We said goodbye to Vanda in September – do you remember the lovely evening service – with the thunderstorm? –and we welcomed Chris into her ministry with us just before Christmas. We have also seen more of Malcolm and when he is not helping out elsewhere he will be worshipping with us and leading us in worship as well.
It is so good for us all that we have a ministry team rather than just me! That is partly because variety is very good but also it is because I have responsibilities at St Peter’s and in the diocese and wider – so my time is of necessity limited – and often I feel there are not enough hours in each day. Chris has been able to devote time to the ‘tots and teds’ service and to visiting as well as spending time with the Wednesday group and I am delighted she is with us as a priest.
I want to look at what we have achieved in the last year or so by looking across the age range - beginning with the little ones.
Thanks to some loyal and committed volunteers we have kept the parent, carer and toddler groups going on Mon and Wed – and the numbers though they dipped in Jan and Feb are very healthy again now. The little service on a Tuesday morning is an experiment – we are not yet sure that we have found the best time for it but it is certainly appreciated by those who come. Sunday Club has a good new team of leaders and helpers. Numbers fluctuate but we hope that it will grow as we build relationships with the young families that we know through the Mon and Wed groups. Chris is working on this and so is Vicky whose networking is amazing. Out of these links we are hoping that more baptisms - and more commitment to our church life will come and we hope to put on fun days and all- age workshops through the year in the lead up to major festivals.
The key thing as a Christian community is not to focus solely on bringing people into church but to support and care for all wherever we meet them and I believe that we do this well.
Quest – we have a super bunch of young people – and are fortunate indeed to see many of them regularly worshipping with us as well as meeting together on Sunday afternoons. It is a strong group and we have a good time with them – I want to thank Gill for her enthusiastic leadership of this group – and Di and Mark for their support.
So now to the adults – it has been a busy year of fundraising – and that has enabled some great social events to take place. Katie as we know has not been well and also had her parents to worry about – so could not do as much as she had hoped - but Vicky backed up by Jemma and others has achieved amazing things – and so many of you in all sorts of ways have raised money towards the development of the church and hall – though there is still some way to go –.. So keep the ideas flowing and the initiatives like Monica’s (Macey) cake raffles and Sally’s sale of cards – and the coppers in the jar – it is amazing how it all adds up.
Amongst the events and activities of the year that come to mind are the frog auction, the quiz with questions far too difficult for me; the strawberry tea and of course last year’s Summer ball and the New year party. Thank you so much to all of you for your work and support. – and there are more events to come – especially in my mind are the Midsummer dance on 24th June - and the curry evening for St Andrew’s.
Then there are the regular things that happen and have become really important in the life of St Andrew’s – for both outreach and pastoral reasons as well as social – the Tuesday coffee morning and the scrabble evenings – there is real mission going on here – and that is what I want us to build on when the hall facilities have been upgraded.
And now the older age group – if I may call them that. But remember that we never retire as disciples of Christ – and the Wednesday group are witnesses to that – they have had illness to contend with but they still meet regularly and manage to raise a lot of money for St Andrew’s and I thank them on our behalf.
There has been great sadness during the year – the real shock of Dick Weaver’s death – and that reminds us how fragile life can be – and we also supported Jenny through Ray’s illness and death. Brenda Fittes has been really ill and still is- and currently Mary Harrison is still ill. Jessie is frail now and there are lots of you I think of when I say the canticle at morning prayer which contains the verse ‘make firm the feeble knees’
Yet we are strong – because there is a lot of loving and caring that goes on here. You are so good at welcoming people and being friendly – and that is important because it isn’t just new people’s first encounter with us that is crucial – but also the second and third and onwards – people who are new and newish can feel a bit insecure and need to feel that they belong with us and are welcome – and though we are good at this I do not want us to be complacent so I hope we can look at doing even better at this in the coming year.
Also what about growth in our faith? – I think those who have done the Alpha course have been surprised at how enjoyable it has been and how much we have learned - partly it is the teaching from Revd Nicky Gumbel – and we could all do with more teaching about the faith – but it is also the opportunity to ask questions and talk about what we believe and where we have difficulties - and all in a relaxed atmosphere - so I also want to promote our home groups this coming year.
It has been shown that the best way for churches to grow both in numbers and in spiritual depth is for members to belong to a weekly or fortnightly home group where they learn and support each other and pray together and get to know one another. We already have four home groups across the island – one is a monthly contemplative prayer group – that is a lot of silent prayer so may not suit many of you – but ask Michael about it if you want to know more. There are two well established Bible Study groups run by Margaret Voysey and Tony Turner and though they are both St Peter’s folk the groups are open to anyone – and there is also a group that meets at Vicky and Jo’s home – fortnightly I think – and is a mixture of study and prayer led by Jenny who we hope will be licensed as a Reader sometime this year. There is room for more and I am hoping that I can offer a monthly get together over a simple meal with a video and discussion – so watch this space.
So what about the future – I am hoping that we shall be able to do more pastoral visiting and that scheme is just getting off the ground – with Lin Jones as coordinator and we are now receiving requests from Dr Stratford to visit people who are so lonely and down that they have been to their GP for help – whilst what they really need is someone to visit them every now and again - and perhaps an invitation to come to the coffee morning. If you would like to be part of the visiting team please let me know. The more the better as there are so many lonely people in Eastoke and I really do believe that Christ is calling all of us to care for them and help them feel they are wanted and accepted.
So I am hoping that our welcome ministry and our spiritual lives will grow during this coming year, in amongst all the change and the disruption to come – but also there are key personnel changes -
1. John Page is stepping down as editor of the magazine after a very long stint – and Michael Cayley has agreed to take on the editorship
2. Rupert steps down as Church warden after many years – actually he will still be CW until June when Judith is sworn in by the Archdeacon – and then we shall show our appreciation and give him a thank–you gift (that is his main task now – to think of what he would like!) However, he is taking on a new role - that of verger, now that Jessie has retired – between them Monica and Rupert will be sacristan and verger and they are posh titles for the people behind the scenes who prepare things for all the services – the sacristan gets the altar ready and the verger makes sure the church is unlocked and the books are there ready and between them they order the supplies of candles, wafers and wine, palm crosses, the paschal candle etc – Rupert will also continue his early morning check-ups round the church – and we are truly thankful that he does this – that fire in the vestry would have been so much worse if he had not turned up when he did.
The churchwarden’s duties are different – they are responsible for the fabric of the building and they also need to ensure good behaviour and order in the church – and that those taking part in the services as intercessors, readers, offertory party etc are there and prepared. We shall also have a scheme this year of having an unofficial deputy warden to stand in when either of the wardens is unavailable – Robin sometimes has to play the organ and Judith will be away at times. Rupert has been unique amongst church wardens that I have known, in that he does not take holidays and also with Monica he has done so many things that are over and above the remit of church warden. We are very grateful to you Rupert.
What I am putting in place is a way of clearly defining what each role involves and also a sort of apprenticeship model where new volunteers can learn alongside Rupert and Monica what needs to be done to help get the church ready for services. I think that one of the main responsibilities in any task we take on is to prepare for when we give it up – even if that is way into the future – because we need to know that the work will continue smoothly and is not dependent on one person to be there. And for that reason I am now looking for someone to take over or at least share the burden of the hall bookings. Monica has served us faithfully in this role but when the hall is finished and has much more use – possibly by the health centre and CAB as well as community groups etc the booking side of things will grow – so if anyone is interested in this very important role please let me know. And at this point I would like to thank Jean for her cleaning duties and again say that if the hall is to be used more than she will need some support.
The third change that has just happened is that I now have some admin support - when I came for interview for this post just over three years ago one of the things that impressed me was the promise of admin support – and I thought I would be able to concentrate on the things I feel I was ordained for – leading worship preparing sermons, encouraging people in their spiritual lives visiting the sick and bereaved – but Elaine never had enough hours to do everything – i.e. support Paul and do work for the group like the weekly news sheet and then do work for St Peter’s and St Andrew’s as well. My work load got so heavy at times that I was doing 80-90 hours a week and a quarter to a third of that was admin. That is unsustainable in the long run and has affected my health and my sense of doing the important things well – and I am so glad that after a very difficult time in the group council we have at last found a really positive way forward. Elaine will continue as St Mary’s secretary and Debbie Newbound is the parish secretary or administrator for St Andrew’s and St Peter’s – It is important that you know when she is working – Tues and Thurs am 9-1pm Weekly sheet items and any admin matters need to go to Debbie at my email address or phone number. Debbie will still be working whilst I am away and so for admin things contact her – for pastoral things Chris will be in charge and for management things one of the churchwardens.
I have given you this handout ( see below) to show you how important I think it is to just be and to read and to pray and think – if I am to be able to let God use me to inspire you and lead you spiritually – now that Chris and Debbie are in place with support from Malcolm and Jenny and Alison as Readers I intend to find more time for reading and sermon prep and the preparation of talks and workshops etc – not to mention Godly Play - and I think we are in for an exciting and rich year ahead. The building work will be inconvenient and messy and the fund raising needs to continue but I am hopeful and excited about the changes that lie ahead because I now know what amazing people you are and that in the Risen Lord’s name we can accomplish what he wants for us and of us. –
I am clear what I want of the clergy. I want them to be people who can by their own happiness and contentment challenge my ideas about status, about success, about money, and so teach me to live more independently of such drugs. I want them to be people who can dare, as I do not dare, and as few of my contemporaries dare, to refuse to work flat out (since work is an even more subtle drug than status) to refuse to compete with me in strenuousness. I want them to be people who are secure enough in the value of what they are doing to have time to read, to sit and think, and who can face the emptiness and possible depression which often attack people when they do not keep the surface of their mind occupied. I want them to be people who have faced this kind of loneliness and discovered how fruitful it is, as I want them to be people who have faced the problems of prayer. I want them to be people who can sit still without being guilty.
Monica Furlong
I look forward to another year with you all and in fact I look forward to many more years here on Hayling.
Ann Leonard