I’m sitting writing this (5th of May) ahead of time as I am about to go on my holidays.
Holidays in our house are prepared with military precision, we are researched and itinerated well in advance, there is never the opportunity for us to pitch up on a holiday and not know what we are doing the next day! So, as part of that planning, here I am writing the newsletter article in advance.
When we are away, it will be over the time of my first anniversary here in the church. As I was saying at the May communion, it’s been a quick, or long year…depending on how you look at it.
For me, it seems a very quick year, and a great year at that. I have loved being part of the church and getting to know everyone. I have loved the challenge that being part of the church is about as we find our way into the community around us. In a short space of time, I think we have done well in reestablishing ourselves.
People are beginning to know we are here, and we are beginning to be more visible in the community.
So, I suppose I am sitting here contemplating the next steps. We have had a lot of visitors over the last year, a few coming along more than once, we are making connections, but as I said in the last newsletter, and although we remain in hope, how do we get them to stay a little longer.
So, tough questions for a church, as we seek to move forward, what are the important things to take with us, and what might be some of the things that hold us back.
Sometimes, we feel that these conversations are difficult, and I think that every generation of church goers have the same dilemmas about change and how to do it.
But the biggest obstacle to church growth is when we stop having these conversations and just accept things as they are. We are part of a movement, and the challenge of any move is apparent for us all. But we need to have this discussion over the next few months, and ongoing over the next few years too.
When I was in the Boys Brigade the motto had ‘the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom in it’ for my Queens Badge Essay, I asked the question of what happens when we don’t advance at the same pace as Christ’s Kingdom, then we will be left behind.
Let’s accept the challenge to catch up
Your friend and minster
Alan
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