1. On this page you will find the details of Church contacts.

2. Church services for the month within the Benefice.

3. The Priest in Charge monthly news letter.

1.CHURCH CONTACT DETAILS

Priest-in-charge

Rev Anthony Giles 01279 726476

Readers

Joy Galliers-Burridge 01279 444870

Roger Burridge 01279 444870

June Denton 01279 723714

Churchwardens

Rick George 01279 721875

Sarah Bagnall 01279 441644

Secretary

Lois Smith 01279 431123

Treasurer

Hazel Scorah 01279 418061

2. BENEFICE OF HIGH WYCH AND GILSTON WITH EASTWICK FOR JUNE 2013

3. PRIEST IN CHARGE LETTER FOR JUNE

Because of the relatively early date of Easter we enter June this year in what the Church calls the season of Trinity.  This lasts from Trinity Sunday, 26^th May, when we recall and celebrate the Christian understanding of what God is, right up to the end of October.  It is also part of what is called Ordinary Time.  Church hangings and vestments are green except when celebrating the feasts of martyrs, such as St James, when we wear red.  After the excitement of Christmas and Easter and all the events of the life of Jesus that are celebrated, Ordinary time is a period of getting on with growing in our faith and putting into practice what we have learned and celebrated in the high points of the Christian year.  We all have these dull periods of our lives when what we are and what we believe has to be lived out in our daily existence.  This is when the reality of our faith, whatever it is, is proved true or suspect.  Mountain top experiences are great but it is what we take back down into the valley of ordinariness that really matters.

Over the next month or so I hope that everyone will begin to see changes at St James’ Church, starting with the scaffolding.  He hope to start the long overdue process of re-roofing the church.  At time of writing we do not have a start date but we hope that the work will be completed by the end of the summer.  Then we will turn our attention to some internal renovations including the provision of toilet and kitchen facilities.  I will keep you updated as we progress.

For our younger people this is exam season.  Please remember all school pupils and students in your prayers at this time together with their teachers.  Many hopes and dreams hang on the outcome of the next few weeks.

Anthony Giles

4. PRIEST IN CHARGE LETTER FOR MAY

May! Queen of blossoms,

And fulfilling Flowers,

With what pretty music

Shall we charm the hour?

(May by Edward Thurlow)

Crossing all the fingers we can muster and touching wood, it does look like spring has finally arrived in our part of Hertfordshire, at last!  The primroses in our churchyards were wonderful and St James’ church is sporting a new notice board.  Look out for another notice board at the car park gate to the churchyard in the next few months.  These were given in memory of the late Stan Dixon who was a prominent member of our church and community.  I also hope that the Rectory will soon be sporting a new notice to replace the temporary one pinned to the fence.

For the next couple of weeks the church is still celebrating Easter with all the symbols of new life that point us to the resurrection of Jesus.  On Thursday 9^th May we celebrate Ascension Day, when Jesus was taken back into heaven at the end of his earthly ministry.  For the early disciples this a very worrying time.  They knew what Jesus had taught them but had not worked out what it all meant.  Then ten days later we celebrate Pentecost when God sent the Holy Spirit on the disciples and the Christian Church took off and began to preach about Jesus to ends of the earth, a process which still continues today.

The wedding season has already got underway and we look forward to more couples celebrating their love and commitment to each other over the summer.

In the next few months we hope to start work on re-roofing St James’ Church, so I will apologise in advance for any inconvenience this causes.  Then we hope to do some re-ordering inside the church to provide a toilet and other facilities.  The aim is the make the church a more useful centre for church and community activities.

All of this renewal of life should point us towards the new life that Easter speaks of, that we can all share in the resurrection life of Jesus which will invigorate our lives and take us on into and eternity with God.

Anthony Giles

5. PRIEST IN CHARGE LETTER FOR APRIL

O to be in England

Now that April’s there,

Home-thoughts, from abroad, Robert Browning.

If you check back you will see that that is how I started last April’s letter.  It’s the only poem I know about April.  I hope that by the time you read this the weather will be a bit more April and a bit less November.  Last year’s letter was about Easter but that was at the end of March this year.  We are still in the season of Easter when we continue to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus and the difference that makes to our relationship with God.  Easter goes on until we celebrate the Ascension, Jesus’ return to heaven, and then on to Pentecost or Whitsun in mid-May when we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first disciples and the birth of the Christian Church.

I had scour my diary to look for some other high lights for this month to write about.  It’s the end of the tax year! – O joy.  Also, in the Church of England, April is Annual Parochial Church Meeting season when we chew over the past year, approve our accounts and elect our Church Wardens and new members of the Parochial Church Council.  The PCC is the decision making body of the local church and helps to keep the vicar on the straight and narrow.

The APCM is a time to take stock, to review plans and try to see the way our way forward for the next year as any other organisation would do at its AGM.  In the coming year we hope to re-roof St James’ Church and re-organise the interior including installing a toilet and kitchen facilities, and removing some of the pews.  The aim is to make St James a more flexible space for church and community activities.  We have yet to finalise our plans – so look out for more details as they emerge.

The end of the tax year may prompt us to review how we spend your money.  Despite the recession and incomes not going up in line with inflation, we are still among the richest people in the world.  We have a moral responsibility to care for those in this country and in the developing world who do not enjoy the things we take for granted; clean water, effective sewage treatment, adequate food, education and health care.  These are the people who also suffer disproportionately from climate change and natural disasters.

Many of us will have done various silly things to raise money on Red Nose Day, well done if you did.  When I was teaching I went to school on one Red Nose day having shaved off my beard and wearing a wig.  The poor pupils thought they had a new IT teacher.  No such luck, just the old one in disguise.  All of the money you raised will, I am sure be put to good use.  But, what about making a regular, perhaps monthly, payment to an organisation of your choice that will help somebody less fortunate than yourself.  Many charities ask for £2 or £3 per month, but would we really miss £10 or £20 per month or more?  Think of how much good that would do.

Finally with our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters we celebrate the start of the ministry of two new leaders of our Christian Communities, Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and Pope Francis I.  Please join with us in praying for them that they will be effective and inspiring leaders in the Church and in the wider world.

Anthony Giles

7. PRIEST IN CHARGE - FEBRUARY LETTER

Happy Ground Hog Day!!