North Tuddenham

Our monthly benefice women's breakfast is at Patricia's house. We start with a continental breakfast followed by prayer together. We would love you to join us.

“They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit also Philip… ...who was presented to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.” (Acts 6:5-6).

 Throughout the bible there is the principle that God calls particular men and women for particular roles, that they are set apart for that role and that there is the release of the Holy Spirit to empower them in the role. In the Old Testament we see this many times—for example, David, called by God to be King or Elisha as prophet and then in the New Testament, the appointment of leaders for the church.

So in Acts 6 we see this with the first Deacons. They are set aside to physically wait on tables in order that fairness is observed in the distribution of food. They are called, set apart for the role and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands. Although this role as those who wait on tables is where we get the word deacon from, they are quickly shown to be more important than that, as Stephen is martyred after witnessing to Jesus and Philip goes on to bring an Ethiopian to faith and so found the Ethiopian church.

I write these words just before Andrea’s ordination as Deacon on June 29th. This service also follows this threefold pattern—it will recognise her call from God to serve him, that she is being set apart for this new role and she will be prayed for and receive the laying on of hands. As a symbolic mark of this new role she will put her dog-collar on for the first time on Saturday morning, and will receive a white stole at the service.

As a Deacon Andrea will be able to lead and preach at services, lead funerals, lead projects in the parishes and do other things as directed by me.

Then next year she will be ordained priest (or presbyter or elder) as a sign that she is ready for further responsibilities and leadership. But as a recognition that Christian leadership is “as one who serves” and following the example of the servant King, she will remain a deacon, as do I, Sally, and all other priests and bishops in the Church of England. We may be called into leadership, but we are also called to serve.

Over the next three to four years, while with us here in Mattishall and Tudd Valley, Andrea will be discovering more of this call of God upon her life and why He has called her into ordained ministry. She will gain skills that she will need for the future and will have opportunity to grow into the person God is calling her to be as an ordained minister of the Church of England.

This training is a kind of apprenticeship, which is why we have such an amazing privilege in all this. God has chosen Andrea, but he has also chosen us all, as the members of this benefice, to help Andrea discover more of what God has planned for her. It is not an academic training (she has already completed that) but practical training in the very warp and weft of parish life.

So please continue to uphold Andrea, Tim and us all in prayer as we discover what all this means for her, for them and for us.

Mark McCaghrey

How To Find Us

To reach St. Mary's Church, we recommend you have a good look at it on Google Maps! If coming from the Dereham direction, bear left off the A47 at turn off marked "N. Tuddenham". Turn right as soon as you are off the A47 then next right into Fox Lane and follow the road over the top of the A47. After passing North Tuddenham village hall on your left, turn right at the crossroads then immediately left. After a short distance on your left side is a sign marking the entrance to a land leading to St. Mary's. There is a small amount of parking space at the end of the lane on your left, but you may wish to swing round at the end and head back out slightly and park on the left side of the lane.
If coming from the Norwich direction, leave the A47 at the exit marked "N. Tuddenham" then turn left onto Fox Lane. Pick up the instructions from that point from those above.
If coming from the Mattishall direction, head down Burgh Lane from Mattishall and at the end, turn left onto an unnamed road marked towards "North Tuddenham". Follow the road, bearing right. Keep on this road until you head slightly down a hill to cross the river Tud and ascend the other side. The entrance to the lane down to St. Mary's is at the top of the hill on your right.

Click on the link to find a map of the area on Google maps. (Please note that we have no control over the content of external websites).