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I was delighted when I was appointed to serve in the Shrewsbury Circuit; I have lived in some beautiful places in Britain, and now Shropshire is going to be another one of them. Already I’ve had the chance to walk in the Long Mynd and Stipperstones, and have felt in awe of the majestic landscape. I grew up in Coventry, where many of my friends and family still are, and have lived in places as far apart as St Ives in Cornwall, and Driffield in the East Yorkshire Wolds, where I served my first appointment as a Minister. In 1990 I moved to the York South Circuit, and then in 1998 I moved to the Stourvalley Circuit, which is just next door to Stourbridge. Over the years it has been such a privilege to be part of so many Church communities. I have been moved by people’s depth of faith and commitment to the Christian life, and felt honoured when I have had the opportunity to stand alongside them in both the pain and joy if life. I have also valued greatly those moments when the Church has connected in a real way with the local community, and have found a way of serving the needs of others.
There are many things I enjoy doing in ministry, but one of the things I find close to my heart, is finding creative ways of worshipping God. A lot of the time it can be the simplest of things – finding the still presence of Christ through gazing upon a beautiful picture, or singing a song that has been written with fresh vision and insight. All of us have a God-given creative ability, which the Spirit longs to wake up in our hearts. Our faith is a journey; one in which we grow ever closer to Christ and deeper in our knowledge of him.
I look forward to sharing in the life of Christ with you.
Frances.
Dear Friends
Lent is the prelude to one of the greatest seasons of the year. Later in March we will be celebrating Easter. It’s a time when we are invited to search our hearts, and reflect on what we find there. There will be those things for which we can quietly give thanks; a deepening faith, a growing sense of trust, and perhaps a little more wisdom has been acquired along the way. On the other hand we continue to recognise our impatience, our lack of tolerance, and our desire to have things go our own way.
Sometimes Lent can be a rather uncomfortable time. However, all of this is not to make us despair about our inner state, rather it so that we can find hope. The bad news might be that yet again I’ve lost my temper, but the good news is that Christ continues to help me overcome it. The more I rely on him, the more I see the sharp corners and rough edges of my life smoothed into a beautiful state. This is the hope we find most fully realised in our risen Lord.
And this is the hope we want to express through the nationwide ‘Hope 08’ project. Churches up and down the country are being invited to find practical ways to express the love of God to their neighbourhoods. However life is for people, God always offers hope, and people in our neighbourhoods can discover that there is always a way through. ‘Hope 08’ gives us the opportunity to share our faith and belief in God ‘yes’ to the world, and I hope all of you in the Circuit will find some way of participating in this exciting venture.Frances Biseker.