All Saints' Braunston: April 2009

Letter April 2009

Dear Friends,

As I write we are being blessed with wonderful Spring sunshine, though there’s a ‘nip’ in the air! I’m going to keep the letter quite brief this month (sighs of relief are heard from around Braunston!) because I would like to include an interview with the Daventry Team new Rector which appeared in last month’s Teamtalk and introduces Canon Michael Webber to you, After 16 months of Revd Liz and myself overseeing the seven Churches of the Team it is great to have Michael with us and with all your kind enquiries and prayers over the past few months I thought it would be good for you to be privy to this interview.

Also I want to once again invite you all to give some thought to Lent and Holy Week over the next few weeks and also of course the joy of Easter. Please try and find some time in this month’s busy activity to come and worship. ‘The children friendly’ events include the Palm Sunday walk to Church, the Easter Saturday children’s workshop in the Village Hall, and the Easter Day Holy Communion in Church, with egg hunt for the children. Please read on to find out more details. The more reflective services include the Maundy Thursday Service and Good Friday- Meditation at the foot of the Cross.

I’m aware whilst writing this of people in the Village who are going through a particularly hard time. Disappointment, bereavement and just the sense that life is tough at the moment. I am also always really heartened by the number of good neighbours in Braunston and the amount of care there is around. Part of Easter is being real about one’s experiences and taking to heart Jesus’ words: ‘Behold I am with you always’. He experienced our sadness and weakness, so that we can experience his strength and care. Even when it’s hard to trust God for a better future- please know that at Church, we are trusting God on your behalf. As part of one of the prayers for Easter Day it says:

God of Glory,
By the raising of your Son
You have broken the chains of death and hell:
Fill your Church with faith and hope;
For a new day has dawned
And the way to life stands open
In our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen. Alleluia!

May the new life of Easter be a reality for you,
God bless,
Revd Claire

An interview with Canon Michael Webber in the March edition of Team Talk:

Liz: We are looking forward to you coming to the Team Ministry. Tell us something about yourself and your family.
Michael: I was brought up in Kent, Beckenham then Sevenoaks and went to Manchester University, where I studied Theology. I stayed on to do an M.A. was a postman for a year and then trained to be a priest at Cuddesdon College, Oxford. I was a Curate at Caterham, where I met my wife, Felicity , who is a Landscape architect. We then moved to Kidbrooke in south London where I was a Team Vicar on a housing estate. Our two children, Rosalind and Justin were born there. Then in 1987 we moved to Earls Barton and for seven years I was also Rural Dean of Wellingborough.

Claire: Have you always gone to church, who or what has helped you in your faith journey?
Michael: Both my parents went to church and I enjoyed being part of the Church family at Norwood in south London. My growth in faith was a gradual process though I have felt times of being called- a quiet nagging call, not something dramatic . Many people have helped me on my faith journey but buildings have also played a part. The church where I grew up had a wonderful atmosphere of worship.

Liz: I imagine you will find working in Daventry to be very different to working in a village like Earls Barton.
Michael: Yes in some ways, but Earls Barton is a large village or small town of almost 6,000 people. Of course Daventry is much larger but my work as a priest will not I think be very different.

Claire: Do you think Vicars should concentrate on those who come regularly to church?
Michael: I think we should take an interest in everybody. At Earls Barton I have spent much time with the whole community especially over baptisms, weddings and funerals. At Christmas we held an outdoor carol service which was attended by about 3,000 people. I helped to organise a summer Playscheme for the children of Earls Barton.

Liz: How do you feel about joining a Team Ministry?
Michael: I am really looking forward to joining the Team. I helped set up a Team Ministry in Kidbrooke some years ago and in Earls Barton I have set up the Leadership Team, which consists of Lay Pastoral Ministers, Readers, 4 Wardens and the clergy. The Lay Pastoral Ministers help with pastoral work and I hope that ministry may be encouraged in the Daventry team.

Claire: I agree. We have 3 Readers in the team here, have you had much experience of working with Readers?
Michael: Yes I used to be the sub warden of Readers and helped to put together the present training programme in the diocese. We have 2 Readers in training at present.

Liz: What are your immediate hopes and plans?
Michael: Well first to get to know people and to do a lot of listening. There are a number of good things going on at Holy Cross and in the wider team which I hope with others to build on. I am also keen to see the work with children and families develop at Holy Cross and am pleased to hear that planning has started for a new Sunday club.

All Saints' Braunston

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