WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

WILSTEAD PARISH CHURCH and ELSTOW ABBEY

Last week was exceptionally busy and included a 3 day Employment Tribunal, a Speed Reading course, a Finance Briefing for the new Unitary Council, a BBC 3 Counties Breakfast interview, a Community Safety Forum with the Police and representatives from 6 villages and a meeting to launch Wilstead Parish Plan. I also visited a local farming family to advise them on a peculiar situation whereby their home is cut in half by the boundary between Haynes and Wilstead and will be located in 2 different Unitary Councils, Central Beds and Bedford Borough Councils in April.

Today I went to Wilstead Parish Church to present gifts purchased with a grant from my Community Leader's Fund - 2 lovely English Ash wooden collecting bowls, made by Ray Terry a Wilstead resident, and a CD Player and CDs of hymns for use when an organist is not available to play. In the congregation were 16 week old triplets, Alex, Jessica and Oliver with their proud parents and a pair of identical boy twins. There must be something in the water in Wilstead....

This evening I attended a Joint Ecumenical Service at Elstow Abbey to celebrate the 100th Week of Prayer for Christian Unity organised by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, with representatives from many different Bedford churches. I was invited to attend both as Vice Chairman of Bedfordshire County Council and Elstow's local Councillor. Also I sang the anthem - A Clare Benediction by John Rutter - with the choir and we had some rousing hymns including Cwm Rhondda and an interesting Sermon from David Cornick, General Secretary of Churches Together in England.

Next Saturday 31 January Elstow Abbey Friends are holding the 3rd Concert in our 1st ever Elstow Music Fesitval - an Organ Recital by Bedfordshire Organists Association at 12 noon. Tickets are only £7.50 (£5 for pensioners) including a Ploughman's Lunch - a real bargain for those who are watching the pennies in the Credit Crunch. Tickets can be bought on the door and all are welcome.

Never a dull moment for this local Councillor - and I even found time to watch the Inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th US President!