After lots of waiting, Rachel and Duncan (and Chester the dog!) are moving to Berkhamsted this week. They then have some time to unpack and settle in before Rachel starts her curacy with us on 28th June. We are really looking forward to welcoming them to Sunnyside and St John’s!

It is a while since Sunnyside and St John’s have had a curate so it seemed a good opportunity to remind us of why Rachel will be with us and how we can help her to flourish as our curate.

Curacy is first and foremost a time when Rachel can learn: she will be learning what it means to be a priest and more importantly, how she can be the priest that God is calling her to be. Her learning will be through a mix of formal input from the diocese, practical experience and reflection on her own, with others and with me.

It is really important for us to remember that Rachel is not here to be an extra pair of hands or to fill the gaps so that things get done! I know that we will be blessed by her ministry and that we will learn much from her, but this is a lovely by-product of curacy and not the main purpose. It is equally important for us to remember that Duncan is not part of some buy one get one free offer. I am sure he will find in due course how he wishes to be involved with our churches and it is important that we allow him time and space to do that just as we would anyone else joining our church families.

It is an enormous privilege for us to be entrusted with Rachel for this season and I know we will do all we can to support her and Duncan. Of course, the most important way we can support them is to pray for them. Let us pray for them as they move to join us and have a very different start to curacy than expected. Let us pray for them as they get to know us and we get to know them. Let us pray that they quickly feel settled in Berkhamsted and our churches so that they may flourish here.

If you would like to know more about Rachel, here is the link to her message to us when her curacy was confirmed.

with love and prayers

Rebecca

PS we have just heard that Rachel will be licensed by Bishop Alan on 27th June; ordinations are likely to be at Michaelmas (late September) but this is dependent on coronavirus regulations.