Your parish church needs you …
Dear Friends,
Last month, I wrote about the future of parish churches and the challenges they face.
As parish churches seek to integrate ‘soul, soil and society’ (Bishop Andrew Rumsey), they need the support and involvement of parishioners, if they are to flourish in serving their community. This support and involvement can take many different forms, and involve different levels of commitment. Even those who do not choose to be part of the worshipping congregation can support the work of caring for our ancient heritage buildings, or help to facilitate the hospitality offered to local groups and events hosted in our parish churches.
Sometimes it is easy to forget that parish churches don’t just ‘happen’ to be there. Down through the centuries, they have been supported by people of good will who have given their time and money, their presence and prayers, to care for the building and to enable it to be used to serve the local community, as places of Christian worship, welcome, and witness. The baton of responsibility is passed on from generation to generation. That is why your parish church now needs your support, as it seeks to be there for everyone in your parish.
Over the next few weeks, as we approach the season of Annual Parochial Church Meetings (often held during May), one way of indicating support is to sign up on your parish church Electoral Roll. This year (as every 6th year) we have to prepare a new roll for every parish church – so everyone has to enrol afresh. If you are age 16 or over, have been baptised (christened), live in the parish (or else worship there), and regard yourself as being a member of the Church of England, then you can join this roll. It doesn’t cost anything, and is a simple form to complete. Being on a church Electoral Roll signifies that you wish to identify with your parish church, and to support it. And for those who wish to serve the parish church in some more ‘official’ way – e.g. as a church officer, or on the Parochial Church Council – then it is essential to be on the Electoral Roll.
If you would like to have a new Electoral Roll form to complete for one of the Ironstone Churches and don’t know who to contact, please get in touch with our Administrator Marie Hough ([email protected]) or myself ([email protected]) and we’ll put you in touch with your church Electoral Roll Officer.
With all good wishes,
John Barr, Rector
Dear Friends,
Last month, I wrote about the future of parish churches and the challenges they face.
As parish churches seek to integrate ‘soul, soil and society’ (Bishop Andrew Rumsey), they need the support and involvement of parishioners, if they are to flourish in serving their community. This support and involvement can take many different forms, and involve different levels of commitment. Even those who do not choose to be part of the worshipping congregation can support the work of caring for our ancient heritage buildings, or help to facilitate the hospitality offered to local groups and events hosted in our parish churches.
Sometimes it is easy to forget that parish churches don’t just ‘happen’ to be there. Down through the centuries, they have been supported by people of good will who have given their time and money, their presence and prayers, to care for the building and to enable it to be used to serve the local community, as places of Christian worship, welcome, and witness. The baton of responsibility is passed on from generation to generation. That is why your parish church now needs your support, as it seeks to be there for everyone in your parish.
Over the next few weeks, as we approach the season of Annual Parochial Church Meetings (often held during May), one way of indicating support is to sign up on your parish church Electoral Roll. This year (as every 6th year) we have to prepare a new roll for every parish church – so everyone has to enrol afresh. If you are age 16 or over, have been baptised (christened), live in the parish (or else worship there), and regard yourself as being a member of the Church of England, then you can join this roll. It doesn’t cost anything, and is a simple form to complete. Being on a church Electoral Roll signifies that you wish to identify with your parish church, and to support it. And for those who wish to serve the parish church in some more ‘official’ way – e.g. as a church officer, or on the Parochial Church Council – then it is essential to be on the Electoral Roll.
If you would like to have a new Electoral Roll form to complete for one of the Ironstone Churches and don’t know who to contact, please get in touch with our Administrator Marie Hough ([email protected]) or myself ([email protected]) and we’ll put you in touch with your church Electoral Roll Officer.
With all good wishes,
John Barr, Rector