Dear Friends,
After this the Lord appointed 72 others. He sent them out two by two ahead of him. They went to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is huge, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field.
Luke 10:1-2
I have to say the last 8 months since I arrived at All Saints have been very busy. As a Christian community we have achieved so much, and I am delighted to be a part of the All Saints family. There is a buzz at All Saints, and it has been noticed further afield in the Diocese too. Recent events celebrating Sue’s Licensing, and Bishop Alan’s visit to bless our roof have underlined the huge range of people involved making All Saints so vibrant.
The work and changes that I have arrived in the midst of have raised questions about what happens next! In the short term we need look at our organ and supporting our choir and musicians, building on our warm welcome and invitation to new people, and how to best care for members of the congregation and community. In the medium term we need to think about how to provide a Christian presence for the whole parish of Leavesden. Longer term people have lots of different ideas about how to make best use of our fantastic hall and how best to seat people in Church. In all of this we need to hear the voice of God – and that is not something I can do alone, just as Jesus shared his ministry with the 12 and the 72.
Having spoken with the wardens and PCC what I would like to do is form action groups working on three areas. These groups will be open to anyone with an interest and heart for that area, who is willing to get involved. The groups are ultimately accountable to the ‘Vicar and PCC’, and coming along is likely to get your initials next to an ‘Action Point’ at the end of the meeting!
The first area is Worship. This group will be meeting together to reflect on our worship and the way the space in church is best used for worship. Both practical and spiritual the group will be a place to think about regular services and to contribute to them. It may be involved in planning special services too. The layout of the church building over the coming years will also be considered.
The second area is Mission. All Saints has remained a healthy and lively church over the years by sharing the Christian Faith with others and by serving the community around it. Mission can mean a simple invitation to a neighbour, or it can mean helping our neighbours in need. This group will also look at how we welcome new people to church and follow up on our many weddings and baptisms.
The third area is Pastoral. When a church is as successful as All Saints pastoral care of the whole congregation becomes more challenging. However we are blessed with a gifted group of people who can provide pastoral care. This group will meet to consider how best to reflect the pastoral needs of different groups and ensure that no one falls through the gaps.
A number of people have already expressed interest in these different areas, and if you are interested then please speak to a member of the ministry team or a warden. I am committed to all three areas of church life but am excited about sharing ministry as Jesus shared his with the 72.
Fr. Eddie
