Welcome to Lawrence's Page

Dear Friends,

It is wonderful to be back with you and to be able to thank you both personally and in print for the love and support you have shown to me and my family during our absence. We have been overwhelmed by the way you have all welcomed us back and look forward to deepening our relationship with Jesus together over the coming year.

It has been a difficult time for us all and I hope and pray you will bear with us as I gradually resume full-time ministry. As you read this, I may not yet have been able to join you for worship in your church, but I have arranged the rota so that I should have done so before too long.

During my absence I know Reverend Mark has done all he can to ensure everything continued as close to normal as possible and I would like to thank him for all he has done. Of course, this would not have been possible without the support of our wonderful group of retired priests, licensed ministers, lay worship leaders and church wardens.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy New Year. At this time we often make resolutions and it is the theme of thankfulness that is the core of my own new year’s resolution. Through the difficulties and adversity we all face, it is invaluable to be thankful for all the good things in our lives, and in particular, for the presence of Jesus Christ who always walks alongside us sharing the highs and the lows and offering his wisdom, love and compassion at every turn. I try to start every day by thanking Jesus for waking in his presence and for the day that is about to unfold. When life is challenging, there are several key passages of scripture that sustain and support me. The first of these comes from Psalm 37.23-24: ‘Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when he delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand.’ There is no guarantee that life will be easy, but however hard it is we are held in the loving hands of our Lord. Life, of course is finite, and I know that this loving embrace will continue, even after our deaths.

Another passage that will be familiar to you is from Matthew 11.28-30. I love The Message translation of these words of our Lord. ‘Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.’

pray that we may all live this new year being thankful for the presence of Jesus as he walks alongside us whatever life may throw at us.


Revd Lawrence Gittins.
Priest in Charge.