What a great day it is when you are Confirmed!  Whatever the weather, the latest sports results or the price of new clothes, the Confirmation service is a great occasion and one that you will remember for ever.  

For the last few months 11 members of St. George’s Church have been preparing for their Confirmation, which took place on July 18th with Bishop Godfrey Ashby. The course, which is split into two for young people and adults, explores the Bible, Sacraments of the Church, clerical dress and prayer among lots of other things. It’s also been used by some who wanted to refresh their knowledge. Maybe you would like to join next year’s preparation course and have the chance to find out more about Christ and his Church?  

There isn’t a perfect age for Confirmation although children will normally be in school year 5 or above. It’s not so much to do with our understanding but more to do with us allowing God’s Holy Spirit to flood into our lives and to inspire us in our faith. Confirmation invites us to make our own commitment to Christ, usually because we were Baptised when we were very young. Baptism welcomes us into the Church and once Baptised we are full members. In New Testament times, and in the Early Church, local Deacons often carried out the Baptism of whole families, and this was later Confirmed when an Apostle or Bishop next visited. Today adults and young people alike choose to be Confirmed and as a Church we must rejoice that these 11 people have all chosen to continue as members of the Church and we must pray for a strengthening of their faith. Please remember in your prayers the candidates and Bishop Godfrey:

Nerys Barlow, Jacob Clark, Catherine Emery, Elizabeth Emery, Marian Haughton, Fiona Jones, Yolanda Muzondo, Gabrielle Read, Melanie Rogers, Katherine Shepherd, Courtney Sherwin.

Mike Sheffield

Summer Edition 2010

From the Parish Priest

Cutting the cake after the Confirmation service