"It's time to move on"

After 12 years as vicar of "the fairest, goodliest and most famous parish church in all England" the time has come for us to move on.

As many of you know, I first came to Redcliffe in 1996 when I spent five years as Associate Vicar. I described that role as “The best job in the Church of England." However, after twelve years as vicar, I have to admit that I think this one is even better … just!

I have been ordained for just over thirty years, which means that I have spent over half my ministry within Redcliffe. It is a community, a building and a place I have always loved for its people, its situation and its mix.

It has been a huge privilege, a real honour and (on the whole) great fun being here, living amongst you and sharing with you in the work of the gospel.

There have been some notable ‘wins’:

a strapline and four key themes that really describe who SMR is
a congregation that has grown in number and diversity
a community team making a real difference
a significant increase in visitor engagement
a far more robust and compliant organisational structure

And there are some notable things that have been left undone:

most notably, our accessible toilet is still down a flight of steps!

I have great confidence in the amazing team within this extraordinary place. I know you will continue to "Sing the Song of Faith and Justice" with hope and expectation. I know you will continue to find new, dynamic and creative ways that honour Redcliffe's traditions. I know you will continue to build on them and so unfold as yet unknown and unseen glimpses of the Kingdom of God.

As for me, as for us, we will be moving to London.

Being a clergy family means that our previous moves have all been determined by me getting a new job. For some time we have had a hankering to live in London and, as many of you know, Sarah has been commuting to the capital for the last ten years. So that's what we're going to do.

In the summer we'll move to London. I'll take my pension and spend my time supporting the work of the local church in new ways.

All this means that my time as vicar of "Bristol's fairest" is drawing to close and our last Sunday will be Sunday 13 July.

Thank you for your companionship along the way and for your commitment to this wonderful place.

Dan Tyndall

23 February 2025

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Sermon on Sunday,10th August 2025

By matthew.buckmaster • August 10, 2025

Preached by the Revd Laura Verrall-Kelly, Associate Vicar

Interregnum Information

By Laura.Verrall-Kelly • August 7, 2025

Keeping You Updated During the Interregnum As I prepare to go on maternity leave at the end of August, I want to share some important updates regarding our Sunday Services and communication during the Interregnum period. We’ve taken time to consider what is sustainable and meaningful in this season of transition, and while some of the changes have been difficult, they are intended to ensure we can continue to worship together well. Service Changes 8am BCP Eucharist We’ve made the difficult decision to pause this service during the vacancy, following a PCC vote (with 3 votes against). This is due to the limited availability of clergy to cover two Eucharist services on a Sunday. We’re grateful that this decision has allowed us to secure strong cover for the other services. If you’re looking for an early service, the Cathedral offers Morning Prayer at 7.40am and BCP Eucharist at 8am. This change to the 8am will happen from the beginning of October. Mattins & Evensong These will continue with support from a growing team of Lay Leaders. If you're interested in helping lead, please speak to Simon Goodman. Please note: bespoke online orders of service will no longer be produced weekly. Instead, we will use a standard booklet and hymn book in church. Online viewers will receive a standard order of service plus a document with Bible readings and hymns. 10.30am Sung Eucharist Some small changes are being made to simplify things for visiting clergy: Notices will be read by a Church Warden, Duty Warden or Church Representative Communion distribution will return to queue formation A Gradual Hymn will replace the Responsorial Psalm - there is simply not the resource to produce a weekly or termly Psalm hand out in church. We’ll use a standard “Eucharist during the Vacancy” order of service (in booklet form), with hymn books provided in church. As with other services, online resources will mirror this setup. These changes to the 10.30am will happen from the 17th August. Christingle Service Due to the scale of this service and the planning it requires, we’ve made the difficult decision to pause it this year. Without full-time clergy to oversee preparations and lead the service, we don’t believe we can deliver it safely or well. We know this will be disappointing, but this service will be back. Ongoing Communication Thanks to Chris Duncan and Sam Love, we will continue to send out a weekly email during the Interregnum. I’m very grateful to both of them for stepping up to support in this way. We know some of these decisions may not affect everyone, while others may feel them more deeply. We don’t expect universal agreement, and that’s okay — your questions and thoughts are welcome and valued. All we ask is that feedback is offered with kindness and respect for those who have worked hard to make these plans in a short space of time. Thank you for being part of this community and for your ongoing support as we navigate this together.