New year new ideas new directions. While we may not all make new year's resolutions there may be a chance to generate some fresh expressions with the new year encouraging us. Further to the last meeting of the Church Wardens I have been thinking on, as they say. We talked about a few changes to the worship timetable as there were suggestions in the offing to broaden the spectrum. The logical step forward is not to tinker with the system but invite the PCCs to review their own needs and ideas and submit them to me to co-ordinate and present to the Church wardens at our next meeting. It starts with having to balance the services fairly across the parishes and at times that are realistic for me along with the needs that I have to meet Sunday by Sunday, ie a two hour period from the start of one service to the start of the next to enable planning, wedding rehearsals and baptism registration, necessary visits or house communion in the first parish, and time to get to the next service without terrifying every horse and rider!

Liz already has established Godly Play so that is not available for hi-jacking. Good things happen at Boltby under the able organization of Terence Allinson although the timing is too tight for me. Evensongs are a necessary part of my priestly discipline but can easily adapt to other structures although the BCP does lend itself to something choral that in turn may involve more participants. It would be good to get the Singing Group out and about more often, especially as they are not confined to one church in particular.

There are suggestions to have a family service at a more appropriate time in the Siltons and at Leake to try to involve a younger cross section of musicians. Leake want to build on their family service too.

There needs to be a service of Holy Communion somewhere in the parish each Sunday, but it would mean some would have to travel to a different church from their own to attend. Some are already good at moving about to go to a service of their choice at a time that suits them. Others want a Matins each month at which we could sing more. There is little stomach to alter the Common Worship services which are tried and tested. There are also some regulars we can expand but with which we need to stick, i.e.Harvest Festival and Remembrance Sunday. Main festivals dictate their own formats and their usual timetable seems to work well enough but they are not set in stone.

Another request is for some experimental worship and to incorporate some modern music.

None of these potential changes are as difficult as making changes in Iraq to enable peace and stability to flourish, which must be our prayer priority for the New Year. If you have suggestion for the former, please raise them with your local church warden or me. If you have suggestions for the latter then please raise them with your Member of Parliament or someone who will listen seriously and can progress it.

Have a very happy and prosperous New Year, and best wishes,