Dear Friends,

When I was working as a schoolteacher, this time of year seemed full of reports – and writing reports can be a time consuming and sometimes distressing task. Now, in my current life I am again inundated with reports – but this time I have to read them! It seems that working party after working party is engaged in trying to analyse what is wrong with society and producing a report to put it right. That in turn leads to another report to see if the first was effective – and so on. In my case, of course, I need to read reports on ‘The Church’; this too is time consuming and sometimes distressing.

The latest is a report called ‘Let the People Speak’; it tries to understand why church going is in decline and what can be done about it. Approximately 14,000 people responded to very open-ended questions and some of their replies are quoted at length. It is actually one of the more readable and interesting reports I have read for some time; there is a copy in Church if you would like to see it. There is some thought provoking material among the usual ‘Well, I would go to church if we sang more modern hymns’ ‘I would go if we sang more traditional things’ ‘I liked the old services’ ‘I want more new services’ – and the customary ‘It is all the vicar’s fault’!

It would be quite wrong to disregard a report that reflects a wide variety of age and opinion, but I still find this report distressing. Not because it has a good go at bashing the clergy, some of the comment is highly justified, but because it seems to me that many who responded are blaming someone else for their own failure to engage with the Christian message. We live in an extremely mobile society and in a society that is consumer based. If we don’t like what is sold at Asda we can go to Waitrose and vice versa. It is good to be able to worship in our own parish – if we can - but here in Turvey we attract a large number of people from outside the village who like our services – similarly, I know there are a number of people who go to church in neighbouring towns and villages from here.

It is more serious than that, however. If we profess to be Christian, true followers and believers in Christ, we are all ‘Church’, all His body and all responsible for making sure our worship and witness is effective in the world. If we find things difficult in our own Christian community the first thing we should do is to ask ‘Why?’ and ‘What can I do to help put it right?’ I hope that people would talk to me if they found things difficult here – not just stay away and feel bitter.

Of course, we all know that no one person or organisation can be all things to all people and compromise is often necessary. Sometimes it may be that compromise is impossible and people are helped to find another church community in which they can grow and thrive – for our church going is not about belonging to a good social group, it is about nourishing ourselves in our Christian faith so that we grow ever closer to God and to his Son who is the source of our redemption.

Yours in Christ,

Jo

Our Church and its growth

All Christian people who feel disillusioned

For all who travel and for their safety.

Jo Spray

Anna Marshall for passing her final nursing exams, Anna is now a fully qualified nurse and will continue to work in London.

Cindy Woods on achieving a 2:2 degree in History from de Montfort University

Tim Nightingale on graduating with a 2:1 from Exeter University. Tim will be working as a peripatetic saxophone teacher in Hampshire from September.

All Saints’ Christian Fellowship – no meetings in July or August.

We desperately need more help with the church flowers. I know the summer holidays are a busy time for everyone but it is a time when garden flowers are available in abundance! If you could manage just one week it would be greatly appreciated. At present, we need help for part of July, all of September, November and December at the main altar; parts of July, August, September and all of October, November and December at the Lady Chapel altar.

Please check with the rota in the church porch if you think you can help or ring Anne Claypole White (( 881661).