Well it has been a rather intense few days on a Bishops Advisory Panel although I have to say a much more pleasant experience than I perhaps anticipated. I now feel like the young apprentice sent to the store room to ask for a ‘long weight’!

To let you know what is happening now (at least as I understand it), the advisor’s are still there writing up their individual reports and then bringing them together and from all the information drawing their conclusions, the three advisor’s have to be unanimous in their decision. Once that has been sorted reports final reports are written up on all 15 of us and then all sent out to our relevant bishops together (so we should all hear around the same time!) Normally they say you should know by the end of the following week, however with the Bank Holiday that could take an extra day, which of course takes us into a weekend so I guess it could be beginning of the following week.

I can then get one of three responses:-

1. Yes, we recommend Simon for training for ordained ministry within the Church of England.
2. Yes, but… we recommend but think he needs to do/get more experience at before going for training, this will then be down to the diocese to work out how that is done.
3. No, we don’t feel this is the right path for Simon at the moment. (if it is this option I can try again in a couple of year, and can do that twice!)

So how am I feeling?

Well a little exhausted, the experience is mentally draining, but it was actually quite good fun as well most of the time, there were 15 candidate and as we were all in the same boat and there is no competition, we could all get a yes, we could all get a no, there was a lot of mutual support, even the advisor’s although not giving things away there was a real sense that they are not there to say yes or no but to help us discern Gods call. I know I have been myself, I have tried to give of my best and let them see who I am, I could not have done any more and now I need to trust God for the right outcome, whatever that may be. I am of course slightly nervous, slightly excited and perhaps slightly scared, and I think that is perhaps right for whatever the outcome might be.

I want to say a huge thank you for all the prayers that I know many of you have been sending up, for the encouraging comments that have been left on Facebook or emailed that have really helped me feel loved and supported by so many during the three days. Now I just have to wait and continue to pray and I will let you know once I hear.

Thank you all

God bless

Simon

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written by Simo

Sorry all I have been away for far too long, all i can say is the bus broke down, too much other stuff to do and a temperamental computer (this has definitly broken down but is working again at the moment).

I have now managed to upgrade the back end of the blog and fix what went wrong the last time (although I have just noticed my draft posts all now say they were written on 1 Jan 1970, before I was even born impressive).

I am hoping to add a new box later as i have set up a twitter account (which can be found at http://twitter.com/simofaulks) although it should feed into here and is already doing my facebook status. i hope to use this to keep people informed during my selection conference next week but will post again here later.

Cheers

Simo

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written by Simo