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Bill’s Letter for May 2014
The first Sunday in May will see our Confirmation Service. This is when people make a public commitment to follow Christ, and receive a special prayer from our Bishop. I am thrilled that this year there will be 10 people standing up to do this. It is encouraging and fascinating to hear about each person’s journey…
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Bill’s Letter for April 2014
It is still very strange driving around Stanley without the old church as a landmark and reference. It is going to be a while before we get used to its absence. The Easter story reminds us of the possibility for New Life out of death: that painful loss can lead to a future with hope.…
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Bill’s Letter for March 2014
For the last few years, the March magazine has been published as we begin Lent. Once again we have an opportunity to use this month as a preparation for the great festival of Easter, with the powerful theme of death and resurrection. A theme that we see in life around us. We have seen the…
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Bill’s Letter for February 2014
This is the first letter of 2014, so I would like to begin with wishing you a Happy New Year. This is a very significant month in the life of the community in Stanley. As you will see elsewhere, it is the month when the old church building will begin to be dismantled. It will…
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Bill’s Letter for December 2013
As we enter into the Christmas season we also move into a time of shorter days and longer dark nights. It is a time when the symbol of Jesus, the light of the world is particularly powerful. We experience the darkness of the world in many different ways and this can be highlighted by events…
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Bill’s Letter for November 2013
One of the themes this month is ‘remembering’. We held a Memorial Service recently on 27th October for those who have died recently, and the Remembrance service for those who were killed in wars is at 10am on Sunday 10th November. We are also planning what to do to remember the old church after it…
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Bill’s Letter for October 2013
This is the time of year when we celebrate our harvest festival. As our lives are moving away from being involved in the production of food, it is even more important to reflect on what we eat and where it comes from. A recent survey showed that a third of primary school children thought cheese…
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Bill’s Letter for September 2013
I am writing this on the day the world marked the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech, 50 years ago, and have been reminded of the importance of inspirational leadership and action. The movement for Civil rights took a great leap forward when one woman, Rosa Parks, decided not to give…
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Bill’s Letter for Summer 2013
Life is a roller coaster for many people. It certainly is for our young people taking exams. The stress and hard work of revising and preparing for exams is then followed by relief and celebrations when the tests are over. Then the build-up of stress waiting for results is followed by either the elation of…
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Bill’s Letter for June 2013
Thank you for those who prayed for my journey to Tanzania. I have returned safely after a very fruitful trip. I was able to travel extensively around and learn a lot about the ‘Water for Life’ project. It was also very encouraging to worship with Christians there. Prayer is a very important part of peoples…