Julie's Jottings for February

At St Mary’s Church, Great Shelford, over the next few months we are undertaking a number of projects.  There will be some work to unblock soakaways, and repair some downpipes and a leaky roof, as well as to complete an unfinished restoration of the organ.  In addition, we are also looking to put in cupboards to tidy up the back of the Church.  These are jobs that we have been working towards for some time, and suddenly they are becoming feasible.  Each project on a Grade 1 listed building like St Mary’s Church has to be considered by an architect and advisors from the Diocese, as well as advisors from various groups who may have an interest, and some projects have to be approved by the Chancellor of the Diocese. It takes endless forms and time, nothing happens quickly.  
The Church Wardens and PCC have a strong sense of responsibility for this beautiful ancient building which has for so long served this community. The villagers have come to St Mary the Virgin Church for their weddings, baptisms and funerals, for centuries.  They have been uplifted, consoled and nurtured.
In the middle of this process, I went to a Committee Meeting for The Friends of Great Shelford Parish Church.  Members of this group may or may not come to worship services, but they all have an interest in the ancient Church building.  It costs just £5 a year to join the Friends, and to support the preservation of this beautiful building for the future.  After all, this Church is a part of our heritage.  We see this illustrated in the Visitor Book when couples come back to visit the Church on their wedding anniversaries.
In addition to our building work, we are also starting a new venture to offer people an opportunity to meditate and pray together in a group.  We will be using well-honed tools from the Christian tradition which will also resonate with those who practice other meditation and mindfulness traditions.  We really want to do this in the Church space, but in February the Church is too cold in the evening, so we are meeting 26 February at 7pm at The Vicarage (12 Church St).