Ian Smith Cross of St Piran nomineeIan Smith has been awarded the Cross of St Piran for his thoughtfulness and care. This has ensured that no one in the Camborne Cluster Church community has been left behind during the pandemic.

Ian has taken to the streets over this past year, walking the length and breadth of Camborne to deliver newsletters and other communications from the church to all the folk who don’t have access online. In a world where Zoom, live podcasts and electronic communications have become increasingly adventurous, Ian was acutely aware that there was a danger of older members of the church community becoming isolated.

The importance of staying connected

This past year has taught us how important it is for people to feel connected. It’s also taught us how easily people become disenfranchised and for mental and spiritual health to suffer. Ian, who suffered his own personal tragedy when his ex-wife died of Covid, was concerned for those in the community that live alone. “For many of the folk, getting together on a Sunday is a lifeline.”

“For many of the folk, getting together on a Sunday is a lifeline,” says Ian Smith

It hasn’t been as straight-forward as one might think to deliver letters, Worship at Home packs, Palm Crosses and even Christmas cards. Ian had to devise a quarantine system for Christmas cards sent church, He set up a series of rotating deposit boxes that allowed for a constant delivery of cards, while setting them aside for the requisite 72 hours, before delivering them safely to people’s homes.

Armed with sanitiser and aforethought, Ian has delivered a range of communications to each and every member of the congregation who is not online, being careful not to touch gates or letterboxes in the process.

From Sunday School and Pathfinders to Transforming Mission and opportunities for others

Church has always been important for Ian, who began as young boy at Camborne Church’s Sunday School, progressing to Pathfinders and holiday camps. He is excited about the arrival of Transforming Mission in the church as he hopes that others will have the same opportunities he has had to value faith and the church family around him.

“Transforming Mission is a good thing that’s really going to help bring in younger families to Camborne. Years ago we had a flourishing Sunday school and a broad range of ages across the church. I’m hoping Transforming Mission will help us bounce back.”

On the welcome team at church, Ian knows important it is to make people feel welcome and part of what’s going on. He saw no reason to change that approach during the pandemic, even though it meant a lot of walking for him.

As they said of Ian in his church, “Ian’s love and care for others is seen in his attention to detail, his commitment to each task and his perseverance in these uncertain times. Ian is a living saint and much valued member of Camborne Church. He has followed Piran’s example by stepping out in service and in the spirit of ‘one and all’, ensuring no one is forgotten or isolated.”