Last month we had the pleasure of having Bishop Michael of Hertford visit the Benefice. Bishop Michael wants to personally visit each of the parishes under his care and spend time worshipping with the congregations and engaging with the communities - no mean feat as I think there are some 250 + churches for him to visit!
It was lovely to have Bishop Michael celebrate our services at St. Ippolyts and Little Wymondley on Pentecost Sunday, with an added trip to the plant sale at Great Wymondley! He then came back the following Tuesday for a packed day of activities which started with the all-important task of taking me to lunch in The Bull - it’s a hard life being a vicar!! We then headed to St. Ippolyts School where the children led us in worship and spent time talking to Bishop Michael about their faith, how they prepare worship and a whole host of other things which really made him think on his feet! The children really were a credit to themselves and their school and the Bishop was bowled over by the depth of their knowledge and faith.
Following on from the school we headed to Wymondley Nursing and Residential Care Home for a service of Holy Communion, ably assisted by our Benefice singers, aptly named the Melodic Miracles! We raised the roof with some rousing hymns and Bishop Michael was able to spend time chatting to the residents before we hot-footed it back to The Vicarage for tea and cakes with the Ministry Team. (I told you it was a hard life but at least you can now see why I struggle with my weight!) Then it was off to St. Mary’s, Great Wymondley to take a look at the recent renovations and have a chat with one or two people before we headed - yes, you’ve guessed it - to the Green Man pub for supper with the Churchwardens!!
The day was rounded off with a joint meeting of all 3 PCC’s in Great Wymondley Village Hall where Bishop Michael led us in a short Bible study and challenged us to think about what we want our churches and communities to look like in the future. It was an encouraging and useful exercise in focussing on our goals and aspirations and identifying the steps we need to take to get there.
All in all, it was a hugely enjoyable time for all of us. Bishop Michael was very positive and encouraging and reminded us of just how much our Benefice is already doing to demonstrate the love of God to those around us. I think we all came away realising that the love and hard-work that everybody puts into our parishes, both church members and those who work alongside us in our communities, is of great value and doesn’t go unnoticed. We look forward to a return visit from Bishop Michael in the future!
With love - Ginni
