It
is still very much hoped that on June 30th we will welcome
a newly ordained curate, Sarah Flashman, at both the 8.00
a.m service at Fishbourne and the joint 9.30 service at
Apuldram. So please do pray for her as she completes her
study and prepares to be ordained, and for her future
ministry amongst us.
When
a person is newly ordained, they have a great deal to
learn despite having studied for several years, and so
we will each have the responsibility to support and help
Sarah in this stage of her ministry.
She does already have a great deal of experience given
that she assists her husband Steve at Immanuel Church
in Chichester, and no doubt will have a lot to share with
and teach us, but she does not know too much about the
Church of England at this time.
Sarah
will be what is called a self-supporting minister, which
means she will not be paid. Therefore we need to remember
that she will not be in the parishes full time, neither
will she be seen every single Sunday, so please not too
many demands, there will be times when she will need to
say no. And it is also important to realise that she is
not coming to ‘do’ it all, rather a curacy
is a time of learning, it is a great privilege for a parish
to have some one who is newly ordained, and no doubt there
will be new aspects of ministry developed during her four
years with us, but primarily Sarah will be with us to
learn.
Like
all clergy, Sarah will initially be ordained as a deacon,
a ministry she will inhabit for the first year before
being priested. A deacon’s ministry is so very important
to the church; it’s not simply a stepping-stone
but one, which lays the very foundations for the future
ministry of a person.
To
give a brief insight: A deacon has a particular role to
fulfil at the Eucharist, Sarah will call people to confession,
proclaim the gospel, preach now and then, invite us to
share the peace with one another, prepare the Altar, assist
with the giving of communion when required, clear the
vessels after communion and dismiss the people at the
end of the service. It sounds a lot, and it is, a deacon
has an important role to play. For each of these tasks
reflects the servanthood of all Christians, and Sarah
will be reflecting all that she does week by week in the
community, and reminding the whole church that it is there
to serve. In a nutshell a deacon is called to live out
what it means to wash the feet of others, to be Christ
the servant, and by doing so will give value to and affirm
the serving we all do week by week.
Ultimately,
a deacon works with the parish priest and the Readers
so as to equip, enable and encourage us all as we seek
to witness to God’s love in the communities we live
in. They have a particular responsibility for mission
as they reach out into the forgotten corners of our communities.
Exactly
how this will work for Sarah will become clearer as she
gets to know people and the needs around her. But exciting
times lay ahead, not just for Sarah, but for us too as
she reminds each of us to keep responding to God’s
love and play our part in the building up of his church.
Sarah
will write a more personal piece for next month’s
magazine so you will be able to know a bit more about
her, her hopes and dreams and maybe some worries and fears.
Moira
