Rector's report
Running with perseverance the race marked out for us
Matthew Street – Rector
The last twelve months, since our last APCM in April 2022, have certainly been tumultuous.
We have witnessed the coming and going of three prime ministers and two monarchs. An increasing conflict in Ukraine which has caused a global financial and energy crisis coupled with extraordinary heat waves, cold snaps and strikes.
In the St J’s Group we have celebrated 650 years of continuous worship at St Julian’s Wellow, we have welcomed a family from Ukraine into St John’s Peasedown, we have witnessed three people reaffirm their baptismal vows by full immersion on January 1st 2023 and have heard testimony from many about how God has moved and changed their lives in the last twelve months for the better.
Our sermon series for 2022 focussed on the ‘I AM’ statements in John’s Gospel which revealed twelve important characteristics about Jesus that we have been able to apply in our daily walk with God. Every month we allowed the Old Testament to illuminate our focus characteristic.
Twelve months ago I sensed God highlight a famous sentence from the Book of Hebrews: ‘Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. (Hebrews 12:1b-2a) and in particular the word ‘perseverance.’ I encouraged us to ‘fix our eyes on him.’ and to ensure that we were running ‘the race marked out for us’ as individuals as well as our four church families. I stressed that we needed to make sure that we were running His race marked out by Him and not by us. Despite everything that we have been thrown over the last twelve months we have collectively persevered in our journeys of discipleship.
As I have read the reports for our 2023 APCM I continue to be amazed by what a creative bunch of people I have the privilege to journey with. Collectively we should all feel proud of what we have managed to achieve and I certainly feel honoured to be a part of the four families of the St J’s Group.