In my late teens and twenties, the church I attended was a beautiful old one in a tiny hamlet in East Sussex. Despite our size we had an excellent choir. Our Christmas celebrations began at midnight on Christmas Eve. This was the first time that any decorations would have been seen. The tree would go up just before then and we young people in the choir would decorate it.

Our Carol Service was the first Sunday after Christmas and the church was always packed as it was worth waiting for. We also had on Advent Sunday evening, a full Advent Carol Service to mark the beginning of Advent.

Advent, the start of the church year, is a time of waiting. Mainly a time of thoughtful waiting for the joys of Christmas and also when we think of the second coming of Jesus.

At the end of December, we will also all begin another time of waiting. We will be waiting to find out what the Diocese intends for our three parishes of Breadsall, Smalley and Morley and also, hopefully, waiting for the arrival of a new priest.

In the meantime, we give our love, prayers and good wishes to Kate as she enters a time of waiting to begin her new duties in her new parish. We are confident that God has a plan for us all, but we have to wait to find out what it is.