Although it might seem a little odd, a little premature, Advent, December, is the beginning of the Church’s year. I like to think it’s the Church’s revenge. The rest of the world chooses to celebrate Christmas a month (at least) early, so the Church celebrates the secular New Year a month early. All is fair in love and holidays. But as the first day of the new year, as the first Sunday of Advent, the season of preparation for the Lord’s coming; It’s the right Sunday to begin looking forward – And looking specifically to our Mission for the next phase of St Margaret’s life. The word Mission comes from the Latin “Mittere”: “to send”. The Latin Mass ends: “Ita, Missa est” – literally “Go, it is the dismissal” From which we get the word “Mass”and “missal” – implying that the entire service of the Eucharist is geared towards the sending out of the church, the dismissal. But what is it that we’re being sent out for?
Before deciding that it made sense to first consider why is it that people come to church? The answer, as you might have guessed, is varied. We put together a survey but the results were not conclusive. Most people who come to St Margaret’s are very local – only 6% travel in and probably some of them were originally local. People here are loyal and 80% have been coming since before the pandemic. But our priorities in worship are strikingly varied. Most important to people is preaching. So sorry about that. But after that to my surprise ranked hospitality, until I realised that what people most value about our church is friendships and that makes sense, as it’s the basis of our life together. Communion was the most divisive being the most important to many, and the least important to others, while music was often important but more in a supporting role. And, of course, in a very different way prayer is important to all in having space, time and occasionally, in some services, silence. When asked to describe St Margaret’s two words were used more than 4 times more than any other: ‘welcoming’ and ‘friendly’. Which again suggests to me that the root of what we’re about here is relationships and above all friendships – establishing community. And happily most of us are very glad to call St Margaret’s our church. Though it’s not mandatory so I’m guessing if you didn’t like it you’d leave!
When I arrived here I proposed early on that we join a network of churches called “Inclusive Church”. I strongly believe that a community should be able to incorporate difference. Rarely do you find outside of church gatherings that include everyone from nought to ninety, all shades of the political spectrum, and a range of nationalities, ethnicities and personal wealth. The PCC voted unanimously to take a step further in refusing all discrimination on the basis of gender and sexuality, which continues to trouble the Anglican Communion. We have people who identify as gay, trans and non-binary within our community and affirm the full place of them with women in the ministry of the Church. In the same way we aim to be a place where in all our neurodiversity and disabilities, there is no discomfort or judgement, just as our priority remains being a space which is safe from cradle to grave. The Church of England is not currently a safe space for everyone. Your clergy at St Margaret’s are campaigning to change that, our church is registered as a safe place for all, and we will work and pray to end prejudice and discrimination.
It’s from this ethos and from our commitment to building up our diverse local community that we derived our mission statement that “we believe in extending the invitation of God to all”. The first point about this is that it’s not our invitation. We’re not a club. The best description I ever heard of the Church is that it’s the only organisation that exists for the benefit of people who are not yet members. But, most of all, we don’t have the monopoly on who are God’s people. It’s not our invitation. It’s God’s invitation and our job is to aspire to make God’s invitation as warm, open and generous as the grace that we have found in God.
The second point is that God’s invitation is to all. We are all made in the image of God. All of us are called to some purpose. We are all a connection point between people. We all have a role to play in building the kingdom of God. We are an imperfect church and we don’t always get it right – but we have to believe that every person who steps through these doors and, actually, every person who doesn’t step through those doors has a right to be here, and with that something to receive and something to give.
I am constantly challenged by the words of Simone Weil here: ‘Christianity should contain all vocations without exception since it is catholic. In consequence the Church should also. But in my eyes Christianity is catholic by right but not in fact. So many things are outside it, so many things that I love and do not want to give up, so many things that God loves, otherwise they would not be in existence... Christianity being catholic by right but not in fact, I regard it as legitimate on my part to be a member of the Church by right but not in fact, not only for a time, but for my whole life if need be…’ I want St Margaret’s to be the place that extends God’s invitation to all those who for whatever reason have felt they are on the outside. Because that is what Jesus did.
From this starting point we are reviewing our activities, our communication, our worship, our discipleship and our service and charitable efforts, to think how we can make this invitation wider, more gracious and more concrete. But in particular we are focused on three areas. First of all, we are putting our environmental concerns at the top of the agenda: To think how we can adapt and develop our resources, our liturgy, our lives and work to resetting our relationship with the natural world and achieving some good. On a level of self-interest, as well as justice, there is no greater threat facing our world and no greater ethical claim on our efforts than changing the disposition of our species, society and our own attitudes to the destruction currently ongoing. We are committed to upgrading our bronze eco-church status to silver by the end of next year and thereafter thinking through a pathway to achieving gold-status.
Our second area concerns Communicating the Work of the Church. In one of our meetings it became quickly apparent that even a senior member of the church had little idea of the well-organised and widespread pastoral care that goes on within our community. But more than just articulating what we’re doing we need to do some work to build relationships that will develop our presence within our community and wider reputation. There are wonderful things going on here in support networks, in the arts, in friendship and charity that could be lifechanging for people in and around our community, and we need to improve our communicating of that.
Our third area is the most difficult: deepening faith engagement. Anne East led a quiet day with 17 people yesterday. The Church of England is obsessed with numbers and being relevant and getting people in churches with helterskelters and mini-golf and silent discos, but it’s very hard to measure how the Church is changing lives. But it’s those intangibles of developing faith, fostering vocations to all areas of service, and spending time with God, that are the real measure of what the Church is trying to do. We are intending to think through how groups, services and events can help to deepen our faith, commitment and service and where possible specifically encourage vocations to recognised ministries within the church – through roles at St Margaret’s and in the wider church.
St Margaret’s is in good health. The majority of the Church of England has not recovered from the pandemic. In 2019 we had an average of 107 souls in church on a Sunday. During the pandemic it dropped as low as 72. Last year we had an average of 125. This year our average attendance has grown by a further 18%. Our team has grown and the church is more active and engaged than ever. The core of this church is defined by everyone as our being welcoming and friendly – That friendship and community are at the heart of who we are and how we communicate the Gospel. So my prayer is that over the next few years we remain intentional about maintaining this inclusive welcome that we believe is at the heart of who God is – And communicating it so that we grow as a community, grow in faith and vocations, and sustain the natural world in which we live, all to the glory of God. Amen.
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