The Only Ones in Touch

In today’s Independent, Mary Ann Sieghart, who is not a Christian believer, eloquently defends the Church of England against recent attacks from Richard Dawkins, who appears to think that the church is a worthless and even malign institution. One of Ms Sieghart’s reasons for that defence chimed strongly with me: Social workers, teachers and doctors [...]

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Five (or More) Ways to Encourage a Vicar’s Wife

A lovely parishioner visited me yesterday and brought a bunch of flowers, knowing that I’d had a pretty stressful few days. Sometimes being the Vicar’s wife can feel lonely. You’re in a weird situation that not many people understand and people keep on calling at your front door asking the Vicar to mend their bikes [...]

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A Year Comes Around Quickly

I’m off again today on the Proclamation Trust’s wonderful Minister’s Wives’ Conference. I’m looking forward to being refreshed by teaching from Lizzie Smallwood and Vaughan Roberts, chatting to friends from dawn until dusk and being encouraged by hearing what God is doing in many different places. It’s hard to believe that it’s a year since [...]

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Where Does Our Help Come From?

Obviously, you recognise my quotation from Psalm 121: 1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. And of course, as a Christian, I look to the LORD when things are difficult and when I need [...]

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Tartle: A Word I Needed to Know

I was pointed to a page of 20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words today. Some of them are excellent, but my eye was particularly caught by this one: 7. Tartle Scottish – The act of hestitating while introducing someone because you’ve forgotten their name. I must say that I often tartle, and so does the Vicar – [...]

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Being Organised. Or not.

I would really really really like to be better at organising our family life. The Vicar has a real problem with organisation. In fact, he always prays for the spiritual gift of administration, valuing it very highly, but so far the Lord has not blessed him in that department. And he has just appointed an [...]

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Not Quite Beating the Bounds: An Inner City Parish Walk

I’ve recently started a new routine: evening walks a couple of times a week with my pal Beauty and her mum. In an Anglican sort of way, we began the day after Rogation Sunday, just over a week ago, when Vicars are traditionally meant to ‘beat the bounds’ of their parish ie walk around the [...]

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Vicar’s wife job description – Part 13 – A mixed bag

It’s been another interesting day here in the parish, so I thought I’d share a few snippets of what I got up to: School harvest festival service in church. I was down for refreshments for the parents afterwards (tea, coffee and some home baking). My duties expanded to child care (the Engineer’s been a bit [...]

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Regular Vicarage Meals on offer

Together with a room in the Vicarage, tons of interesting ministry experience in our parish and a place on the Midlands Ministry Training Course. See the Vicar’s post and check out his blog to find out who’d be training you. We’d love to have someone join us who’s passionate about Jesus and keen to share [...]

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Mistaking the Vicar

The other week we were visiting the vicarage, sorting a few things out before the move. The (then) Curate was doing some practical jobs wearing his allotment jeans, his hoodie and his beanie and was outside the house. A lady walked by and smilingly said to him You’ll need to get a move on with [...]

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