What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • Dedication

    We are marking Dedication Sunday this weekend. That is a Sunday for giving thanks for St Mary’s and rejoicing in the opportunity to build on what has been built before us.

    Over the month of October, I’ve been asking members of the congregation to give “Two Minutes for Stewardship” each week at the Offertory and this week will be the last one.

    One of the things that I learned directly from my travels in North America last year was to be more up-front about money in the congregation. I saw the Two Minutes for Stewardship idea over there and immediately knew that I wanted to invite people to do it here. Rather than it always being me who asks for money, it is a chance for members of the congregation to say something about the congregation and about how and why they give money and time to help build on what we are already thankful has been built before us.

    Those who have been doing the slots in the service have been brilliant at capturing something of the essence of St Mary’s whilst also talking about why and how they give.

    That will be one of the themes that we think about on Sunday. There’s some fabulous music scheduled too, particularly at Choral Evensong.

    I’ve heard a sense of excitement in what those doing the stewardship slots have talked about. A sense of fun too, which is all to the good because the bible bids us to give out of our bounty and with a sense of cheerfulness.

    So, hurrah for St Mary’s and for all those who have brought us to this point. And a big hurrah for those who have spoken each week in October about how much they love the place and why they think it is worth giving in order to build on what we already have.

     

5 responses to “Diocesan Synod”

  1. Mary Sue Avatar
    Mary Sue

    I fight this every stinkin’ time I’m in church. The average age of our Vestry is 47, the eldest is 69 and the youngest is 28 (*waves*).

    However, all I hear about is how we are a ‘grey’ church in fear of dying.

    I think it’s too much trust in statistics and not enough in the power of the Holy Spirit. And I will beat that through their heads if it KILLS ME.

    Reply
  2. Eamonn Avatar
    Eamonn

    Conversations about mission that assume the Church is dying are bad enough, but at least the subject is being talked about. It’s worse when the mere idea of having a conversation about mission causes consternation and retreat behind the brocaded curtains.

    If such a conversation is to get going at all, however, we need to be prepared to rethink radically our ecclesiology. It may not be strictly inevitable that decline will continue, but we need to be realistic about the prospects (such as they are) for future provision of ordained ministers and stipends to sustain them. All churches are facing a decline in these areas.

    Reply
  3. Eamonn Avatar
    Eamonn

    P.S. – I’m not leaving the Holy Spirit out of the reckoning, simply saying that sober and realistic thinking is one of the less trumpeted gifts of the Spirit.

    Reply
  4. Kirstin Avatar
    Kirstin

    I was feeling much the same Kelvin, I was starting to believe all the doom and gloom merchants and wasn’t looking forward to another 3 days of it. I didn’t really think it was the case but when the dripping tap just keeps on going eventually you start to wonder. LYCIG gave me the kick up the backside I was needing to stop listening to the negative and concentrate on the positive and there is lots of that about. If we keep talking about decline we will talk ourselves into it, we need to stop it now!

    Reply
  5. duncan Avatar
    duncan

    Mary Sue,

    Perhaps some parts of our church are glad to be grey.

    But seriously, while I applaud the resistance to ‘sociological determinism’ (i.e. decline is inevitable), I think we can also think creatively about our demographics before we chuck out the baby, or the bathwater. It’s time to recycle the grey water.

    Some recent thoughts I had are here:
    http://www.dunc.info/?p=94

    (I don’t know how to do that clever trackback thing…)

    Reply

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