Newsletter December 2011
“For see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2 : 10-11)
There is a lot of bad news “out there” at the moment, so in this season of good will, I thought I would share with you some good news! It is good news about how our congregation’s ministry is shaping faith and through it, how others are coming to find their lives transformed by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
He walked into mid-week worship unsure of his welcome. He hadn’t been to church for so long he couldn’t remember the last time. He’d heard about how some churches point fingers at those who are members but don’t attend, so he’d had to pluck up a lot of courage. At the end of the worship he told another worshipper that he was so glad he had come. “Everyone was so incredibly friendly. Someone said’ ‘Welcome back, it’s so good to see you again,’ while others came over and introduced themselves. By the end of the evening I felt as if I was among friends. It was a good feeling, one I hadn’t felt in a long time. You see since my wife died, I’d become a bit isolated. I really hadn’t wanted to go out. That evening gave me some confidence back and restored my faith.”
“Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25 : 40)
She won’t talk about her family. Her mum and dad are always arguing. Sometimes she goes up to her room and cries. Other times she says she tries to find excuses for not going home after school, just to stay out of the house. Her parents tell her there’s no money, so she can’t join in some of the activities she would love to do, like her friends can. She said she’s afraid – afraid of what might happen at home, afraid for herself. ‘The youth group is great. I can go there and everyone accepts me. I don’t need money to go. The leaders talk to me like a grown-up – my parents just put me down. We do fun things and I can forget about home for a while. And the adults listen to me. I can talk to them. It’s a safe place.’
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingom of heaven belongs.” (Matthew 19 : 14)
The diagnosis is uncertain as it always is when living with cancer and yet she has so far defied all the odds. We chat regularly, about this and that. She always updates me on her health but then she likes for us to chat about ordinary things. She says it brings a sense of mormality to life. So we talk about what’s going on in the church, in my life and in her family. We laugh and, yes, sometimes we cry. Always the visit ends with prayer, bringing before God whatever her immediate conerns are. Mostly I pray, but sometimes she says a prayer too. And always just as I’m about to leave she says something like, “Thanks you. After we have prayed together I feel so much stronger. It’s like God is with me, giving me strength. I really need that feeling. I really need my faith. Thank you.”
“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him ‘Emmanuel’, which means ‘God is with us’.”
Emmanuel. God is with us. Let us all give thanks to God this Christmas!
Talking of which, Len and I wish all of you a very happy one!
Valerie
Newsletter September 2011
If you earn £10,000 and spend £11,000, you go into the red, yes?
It’s the same with the church. If we spend more than we receive, we end up in th red – with a deficit. Over the summer a group of leaders in the church met to address this situation. We weren’t sure whether to call our committee the “Cost Cutters” or “Cash Generators”!! The truth is our approach encompassed both, for we need to both cut costs and generate more cash.
Most years our income from offerings rises. That’s the good news. Most years our expenditure rises even more. That’s the bad news.
This year utilities (gas and electricity) are set to soar. In a huge building like a church this will have a dramatic impact.
In the light of this and the deficits we have had over the last two years, the Kirk Session has approved a package of cuts and cash generating ideas.
1 The Cuts
The aim is to make a lot of small cuts in every area of the church. The sum total of these will help us to reduce our costs. Many of the cuts have to do with property – such as turning our thermostats down a degree or two or putting toilet “hippos” in our toilet cisterns so we use less water. We also intend to appoint an energy officer who will monitor our gas, electricity and water output and to install more auto lights. Not only are these property cuts good for our budget, they are good for the environment.
Administratively, we are making many small cuts. Organisational leaders and committee/work group conveners have received a letter outlining these. Additionally, we are reviewing such items as hall donations and wedding fees. These are just a few examples of multiple areas under consideration. None of these “micro” items are in and of themselves major, but together they will make a big difference. We have also begun investigating “macro” items – such as installing new, energy efficient (and reliable) boilers!
There are, however, some cuts that every member of the congregation will be affected by. The Kirk Session regrets being in a position where it has had to approve the following, but recognises the necessity. As with any change, these are all reviewable in the future. Perhaps it is only right that each of us “feels the pinch.”
- On the first Sunday of every month worship will take place in the New Hall, beginning 4th December. Why? To heat our church is a huge undertaking. Not using it one Sunday a month will save a lot of money.
- The magazine will be printed quarterly. Why? The amount of paper needed to print a magazine ten times a year is huge.
- The church will no longer be available for quiet prayer and reflection on the first Tuesday of the month. It will be available (unheated) during office hours, between 7pm and 8pm on Wednesdays or (heated) for half an hour after worship on Sundays. Why? We cannot afford to heat the church for such a small usage. We do, however, want the church still to be available for prayer and reflection.
- The church magazine and as many other items as possible will be emailed to those who have email addresses (to begin in the new year). If only one member of a family uses email but others don’t, we ask that the member who does helps the one who doesn’t access what we send. Why? This saves a huge amount of paper and gets the magazine / communications into the hands of our members more quickly. It also helps with a dwindling number of people willing to deliver magazines.
Please note that those who do not have email will continue to receive all communications by paper.
I cannot stress enough how using this form of communication will help us. Ultimately it is our desire as a church to become paperless, following many others who have already become so.
I therefore urge all of you who have an email address to give it to the church office. This request has been made in two previous magazines with little response, yet we know some of you have emails that to date we do not have.
If you are not sure if the church has your email, please hand it into the church office or email it to: church.office@old-and-abbey-church.org.uk
2 Cash Generating
The Kirk Session has unanimously approved the need to hold a major stewardship campaign some time in Spring 2012. We will be seeking advice on available resources and will spend the autumn planning towards this event. We hope we will be able to re-energise our giving not only of money, but also of time and talents.
Finally, given the lateness of the year, it is unlikely that the above ideas will be enough to stop us incurring another deficit at the end of 2011 unless something extra is done. Therefore the Kirk Session las decided to hold a Gift Day Lunch on Saturday 19th November, 12.00 – 2.00pm. You are invited to drop in for lunch at any point during this time and to offer your cash gift to help off-set our deficit. Envelopes will be sent out to every member with the autumn pledge campaign material. We even hope to have a little entertainment laid on for added luncheon enjoyment!
This has been a very long minsiter’s musings and not an easy one to write. I imagine there will be some who read it and feel disappointment or even upset at the decisions that have been made. This is understandable. However, we hope that regardless of your personal feelings you will try to understand the bigger picture and why the church has needed to take such actions.
There is always a danger that some members of churches, when faced with the type of things I have written about, will withdraw their support or become lukewarm with it. I am absolutely confident that this will not happen in the Old & Abbey Church. My experience of the members of this congregation is that you are pragmatic and down-to-earth and will understand that hard times are upon us. I have no doubt whatsoever that you will continue to give your full support to you church.
Fragmented we are weak. Together we are strong. Let us stand together at this time and use it as an opportunity to reflect on our faith and how it might grow through this time of challenge.
If any of you have any comments, questions or opinions you would like to share, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Grace and peace, Valerie.