Norway learns from a Wiltshire church and its vicar

Studley St John's played host to a delegation from the Diocese of Stavanger, Norway who came to spend the week in the UK.

The team were keen to visit St John's after hearing about the ethos and practice that the Revd Alastair Wood uses, based on a teaching series he presented to the Church in Sweden six years ago.

Since arriving in the Diocese a year ago, Alastair has been putting this teaching into practice at Studley St John.

Alastair said:
"They were meeting various people during their weeks stay and had asked to meet with me, and so our new friends from Stavanger came and spent some time at Studley at St John's.

"They are looking at the difficulties of attracting families and young parents into the Church in Norway, a similar problem we encounter too.

"Much fun was had, superb food and a warm welcome, and a complete encounter with a baptism in the way we work at St John's, looking at the theory, the theology and the practice.

"It is of course early days at St John's and will take a while for word of mouth to see the effect the way we serve our community through Baptisms. What is good to know is that we have friends across the North Sea who understand what we are trying to do in building God’s Church, and are seeking ways they may serve intentionally through the wonder of a good Baptism!"