Challenges Ahead for Church and Team

No football matches to attend this morning - Tom's injury prevents him from playing for Clarendon Juniors and Saints' match against Birmingham has been postponed until tomorrow as Birmingham have been involved in international matches this week.  I attended Morning Prayer at All Saints with Nils and Andrew and then went off to the recycling centre at Amesbury to unload the car of all the junk collected from the garage clear-out yesterday.  When I got back, Sara was just on her way out to take Mary to ballet and to do some more errands in Salisbury, including visiting our friend Jan who is in hospital.  The weather turned really nasty this afternoon with thunder and lightning and a torrential rain storm.  I had intended to clean the car and walk up to Richard's for the Winterslow Parish Standing Committee Meeting but drove through the rain instead.  A very long meeting this afternoon which was also attend by two members of the clergy, Nils and Cynthia.  Winterslow PCC is facing quite a number of challenged especially with Linda and myself being formed for ministry which means we cannot be deeply involved in the administration of the parish - in Linda's case, not at all as she has moved to St. Thomas's Parish in the city of Salisbury.  This is leaving more and more work for fewer people as the younger element, in particular, have increasingly busy lives and the older members feel they now need a break.  The church here in Winterslow needs, I think, to refresh itself and look at other ways of doing things - perhaps cutting down on some of the things it already does.  The football results went well for Saints today with Brighton losing at home to Leicester.  Although Middlesbrough did win it does mean that if Southampton do beat Birmingham  tomorrow, they'll definitely go back on top of the table.  Cowdenbeath ("my Scottish team") had a great 0-4 win away but Grimsby clocked up another defeat - this time against newly relegated Stockport County.  Ended the day watching the Million Pound Drop for the first time.  This reminded me that I need to start thinking about getting the October pub quiz together.  An early night.