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On Sunday 25th March 2007 the Rt Rev'd Anthony Priddis, Bishop of Hereford, commissioned the Local Ministry Development Group of these three parishes. He announced that we should only have 3-4 months of interregnum, and in looking for more information on the new appointment I found a new web site - Inclusive Church. WWJDN? The Benefice Profile and original 1.5Mbyte PDF will be archived.

UK Living the Gospel pilgrimages.

Prayer for the day from ShineOnLine.net.

During my Review to the three Annual Parochial Church meetings for 2006 I noted:-

During the interregnum of 2007 (the period of months after I leave) the extensive involvement by everyone in all areas of church life will show the wider world that real effort is being made to achieve the parish share target, and that these three parishes are an active, co-operative, viable entity.

The Rector's review for the Annual P. C. Meetings of 2005 (for 2004)

My review for this Annual Parochial Church Meeting will almost certainly bore the pants off you but matters have to be said.

However, first of all, some thanks. We should all be grateful to those who are members of your P.C.C.; we should also be grateful to those who represent the parishes on the Deanery Synod. They have had to face up to some unpalatable forward projections of the parish share and the future of these three parishes during 2004. They have had to find ways of planning for uncertain times, and that can be a negative process.

In my review of the year 2000 given at the 2001 Annual Parochial Church Meetings I advised that the parish share could have risen by 40% to 50% in 2001, in fact it was held to about 11.5%. To quote what was said in the review then, "some local skirmishes have been won, but the long-term financial pressures remain enormous". The options suggested at that Annual Parochial Church Meeting were either to soldier on as we are and find another £10,000 a year for the three parishes, or to amalgamate with other parishes, perhaps Colwall/Coddington.

My review to the Annual Parochial Church Meetings in 2002 continued that theme, but introduced the Local Ministry Team idea. Since then there has been progress with the Local Ministry Team and a desire across a much wider group of people to see Christian spiritual growth in the parishes (please note the review given to the Annual Parochial Church Meetings in 2004).... and the parish share issue is now firmly on the doorstep, even in the front room.

Quite simply in Ledbury Deanery, and the wider Diocese, parishes are being told that they must pay for the priest they have. Thus Cradley, Mathon and Storridge should be paying about £48,000 a year, an increase of about £13,000, to maintain a priest in 2005 (in 2001 when this was first mooted this was about £39,000). £48,000 is an increase of about 37%.

These parishes are not aiming to instantly achieve that increase in 2005, in fact we are aiming to hold steady on 2004 parish share figures until we can see a clear way ahead. However, by the end of 2006 we must be able to show the Deanery and the Diocese that this increase can be achieved and sustained if there is to be a full-time priest in these parishes when I retire in 2007. You will recall my sermon at Mathon on 29th June 2003 and the Newsletter frontpiece of August 2003 which both covered this ground.

Your churchwardens, treasurers, Deanery Synod members and P.C.C.s have been taking these uncomfortable facts on board ... and are determined not to rush to any hasty conclusions or panic measures.

1. Cradley P.C.C. has launched a questionnaire throughout the village to see what interest, support and financial willingness people are prepared to give to the situation. The outcome of that questionnaire will help to decide the next move for the parishes because Cradley is the big payer.

2. If the word from Cradley is positive then Storridge and Mathon will undertake similar exercises to see if we can continue to go it alone.

3. A conversation is taking place with Colwall/Coddington to sound out a possible future relationship.

4. With information from all the above, decisions will be made for parish share, and the use of the Rectory here. What about a part-time priest? The next meeting of churchwardens and treasurers will be on 18th April 2005 to progress the decision making.

You may find the view offered unpleasant, but there is no point in thinking we can jog along as we are into the future, it is going to be different out there in the future in terms of financial giving or ministry sharing ... and just possibly there are some opportunities to be taken.

The diary for 2003 could be the backbone for this review. It is filled with dates, appointments and reminders, which is what diaries are for. It could also give the world the impression of busyness which may or may not be what I am for; though it will impress the world, I don't know about God. Busyness and a full diary are a measure of status in our lives and material needs are apparently supplied by our busyness. What about our spiritual needs?

We have all made a diary entry and given up our time tonight to hear about the material matters of our Church and parish. Thank you for that gift of time. As you know we are required to undertake these annual presentations and your gallant P.C.C. has to face such material affairs throughout the year. A very real thank you to them for that gift of their time and commitment. However, what about a diary entry for our spiritual affairs and our relationship with God and Christ Jesus? How much time do any of us honestly give to that?

On 1^st November 2003 Elizabeth and Patrick Riley had coffee at the Rectory with a number of people from across the three parishes. The Rileys are involved in the spiritual regeneration of rural parishes in southern England, nothing loud or brassy but steadily, quietly spiritual. They are willing to work out a programme with us here.

On 1^st November they asked just one question of us all "What is my greatest desire?" ... and it came spilling out! I quote

- Having space to realise God.

- The gift of time for God and my neighbour.

- Having inner peace for people and for communities.

- So much has been given to us, we have so much to give.

and there was much else besides.

I do hope we shall be able to use Elizabeth and Patrick's talents here, but that will need your support.

On 18^th November 2003 the foundation team for local ministry in these parishes met at the Rectory. They have further met in January and February this year and will gather at the end of March.

At the meeting of 18^th November the team swiftly, unanimously and without pressure agreed and I quote "the essence of this foundation team is the finding of God in these parishes and therefore spirituality is our key theme".

To that end the team is embarking upon its own spiritual increase so that there may be a wider spiritual increase in the parishes-

1. As part of that increase we went on a quiet day at the end of January, the better to understand God's word in the Bible as it affects us in our lives. We were led into a system of reading which we would wish to share with others in due course.

2. We are planning to link up with a spiritual guide or mentor; that is someone who can help us to keep a wise and sensible path for any such enterprise can become an introverted, holy huddle and no doubt some will call it that whatever we do.

3. The churchwardens and P.C.C.s are regularly informed of the team's progress or activities, for this is not an offshoot seeking independence of our parish life, it is very much at the heart of parish life and our future.

I have kept this annual review exclusively to spiritual matters together with the foundation local ministry team, because it is at the heart of our life and the Church in this place. Many of my previous reviews have dwelt on financial and organisational uncertainties for the future here and in the Ledbury Deanery. Those uncertainties and our material endeavours to meet them are forever with us and we have touched upon them through this evening's reports.

In the face of the unknown our one certainty remains that God IS and that we are Christians. Our relationship with God and his Son Jesus Christ, and our spiritual life in him, is the only certain foundation upon which we should build now and in the future, whatever else may come or go in this material world.

With that one certainty in mind I ask you to be prayerful, supportive and time generous for the spiritual journey that lies before us.

(What is your greatest desire? How would you feel about a programme of spiritual regeneration in these parishes?)

Sam Ashton March 2004

Mother's Union

World Vision, as a Christian agency, arrange for sponsorship of third world children. The web master has sponsored a child in Chopoldandi, Bangladesh for several years, and is now sponsoring a child in Africa. If you wish to know the details please contact me. There are several other agencies that do this kind of thing, is there anyone else in the village helping?

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