A year in the life of St. Mary Magdalen, Sheet

Lay Ministers(Readers):
Mike Knee

In last year's report we were lamenting the departure of Gareth Denby from the team of Readers at St Mary's. I am delighted to begin this year's by welcoming him back now that his "retirement" from the teaching profession theoretically gives him more time!

He joins Gary Stanley and me in our distinctive ministry alongside our ordained and in-training clergy, not forgetting many others who bring great gifts of leadership to our worship without needing fancy titles.

We have led worship and preached at all the different services on occasions, averaging one appearance a month, which is modest by the standards of some Readers but realistic for busy chaps with families and day jobs. We each bring our own skills and passions to the services; Gareth in teaching, Gary in acting and I in music. A highlight in the preaching calendar was the opportunity for Gary and me to contribute last summer to the much-appreciated series of sermons on the great Christian traditions. This taught me that the prophet and the preacher are not far apart, both in responsibility to proclaim the Word and in the response they sometimes receive. We all need your prayers - it is not always easy to bring the Gospel alive but it is wonderfully rewarding to be part of a team that works at the heart of our searching and worshipping community.

Mike’s sermons can be found by following this link.

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Healing Ministry:
Pam Ritchie

The healing ministry team has continued to offer laying on of hands and prayer on behalf of the church on the second Sunday of each month, alternating between morning and evening services. The team has been joined by Ruth Markby, David Strutt and Peter Belton. We have met as a team twice during the year and these have been times of reflection, prayer and discussion, as we continually seek ways in which we can encourage people to come forward for prayer. One outcome is that prayer is now being offered directly after communion has been received at the morning service. This creates a flow which reduces the length of the service.

Last summer about 30 members of the church came together for a day at Whitehill Chase, home of the Acorn Christian Foundation, to explore healing in the light of the Cross in its widest sense. Whilst affirming God's power to bring physical, emotional and spiritual healing, we also focused on the need for healing of relationships and reconciliation. Out of this has grown a desire that our church might become a healing presence in our community.