Putting Priorities into Practice…

One of the great things about St. Cuthbert’s is that we have meetings which are both positive and productive. Last month we tried a new style of meeting for our PCC members - to ask what direction we should be taking as a church and how to get there. It entailed giving up a Saturday morning but I was cheered and encouraged both by the attitudes throughout the meeting and in seeking an effective outcome. Rosie Junemann, Liz Parker and Carol O’Malley all have articles in the November edition of our Parish Magazine recording what went on and reflecting upon the issues raised.

Our reason for meeting was to build on the Diocese’s initiative, “Preparing the Ground for Growth.” How can we join in? What are the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats that we need to deal with? And how can we then move forward? We identified two priorities in particular upon which we wish to take fresh action: (1) to become more confident in the basics of our faith; (2) to be renewed in the life of prayer.

These are not priorities only for the Parochial Church Council to do something about. We see them as basic to what we are about as a church. Unless we are grounded in the basics of our faith, then we’re not going to be very confident in sharing it with others. And our calling is to be a church with a praying heart so that we may know God’s purpose for us as his people.

And we need to act on these priorities. Just how we’ll work them out is a medium to long-term issue. But we can make a start straight away - and we’re going to do so this month. So on three Tuesdays of November there’s an invitation to come to the Vicarage to start looking at the basics of faith - perhaps we’ll need to ask what are the basics; so we need everyone’s contribution to identify those areas where we need to grow our faith. And on Monday 11^th November our church will be Open for Prayer from 2 to 3p.m. -  and hopefully on the second Monday of each month thereafter. Yes, you can pray at other times and in other places. But this is to join in a shared objective. You don’t need to stay the whole time - but come for as long as you can, and see what you discover!                 

 

Open for Prayer:

2 to 3p.m  Monday 11^th November - in church

 

Basic Belief - what do we believe as Christians?

7.30p.m. Tuesdays 5^th, 12^th & 19^th November - in the Vicarage