helen

From ‘Priest-town’ to ‘God’s port’ Dear Friends, It is with some sadness that I write what will be my final pastoral letter to you all – in just a few short weeks; Colin and I will face the upheaval of moving house once more, as I leave to take up Read more

Dear Friends, One of the main difficulties faced by some churches today is the reality of an aging congregation and a lack of younger people willing to help out or take over key roles. It can be a real problem – not just when it comes to mission, but also Read more

Dear Friends, What is the wise way to spend your time? This was a question that came up recently when I was looking at the lectionary readings for Sunday worship, and it made me realise that probably a good use of time is to acquire wisdom! The apostle Paul advised Read more

Dear Friends, As you may know, on the 5th June 2012, I will embark on what has been a long awaited trip for me. From being a small child listening to Bible stories, to being an adult training for Ministry, I’ve wanted to see if the pictures painted in my Read more

Dear Friends, Being a relatively active person, it was with some dismay that I found myself having a period of ‘enforced rest’ towards the end of January. This was due to an existing problem with my knee being exacerbated by a loss of balance one morning as I stepped into Read more

  Dear Friends, You know, they say that one of the best ways to sustain a meaningful relationship is to keep talking to each other – whether that is just communicating the day’s events, or through a more in-depth conversation. It is an important part of keeping that relationship alive Read more

Dear Friends,
In June it was the annual URC Minister’s Summer School, held this year in the Lake District at the URC Windermere Centre. It is one of my favourite places to be and a beautiful part of the country, even when it is raining! However, we were rather fortunate with the weather, and it was good to meet with colleagues I hadn’t seen in quite a while.
Summer School is not (as some have been known to comment) a ‘jolly’, but rather it’s an intensive time of discernment and learning for URC Ministers and CRCW’s (Church Related Community Workers) of the North Western Synod. Though some free time is factored in, Summer School is not for the faint-hearted, as sessions can continue almost back to back from 9 in the morning until 9 in the evening. However, it does give an opportunity to think and reflect on things we would not readily come across in daily pastorate life. (more…)

Dear Friends,

Anyone who has email communication will surely receive some that just make you stop and think.

I received one such email recently which had a link to a YouTube film clip – and if you are able perhaps you’d like to watch it too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzgzim5m7oU

In case you can’t, this short film illustrates the power of words to radically change your message and your effect upon the world. It was made by an online marketing company, but through the power of YouTube, it has received over seven and a half million hits. (more…)

Dear Friends,

Life as a Minister can be challenging, rewarding, exhausting, and exciting – and that is often all in one day! But occasionally, there are times when I am encouraged to step back, ponder, and re-invigorate myself, away from the telephone and the emails.

One such occasion was very recently at the North Western Synod Minister’s Winter School. Entitled, ‘Lost for Words?, Evangelism through Welcome’, it was led by Francis Brienen, (the URC Secretary for Mission), Lawrence Moore, (URC Moderator Elect, and Director of the Windermere Centre), and Rev Stephen Collinson (NW Synod Training Officer). (more…)