Dear Friends,
ANNOUNCEMENT
From: The Bishop of Derby’s Office
Date: 2nd July, 2015
Embargoed to the media until Monday, 6th July, 2015
to be announced in church on Sunday, 5th July, 2015
The Revd Canon Nigel Johnson, Rector of Newbold, Diocese of Derby, will retire with effect from 1st October, 2015. Canon Johnson will be appointed Canon Emeritus of Derby Cathedral on his retirement and also given the Bishop of Derby’s Permission to Officiate.
For some time now, my retirement has been “in the air”. I could have retired some two and a half years ago but circumstances, (one of which was that I didn’t want to go!), have kept me working at the ministry I love as Rector of Newbold. However, at the end of June I saw Bishop Alastair, the Bishop of Derby, and he agreed to my retirement on 1st October. Three months short of 16 years at Newbold, my last service at St John’s will be on Sunday, 4th October. This is Dedication Sunday, when the church celebrates its past, its present, and its future – so, it felt like an appropriate Sunday on which to end my ministry here. I’ll write more later!
The Church Fete
What a wonderful day we had for the Fete on 4th July. It was great to have the Mayor and Mayoress to open it. So many people came to support and, as always, I enjoyed the chance to catch up with folks who hold the St. John’s dear in the community of Newbold. The awful thunderstorm came during the previous night and so, by morning all was dry, bright and sunny for the special day! Many of our stalls had nothing left to sell well before the end of the Fete. Not surprising then that the financial rewards of the day were yet another record for us. The final figure has not been arrived at yet as some of the wonderful prizes on offer were not won and are currently being auctioned off! £3,667 was taken on the day but I will let you know the final figure in the September Magazine.
Thank you for the great team effort that makes the Fete such a success. Thanks to Heather for co-ordinating it all and working so hard to get things in place well before Fete Day. Thank you to everyone who came and supported and made the Fete the success it clearly was.
Nepal – and Barnabas Fund
Everyone knows about the awful 7.8 earthquake which hit Nepal on 25th April causing indescribable destruction, affecting 8 million people and killing over 8,000 people. Many Christian churches were destroyed along with many of their congregations. The growing Church in Nepal is still a very small and marginalised minority. Christians have suffered considerable persecution and discrimination. The Barnabas Fund is a charity busily working to help distressed Christian congregations in such situations and the PCC at St John’s decided that we would have a voluntary collection on 9th August to send to aid the work of the Barnabas Fund in Nepal. If anyone wishes to contribute to this collection please bring it to Church at any time up to 9th August or send it along with a friend or put it through the Rectory letter-box. Thank you!
With every blessing
Yours sincerely
Fr Nigel Johnson Rector