And so here we are after a glorious summer, and the start of the countdown to Christmas. As our church year starts again it’s another reminder of how we are hard wired from our time of starting school to think of September as a time for a fresh start, with new challenges and opportunities ahead.
I now know that this blog is read outside London, so apologies to some readers that this week’s offering has something of a metropolitan focus about it. At the start of the autumn term, I’d like to draw attention to the circuit based Advanced Level training course programme we have just launched and you can find details of the first courses on the training pages of the website. Also that there is a workshop on safeguarding at London District Synod this week, where I’ll be reminding trustees and church leaders of their responsibility to hold their churches and circuits to account in respect of promoting good safeguarding practice. Standby, too, for details of the audit programme we plan to launch a little later in the autumn.
Making a fresh start today is Martha Yankey who has just joined the District team and will be providing administrative support to me as the DSO. Welcome Martha! You will begin to see her name at the bottom of emails about the Advanced Level training courses in particular.
So if you are a local church or circuit safeguarder, can you spot a chance to make a fresh start, to think again with renewed optimism about an issue that’s been perplexing you? Will the crisper mornings and vibrant autumn colours give you an energy boost, or will the dead leaves and shorter days suppress those ambitions?
Last week’s blog also had a passing weather focus, and as my family might tell you I maintain a close watch (they might also say an obsession) on climatic matters as I’m convinced that the weather affects our moods as well as from time to time our travel plans. I mainly look forward in the autumn to not wearing a hat to keep the sun off where I’m challenged by a lack of follicles. So at least my head feels fresher on the outside.
Enjoy September as a time to start over.
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