On Sunday 8th June I was inducted as lay pastor of Hartley Wintney Baptist Church. My wife Sue and I have lived in Fleet for over 20 years, bringing up our children here who are now in their early twenties.

For the past eighteen months, we have enjoyed getting to know many of the congregation at HWBC as I have been invited to lead services here with increasing regularity.

My appointment at HWBC is part time and I will continue to work for a software company in Slough four days a week. Sue and I are also members of Fleet Baptist Church and will continue to be actively involved there – splitting our time between Fleet and Hartley Wintney. The two churches are very different in size and worship style – but share a living faith in Jesus Christ and a desire to live in obedience to Him. For each of us, it is a challenge to work out what that means for us day by day. Jesus is our Lord and Saviour every day of the week – not just when we are at church. Being a Christian every day during the week is not just about witnessing to our neighbours and colleagues, but about recognising Jesus as Lord of all we do – however mundane our daily tasks may seem. This is equally true if we are at home or out and about or if we are at work all week. As a part-time pastor, I will share that challenge of recognising what God is doing and what he wants me to be involved in not only on those days when I am specifically doing church things but every day.

Sue and I really appreciate the way that we have been welcomed into the HWBC family and look forward to getting to know more people in the village over the coming months. We also look forward to seeing God at work in his church and among the people of Hartley Wintney. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)