The Licensing and Installation of the Revd Andrew Avery
by Yvonne Hill
Photos supplied by Roger Hill
St Nicholas was full to capacity on 31 st August with people who had come to witness the Licensing and Installation of the new Great Y armouth Team Vicar, Andrew Avery. The band of young people from Unite did a wonderful job of accompanying the hymn singing.
Team Director, Revd Chris Terry, began the evening with a very warm welcome to the congregation and also to Barry Coleman, the Mayor of Great Yarmouth; the Bishop of Thetford the Rt Revd Alan Winton; and Revd Canon Richard Copper.
The congregation was asked to stand for the first hymn. During the singing the procession approached from the west wing and made their way to the front of the church.
The Bishop, Rt Revd Alan Winton, introduced the service and welcomed Andrew to the Yarmouth Team Min  istry.
June Baker gave a reading taken from Luke 4 verse 38 which speaks about Jesus and how he went out and about reaching out to people.
In the Bishop’s sermon he referred to this reading and pointed out that there had been a lot of coming and going recently in the church but now is the time to settle down and to move on. He said that it is good that Revd Andrew and his wife, Carol, were now settled into their new home and he was sure that they are glad they will no longer need to commute each day. He went on to say that Carol has enormous gifts as a lay person and that she is a great help-mate to her husband. He went on to say that James, the new Curate, has also settled into  his new position.
Revd Winton said it was also St Aiden’s Day and that he was an inspired missionary. He said that Aidan would walk from one village to another, politely conversing with the people he saw and slowly leading them to Christianity. According to legend, the king gave Aidan a horse so that he wouldn't have to walk, but Aidan gave the horse to a beggar and there is no record to say that the king gave him another one. By patiently talking to the people on their own level, Aidan and his monks slowly brought Christianity to the Northumbrian communities. Aidan also took in twelve English boys to train at the monastery, to ensure that the area's future religious leadership would be English.
St Aiden did what Jesus did by going out and about in the community and meeting people and seeing to their needs. The church needs follow their example and reach out to the present day community to show them love and caring. The Bishop said t  hat Jesus always found time and space to pray, he said the church also needs to make space and time to talk to God and to build up a relationship with him. The Bishop went on to say that the new Vicar, Revd Andrew Avery, recognises this need to go out and about.
The Bishop brought the sermon to a close by wishing him God’s blessings in all that he does. The evening progressed with the licensing ordinances and the symbols of ministry which were presented to Revd Avery.
The new Vicar announced that James was celebrating his 40th birthday and invited the congregation to sing Happy Birthday.
The organist played an amazing voluntary piece of music whilst the Bishop led the new Team Vicar through the church. Many people came to meet him eager to wish him all the very best in his new position as Tea  m Vicar. 
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