Parish of Walton-on-Thames
St Mary with St John

Church Army Evangelists

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The Update

As you know, we have been working for some time on a project that would bring a Church Army Evangelist to work with us in our mission within the parish, with the main focus of activity being on the St John's Estate, Vicarage Fields and Field Common. This project was one of the key elements in our Funding the Vision campaign and when Peter Graystone, the Church Army's officer for 'Fresh Expressions', preached for us in late October, he announced that Church Army was committed to supporting us in this venture for at least the next five years.

The next stage was to find the right person to do the job. Having visited the parish again, Peter recommended not one person, but two. Patrick and Sheila Samuels are coming towards the end of their training as Church Army Evangelists, and will both qualify in July 2008. They came to the parish for a couple of days in mid-December, met all the members of the ministry team along with some other key lay people.

On the basis of that visit, I invited Patrick and Sheila to work with us here in Walton. I'm delighted to be able to tell you they have accepted that invitation. Between them, they will do one-and-a-half jobs here in the parish. Their ministry will draw on their earlier professional experience; Sheila's work with disadvantaged communities has obvious links with what we are looking to them to undertake; while Patrick's experience in the computer industry has also given him a vision for mission in the workplace.

The good news doesn't stop there! Church Army has now said it will fund one full post here in Walton for the next five years. (Feel free to read that last sentence again, and let it sink in; and then why not offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God for making this possible?) This is a tremendous commitment on the part of Church Army, and not only in terms of their financial contribution to our mission here in Walton. I'm sure you will join me in thanking the leadership of Church Army for their support, and for the insight that led them to suggest Patrick and Sheila in the first place. We look forward to their arrival in the parish sometime in July.

The Revd Canon Charles Stewart

January 2008

Information:
Charles Stewart
Last changed:
5 February 2008

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