Since I last wrote, the news of my move to the Midlands later this year has emerged. We will be going to serve in the parish of St Giles, Exhall in North Coventry (and the jokes about being sent to Coventry are already wearing a bit thin!).  Exhall is not so different from Harefield - a mix of residential and green belt, some industry, the population a bit larger. St Giles is a thriving church family, with lots going on, and lots of people committed to serve in all sorts of ways. It's also an ancient parish church surrounded by a well kept churchyard.  Although it will be very hard in many ways to say goodbye to Harefield after 15 years, I am convinced (as far as one can be) that the time is right to move, and for Harefield to get a new vicar, someone with different gifts and experience, and better able then me to help move the life and mission of the church "onwards and upwards". And I certainly believe that God having led and enabled us to do so many good things at St Mary's in recent years has still better plans for the future, and will not abandon us now!

LENT begins this month, with Ash Wednesday on 17 Feb. See the What's On this Month page for details of the services that day. For Christians Lent is an opportunity perhaps to fast (give something up, maybe?) and give more attention to praying and nurturing the spiritual parts of our lives.

For spiritual nurture, we offer everyone a weekly Lent course.  It's
called WHEN I SURVEY - Christ's cross and ours. It will run through the 5 weeks starting 22 Feb, with groups meeting in different people's homes
at different times in the week.  Full details are available in church or
(shortly) on our website.

The course features spoken input from John Bell, General Sir Richard Dannatt, Christina Baxter, Colin Morris, and David Hope. Instruction is kept to a minimum, but there is a marked commitment to "wondering" about mystery and the hard facts of reality.  One reviewer says this course is refreshingly challenging and well worth considering".

As for fasting, once again we shall run a weekly simple LESS4LENT Friday lunch starting on 19 Feb.  A simple lunch - home-made soup, bread and cheese, fruit and a cuppa, all for £2.50, with all profits going to charity.

Or read a Lent book from the bookstall at church. These include the fun
LOVE LiFE LiVE LENT books, full of imaginative ideas re things to do,
which many have found helpful before.

And on Sat 20 Feb Martin Davies will lead a Walk Through the New
Testament.  This is fun and highly recommended. The venue is St Margaret's Church, Uxbridge, and the timings 9.45am - 5pm. Again, there's more info at church.  You need to sign up to book, or telephone the Vicarage office.

And finally, if you need any encouragement about prayer (and there are
few people who find it easy) then please read Susan Dell's story on the News - Local Features page.  As she says God doesn't always answer our prayers in the way we expect, but he does answer in his own way, and he gives a "sense of inner peace".