PASTORAL LETTER - JUNE 2025
Revd. Garry Roberts The Vicarage, 41 Station Road , Sholing, Southampton, SO19 8FN 02380 448 337 vicar @sholing.church June 2025 Dear Friends, I am writing to let you know about some temporary changes to our regular pattern of worship this summer, and to share with you the reasons behind them.
As many of you know, we recently said farewell to two of our much-loved priests Liz & Tammy. This has naturally left a gap in our ministry team, and at present, our services are being led by just myself and Su, our Licensed Lay Minister. I am deeply grateful to Su for her dedication and faithful ministry, and I know many of you are too. In light of this, and in order to allow both Su and myself some time for rest and spiritual renewal, I have made the decision that during the month of August we will pause the 10am Sunday service and Evensong. The 8:30am service will continue each week as usual.
I know that this decision will disappoint some of you. I’ve heard concerns, and I want to acknowledge them, respond to them honestly, and offer some perspective.
Firstly, some have expressed that without the 10am service, they will not be able to worship God for a whole month. I understand the sentiment behind this, but I would gently challenge the assumption. Worship is not confined to an hour on a Sunday morning in a particular building. Our whole lives are called to be acts of worship— through prayer, service, generosity, love, and how we live each day. If we believe we cannot worship God outside of a church service, then we have misunderstood something vital about our faith.
Secondly, I know 8:30am is an earlier start than many would choose. But I would encourage us to reflect on the value we place on gathering to worship. Many of us rise early for work, holidays, days out, or to meet friends. If those things are worth the early start, surely coming together to worship God is too? (I appreciate that some of you with health issues simply cannot be up and about that early – hopefully some of my following suggestions would be more possible).
I would also like to suggest that this quieter month presents a wonderful opportunity to explore new ways of praying and worshipping together. Perhaps invite others into your home or offer to visit others to read the Bible, pray or sing a hymn. Maybe those with the gift of hospitality could invite a few others from church into your home for lunch and fellowship. Go for a prayer walk with a friend. For families with young children, maybe plan a visit to a local park with others to play, pray, and share a picnic.
The month of August often brings good weather—what better time to break free from the restraints of our building, step out from behind closed doors, and live our faith in the open, visible to the world around us?
Finally, I want to remind you that we are part of a wider body of Christ across our city. There are other churches offering services at different times and in different styles. This could be an opportunity to experience the richness of worship in other settings, meet fellow Christians, and return in September with fresh perspective and renewed energy.
This is not about closing the church or giving up on worship—it’s about caring for those who lead and serve, recognising human limitations, and trusting that God is present and at work even when our normal patterns shift.
Thank you for your understanding, for your prayers, and for continuing to be a faithful part of our church family.
With every blessing,
Revd Garry Roberts