I have to say that I am not a meetings person. In my experience meetings are those places where minutes are kept but hours are thrown away. However, I am on a process of conversion, at least on this point anyway. Here in Sevenoaks I am starting to appreciate and enjoy our PCC and Standing Committee meetings, and yes I am still sane.
Take last night. We had our Standing Committee. We looked at various points of our life as a Parish. Our catering team, our coffee teams, the servers, the organist and choir, the Cell of Our Lady, Sunday school; all of whom are well and truly alive and active.
We spoke about what lies ahead. In the near future our Sesquicentenary celebrations starting with the Parish Exhibition on the 30th October, the Bishop of Rochester as our preacher for All Saints’ Day and our big day the 16th November. On that day the morning will be a family celebration. John, our bishop, will come and celebrate the Mass and preach for us. Sunday school children will be involved too. We shall then all go to the Hall to enjoy Sunday lunch together. At 3pm it is more of state religion. The mayor will be in attendance, SSC priests and deanery clergy are invited as also ministers of different Christian denominations in Sevenoaks. This will be Vespers and Benediction. The Bishop of Fulham will preside and Canon Robin Ward SSC will preach. Vespers will be followed by High Tea. I am sure that the Catering Team will have the week off after that just to collapse.
Last night we also looked further afield, the Mission for next year, the establishment of a fabric committee to keep an eye and advise on the building, vestments, vessels etc…
We also looked at the stained glass windows by Carolyn Benyon. We have all the money now to proceed with completion of the South wall windows.
What is the point of all this? Is it blowing ones own trumpet? I think not, whilst there is nothing wrong with that as it encourages each other. I enjoy meetings when they are productive, realistic and getting on with the Work. Yes the Work of God in this part of the kingdom. Keep us in your prayers and if you live near enough come and join us.
Prayers please for a speedy recovery to Rosa, a regular reader of this blog, who is in hospital.
Take last night. We had our Standing Committee. We looked at various points of our life as a Parish. Our catering team, our coffee teams, the servers, the organist and choir, the Cell of Our Lady, Sunday school; all of whom are well and truly alive and active.
We spoke about what lies ahead. In the near future our Sesquicentenary celebrations starting with the Parish Exhibition on the 30th October, the Bishop of Rochester as our preacher for All Saints’ Day and our big day the 16th November. On that day the morning will be a family celebration. John, our bishop, will come and celebrate the Mass and preach for us. Sunday school children will be involved too. We shall then all go to the Hall to enjoy Sunday lunch together. At 3pm it is more of state religion. The mayor will be in attendance, SSC priests and deanery clergy are invited as also ministers of different Christian denominations in Sevenoaks. This will be Vespers and Benediction. The Bishop of Fulham will preside and Canon Robin Ward SSC will preach. Vespers will be followed by High Tea. I am sure that the Catering Team will have the week off after that just to collapse.
Last night we also looked further afield, the Mission for next year, the establishment of a fabric committee to keep an eye and advise on the building, vestments, vessels etc…
We also looked at the stained glass windows by Carolyn Benyon. We have all the money now to proceed with completion of the South wall windows.
What is the point of all this? Is it blowing ones own trumpet? I think not, whilst there is nothing wrong with that as it encourages each other. I enjoy meetings when they are productive, realistic and getting on with the Work. Yes the Work of God in this part of the kingdom. Keep us in your prayers and if you live near enough come and join us.
Prayers please for a speedy recovery to Rosa, a regular reader of this blog, who is in hospital.
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