PARISH OF EAST FARNWORTH & KEARSLEY.

AUGUST 2019

Dear friends, 

Well here we are again coming thankfully to the end of an interregnum. For those of us that have been around for some time it will be familiar territory as we seemed to go through quite a few at one stage many years ago. (I wonder what the term is for a group of interregnums). My point is that having been through this situation before and come out at the other end in one piece there is no reason whatsoever that we cannot do it again. Already plans and people are in place to deal with the day to day running of the Parish. The interregnum has placed a more intense workload on the elected officials such as the Wardens, deputy Wardens and members of the PCC and it is up to all of us to support them and offer help in any way we can. We now look forward to welcoming Revd Stephen Nolan and his family to continue Christ’s work in the town. 

It will be imperative that we all work together with Stephen and do not allow minor niggles to become major upsets. In many ways this is a time to put self second and Church and others first, difficult though this may sometimes be, but it is what our faith commands us to do. No one should feel that they are left out of anything and if something needs bringing up that you are unhappy about or want to suggest an improvement or change to, remember that you can approach any member of the Clergy or the PCC for assistance. If you do not know who is on the PCC just ask a warden It will not be all sweetness and light of course because life is not like that but if we stay together and pray together I am confident that we will still be together when our new Rector Stephen is licensed. 7 

Whatever happens we should look back with pride on what has been achieved in our Parish despite the loss of some Churches in previous years. I said in a previous letter that I thought God wanted us to shrink and regroup in order to expand again and I still believe this to be the case. There is a sense of togetherness in our Churches and a willingness to explore our faith in detail points to greater hope for the future. Yes, we may be downhearted for a while but only for a short time until God moves us on with Stephen, Kim, Malcolm and I to where he wants us to be and remember- 

Choose to love – rather than hate. 

Choose to smile – rather than frown. 

Choose to build – rather than destroy. 

Choose to persevere – rather than quit. 

Choose to praise – rather than gossip. 

Choose to heal – rather than wound. 

Choose to give – rather than grasp. 

Choose to act – rather than delay. 

Choose to forgive – rather than curse. 

Choose to pray – rather than despair. 

It won’t be easy but if we can get most of these things right, we stand a very good chance of staying together and being together, in God’s hands when it matters most. 

Phillip