Jesus or on the storm Romans 15.13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” Peter’s focus…where is ours Biblical meditation...rediscover the “cow, sheep, goat” in you...”chewing the cud”...bolt down food, regurgitate it into mouth, repeat process...absorb into the blood stream...objectiveReconstruction of our thoughtsRefocusing our emotionsRealignment of our willsVerse:God is a God of hope...does not discourageHope overcomes fearHope may be realised soon...later...eternallyHe seeks right now to to fill us with joy and peace...all joy and peaceHe wants us to overflow…As we trustWork of Holy SpiritImage of sponge...useless without water...pours through us...we need to be refilled...a continuous process Ponder the verse...meditate...may joy and peace fill your heart...may you move on with a spring in your step...a spring given by the Holy Spirit Amen 145 CV ADV3 111222 - Peter Coster's Reflections on the Advent 3 evensong readings.
Prayers answered….. and Other Important News! Prayers Answered Many thanks to all of you who supported Lez and me though prayer in the last few weeks and to those of you who so kindly wrote emails. Lez spent the week in the Cardiac Investigation Unit and is now home armed with a small pharmacy of medication attempting to take things rather more easily and let other folk in church do some of the heavy lifting and running around. She has felt fit enough to do the three days of the craft festival, sing in and direct the Christmas show from a chair (orders of the cast) and go to the toddler group! Her experience in Treliske was a very positive one, apart from the worry and the investigations. The lady who did her angiogram turned out to have a daughter being taught music at Truro college by our son….. and the chaplain Angela, had been our curate in Redruth just to mention a couple of things! Amazing how things work out- thank you God! It also shows the importance of asking for prayer-the reader community is a fantastic spiritual resource longing to be used! Transforming ministry Magazine Some time ago a survey was sent out about who read what in the magazine because of the quite large price increase to the Diocese. The results were varied but many more folk said they did not read it, or, only read the odd article than those found it a particularly useful resource. The resulting discussion in the wardens group concluded that buying the full subscription for all readers was not only too expensive in the current climate but also not good value for money so this year Readers are asked to take out their own individual subscriptions if they would like to. Some funding has been put aside to pay for subscriptions for any readers who cannot afford one and would really find the magazine beneficial. We will repeat the survey next year and review the subject. Local Reader Chaplains and deanery Reader Stewards……. It had been proposed that each deanery should have it’s own Reader Chaplain (the old DRS) who would form the basis of a committee to feed information to the Warden’s Group however this has proved to be a more difficult task that was anticipated! The thought now is that we need to try something different at the same time as keeping those things that are working well, e.g. the wonderful work done by Graham Downes and the St Austell group. So the Warden’s Group would like you all to consider whether you feel called to be part of the chaplaincy team, no matter whether there is already a chaplain / Deanery Reader Steward in post. In the new year there will be the chance to have a vocational conversation with Bishop Hugh and chaplains will be appointed and celebrated at the Reader Day in May. I have the names of the people who transferred from being Deanery Reader Stewards, plus a couple of other people who have expressed a…
143CV Thought for the Day – Advent Sunday by Didymus EvensongReadings Isaiahch.52, vv1-12 Matt.ch.24, vv15-28 Asthe late and great John Arlott used to say when commentating on test cricket,in his lovely Hampshire drawl, “Oh dear!oh dear! oh dear!”, when another wicket was knocked flying. Oneof the glorious things about the Church of England is that there is always a well-meaningtype who proposes something totally out of context, rather strange if notutterly barmy. Bless them, they reallydo make a pedestrian life much more colourful. Thelatest wheeze (how else can one describeit?) is to set aside the devotions of Advent in favour of a great footballfestival being played in the scorching sand of Qatar, on the premise thatEngland will not have been knocked out, and nobody will come to church. I read an account in the Guardian, and tookit for a joke, strange for an excellent if serious paper. Apparently it wasn’t. And it gets better! I quote from The Guardian:- In an effort to avoid a potentialclash between the Three Lions and the three kings, the Church of England isadvising vicars to reschedule Christmas carol services due to be held on World Cup final day. The guidance to clergy, under theheading “Makingthe most of the World Cup final”, warns of the possible difficultiesof holding a carol service on Sunday 18 December. The Sunday before Christmasis a traditional time for afternoon or evening festive services. With the final due to kick off at3pm, the C of E says services “could still be possible if you choose the timecarefully … but what if there are penalties?! It may be best to avoid that dayaltogether and host a carol service on Saturday 17 instead.” But it adds: “Despite this clash of dates,football and faith don’t have to be at odds with one another.” Football and the church have a “conjoinedheritage”, it says, as several Premier League clubs “started up as parishchurch football teams, set up for the health and wellbeing of those localcommunities”. The guidance suggestsideas for how parish churches could encourage people to “use the World Cup as amissional tool this Advent and Christmas”. And so it goes on. While we laugh or growl at extravagant ideas,wait awhile, for there serious issues involved here, and not just who sings thesolo in the service either. Actually it focuses attention on a number of uncomfortable facts. Firstly the observance of the most importantevent in world history goes over so many heads, despite the belief and teachingof the church. That is sad. Qatar? In many ways a hell-hole,that criminalises homosexuality and discriminates against migrant workers andwomen. It is no better than most of itsneighbours in its savage treatment of those who do not comply or obey. Just think of Iran. Football? The last time we wonwas in 1966 when as host nation we had a bye into the last 16. We had a great team, but so did others. It is just a game, but we hope for successesfor the young men playing. As BillShankly, the famous Scottish manager of Liverpool FC…
141 CV Thought for the Day – Remembrance Sunday by Didymus141 CV REMEMBRANCE 131122 - click this link for the illustrated PDFAfter a number of years, I have been asked to lead a Remembrance Service at Michaelstow. My prayer list will have to be extended to ask our Lord to wipe away the cobwebs of unfamiliarity and focus on the Fallen. One of my difficulties is that I have only one sermon appropriate for the occasion. Here it is:-People of my age often have no medals to wear, unless they volunteered for military service. That is because millions have fallen in the struggles to restore a level of peace in this world. A peace in which my peers and I were born, raised and live. The immense debt that we owe to the Fallen is the peace and tranquillity for which they died. If there were a medal acknowledging that debt, it would be worn with great pride and gratitude.Recently I was watching Act Three in Verdi’s “Macbeth”, when Macbeth became King, having murdered his way to the crown with his wife’s encouragement. At the celebration, he saw the ghost of his friend Banquo, who was killed recently on his orders. Horrified, he twice interrupted his wife’s aria in a mad seizure. Although he was pacified by Lady Macbeth, it seemed that his power so recently gained was already beginning to decay.I realised once more how the Bard of Avon had brilliantly depicted the rise and fall of the tyrant, and how that terrible cycle of cruelty and domination had been repeated over the centuries. The list is long. Indeed that madness has seized Russia now, a people that has given us so much in both the arts and the sheer size of their past sacrifices in the cause of peace.It is a great pity that Shakespeare does not appear to be taught in Russia.Remembering the millions – let’s be honest – whose lives were torn from them, were they military or civil, it is the beginning of John’s 14th chapter which is appropriate now. It is frequently read at funerals, linking as it does the crippling pain of losing someone dearly loved with the hope of resurrection to the life beyond this one. Both versions are attached.When one looks at the photo of war graves, the sheer number of dead is numbing. Remember that this is just one of many in most countries. Now we weep at the carnage in Ukraine being uncovered daily.The cruelty of this wonderful life is that it never stands still. Yes, sometimes we are very glad that life has moved on, that sickness and pain have been overcome. But we are creatures of time, and whatever we might wish or even do, today’s beautiful newly born will be next century’s grandparents. As it might be said, today’s beauty of Creation will be thrown on tomorrow’s bonfire. As time goes on we look with increasing hope to the promises of our Lord. Religion and its concept of an afterlife…
To Pew or not to Pew that is the question.I am sure that the thorny issue of pews comes up in many many churches for one reason or another and St Andrew's Redruth is no different - with widely differing views on the subject. Some folk would like to see the church remain full of pews as befits a Victorian building where others would like to remove all of them to make the space more flexible. It was interesting to turn this photo up from 1945 of the interior when only 18 pews and a lot of chairs which have long since gone. The great pew debate will differ from church to church because of individual historic significance, how loud the voices are of those passionate about such things and the vision of the Church Wardens and committee members. The debate raises some questions about the vision of each church about their purpose and how they see how their building will serve future generations. This image from before the Church was extended in 1930 shows a mixture of chairs and pews. Chairs at the back, at the front and down the central aisle; cramming the folk in! The argument that the pews are traditional does not quite stack up, unlike chairs, which chosen carefully, can be stacked out of the way! Whether those pews are of historic importance is quite another matter. And there is always the vexed question of how long does something need to happen to make it tradition? In terms of liturgical practise probably three times, but with pews..... who knows? A Couple of Images Showing How St Andrews was Extended in the 1930s. So St Andrews was extended, the old pews were all pushed forwards and gradually they replaced the chairs so the place was full of pews which at the time catered for the needs of the many folk in the town for whom Sunday worship was a central facet of their lives. These days a typical Sunday congregation is 30-40 souls who dot themselves around the pews. There are times when the pews are full however, but these are few. For example, very large funerals, Remembrance with all the uniformed organisations (not since covid) and School nativity / carol services. The biggest regular services are Christmas Eve with the Children (about 170-180) and Christmas Midnight Mass (130ish). So those large numbers need to be catered for occasionally and stacking chairs are not cheap! There is also the nostalgia factor; you know the sort of thing, "yes I know I do not attend services except for funerals, but I do remember that my Granny raised money for that pew and liked to sit there so you can't get rid of that one!" And.... one must not forget the wondrous tangle of hoops, hurdles and red tape that is the 'faculty' which trumps even health and safety and lack of money. "yes we know you need a gate to stop children falling down the granite stairs but it must be a properly designed Victorian looking gate with…
Dear Fellow Readers, Readers Emeritus and Esteemed others Having had a month of resting from Church / Reader things it is time to get things moving again. When I say resting, I still did ZOOM morning prayer each day, attended some meetings for the trial version of the safer recruitment hub, answered copious emails on subjects ranging from the average age of readers to finding volunteers to do the opening worship at synod and from providing face to face basic safeguarding training to what to do when Reader Robes are no longer required…… and my wife got Covid…. Four days after her 4th vaccination. So…. Need to get rid of anything Theologically based? Try the Clergy Clutter Facebook group…. Clergy Clutter UK | Facebook Brian writes: “Now that I have retired, I am wondering if anyone could make use of any of my robes. I have two surplices and a cassock + belt. The cassock is an old one , bought in the early 1960s !! and therefore akin to a blanket. Both surplices are Whipple and are size 40. I am 5ft 10ins and weigh 88 kg.” As I have a stack of theology books that are gathering dust I thought I might try https://www.webuybooks.co.uk/ does anyone have experience of them or any other ideas about what to do with my excess stock? I still have hopes of compiling a prayer list for Readers and would like your suggestions, however in the absence of a list of names here is a prayer from Joy Gunter. Creator God. we are made in your image and called into being by your love. We thank you for calling forth men and women to serve your church as Readers. Bless them we pray, with minds and tongues to speak your word of love and sing the song of the heart, that all your people may be encouraged, built up in their faith and helped to reach out in joyful service and witness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.’ The Monday Morning Conversations from 10 to 11 o’clock will continue on Zoom and the room will be open every week but I am only going to promise to be there every second Monday though I may drop into the others. There may be volunteers who will sign up to host the other weeks! I also wonder about resuming some face-to-face open chats initially at the Penventon Hotel in Redruth. Let me know if that appeals! (the link is in the usual email.... or just ask me!) Safeguarding and safer-recruitment: I am doing my best to represent you in matters to do with safeguarding at various levels from training, the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel and the National Trial for the Safeguarding hub. When I get a chance, I do voice your concerns and there is general support that influence needs to be brought on the National Team to make the requirements suitable for smaller churches…. And people who have multiple roles. The Discipline of Prayer: At the beginning of the Covid Pandemic we began morning prayer…