Hillside Parishes Magazine

Hillside Parish Magazine Extracts
July 2007

July 2007

If you were to consider the Cathedrals, Abbeys and Minsters of the Diocese as supermarkets belonging to a chain it would put our village churches and others like them into the context of being corner-shops. Now imagine a supermarket chain with 300 corner shops. What would it do, allowing for the fact that there are certain restrictions on the freehold of those corner shops? Those in the supermarket business came back with two options that reflect something of the dilemma facing the rural parish church; "Not our line as we are concentrating on a different aspect, so pass". "Got to have them? Right, then we need to attract folk to them."

This is the issue facing the churchwardens' meeting and the PCCs in turn. The Cathedrals and big county churches are not going to take us sprats in hand, so how do we make ourselves indispensable? Hatch, match, despatch cater for those who want the occasional offices, as they are called, and obviously the churchyards remain in use as we re-use sites over 100 years old. Demand for the other two is met according to the priority or emphasis that Society as a whole cares to give to those occasions. We cannot increase the numbers except by you, as parishioners, encouraging your neighbours and others to see the value of those occasions and the efficacy of the Christian Gospel on our lives in general. In other words we have to sell our faith to others and encourage them to join us, assuring them that worship is good and uplifting, the company is good, and other activities that happen outside of Sunday worship are enjoyable, entertaining, and educational in the broadest and most useful sense.

So what are our special offers? For those who might hold church-going as a low priority there are many other facets for the benefit and well-being of the individual. Without boasting, other than St. Paul would have us do for the sake of the Gospel, and at the risk of repeating what many do know;

• There is counselling for those in need of guidance or common-sense advice;
• There is sick visiting so long as the need is relayed to those who will call;
• There is confession for those who feel their lives to be in a total muddle;
• There is prayer individually or as the church for those who want that support;
• There is spiritual refreshment through the individual (the priest) and/or the many (the gathered Church);
• There is pilgrimage for those who want to get out and explore God's grace in a different dimension;
• There is Bible study for those who want to know more or just explore;
• There is Basic Christian Belief to expand our grasp of our faith;
• There is fellowship, especially for those new in the area (hopefully a neighbour at least will look in on people moving into their village.);
•  There is the Healing Ministry and the laying of hands for those prepared to hold that sacrament in its right context;
• There are talks for our general good and stimulation, whether Food for Thought in Lent, something in Advent as appropriate, or something of an ongoing nature like our dialogue with the Muslim faith.

That is quite a list of activity and support, apart from Sundays. If you are not ticking any of the boxes as being of help or interest please read again and reflect on where you are and what your needs in life may be.

So what response is needed? The start must be to encourage more people to make use of what we have to offer, and to join us in church as well to celebrate the merits of each week and seek grace for the week to come. We also need to raise capital through gifts and bequests to safeguard the repair of the fabric for the years ahead. We need to chase up legacies through the wills of parishioners and others beyond our boundaries to whom we have been useful to maintain the fabric and free up covenanted funds, gift aid and other standing orders, to pay the quota and other running costs. We also need to concentrate our energy and resources at PCC level rather than dissipate them so we are more effective and self-sufficient.

This updates the Parish Day we had with Hugh Buckingham last autumn. If there is an aspect that we should look at and which you think would give a good subject for a parish away day (like Bible study or encouraging your neighbours more effectively) then please put it on the Churchwardens' or PCC agenda. "Let's do it, and come back from your holidays well refreshed and with a fresh outlook".

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