Thoughts from the Rectory

 for August 2026

Dear Friends

I hope you are having a good summer and were perhaps able to attend a concert during our recent Five Churches Festival in July. What a wonderful offering of musical gifting and use of our beautiful church building here – including a special workshop for children from our Pilgrim Federation Trust schools.

As you may be aware, I’ve been away from duties because in June I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I had experienced very few symptoms which meant that, unfortunately, the cancer was already advanced when it was discovered. As a family, we are all so thankful for the love and support we have received over
the past few weeks from people across the Glaven Valley. Your thoughtfulness, generosity, offers of support and ongoing prayer for myself, Emma, Amber, Ethan and Hugo is precious. Thank you.

I wanted to share that the pathway for me for the rest of 2026 is a hopeful but hard path.

By the time this issue of the GVN is published, I will have received major abdominal surgery and heated chemotherapy applied directly to the affected area. A relatively new treatment, Cytoreductive Surgery with HIPEC, treats the cancer aggressively and can be highly effective. The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital is one of the few centres of expertise able to offer this remarkable pathway and while my
expected recovery is likely to be several months, the hope and the prayer is that I will need no further treatment. My family and I have a deep sense and peace that God has already gone ahead to prepare the way.

As I will be off for some time, our amazing Church Wardens, other Benefice Ministers, senior Diocesan Clergy and other local colleagues, are drawing up a pattern of services and cover for the rest of 2026, which I hope to start joining in with as I begin to recover.

You may see me out and about from time to time (doctors will make sure I don’t languish at home!) and you will certainly see Emma and the children, so do say hello. It may be that some of the things that we have started over the last year take a little bit of time to restart or develop, but we are confident they will continue. Emma is hoping to spend some of my recovery time planning for this in regard to the Children and Youth work.

Perhaps more than ever, I know that we will all in God’s hands and upheld by His love and purposes. If you are facing a similar period of illness or are caring for someone who is, may you also know that God cares for you. You are not forgotten and should you ever feel alone, the Churches of the Glaven Valley are here
for you – be you of any faith or none.

Thank you for your welcome and your support: we have been in the Glaven Valley for a year now, and, calling it home, are looking forward to years of flourishing life and ministry with you all.

May God bless you and keep you,

Jonathan