Dear all,
This is my last ever opening letter in ‘The Evangelist’. Almost five years to the day since I wrote my first letter for this magazine. I write now, as I did then, overlooking the Rectory lawn.
It’s nearly three months since the bishop of Derby appointed me as the new Ordained Vocations Officer for the diocese. This will involve me guiding the DDO team (who help people discerning vocation to be a clergy person), looking after clergy wellbeing and coordinating ministerial development reviews. As I have said many times now, it was never in my plan to leave Newbold this year.
I had planned on being here for much longer. However, I believe God (and the bishop) had other ideas and being given a role on the bishop’s senior staff, while daunting, will be an exciting new chapter in my ministry.
Of course, alongside the excitement and preparation for my new role have been numerous endings and goodbyes. It is always difficult leaving behind something you have invested so much of yourself in, and Newbold Parish Church is no exception.
There have been many highlights during my time here. Not least getting to know so many people. It has been a joy to see people grow in their faith, as well as welcoming newcomers to the church. Getting to know folk through the Lent courses was a pleasure, especially the Start course and the ‘Faith Pictures’ course. Getting to know people through the coffee mornings, men’s group outings, Walsingham, Summer Fete, Pie & Pea suppers, Christmas Fair, and many many more events, was a real treat! I will definitely miss the cakes too!
Welcoming those new to church and/or faith has also been a joy. There have been numerous baptisms and confirmations.
One baptism that stands out in my mind was Zixin’s full immersion baptism, a first for Newbold Parish Church!
Bringing the church into the 21st century was one of my goals when I arrived; this involved the creation of a new website, a Facebook page (now with a staggering 401 people ‘liking’ the page) and a YouTube channel with 110 subscribers (and 9,771 minutes viewed) all of these things have formed part of this endeavour. Using social media and videos to promote the church, and to help disciple folk, really came into their own during the first lockdown and have become a staple of our mission. The recent success of the school assembly videos was absolutely wonderful to behold!
There have also been numerous practical things added during my time here, such as the new lighting system, which included external floodlights for the building, creating a new vestry in the South porch, a new heating system (although the drama surrounding the contractors removing the old system before they had a new one is something I would like to forget!), new church Bibles, a new noticeboard, and most recently a new electric piano, have all kept us moving forward.
I would have loved to have seen the new parish centre built on my watch, and most importantly it being used by the community. However, getting it to this point, with planning permission in place and plans nearing the tender stage, has been difficult enough.
I trust that the PCC, and others, will work towards the vision of building a parish centre at the heart of the community.
The march of time has also been a strong theme during my time here. Although five years may not seem like a long time to some, there have been many changes in the church family. We’ve said goodbye to numerous longstanding members who have sadly passed away, we’ve welcomed new ones through baptism as well as those who simply walked through the doors and stayed, we’ve watched children grow up, some leaving for university (both my ‘boys’ included), and others leaving as they moved elsewhere.
Part of being a church leader is getting used to comings and goings in church life, and it’s times like this, while reflecting back, that I don’t mind being called ‘Father’ Ben as it has at times felt a bit like having an extended family.
I need to take this opportunity to say a massive ‘THANK YOU!’ to everyone who has helped me minister here at Newbold Parish Church. Hopefully you all know who you are. Even if your contribution was simply to smile at me from time to time, I hope you won’t underestimate the impact that you have had. I won’t attempt to name everyone here otherwise I’d fill the whole magazine! However, an extra special thank you must go to churchwardens past and present: Richard, Carol, Leslie and Julie, to curates Rhoda & Gill, to Chris and Hilary – especially for their help with all-age worship and videos, to Heather for her support in previous years, to Stuart for the music, to Steve and Sue for their organisational skills, to Adrian, Jonathan and David (PCC secretary and treasurers) and to all those who have helped to run groups, coffee mornings or via the many rotas.
I hope to be able to say some personal thank yous and goodbyes, as has already begun, over the next few days, and I will hopefully get to speak to many folk at my leaving picnic on Sunday 26th, however, I am sure that I won’t get chance to say thank you or goodbye to everyone, so my apologies if I don’t get to say it to you.
In my first letter for ‘The Evangelist’ I said the following, which I still stand by: “I want to encourage every church member to be actively involved, both practically and spiritually, in the life of the church. I am definitely not a one-man-band! I am keen to encourage the gifts and talents of church members, enabling us to work together to be an effective Christian presence in Newbold and beyond.”
I think this still rings true today. It has been a joy to see people taking on new challenges/roles and allowing God to use their gifts and talents (even ones they thought they didn’t have!). I hope that this culture of every member having something to give to others will continue long into the future.
Richard, Carol and I went for a final meal together the other day, and while there were obviously practical things to talk about, such as making sure they are as ready for a vacancy as they can be, we were mainly sharing stories, talking about our families, and having a few laughs. There is no doubt that these kinds of encounters will be the things I miss the most. However, I trust them to keep these kinds of good relationships at the heart of church life.
Looking to the future, following a slight disaster with a house we were hoping to move to in Old Whittington, Clare and I (followed by Aaron and Noah when they return from University) are now hoping to move to Calow. My new job will involve working from home, as well as at Church House in Derby, so being near to the station was a must. All being well, we should move there in November. In the meantime, the diocese has allowed us to stay in the Rectory while our house purchase goes through.
Revd Rhoda will become ‘de facto priest in charge’ for the next few months, although she will still be training so will have support from the diocese, deanery and archdeaconry, as well as others.
Revd Gill is moving her curacy to Old Brampton, Loundsley Green & Barlow, with Revd Sarah Colver becoming her training incumbent. However, I am pleased to say that she will continue to be involved with the 4pm service.
It is impossible to put into words how it feels to be leaving Newbold. However, it does feel a bit like I felt dropping the boys off at university… A mixture of emotions; Both pleased to have been here, and yet sorry to leave, looking forward to a new challenge, while looking back with many fond memories. I am pleased to have felt God’s call to minister here and pray for the future of Newbold Parish Church:
Revd Ben Griffiths