Our Centenary year has ended, and we have begun our second century. No, I don't mean Lynne and myself: we are jointly entering our 121st year, which leads me to say a big thank you to those of you who shared in our birthday celebrations, and especially for your generous contributions to our chosen charities, St Ursula's Roof Appeal and Cecily's Fund. Rather, it is St Ursula's second century that we have begun, and we should look at the challenges we face as a church.
Finance: I make no apology for starting with this rather "unspiritual" topic. Whilst there have been some improvements in our financial situation, we are still facing a huge deficit and, on present performance, will run out of money before the end of the year. Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21) We must all continually review our commitment to God's work, including the part we should play in financing that work.
Accommodation: we do not have enough space. People do not find it easy to enter an almost full church and have to look for a seat. On occasions people have left rather than take that step. There are no easy solutions, and almost certainly no inexpensive ones, but we must continue to talk and pray about what we should do. We want to spread the gospel and bring in new people, but we need the space for them.
Worship: we are a mixed bunch! We come from different traditions and have varied desires for worship. We should view that as a strength! It is exciting to be in such a mixed community and we can learn so much from each other. But we must care about each others needs. Above all, we must enable everyone to come closer to God in worship. That is bound to mean that we cannot have everything we want all the time, or even perhaps most of the time. Since my ordination, I have never been free to choose the style of worship I would like: the needs of my congregations have always taken precedence. That has meant having varied styles, and St Ursula's is no exception. St Paul said, "Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ." (Ephesians 5:21) That principle should apply to much of our communal life as a church.
On the subject of music, may I take this opportunity to thank all our musicians: we are blessed to have much musical talent which has been used in God's service. Special thanks to Hans and Elisabeth for their efforts in leading choral music. Please continue to pray for people to share Hans's load in providing music for us.
Witness: we are called to "make disciples" (Matthew 28:19). This starts at home and among our friends and neighbours, but is a vital part of our task as a church. Jesus said, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35) Is this what people see at St Ursula's? Perhaps it is our biggest challenge! Part of this can also be seen in our "Welcome". We need to do this better. Work is under way to look at this subject, but we can all try to be aware of newcomers, the lonely, those in particular need of a friendly word. Please pray that God will guide you to someone in need, especially at coffee time after the service: there is nothing lonelier than being lost in the middle of a happy, chattering crowd!
Pastoral Care: it is not just a job for the clergy, because we cannot give adequate care to everyone in a congregation this size. It is my hope that we can look again at ways of ensuring that our members are better cared for. Please pray that the Church Council may be guided on the best ways of ensuring this here, and pray that the right people, those whom God is calling, will be found to help lead the work of caring.
Teaching and learning: how should this be developed? Many people attend one of our house groups or Bible studies, and I encourage the rest of you to consider joining one. I would like to lead more Bible study myself; and have some ideas on what we might look at, but if you have topics you would like to study, let me know. At this point I want to thank those who teach our children our children and young people: you are doing a great job and we thank God for you.
Membership: being a member of St Ursula's is far less important that being a member of the body of Christ.
It is true that St Ursula's is part of the worldwide body of Christ, but our church is only as effective as the individual members.
Are you - am I - truly committed to our Lord?
Is serving him, praying to him, learning about him in his word, and worshipping him, the foundation of your life?
If that is really so, then as a church we can face our challenges knowing that God will guide us and equip us for the next century.
Richard Pamplin