Welcome to Bishop Colin

A warm welcome to this service, wherever you are worshipping with us in the Langtree Team churches this morning. A special welcome to any visiting friends and family or who are on holiday. May the God of peace be with you.

We also welcome Bishop Colin to St Mary’s Ipsden this evening at 6.30 for a special service to rededicate the bells and the organ after their restoration. Members from across the Team are very welcome to join in with this celebration service. It is also a good opportunity for those in the wider Team to say goodbye to Revd Alan and Margaret Gates as they prepare for Alan’s retirement on 25th August. Alan and Margaret have been with us in the Team for almost three years, and are shortly to be moving to their new home in Tilehurst, so won’t be too far away. The recruitment process to find a successor for Alan will be commencing soon.

The Team Website: www.langtreechurches.org

The revamped Team ministry website is now almost four years old. In that time it has been visited by over 27,000 people. The most visits in one day was a day last November, when over 200 people viewed the site. Our website is the most important “shop window” for most of our churches, especially when people are wanting to find out about (for example) how to go about arranging a wedding or a baptism. It is a great place to show off your church. If you have any great pictures of your church, or events in your parish, please do email them to either myself or Mary Daniels at the office, and we will make sure they are posted. You must have permission from both the owner of the photo. We do of course reserve the right not to publish anything you send us. PCC members should also make sure that what is posted on the site about your church(es) is accurate, and fairly represents your church.

In this holiday season may you know God’s blessing, and the gift of time to enjoy it. Let us “make a joyful noise to the Lord… Worship him with gladness; come into his presence with singing.” (Ps100:1-2)

Your Rector                                                    Revd Kevin Davies