Rector: Rev Ian Whitehead
The Rectory, Church Road
tel: 810151

Dear Friends,

With the arrival of floods within the village and the country at large, the winter ahead does seem a long one. Many homes were flooded and our hearts go out to them in their situation. Many people say more should have been done sooner, but we are always wise after the event.

The coming of the Christmas season reminds us that, in Christmas shopping, we nearly always find the right present after we have bought something else. We worry that we have enough for the Christmas meals and afterwards wonder why we bought so much. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

The Christmas story we will hear once again in St Mary’s church over the season will speak of “if only’s”. If only God had chosen another way, Mary would not have been pregnant. If only they hadn’t had to travel to Bethlehem, then the baby could have been born in better conditions and there would have been no need for a stable. If only the Angels had appeared to a better class of worker, there would have been no need for “common” shepherds to have been at the stable. If only the wise men had not gone to Herod first, then the massacre of the innocents need not have happened. If only it could have happened at a better time of year we could have had a good Bar-B-Q for Christmas dinner…and better weather!

In reality God chose the best way possible for him to become part of his creation, a baby born in obscurity, knowing the danger of life from day one, becoming a figure of question and decision for many.

May you all have a joyful and enjoyable Christmas. St Mary’s Church will be celebrating the Christmas Story in many different ways, look out for more details.

Rev. Ian Whitehead

The fire eating rector of Rolleston is a fairly quiet workaday bloke at heart. Even if he does occasionally like to startle the congregation with the odd magic act. Sundays will never be the same at St Mary's Church. There's the odd whiff, if not of fire and brimstone, then of lighter fluid, and sulphur, hanging about the nave - especially when the rector, has just completed his famous fire-eating show. Its an odd juggling act for a rector. But everything has its purpose when you are bringing home the word of God. Because that is Ian Whitehead's real burning ambition. And if some sleight of hand, or juggling act will make people stop and think about the message, then he has achieved his aim. He was a hard act to swallow when he helped light up Rolleston Club's Children in Need Appeal.

Rolleston welcomes it's new Rector, Ian Whitehead and his family (October 1999)

Ian - aged 36, Former Engineer
Christine - aged ... not telling! Former Education Clerical Officer
Becky - aged 10, Loves Swimming, Animals & Art
Amy - aged 6, Loves People, Animals & everything but not necessarily in that order!

His hobbies include cooking, counted cross stitch, snooker, walking and reading most of which he shares with Christine who is far better at most of them than he is! (Except the snooker!). ("If you are interested in cross stitch take a look at this site http://www.crafts-unlimited.co.uk/xstmchdv.htm " - Webmaster).

Ian Whitehead’s induction into the post of Rector took place on Tuesday 12th October when he was presented by Rev. Ann Wright representing the patrons of the church at a service conducted by the Bishop of Lichfield.

Ian has sent us this message (taken from the Autumn 1999 Rollestonian):

Christine and I were delighted to be asked to take up the position of Rector of Rolleston with Anslow. We consider it a privilege to be coming to work with you and serve God within your community. We very much look forward to being able to call St. Mary’s and Holy Trinity "our" church, as well as calling Rolleston our home.

We were excited by what both churches had to offer when we read the details, and then to be asked to come here by the Parish Representatives, the Patrons and the Bishop was just great.

So who are we? No doubt you will have seen our picture and some of our details around the place, but in case you haven’t....We have two children, Becky (10) and Amy (6). Christine (originally from Nuneaton) and I (Bedworth born an’ bred) met at a missionary conference organised by her father in Bedworth Church Hall. At just 19 and 21 we were the two youngest people there! Challenging the Rural Dean to ‘do something about youth work!", he got us together’.

For the next five years, together with an ecumenical team of young adults, we organised and ran a Deanery wide youth ministry. During this time I spent a year away in Birmingham doing Youth Work from out of a YMCA with British Youth for Christ. Christine, at this time, worked as an administrator in the Area Education Office for North Warwickshire.

We married following that time in 1985 and I was working in Engineering when our first daughter Becky was born and Christine gave up work to care for home and family.

Following a look into training for Lay Reading in the church I was ‘approached by the Vicar Picker’ of the Coventry Diocese (the DDO). "Had I ever considered ordination?" he said. I had, and yet I had considered myself not educated enough! Following interviews, essays, Bishops and a selection conference we found ourselves in Nottingham at College where our second daughter Amy was born.

After 3 years of college and a BA in the Ministry, we moved as a family to Rugby to serve as a Curate in a small church on the edge of a large community. Two years later we moved to Whitnash to continue my Curacy. During this time the Rector retired after 31 years in Whitnash and I together with a team of lay people ran the interregnum for 11 months

Now we are contemplating our move to Rolleston Rectory amid paint charts, curtain material, carpets and boxes. This will be our, and Becky’s 6th house in 10 years and her 4th school as well! We will arrive with a lot of boxes, together with two Cats (Cleo and Hamish Bagpuss - you’ll hear their story later), Nathan the G.P. (Guinea Pig) and Sherbert the Mouse.

Please pray for us, as we come, to move that we might settle in quickly and smoothly. Having moved so often we know we can do it practically ...but we also know it can take time for the ‘dust’ to settle. Once we are in and settled we will be as eager to meet you as you are to meet us!

Yours sincerely,

Ian, Christine, Becky and Amy Whitehead

Farewell Message from Rev Malcolm Birt

Dear Friends of Rolleston,

Sylvia asked me to put a little piece in here as we leave the parish, and this I am glad to do. I have written my Farewell letter in the Parish Magazine, but I know that the Rollestonian has a wider circulation.

I have been privileged to share in the lives of so many of you, in matters "great and small' and in your joys and sorrows.

I expect that you have heard the saying that a preacher is one of the few people who can make people sit and listen without being able to answer back! More seriously I remember the minister who said he regarded it as an enormous privilege to be able to share the things of God with people Sunday by Sunday. That is also my feeling.

I would like to wish you all every happiness in the future,

Yours sincerely,

Malcolm Birt

© Rollestonian (Spring 1999)

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