This Months Word

What a wonderful and warm welcome Barbara,Isaac have received here at St Thomas and St Hilda’s! I was so very moved during my licensing service with the welcome by members of the church and community, by the vibrant worship and of course that led by our wonderful Gospel choir. No wonder Bishop Smitha (who was also on form!) said that she didn’t want to go home. The service will always be a special memory in our hearts.

What kind of new Vicar have you been landed with? Well, one with a passion for Jesus and for God’s Word (and my hope and daily prayer is that as we journey together, we will grow an even greater passion for Jesus and a greater love for His life saving Word!)

You have landed a vicar who looks for every opportunity to share the good news of Jesus: (and my hope and prayer is that we together will build on the wonderful ways we do this here at St Thomas, increasing our desire to draw others to God’s amazing, all saving grace).

Further, you have a vicar who believes that Jesus heals today (and we will look for ways to continue ministering healing and enabling growth in the use of gifts of the Spirit).

He loves to worship -exuberantly! (and together,we will strive to ensure our learning and worship, whether in the main service, at Superstars, at YBs, whether in the church building, or outside - in school, a nursing home, maybe in a café, or out on the streets, remains relevant as we engage and experience a deep encounter with our living God). I also hold a high regard for the Eucharist as we receive the bread and wine - a most significant and moving symbol of Jesus’s body broken for you - and his blood, shed for you!

Holy Week:

The first week in April is Holy Week, surely the most holy of weeks in our Christian calendar. Can I encourage you, if at all possible, to join us in the services listed for this week. Our act of remembrance at the Passover Sedar meal and Good Friday service will lead to the foot of the cross, where Jesus suffered the most excruciating pain and death, so that we may be free from the consequence of our wrongdoings and sin. Could I perhaps further invite you to join me (in the quietness of your own homes) to encounter Jesus in his last days as we daily prayerfully read, throughout the week, the passion of Christ, as expressed in John’s Gospel:

• Holy Monday (Anointing at Bethany):John 12:1-11
• Holy Tuesday (Prediction of Death):John 12:20-36
• Holy Wednesday (Judas’ Plot & Jesus’ Departure): John 12:37-50
• Maundy Thursday (The Last Supper):John 13:1-35 (includes foot washing and new commandment)
• Good Friday (Passion and Crucifixion): John 18:1-19;42
• Holy Saturday (Jesus in the Tomb): John 19:38-42

As a past vicar once said to me, ’there is no resurrection without the crucifixion’ - we need to first visit the sweat, tears and agony in the garden of Gethsemane and the brutality of the Cross at Calvary before we can fully experience the glory and joy of Easter.

Praying for you all that you have a most God blessed Easter. With love in Christ, Neil.

Well here we are 9 months on from Ian leaving for pastures new, and in just a few days’ time we will be welcoming Neil as he takes up the role as the 4th vicar of Bradley St Thomas in its current location. We have been truly blessed over the time without a vicar. We have always had someone to lead and preach and teach at all of our services. We have had a wealth of different people, Helen, Jo, David, Audrey, Margaret, Ruth and Peter, also thank you so much to Terry who has led the majority of our communion services, as well as leading services for St Hilda’s. It’s also been great to have Archdeacon Bill, Rev. Kevin Partington and Rev. Neil coming to take services for us. Our congregation numbers have remained stable and our children’s work continues to flourish. We have survived both fire and flood with our worship area remaining intact. We are blessed to have been successful appointing a new vicar. Many churches find this difficult and are in vacancy for 2 years or more. We extend a warm welcome to Rev. Neil.

Finally, we have another story from one of our church members.

Linda Chaplin was interviewed by Barbara. Linda loves to ride a motorbike and now her 2 children are independent she is free to indulge herself. Last summer she rode, with others, to France and back.

Barbara: tell me Linda, have you always been part of a church?

Linda: Well, I can remember being bored in Sunday School, I found it hard to sit still. When we were in our teens my brother and I went to Pathfinders but our attendance dwindled as we got older. I did attend a CU at school though. As an adult I joined CMA, the Christian motorcyclists and through that I met Jim and Dorothy Gough who came to this church.

Barbara: I can remember meeting you when you were pregnant with your youngest Tom and a few of us from church went to see Bobby Ball, he was telling us how he had become a Christian through talking to the theatre chaplain.

Linda: Oh yes, he prayed for me that night, I suppose it was a step forward but things were not clear at that point. I do remember trying God out whilst driving to Nottingham, I prayed, he let me to where I needed to be.

Barbara: your Tom is at university now which shows how long we have known you. May I say that I see that you seem to have changed lately, is there a particular reason?

Linda: Spending more time with the CMA, it now feels like family, also joining a housegroup at church that fits me better. It has sunk in just how much Jesus did for me on the cross, dying for my sins.

Barbara: have you anything to say to the folks who read this?

Linda: Persevere.

Thank you to the team who have kept us up to date with this leaflet each month, that contains our church news.

It’s hard to believe that in just a few weeks’ time we will be welcoming Neil, Barbara and Isaac to Bradley, though they move into the vicarage this month Neil is licensed on Sunday March 8th at 3pm. We hope that lots of you will come along to be a part of that afternoon and help us celebrate. Though it’s unlikely the work on the hall will be completed by then I am sure we will find a way to have a welcome feast as is our tradition at Bradley.

As you are all aware the year had barely begun when we had a burst pipe causing quite a flood. Hopefully by later this month we will have carpets down and be able to continue with our church groups again. We just thank God that once again the worship area was unscathed.

You can’t help but notice that we now have two large metal containers in the car park, these are belonging to the builders who have now begun work on the hall, we hope that by April the work to get the hall back to working order will be completed.

Please pray for our event this month the Pancake Pop In which takes place on Tuesday Feb 17th between 12pm and 1.30pm. We would really appreciate if you could help fund the cost of eggs, plain flour, sugar etc. We need these donations by Sunday Feb 8th please. We will put a box out at the back of church. We are expecting it to be busy so any help would be appreciated particularly having people around to chat with the folks who come along to enjoy pancakes. Let us all be lights shining for Christ on that day.

Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.

As the interregnum draws to a close, thank you to all who have worked so hard over the past nine months looking after our church and those who come to worship our Lord. Please do pray for Neil and the family as they move into the vicarage in a few days time.

This month we start our lent course which is based upon The Desert Fathers and Mothers. These were early Christian pioneers, seeking God in the solitude of the Egyptian wilderness. Leaving behind the corruption of the world and compromise of the church, they therefore imitated Christ’s own time in the wilderness, to reclaim old standards of discipleship, sacrificing comfort to pursue holiness. It will be great to see what God has in store for all our church this Lenten season. We hope to be welcoming Neil in our groups occasionally from March 8th, as we explore together.

Christmas has been and gone, and the Christmas trees are packed safely away for another year.

As a church we have much to look forward too, not least the arrival of our new vicar, Revd Neil Walpole and his wife Barbara and son Isaac, who will be joining us in March. His licencing will be March 8th at 3pm, more of that nearer the time. Please pray for them as they prepare to move to St Thomas.

This month we are going to continue with our faith series, My Story and this month we hear from two of our young people Elijah and Eve, who were interviewed by Barbara during 2025.

Elijah’s Story
Barbara: Elijah, I would like to ask you a few questions about your faith journey.Were you brought up to go to church?
Elijah: No, but faith felt to be something that was part of the family as a whole.
Barbara: so what brought you to St Thomas?
Elijah: It was after my Gran died, it felt right for us all to start coming, so I came with them.
Barbara: Were you surprised at what church was like?
Elijah: Yeah, it’s a nice place to be, the people are really nice, it’s cool.
Barbara: I notice that you keep bringing friends along, do you invite them?
Elijah: Not really, I find that they come to me to ask which church I go to.
Barbara: Have you found the teaching you have heard helpful?
Elijah: Definitely, I feel closer to God.
Barbara: Could you pick out a highlight from your time at St T’s?
Elijah: I think probably my baptism and confirmation.
Barbara: Thank you Elijah, I have one last question. If suddenly you were forbidden by the government to attend church, how would you feel?
Elijah: WHAT? Oh goodness, I would still continue to pray and read my bible.

Eve’s Story
Barbara: Tell me a little bit about yourself Eve.
Eve: I have a younger brother and a family who I love to spend time with.
Barbara: Were you brought up to go to church?
Eve: No nothing like that.
Barbara: So what brought you to St Thomas?
Eve: When I was about 16 I felt that life was lacking purpose. So I did some research on religion and I liked that Christianity is based on love and forgiveness.
Barbara: Is St Thomas your nearest church?
Eve: No, but I knew Elijah went to church so I asked to come with him.
Barbara: I presume you found what you were looking for as you have been coming a while now?
Eve: Yes, I have and I am waiting to be baptised when it’s possible.
Barbara: So do you have a goal for your future?
Eve: I am studying to be a veterinary nurse, I’ve always wanted to do that.
Barbara: That’s a great career, what about your spare time?
Eve: I love art and spending time with family and friends.
Barbara: Thanks for sharing with us Eve, bless you. Eve now brings her friend Max along to St Thomas, as he is looking for purpose in his life. Please do pray for our young people, they are a part of the future of our church.

Margaret