My dear Friends.

As you read this Lent, Holy Week and Easter will have come and gone for another year. But hopefully the glorious Easter message will have thrilled you yet again and you will want to share the good news of Jesus with others, who as far as you are aware don't seem to have responded to His love for them.

What hasn't gone this year is the children and young people's two week holiday - my grandchildren, living in the midlands, have had the traditional holiday pattern over Easter so I wonder what people will make of the change in this area.

Another change, this time in the life of our church, has to do with the l0.40am Sunday Special - as from the lst May this will start 10 mins earlier at l0.30am. This is now possible because my colleague, Peter, is around and it will hopefully give more opportunity for people to mix after the l0.30am and before the 11.15am Service.

In the middle of the parish magazine you should find details concerning our Annual meeting. Now I know many would prefer to be at home watching the TV ... or doing the ironing or cleaning the cooker or filling in the income tax form but for those of us who are part of St Andrews and St Peters this meeting is important.

It's not just a business meeting (and that's important), it is also an opportunity for all of you to ask questions and make your comments regarding the past, present and future of our two churches. Sadly, during my time here numbers have slowly fallen, from 44 in 1999 to fewer than 30 the last couple of years. Now numbers on Sunday have maintained so it would seem that either you are blissfully happy with me and all that is going on (very unlikely!) or voter apathy has well and truly set in.

A couple of years ago I wondered if a Sunday evening was a bad night - why not a weekday evening or a Sunday afternoon or whatever, but a vote taken in church on a Sunday gave no clear preference for change.

So it's Sunday evening 7pm on April 24th In St Andrews Church Hall and as long as the video recorder is working, I've cleaned the cooker, done the ironing and filled in the tax form, I'll be there and hope to see you as well.

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