John Cowlin, who
will celebrate 75 years of worship at the church later this
year, has been recognised by his congregation for the decades
of tireless work that he has undertaken at St. John's.
As well as ensuring the church is open every day of the year,
planning the church music and organising the church's annual
flower festival, the 84-year-old deputy church warden supplies
the church with a home grown Christmas tree every year and has
even been known to make Communion wine from the fruit in his
garden.
Reverend Chandler Nominated John in the `Ecclesiastical's Little
Deeds, Big Difference' competition, which seeks to celebrate
the work of church volunteers across the UK.
Commenting on
the nomination, Reverend Chandler said: "You'd expect me
to say that John Cowlin is 'the salt of the earth' to us. I
would describe him as the kind of salt and light that Jesus
calls us all to be.
.
Lots of people work hard in our Church, we work well as a team,
and we all love John for who he is - but we want to honour him
for what he has done and is still doing.
He'd be rather embarrassed to read this, but it won't faze him.
Nothing does!
"John has done almost every job imaginable in Church, except
take the services!"
He is ever-present as our
Deputy Churchwarden, makes
sure the Church is open every day of the year and closes it
each evening.
During the 23rd & 24th June, St. John's will host its 50th
Mount Bures Flower Festival, an event that John, wife Sheila
and others organised for the first time in 1968.
This year, as always, John will be in church to welcome people
to the Golden Flower Festival.
Church volunteers like John make a big difference to so many
ordinary lives, in all sorts of communities.
Reverend Chandler added: "It
is so very encouraging that our insurance company is taking
an interest in what we are doing in the community."
Reverend John Chandler
John forwarded this script to the Ecclesiastical
Insurance for their "Little Deeds, Big Difference Award"
31/10/2018
NOTE:-Unfortunately
John was not successful in winning this award, but he did
get recognised in numerous local newspapers.