Category: Priest’s Monthly Letters

General Update for the Autumn

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

It is really good to be able to give you an update on church life after the hiatus over the postponement of the end of lockdown and the postponement of all our church plans. Although there is still a great deal of caution and nervousness, it does at last look as though life is returning to something a little like normal!

The last year and a half has been very trying for everyone. Every aspect of our lives has been turned upside down. Most recently we have been frustrated even more by the continued uncertainty over the end of lock down and the, what seemed like, never ending postponement of the return of normality.

As you know we had planned for this in June and July, but we had to postpone all our events and planning.

We now feel confident to reschedule our return from lockdown after the Summer Holidays.

There are four things that I would like to point out particularly in this update. All of which are of the utmost importance to the building up of the church in this Mission Community.

The First is the new date for our Vision and Opportunity Day: Saturday 18^th September at the Coronation Hall, at the Fox and Grapes. It starts at 10. For 10.30 and will finish by 3.30pm at the latest. A huge thanks to the Fox and Grapes, who are providing tea and coffee for us. Lunch can be purchased for between £5 and £10 per person. The notice for this is attached. If you can do please print and display it, and talk about it to your friends. The more people who come to this, the better we will be placed to move forward together.

The Second is our First in a series of courses to help us grow in faith, love, trust and understanding.

The Worship Course is for everyone. Worship is our first priority as the church, and we all take part in it and have a responsibility to make it successful. However, there are some who have specific roles in preparing for and leading worship. This may be reading the scriptures, ironing linen, serving at the Altar, or producing and leading music etc. Whatever our role in worship, and particularly if we have a specific responsibility, it is only right and proper that we regularly refresh our understanding and continue to grow and develop our knowledge and skills. 

To this end, we are holding a three-session course on Worship: the church’s first calling.

Again, the notice is attached, and I encourage all of us to come and take the opportunity to our understanding and give us more confidence in our worship.

The Third is the restart , finally, of our church governance. Both the individual PCCS and the JPCC have basically been on hold over the pandemic and lockdown.  There is always much to do when planning and organising the life of the church and the proclamation of the kingdom. After the lockdown, and with a new priest, there is a vast amount to do. We should be excited about this. Here is an opportunity to work together to proclaim Christ Crucified, something that we should always be itching to do.

The JPCC is meeting once a month in September, October and November.  This is far more meetings in a short space of time, than we would usually, but I feel that after the past eighteen months, we need to get moving! Those of you who are on the JPCC will be notified about this soon. The Individual PCCs will be meeting as soon as possible after Monday 20^th September. We are currently working out exactly when these will occur.

The Fourth is really exciting!  It is about Church growth. To be exact about Baptism and confirmation.

We currently have 17 Baptisms performed or organised within our benefice over the summer and autumn. As a result of this, we now have three adult confirmation candidates, and Bishop Robert will be coming to this Benefice at some point in the Autumn to conduct a Confirmation Service for our Deanery.

If you know of anyone who would be interested in being prepared for confirmation, please let them know, and ask them, or their parents, if they are children, to get in touch with me. If you yourself have not been confirmed, or even if you have, but would quite like to refresh your understanding, then please do get in touch. A notice is attached.

I am very heartened by our recent worship, and the attendance at our post lockdown services. I do hope that we will all look forward to being fully part of the worshipping community once more and have the confidence to invite others to join us in the worship of God and in the service of our communities.

The Summer season has begun, and many people are travelling to and through our parishes. I hope and pray that that with courtesy and common sense, we will all benefit from the business that the tourist season will bring to our local economy.

Katie and I are having a summer break away. There are some changes to the usual rota of services, and these are detailed in the final attachment that came with this letter.

Finally, we want this letter to be sent to as many people as possible. If you are aware of anyone who may be interested but is not yet on our contact list, then please forward it to them, or print it out and pass it on.

I hope all of you, whether travelling or staying put, have a wonderful Summer.

With love and prayers

Philip

The Revd Philip James Conway B.A. Dip Min

From the Parish Priest

Dear friends,

The Church of God is a community of Life, faith, and hope. And it was with hope that we looked forward to the beginnings of an unrestricted life in July. Sadly, on this occasion, this is not to be.

It is very sad that we have had to postpone or cancel all the church events and celebrations that were scheduled for the end of June and throughout July, but we have no choice but to follow the scientific advice and government instructions.

As I have said and written many times in the last few months, our first priority must be to work for a safe and healthy environment for all, and although I am personally disappointed and frustrated by further delays, it is only right to make sure that we do all we can to support the national and international efforts against this awful virus.

We will try to reschedule our events when the time is right, and the current restricted worship timetable will now continue through July.

Do all please take care, and stay safe.

With love and prayers,

Philip

From the Parish Priest

Dear friends,

Although there is still, correctly, concern and caution, it seems that we are now moving towards the return of life and Lockdown and restrictions.

It also means that for the first time sine I arrived we can plan to gather together as the wider worshipping community to examine our priorities for who and what we want the church to be in the next few years.

I invite everyone who feels that they have an important connection with their church to join us for our Vision and opportunity day at the end of June as is advertised in this magazine. Everyone is most welcome.

On a personal note: Like many of you, my family has had to cancel and postpone many important events over the past fifteen months, and restrictions permitting, we are going to have a grand celebration of them all, as described in the notice below.

Again, everyone is welcome! We are looking forward to sharing our home with you all.

With love and prayers,

Philip

Dear friends,

As the latest lockdown continues, all of us are looking forward to the day when we will be able to begin to live our lives in more normal circumstances. This is likely to take still quite some time, as we wait for more people to receive the vaccination. However disconcerting and disappointing this may feel, it is so important that we continue to do what is right for the wellbeing of our whole society and nation.

This means that for the second year in succession the Church will be looking to keep the great days of Holyweek and Easter in Lockdown. To keep up with what we are planning and doing do please check on our website north-tamar-churches.org  for all the latest news and events.

The other occasion that we will be “missing out” on in March in, of course, Mothering Sunday.

Unlike Mothers’ Day, which is a day just to focus on our mums,  Mothering Sunday is when we give thanks to God for all those who demonstrate his love in maternal care, or mothering. This of course, obviously, includes our Mothers, and we should always be grateful to them and for them. It is an occasion to honour and treat them when they are alive, and to pray for their souls with gratitude when they have passed away. It is also an occasion to give thanks for all those who show God’s gift of creation, care and protection in so many other ways and situations, and in these days of Covid, there are so many people to thank, and to thank God for.

So this Mothering Sunday (14^th March), perhaps we could go out of our way to thank those who look after us, what ever gender they may be, or whatever role they fulfil.

With love and prayers,

Philip

From the Parish Priest

Dear friends,

By the time you are reading this, you will be in the middle of your family and community Christmas celebrations. I do hope that they are all going to plan and are suitably joyful!

But this is the January Edition, and so it is about January that I should write. We know that as soon as Christmas Day is over, the High Street, or now perhaps I would be better saying the Online Shopping world, quickly removes all vestiges of Christmas, whether they be decorations or canned music, and move on.

What many people forget is that Christmas does not last just for one, or even 12 days. Like many of the other major seasons of the church’s year it lasts for 40 days, and includes within it two other major festivals. The Feast of the Epiphany is kept on the 6^th January. It is when we remember and celebrate the visit of the Magi, or wise men to the infant Christ. It is a festival of sharing, in which the Magi represent Christ being revealed to the whole world, not just to the people of Israel.

This reminds us all that it is “our duty and our joy” to share the good news of the birth and love of Christ, and to celebrate it, no matter how difficult it may seem. We will be celebrating the Epiphany with a Celebration Service as advertised.

I do hope that the new year gives us plenty of opportunity to share the good things we have with one another. The restrictions caused by Covid19 have stopped many of us sharing things, events, and our homes, which has been a great loss to us all. Once we are allowed to, let us make sure that we make up for lost time, and enjoy sharing our lives, time and resources with our family, fiends and neighbours, who, and wherever they may be.

With love and prayers,

Philip

From the Parish Priest

Dear friends,

I am sure that you are all working out how you will celebrate Christmas this year. Things are different. They are inconvenient and frustrating., and we will have to do things differently.

In church there will be no singing together,  no mince pie and mulled wine after services, no church Christmas Parties. The way we celebrate will need to change and, indeed , has changed, but what we celebrate is the same. Nothing has changed in the beauty and truth of the story of God’s incarnation. Nothing has changed in the beauty and truth of the infant in the Ox’s stall, and nothing has changed in the grace and love of God that we celebrate in church, and around the table or fireplace with our family and friends.

We live in an age where the external is so important, where what someone wears, or the car they drive, or where they live can be seen as far more important than what they say or who they are. We live in an age where people feel they have to “push the boat out” to keep up with their neighbours or current social trends, whether for Children’s birthday parties, Wedding Celebrations, or wearing the right brand of trainers.

The Truth of Christmas is the same, whether you are celebrating round your own table or fireplace with your immediate family, or in the banqueting hall of the Ritz hotel. We cannot make Christmas any more special than it is by embellishing it, and we will not make it any less wonderful by celebrating it more simply.

However you will be celebrating, May I wish you a very Happy and Holy Festival, and all my hopes and prayers for you and your families in 2021

With love and prayers

Philip