St Mary Redcliffe Church Parish Magazine - December/January 2018

of St Mary Redcliffe. I think you don’t see yourself grow that much, but when I
look back on my time here I think I’ve grown massively over the last five years.
So I think that’s why I like to throw myself in at the deep end, to help people,
to give them that chance; give them that one little opportunity that I was
given. Exactly when that moment came along I’m not absolutely sure, but I
do know I was given it. For me to keep what I’ve got today, I believe I have
to give it away; so if that’s helping someone in the congregation, or helping
someone who comes in off the street looking for a cup of tea and a chat,
then I’ll be there.
— So how did you actually come to be at St Mary Redcliffe? I helped set up
the ARC café in the Undercroft, nearly eight years ago now, and we were looking
for a place to base it, so the first experience I had of SMR was when I had
been clean for about a year (not even a year actually). Life was new to me, and
SMR had given ARA (Addiction Recovery Agency) the opportunity to use the
Undercroft — a new venture on both sides: new for ARA, and it was new for
the church to work with people with addiction. It was difficult, but we all made
it work. Anyway, I’d been working at the café for about two years as Head Chef
and Assistant Manager when a job came up in church — I’d seen this piece of
paper in the ARC café and they were going to put it on their notice board, and
me being me... well I took it off, went for the job and got it!
— You were doing two jobs; how was that? I was for a year: I did 10 hours in
the cafe and 10 to 15 hours up in the church, and after a year I dropped the
cafe work and did 25 hours in the church. I took over from Joy, and I hope
I’ve done her proud. But in my wildest dreams I never thought that I’d end
up in this church. It just never entered my head. And especially with my old
lifestyle. I think if you’d asked family and friends they’d have never seen me
working at St Mary Redcliffe!
— What are your plans now; are you moving on to do more of the things
you want? Yes, I’m going to be working for myself, starting my own Cleaning
business. Again, starting my own business is something I never ever in my life
saw coming! But it’s also about the quality of life outside of work, because being
at SMR — amazing as it is — means working at weekends and holidays to fit in
with the Christian calendar, and I’m looking forward to spending Christmas with
my wife for the first time and spending weekends with her. I’ve talked about
SMR as part of my journey where I’ve learned and grown spiritually and as a
person (and become more ‘adult’ ‘cos I’ve never really grown up!), and now I
want to start my own business and move things on.
— Very inspirational! So what particular memories do you have of SMR. Well
let’s just say two very special services! First of all I was married at SMR. SMR is
one big giant family; everybody at church was involved, and everybody pulled
out all the stops. It was the most exciting and the most emotional day. The
best day of our lives — and our families’ lives too — and SMR put that together.
And another really proud moment was doing my first wedding as a Verger on
my own, and being responsible for bringing the bride in. I find that a bit of
an honour. Matthew had said, “this is your first ever wedding, and you get to
keep the Order of Service for the first wedding you do”, and two years later
Evelyn came to work at SMR — and she was that bride! How strange is that!
God works in mysterious ways. So I showed Evelyn: “Look what I’ve got!”, I said,
“the original Order of Service for your wedding”.
— What’s the title for this — because it’s a very wonderful journey, yours.
Yes, and I was talking to Dan the other day and said I class myself as having
four families now. I’ve got my family in Liverpool; my in-laws in Bristol; I have
my AA family, the fellowship of alcoholics; and St Mary Redcliffe, the biggest and
most dysfunctional of them all! But it’s a family that gives me unconditional love
and tells me off when I need telling off, so it’s the best of all of them really because
I’m there the most, if you know what I mean.
— Will you be coming still to church? Yes, you’ll still be seeing me fairly
regularly at services, and I’ll still do Treefest and the Night Shelter, and I’ll
probably still do a little stewarding.
— Any advice for the congregation at SMR that you know and love? Love
everyone, treat everyone like you’d treat yourself and keep up the good work,
and if we don’t judge people we’ll all be on a happier planet.
— Thanks again Andy, it’s been great to talk; we wish you all the best and will
miss you when you leave — but you’re in Liverpool as we speak, and you’ll be
wanting to get off the phone and back to the family. Nope, it’s good to get
out for 10 minutes — it’s a kids’ party and it’s getting loud...! [laughter...]
Andy Carruthers talked to Eleanor Vousden