News White smoke as new rector starts
Taking Church into the streets – or at least the car park after a fire interrupted the institution of St Saviour’s new rector
It was a sure fire way to make sure no-one ever forgot the institution of the new rector at St Saviour’s Church, Guildford. Within minutes of the Revd Mike Norris being given full legal authority for the building, the organ caught fire. The service, attended by the Bishop of Dorking, the Archdeacon of Surrey and the Mayor of Guildford as well as international opera singer Jonathan Veira, continued in the car park while emergency services made sure the organ and the building were safe.
‘How Great Thou Art’. “The church’s welcome team took drinks and canapés to the open-air congregation before the evening ended with our new rector announcing the following Sunday’s services would be at the usual times – only without the use of the organ.” For more information about St Saviour’s visit www.st-saviours. org.uk or follow them at http://twitter.com/stsavsguildford
St Saviour’s operations director Andrew Bagwell said: “Mike’s rectorship has certainly started with a bang. Forty minutes into the service, our organist John Ashworth noticed smoke coming out from beneath the keys. He has significant musical prowess but it doesn’t normally result in smoke!”
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Mike, his wife Bex and their three boys had just arrived from New Zealand where Mike was vicar of St Paul’s Auckland, and all their possessions were still on a ship somewhere in the Pacific. “It certainly wasn’t an arrival we will forget. The congregation evacuated the church in an orderly fashion and Bishop Ian presided from on top of a wall before Jonathan Veira led the congregation in
Teenagers help ring in royal prince To celebrate the birth of His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge, a quarter peal of Plain Bob Doubles was rung at All Saints’ Church, Witley by Ruth Gill, Frank Rice, Mark Gill and Alison Collins together with Katie Collins (aged 14) and Laura Gill (aged 13), probably two of the youngest bell-ringers in the country. Katie Collins said: “It was an honour to ring for the newest member of the Royal Family. I really felt part of the event and was proud to be included in the celebration.”
Katie and Laura after ringing their quarter peal
Tower Captain Ruth Gill commented: “We were particularly pleased that both our girls rang – there cannot be many peals and quarter peals rung around the country which include two ringers who are likely still to be around to see the Prince crowned King! It was also good to have two children ringing with their parents.”
Bishop backs new campaign (from page 1) At Christmas time, thousands of churches
for the season is the birth of Jesus.
around the country do a huge amount to
The logo is available for use free of
carry the Christmas story into their local
charge, and the more churches that use
communities. The vision for this campaign
it the better. If you would like to download
is to use a common logo to join the dots
resources for your church or find out more
of these activities and project a powerful
about the campaign or help save Christmas,
message to our entire nation that the reason
visit www.christmasstartswithchrist.com
Bishop Ian Brackley
There is none like you, O Lord, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
1Ch 17:20 (ESV)
The Wey September/October 2013
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