Michael's YES Diary
Michael has recently embarked on a year out scheme run by the church of england called the YES scheme click here to find out more about YES.
Six weeks, 1 day, 6 hours and 15 minutes.
We arrived at St. Mary's rectory at around 4 in the afternoon in convoy,
having negotiated our way through the quite random array of road works and
the small forest of orange cones, with two car loads of stuff that could never
have come out of one room, and will definitely never go back again (this also
works with suitcases). We then preceded with Jonathan the Vicar, to Spencers
Road which is where I am currently lodging with a family and will be my base
for the duration of my stay. (It's quite easy to find as a new ASDA is being
built at the end of the road!!)
St Mary's church is part of a team of 4 churches, three of which I currently
work at.
St Mary's is the head of these four churches and is where I do most of my
work. It also has a parish office connected to it which deals with all the
admin, photocopying, tea drinking etc. I help out in the office for about
6 hours a week.
Otherwise I am currently helping run three different youth groups, a luncheon
club for the elderly, a parent and toddler group and two Alpha courses. Services
in St. Mary's are recorded every Sunday and I help make copies and distribute
them to the elderly and the housebound so that they can still hear what is
going on and be kept up to date, this involves a tour of the parish every
Monday morning and is an excellent way of getting to know my way around. I
play football on Saturday mornings with the church youth group up until last
week, when a rather vicious slide tackle left my right ankle badly bruised
and I am still hobbling about as I write, although I am on the mend!
I have also seen some more exotic sides to ministry having visited a prison
near Gatwick airport for refugees and asylum seekers who's applications to
stay are false or have been rejected, and consequently are going home. We
were asked to visit this prison by a team of Pentecostal ministers who work
there and try to look after the spiritual needs of the prisoners during their
brief stay. I have also helped out at several funerals, a wedding, about twenty
school assemblies and even cut a community centre lawn!
As you may have gathered I am kept quite busy, that's without the book reviews
and the CD I have been asked to write, but I am having a fantastic time and
am so glad I have been able to come here and work in such an inspirational
place.
Right. must go as the cat needs feeding and the TV hasn't been watched all
day and is feeling lonely. I plan to be back over Christmas so I shall no
doubt see you all then if not before.
Almighty God, who called your church to witness that you were in Christ
reconciling the world to yourself, help each of us, as your congregation,
to proclaim the good news of your love through our words and our actions,
so that all who hear and see it may be drawn to you.
We ask this through Him who was lifted up on the cross, and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
God bless
Michael Nelson
