REV ANDY’S NEWS
April 2018
Hello to all you lovely people who signed up to bibleinbrief.org! 
Unbelievably, over the last three years I have produced five and a half books – the latest to be launched on 16th May. I am taking a wee break now so I can get my teeth into Social Media.
(I am in the pre-Mark Zuckerberg generation). Wish me luck!
Over the next few months I will share with you the various stages of my writer journey.
I hope you find it interesting , and that it stops you making the same mistakes I did. Do email me with any questions you would like me to answer.
MY WRITER JOURNEY: THE START
Prologue: Hackbridge 2015
For 21 years I was vicar of a small church in south London, All Saints Hackbridge & Beddington Corner. I produced a sermon each week and a column for our community newspaper each month. The thought of writing a book did not cross my mind until I retirement loomed. We had a friendly
Roman Catholic guy who came and played the organ for the occasional weddings we had in church. He told me he was a publisher, Chris Day of Filament. He took me for a coffee and said, “You may find this a strange question, but what are your next two books gong to be?” I.e., was I basically a one-trick pony? I told him about the next two I was planning. So we were on! I started writing a booklet to help people to read the Bible from scratch. Chris told me that I had to make the thing more substantial, and not to be afraid to make it personal. By November the basic writing had been done, but there was loads more to do.
The problem with illustrations Summer 2015
I knew I wanted lots of archaeological drawings to illustrate the book, but where to find someone to do them? Fortunately, my wife at that time was a member of a karate club. I was driving back from a karate club dinner one evening; Linda was sitting in the back 
and chatting to a young man called Daniel. I heard him say that he was studying art and design, but what he really liked was fine line drawing. My ears pricked up, and I asked him if he would do my drawings. After the end of term that is just what he did. And not just for Bible in Brief. He did a fantastic map of Jerusalem for “A Week of Prayer in Jerusalem” and excellent cartoons for my new book “Five Steps to Faith”.
Distractions Autumn 2015
In September Linda and I moved from the vicarage at Hackbridge to our flat in Earls Court. (Amazingly, I had bought it in 1976,so we have this lovely flat to move in to. Providential or what?) There was masses to sort out. Also I enrolled in a German class in South Kensington and became chair of a small music society providing free Friday lunchtime concerts in the City. But the main distraction was another book or two that I started writing. But that’s another story.
WRITING – ANY QUESTIONS?
Isn’t it lonely, writing?
Not lonely for me. The mere act of writing, or rather typing on my laptop, is communicating. So I feel that I am with you, the reader, even though you can’t reply immediately. 
Also, I don’t write at home. There are too many distractions (the washing, cooking, tidying etc.) Instead I always write in some quiet public space, like the Art Library in the Victoria and Albert Museum (see above) or in the café in Tesco’s, Caffe Nero etc. So there are people around, and I often exchange a remark with someone. And I always stop writing at 5.30, so the evening lies available before me.
TAKING MY OWN MEDICINE
I am pretty good at suggesting what other people might do – not so good at doing it myself. It took me over two years to get my book “Bible in Brief” from conception to birth. A key component is that every page of questions has a page opposite for the reader’s own answers and comments. And these comments can then be uploaded to the relevant section of the website.
It took me at least nine months before I thought of doing it myself! I started at the
beginning, and have moved steadily through until now I have reached the prophet Jeremiah, Month 3 Week 3. And guess what – I love it! However weird the Bible passage and however hard the question, when I write something on the notes page I get a real sense of achievement and closure, and look forward to reading and responding to the next day’s passage. You may get the same buzz.
And let me tell you a secret. The front cover says that Bible in Brief gives a comprehensive overview of the Bible in six months. But it does not have to be six months! You can take as long as you like over it. At the rate I’m going, it will be at least a year, and it doesn’t matter! Go on, try it yourself. But you need a hard copy to get the full effect.
You can buy it, p&p free, at bibleinbrief.org.
COMING UP IN MAY
Wednesday 16th May is kick-off day for my fifth book, ‘Five Steps to Faith”. One of the best things about being vicar in Hackbridge was a series of discussions I held in people’s homes, five sessions in each. It was great, hearing people voice their real opinions, and seeing the light come on in their eyes.
I decided to put it all into a book because the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York sent out a booklet in January about nine days of prayer in May called ‘Thy Kingdom Come’. Thy Kingdom Come encourages churches all over the UK and the world, to focus on two prayers from Ascension Day to Pentecost: “Thy kingdom come”, and “Come, Holy Spirit.” The aim is that through prayer churches may have the courage to tell their story, however they want. As the Archbishops wrote: “Whatever you do, do something!”
I see my book as part of this message. “Five Steps to Faith” offers a resource to any
church to be able to respond e.g. when a young couple turn up at the vicarage door and say “We want our baby christened, but we don’t know much about Christianity. Is that important?” The standard answer, “You can come to church”, does not, in my view, cut the mustard.
If you want to know more, you can get details and free tickets at eventbrite: http://tinyurl.com/y8uoh53c.
More next month!
And do send me your questions!
God bless
Andy