Hello and thank you for appointing me as church warden for St Mary’s. It’s very humbling to know I have a formal role to play in serving us as a church, as we seek to serve Jesus our Saviour.

We have two church wardens and I’ll be serving alongside Lindsay Reisser-Weston. Thanks to Anthony Kan, our previous church warden, who helped us navigate the interregnum period.

I have been part of St Mary’s for 22 years, I’m married to Heather and we have two children, Oliver and Elizabeth. We live in west Maidenhead and I am a consultant IT programme manager, currently with an international company based in Maidenhead.

Heather and I are now members of the 4pm congregation although we have been part of the 9.15am and 6.30pm congregations over the years. Elizabeth goes to the 6.30pm service and Oliver is away in his first year at university. Whilst at St Mary’s we have had the privilege to lead Growth Groups, Christianity Explored, Christian Foundations and teach Explorers as well as involvement in other ad-hoc groups and events. Our children have grown through the various children’s and teenage groups for which we are so grateful.

I thank God that he placed us in a church that genuinely seeks to serve him through his word and through its actions. Having seen the church change over this time, it is clear to me that the church body grows only by humbly submitting to his word and obeying his precepts.

As I look at our varied and diverse church, only God could achieve this, with his Holy Spirit at work in each of us bringing us together in unity under one head, Christ. Thank goodness there is only one head!

So what does a warden do? Here is an extract from A Summary of Churchwarden Responsibilities (from the Canons of the Church of England):

“Churchwardens shall be foremost in representing the laity and in cooperating with the incumbent; they shall use their best endeavours by example and precept to encourage the parishioners in the practice of true religion and to promote unity and peace among them.”

Please pray for Lindsay and I to:

  1. represent and support us as a church body to follow Jesus our Saviour and
  2. to support Jon and the staff team as we strive to turn our faith into action.

The time ahead has some uncertainties, but thankfully our hope is certain and the one in whom we hope is able to achieve more than we can ever imagine.

Please continue to pray for us as a church, that we would maintain our unity in Christ, seeking to obey him in all we do, loving each other as Christ loved us, so that God will be glorified in our time serving him here on earth. ‘And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God.’ (Philippians 1:9-11)

Keep praying!

Andy