While the vicar's away, the curate will play...
Now showing at a church near you, a major new film starring the Reverend Sue Groom! Subtitled "The Vicar's On Sabbatical", it's all about this curate who takes control of the Parish... but it's too soon to give you the full lowdown: that'll have to wait until our next bulletin or the national news, whichever arrives first. The Sun newspaper has already offered to provide a jet to fly us out...
A month into Father David's three-month sabbatical, and Sue is certainly enjoying the challenges of being priest-in-charge. Equally important, the church wardens and PCC seem to be surviving the experience too.
The Big Question that arises, however, is "What Next?" — we're now nearly two-thirds of the way through Sue's contract in Eastcote and it's time to start looking ahead. Your prayers would be appreciated as Sue seeks a suitable post.
In Print
Have you ordered your copy of the Concise Encyclopedia of Language and Religion yet? If not, email Phil at the LBC Bookshop bookshop@londonbiblecollege.ac.uk and we'll get a copy in for you. You'll find Sue's contribution on page 405 — but at £146 you may prefer to read it in a library...
We're hoping that her MPhil thesis will be made available at a more accessible price!
Further afield...
Leicester
Thank you to everyone who's been praying for Phil's sister-in-law, Linda. Please continue to pray as she faces another course of chemotherapy. It's proving a tough time for the family and we're grateful for your support.
Fetlar
If you've never read any of Mother Mary Agnes' books about SOLI — the Society of Our Lady of the Isles — then you've missed a remarkable tale. If you'd like to catch up, now's the time to start to make sure that you're ready for the third volume, Island Song, due to be published by Triangle, £6.99, in September.
• A Tide that Sings: £5.99
• The Song of the Lark: £5.99
Available to order from the LBC Bookshop:
Phone: 01923 456130 Fax: 01923 456131
bookshop@londonbiblecollege.ac.uk
UK Christian Bookshops Directory
Ever wanted to find a Christian Bookshop in a town or city you haven't been to before? If so, help is at hand: Phil's latest web project is building an online database of Christian Bookshops — you'll find it at: www.groomsville.co.uk/UKChristianBookshops, and so far more than 250 shops are listed. Entries include contact info, opening hours, brief shop descriptions and, where possible, links to the shops' own websites. There's also an opportunity for customers to write shop reviews — why not log on and write about your favourite Christian Bookshop today?
If your local Christian Bookshop isn't listed, please tell them about it and encourage them to register: it's completely free of charge and an ideal way to get online if they haven't got a website already (or to get some free publicity if they have).
St Lawrence Online
Phil's other major web project has been to complete the development of the St. Lawrence website — if, that is, a website can ever be said to be complete! It's now largely a question of updating the online diary and adding other odd bits as necessary.
Please take a look and tell us what you think: www.st-lawrence-eastcote.org.uk. If you like what you find, please let us know — and give Phil a shout if you need any help setting up a website for your church.
Holiday Time
Have you booked your holidays yet? We've got a day at the seaside planned in July, a fortnight's boating in early September and a special treat for Sue: joining the Parish Pilgrimage to Rome & Assisi at the end of September.
Look out for us on Almost in September if you live along the Thames valley — feel free to flag us down and hitch a ride for a day (though you'll need to find your own way back to wherever you intercept us at the end of the day!).
With our love, prayers and best wishes,
Phil & Sue
