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The Rector's letter is printed in each edition of the Church Magazine
February/March 1989
"My life is far too frantic", I complained to the Annual Church Meeting last April. The June/July 1989 issue of Spearhead contained a centre spread illustration of "A stretched Rector" and it caused many expressions of love, support and help.
"I ask for understanding as I seek to alter the way in which I operate" I wrote in Spearhead. "My aim is to carve out space uncluttered time in which to pray, to reflect and to seek out God's will for us... My intention is to appoint leaders who will be responsible for overseeing different departments of church life..."
Seven months later, I have to report that progress has been made but it has been slow and much too small. Of course, it is not just my ministry that is affected but the life of the whole church.
We are seeking help. In the August/September 1989 edition of Spearhead, we featured the work of an organisation called Administry. It stated its aim "to revolutionise the place of good organisation in effective front line church work". That's what we need! The PCC have invested not a small sum in enlisting Administry to spend a day in the parish giving us a consultation. By the time you read this, it will have taken place and we will be awaiting their report, both eagerly and nervously. (See the report in the June/July 1990 edition.)
The eagerness will be because of a longing to see things improve, so that we can more readily encourage the spreading of the Kingdom of God. The nervousness will be because we will doubtless need to change and change is usually painful.
We'll keep you posted. In the meantime, the vital thing is to "Walk humbly with our God".
Christopher Frith
From the February 1989 edition of the magazine
April/May 1989
I am really looking forward to Easter morning. I shall start our services with a shout,
"ALLELUIAH CHRIST IS RISEN"
The vibrant reply will come:
"HE IS RISEN INDEED. "ALLELUIAH
Easter is the best festival of all. Its visual aid of springtime is all around. New life. Death has been beaten. Eternity beckons. And it's true! Jesus died and within days was seen alive again by hundreds of people a historical fact.
Not everyone will feel the joy. "Even if someone rises from the dead, they will not be convinced" Jesus had warned. For many, public holidays and Easter Eggs are as far as it goes.
Many will join the worship, of course, but, if it is really to make sense, the build up must have been there. The pain and struggle of Holy Week are inescapable. Jesus couldn't avoid them and nor should we (in our own limited way). Our Holy Week programme is imaginative and gives every opportunity to enter right into it all.
If we do, our hearts will leap and our fingers tingle on Easter morning.
"HE IS RISEN INDEED. ALLELUIAH"
Christopher Frith
From the April 1989 edition of the magazine
June/July 1989
During the last year, a good deal of thought has gone into improving the structures of our churches and, in particular, the pattern of my own ministry. As I wrote in the February/March issue of Spearhead this year, we enlisted the help of Administry to help us. We defined our need this way:
"St. Thomas', Brampton, together with its daughter churches St. John's, Walton and St. Peter's, Holymoorside, require help in the formation of an administrative structure and staffing plan which will improve the effectiveness of the church, which is undergoing transition from a ‘big small church' to a 'small big church'. The structure must lighten the load currently borne by the clergy."
John Truscott, who is the national Co ordinator of Administry, spent a day in the parish. He helped a small group to think out what we mean by 'effectiveness' and together we hammered out the statement: "we see the body growing and moving forward, with all members playing their part, using their gifts and properly co ordinated". This statement is our vision. It talks about growth and progress, the active involvement of every member, and the vital need for good administration. All this is based on the conviction that we are the body of Christ here.
The second, closely related, achievement of John Truscott was to help us to sort out our priority aims in order to fulfil this vision. In broad terms, we identified three levels:
1. Loving God and loving each other.
2. Teaching/learning, Caring, Outreach.
3. Administration.
"In this way", John Truscott says, "administration is seen as serving the activities of teaching/learning, caring and outreach. These in turn serve the prime aim of loving God and each other, the most important commandments in Jesus' teaching." This gives us plenty to think about and work on for a long time.
We have now received the interim report; a further visit from Administry will, we hope, take things further. It is encouraging to read:
"Your difficulties are quite understandable in the light of your present structure three worship centres, seven Sunday Services, etc.) and, more significantly, recent change and growth (to a strong preaching ministry and emphasis on group work, leading to a significant growth in numbers and a much wider age spectrum in the congregation)."
The PCC are looking at the recommendations, which are summarised this way by John Truscott:
1. Determine the Rector's priorities
I suggest how this can be done effectively.
2. Pastor your pastor
Although support is given by individuals, it would be helpful to have a small group, perhaps evolving from the present 'think tank', to meet regularly with the Rector to pray and act as a sounding board for ideas. They would have no executive responsibility.
3. Analyse how work is currently shared out within the staff team.
This would be a good moment to check how work is shared among the clergy. It may be possible to make improvements.
4. Extend the Rector's work through a new staff appointment
I believe you need another staff member, but am not at all convinced that this is the moment to appoint a youth worker or someone responsible for another department of church life. In your present circumstances you should be strengthening your foundations, not adding extra storeys to the building.
My proposal is that you consider an appointment that would extend the work of the Rector and his wife; and so my thinking is along the lines of a Personal Assistant. I have in mind a competent and mature person who combines secretarial gifts, who could man a church office when established, and who could work alongside members of the congregation to help everyone find their right area of service. This may be one full time person, or the work shared between two part timers.
5. Set up a training programme for the congregation
Although adding work in the short term. you need a training programme of some kind to prepare many more people to take on responsibility within the church.
6. Aim to establish a proper church office
There is an urgent need or this and would like if possible to think further with you over where this could be sited.
7. Set up an executive group to prepare business for the PCC
I said I'd keep readers posted! I continue to do so. In the meantime, please pray that God will show His way.
P.S. Incidentally, a year ago I produced a frantic picture of "a Stretched Rector". The picture now is of can "apprentice juggler", much happier but dropping some of the balls from time to time!
Christopher Frith
From the June 1989 edition of the magazine
August/September 1989
Not available yet
From the August 1989 edition of the magazine
October/November 1989
From the Rector -Christopher Frith
B.I.G. -The Bishop's Initiative in Giving
In October, our programme will be much the same as that of all the other churches in the Diocese of Derby for one simple reason. The Bishop has asked us all to give money a high profile and to review our giving to the church.
Inflation is running at nearly 10%. The PCC have taken a big step of faith, deciding to employ a "Ministry Co-ordinator" and to increase the hours of the part-time Secretary. So, it's necessary.
I want to encourage everyone to be positive about the Bishop's Initiative in Giving. It can be a great blessing to our whole diocese, our three churches and each one of us who gives. We need to take the initiative with a generous helping of:
Generosity: "it is more blessed to give than to receive" said Jesus. "God loves a cheerful giver" said St. Paul. God himself is wonderfully generous and we are encouraged to imitate Him.
Imagination: finance needn't be the big "turn-off". We can all find better ways of handling our finances, more daring ways of showing our love for our Lord.
Vitality: only living churches can cope with financial pressures these days. Generous giving is a real sign of spiritual life. The more real our experience of God, the more eager we shall be to give.
Expectancy: if God is behind the Bishop's Initiative we must expect it to make an impact. I pray it will on all of us.
Christopher Frith
From the October 1989 edition of the magazine
December 1989/January 1990
No Room!
"Children are important members of this Church", says the notice board. A visitor to St. Thomas' will confirm this as the children play their parts in Family Service, come rushing in at Peace in Communion Services or gather together at the front before going off to their various lively activities.
Where do they go? They crowd into the little portacabin hidden in the trees behind the Church, while Baby Park (under 3's) is supervised in the Meeting Room. That would be fine if we had 25 children in Sunday Club - but we have over 100 on the books and tend to have 60+ most Sundays. A squash in the portacabin as they sing lively songs of worship together is fine for a few minutes. But, then they split into groups for activities.
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Three different groups of Scramblers and Climbers take place in the portacabin. Explorers meet in the dingy vestries. And Pathfinders troop off to the Rectory. Facilities are thoroughly inadequate - and there is no room for the future growth we confidently expect.
No room for children, no room for development of community involvement, no room for further development of youth work or activities for the elderly, no room for proper office accommodation ... so I could go on. Something has to be done. The P.C.C. have appointed a fine firm of Architects, Buttress Fuller Geoffrey Alsop, who are working with the Redevelopment Committee on ways to address this problem. With the Lord's guidance and provision, there will be room!
No Room for the Good News!
The Bishops at the last Lambeth Conference declared the Decade starting on 1st January 1991 (decades start with year 1 and end after year 10!!!) the Decade of Evangelism. This was prompted by the African Bishops and followed the example of the Roman Catholics. Since then all major denominations have followed suit.
Anglican Churches don't usually like Evangelism. I read recently, "In a word, evangelism seems something no self-respecting person would want to be involved in. It has overtones of manipulation. In a permissive age it smacks of wanting to change the way another person is. And that is an insult. It is unacceptable."
Yet, evangelism is how the Church came into being in the first place and how it has advanced ever since. Jesus told His Church to do it and that is the end of it. We have no option but to obey.
Evangelism is simply sharing the Good News of Jesus. He means so much to us and we want others to discover this too. It has been described as "one beggar telling another beggar where to get bread." We owe it to our friends, neighbours and family to show them, if we possibly can.
As churches we need to ask ourselves vital questions like those suggested by the Bishop of Hulme, in the Manchester Diocese. (Read then here.)
No Room for Jesus!
No room at the inn: this phrase sums up the Christmas story. The world couldn't find room for God's amazing Christmas present of His Son.
Please stop and think as Christmas rushes upon us. Can we genuinely respond with the old hymn,
"There is room in my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee?"
Make room for the Prince of Peace.
Happy Christmas,
Christopher Frith
From the December 1989 edition of the magazine
Rector's Letters 1990
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