Goodbye, and may God always be with you both...
Revd Barry Dryden and Janet
On May 6th 2003, Barry was inducted as vicar of Woolston and for the past 7 years he and Janet have become well-known and well-loved members of the church and the parish. Barry came with ideas to help the Church of the Ascension move forward and to this end he has instituted several initiatives to make the church more "user-friendly" in our increasingly secular world. We now have a monthly non-communion service, which means there are no long passages of liturgy to sit through. Barry has produced service booklets for all the services we hold that are easier to follow than juggling with the Common Worship books and the large print makes them easier to read. He has brought in "Communion before Confirmation" for our young people and opened channels of communication with all the local schools whose choirs now make regular appearances at Christmas and in other services. He and Janet have taken steps to brighten up the church by forming a Banner making group and they have added to our comfort by the addition of runners on the hard wooden pews.
He was also determined to see that all members of the church realised their potential and utilise their gifts and talents and has gone a long way towards achieving this, most notably with his encouragement of Heidi who is now well into her training as a Reader.
Another notable improvement since he and Janet came has been to the social life of the church with the introduction of such ambitious projects as the Burn's Night Supper, Parish BBQ's and a special mention has to go to their delicious Hot Pot that we have enjoyed on so many occasions!
But it was with great sadness that we had to say a fond farewell to Barry and Janet at Barry's last service as Vicar of Woolston, the Parish Holy Communion with Holy Baptism on July 11th. In a service that was emotional yet uplifting, we sang hymns chosen by Barry for their special meaning to him - Father I place into your hands, I, the Lord of sea and sky, Lord for the years and his all-time favourite, Lord the light of your love is shining, better known as Shine, Jesus, shine. Also during the service the latest member of the church family, 6-month old Lexie Taylor, was baptized. During the distribution of Holy Communion, Natalie Hayes sang for us and her lovely clear voice moved many to tears, especially with the haunting "Pie Jesu". At the end of the service a choir from the congregation sang two pieces for Barry and Janet, ending with the very apt "May God's blessing surround you each day, as you trust Him and walk in His way..." and there were presentations including one by Joe and Elizabeth Fitzpatrick of gifts and cards from the members of Junior Church.
It only seems like yesterday that Barry announced his retirement from the ministry. He and Janet have found a new home nearer to their daughters and their families and this will enable them to spend more time with their grandchildren and to enjoy some peace and quiet, away from the constant ringing of the telephone and the doorbell! They have made many friends and touched many lives during their time here in Woolston and everyone who knows them wishes to thank Barry and Janet for all their hard work and support over the years and to wish them joy, happiness and every blessing in their retirement together.
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