Transcript of article due to appear in the March edition of the parish magazine “LINK”.
Bishop says a personal “Thank You” to All Saints’ children.
In the December and January issues of LINK we told you about how All Saints’ Sunday Club and “Ynot?” youth group raised over £500 for the Bishop of St. Albans’ Harvest Appeal.
When Bishop Christopher got to hear of such a tremendous effort by the younger members of our church he asked that some of the children come, as representatives of the
church and tell him about what they had done and present him with the money personally!
We realised that this not something he would normally do, but he wanted to recognise the central role that the children had played in raising this huge amount of money.
So on Wednesday 6th February a group of a dozen children spent a wonderful half hour with the Bishop at his house next to the abbey.
All the children got to show him pictures of the various fundraising events they were involved in.
The Bishop, a known lover of poetry, was especially pleased to read out to everyone a poem Susannah wrote to encourage the congregation in their cookie buying!
Once we’d presented him with our cheque the Bishop sat down the children and led a re-telling of the story of the Lion Hunt, with all the children joining in with the words and actions.
Then he showed them some of the “treasures” in his house, which included an old sock from the child of a previous Bishop which was kept in a glass case alongside more conventional artefacts!
He also showed us his personal chapel and we all just managed to fit inside for a short prayer together.
Finally he presented Elizabeth with a copy of a book of prayers for children that he had written himself, for us to take back to the church as a “thank you”.
He greatly appreciated what everyone in the congregation – children and adults, young and old – had contributed to raising much needed funds to support improving the diet of those in need in El Salvador.
It was a truly wonderful time of fellowship with
Bishop Christopher, which I’m sure the children (and adults!) will remember for a very long time.
Our letter from the bishop - click on it and then when expanded click on it again to read it!
Click on pictures for a full size version