SMR's new Associate Vicar

Laura Verrall-Kelly

Hullo, I’m Laura!

I am so excited about coming to join the St Mary Redcliffe family as Assistant Vicar. I have been in the South Bristol Deanery for a few years now, completing my Curacy at St Martin’s Knowle and then spending 8 months as Curate in Charge at St Luke’s Brislington. I love South Bristol, it’s diversity and life excite me and I am thankful to God that I am able to stay around.

A little about me… I am married to Jack and we have been married for 5 years and been together a decade now. I have been part of various church communities since I was 8 years old when we started going to church because my Dad sadly passed away. Although I have had seasons where I haven’t been as involved in church, I have always felt and been convinced by God’s steadfast love- even when I haven’t given it a place in my life. I studied Youth and Community Development at Demontfort Uni in Leicester and this was always what I wanted to do, work with teenagers and be involved in community- the Vicar thing was a bit of shock! But I think this describes me best, I’m someone who has always loved people, working with and being with people and trying to ensure all feel included are passions of mine. I feel motivated to be involved with the local community and so I am excited to get to know the Redcliffe area better.

I never know what to say when someone asks for an interesting fact about me... I enjoy being with friends, seeing family and taking time to explore- either local areas or abroad. I also enjoy trying new beers and love a cold IPA chatting with friends- if you fancy joining me in this then please do say!

Jack and I are so excited for this new chapter with you all. The journey we will go on together and the things we will learn from each other. I know in time we will get to know you all and the wider community. I love that God describes Church as ‘family’- meaning we laugh together, cry together, win together and lose together. I am excited to discover what it means to be family in Redcliffe, knowing that God is with us and guides us.

With love and prayers,

Laura

< Older Post

Newer Post >

More blog posts

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.