By this time last year my family and I were well prepared for our move to Deeping St James and the loose ends at Over were being tied up before we moved. We shall soon have been here a year and I have nearly finished putting away the equipment and books in my study'.
Before we moved it had been made clear to me that my biggest challenge here was money: over the last few years the parish has slid into a situation where it no longer pays its way nor contributes to the mission and ministry of the wider Church. The reasons for this are complex, but it is obvious that we cannot go on this way: if relatively affluent parishes like ours are not contributing financially to the Church's work, then that work will gradually shrink. Already some missionary societies have made redundancies.
Some factors in our difficulties we cannot change and there is no point in wringing our hands over them: our share of the cost of running the diocese and the national church is not going to get any smaller, and neither is our insurance premium - the two biggest expenditure items. I can reduce my working expenses, but only by doing less work.
Factors we can change are those we should address, and these, broadly, are the number of people in our congregation and the amount each of us gives, and how far people who are not in the congregation might be encouraged to help -since there are many who value the Church even though they rarely attend.
With the help of Mr Keith Bourne, a diocesan advisor on parish resource development, a small committee has been established to look at how we can improve our financial position, and as the year goes on you will hear more and more about what they are planning to do and how we can move forward. At this stage there are just a couple of points I should like to make to help with our prayer and thinking from the start:
I am personally not fond of talking about money - or of hearing about it - and would dearly love to see this subject put behind us for ever. However, we can only do this when we have dealt with it, for it will not go away without our attention. This is not the sort of problem which can be permanently solved by a one-off donation to a specific fund; what we have to try to do is to increase our regular personal giving to a level which properly reflects what God means to us and the value to us of the Church's ministry. "To give and not to count the cost...... to labour and ask for no reward...". Sorting that out for good will give us a firm foundation for our work of building God's kingdom.
Mark Warrick
7th June: Trinity Sunday
10am: Romans 5: 1-5; John 16: 12-15
14th June: 1st after Trinity
10am: Galatians 2: 14-21; Luke 7: 36 - 8: 3
(Family Eucharist with Baptism)
21st June: 2nd after Trinity
10am: Galatians 3: 23-29; Luke 8: 26-39
(With Baptism)
28th June: 3rd after Trinity
10am: Galatians 5:1, 13-25; Luke 9: 51-62
5th July: 4th after Trinity
10am: Galatians 6:1-16; Luke 1-: 1-11, 16-20
6pm: Deuteronomy 24:10-22; Acts 28:1-16
Climbers and Scramblers have been celebrating the Great Fifty Days by studying some of our Lord's resurrection appearances. We iced crown-shaped biscuits to remind us that at Ascension our "King who rides on a donkey" is crowned King of the Universe. We empathised with the disciples waiting for God1s helper to come by making cakes: waiting for our turn to stir the mixture, waiting for them to cook, waiting for them to cool and waiting until after Church to eat them!
Our numbers continue to grow and Elizabeth Dale, Faye Mitchell and Alexandra Donnelly have qualified for the Scramblers badge and Lauren Mitchell and Nicholas Dale for their Climbers badge.
Under seven? Come and join us in the Vicarage at 9.5Oam on Sundays (not 2nd Sunday). Telephone Alison on 345890 for information.
On May 19th Mark and I paid a visit to the Christian Resources Exhibition at Sandown Park, Esher. (We had hoped that Bernard Babb would be joining us but Sybil's recent operation prevented it).
It was my first visit to this annual exhibition which draws together all sorts of resources and aids to help us as we bring the Gospel to people at the threshold of a new Millennium. After a well connected trip by train and tube a mini bus whisked us from Esher station to Sandown Park. The sun shone and the view from the grandstand was superb. Our journey meant that we were not able to make the opening of the show which was attended among others by Kathy Staff (Norah Batty of `Summer Wine' fame) and Harry Secombe, though I did get a glimpse of Sir Harry who was still signing autographs when we arrived mid-morning.
Gathered under one complex were over 300 exhibits all aimed at furthering or supplying the needs of Christian Mission together with a full day's programme of special lectures and demonstrations. There was so much of interest; I managed to take in a lecture by the Archbishop's officer for the Millennium and an Israel Travel film while Mark attended a lecture by Dr. Gareth Tuckwell of Burswood.
After lunch we both went to a valuable and entertaining talk by C.P.A.S. on `All Age Worship'. In between, we scoured the exhibitors' stands. I could have spent a whole afternoon on the bookstalls and came back laden with many catalogues of recent publications to keep the Reader's reading matter up to date! Mark was on the lookout for firms which might be useful in the future for any improvements we might make to the Church's heating and lighting systems. But there was so much more - computers, music, church furnishings and textiles, the list goes on. It was my first visit, and I hope it certainly will not be the last.
Sonia Marshall.
Those of us who have been to the annual St. Luke's Tide Diocesan Conferences for a number of years have been learning about the many ways in which our Lord is carrying on His healing touch. This comes in a variety of ways, such as at the Communion rail during the Eucharist, the Holy Spirit directing the laying on of hands and the co-operation of the medical profession with prayer and our Lord's healing touch.
We believe it was through many people praying, the surgeon's skill and our Lord's healing touch that Sybil's one remaining eye was saved, and so we are very grateful for all the help we have received during this difficult time.
So all praise to our Lord, it is His victory. Alleluia. (Acts2:14 - Acts3:12)
Bernard Babb
I would like to thank everyone for their prayers and best wishes.
Sybil
The Christian Aid Lunch held on 10th May raised £158.
Grateful thanks are extended to Margaret Flegg and her helpers for preparing the food and to everyone who came and gave donations which made the event so successful.
Every May the Readers of the Diocese gather in the Cathedral for a service of worship and re-dedication. These lay men and women contribute generously to the ministry and mission of the Church, in a voluntary manner which nevertheless requires not only initial training but ongoing study and reflection.
They serve not only by leading worship and preaching in parishes throughout the Diocese, but also by teaching all ages of Christians, by acting as lay chaplains in residential care homes and hospices, by trained visiting in hospitals and prisons, by assisting in schools and in a wide range of voluntary organisations where they seek to offer thoughtful support to those who manage as well as to those who receive care and attention. Readers seek to be alert in their places of work and recreation to occasions where pastoral listening is needed, or where they might be vehicles for the Gospel energies for reconciliation, truth and justice.
Last year Readers led nearly 4000 services and preached as many sermons; they conducted over 250 funerals and served alongside other lay people on synods and councils. There are increasing links between Anglican Readers and Methodist local preachers especially for continuing ministerial education, and between Readers and Local Ministers. Shared study and planning with clergy is also increasing, and all these are hopeful signs in a Church which has to remain confident of the power and beauty of the Gospel.
Seventeen men and women were admitted to the Church of England's Office of Reader this May to join over 180 Readers already authorised by the Bishop. They included Brian Brewer from the Billingborough Group in our Deanery and Carol Lidgett from St. Mary and St. Nicholas, Spalding who had been tutored for the course by Sonia Marshall.
This is only an extract from some of our magazine. Residents of Deeping St James can subscribe to the printed version.
Back issues are available on line as follows:
November 1997;
December 1997;
January 1998;
February 1998;
March 1998;
April 1998;
May 1998.