St Luke's Church Eccleshill - Articles from "The Link"

"Your starter for ten"

Dear Church Members,

I’m writing my first “Vicar’s Letter” for the LINK while still sitting in my study in Hanford, Stoke-on-Trent. The workmen are still doing things to the vicarage in Eccleshill, and it is not ready enough for us to move in. It feels most odd, as I’m surrounded by cardboard boxes waiting to go.

Thank you all for your support at the institution service - you made me feel very welcome, and I’m very grateful. I came to visit St Luke’s Church on a Sunday at the end of April to take part in the services and see what they felt like, but apart from that, I still feel a bit of a stranger. By the time you read this, I’ll doubtless be more settled.

So what is the new vicar going to change about our church?

To start with, I hope not to change very much. When I arrived in Hanford it was obvious that a lot needed to change: the building needed a new roof, the finances were desperate, and the congregation was small, elderly and demoralised. In Eccleshill it’s quite different - there are two services which obviously work well, there are a lot of church members doing good work, and the building is in fine shape. The first thing I want to do is to spend a lot of time getting to know the people, watching what is already going on, and listening to people telling me how they would like the church to move forward. Why don’t you invite me to come for a cup of tea and a chat? I’d like to hear your views, and there’s a list of time slots at the back of church.

Then, during the summer, we will try to have a review of the life of our church, and decide what changes we need to make to help us do our job better. Here are three things I think we must keep in mind:

(1) The Church belongs to Jesus, not to any one group of people who live or worship there. We all need to listen to what Jesus wants, and not just what we want for ourselves. It is always possible that Jesus wants us to change the ways we do things so that they will help more people get to know him.

(2) The Church has to provide for all tastes in worship. I think the pattern of having both traditional and modern services is worth keeping, and we must strive to make sure that all our services are real encounters with God. Different styles should complement one another, not compete with each other.

(3) The Church is not just what we do in the building on Sundays. It is also the ways we learn during the week (housegroups?), the ways we serve others (lunch clubs?), the ways we tell others about Jesus and the ways we try to change the world.

John Hartley

	*St Luke's Church, Eccleshill - The Link* magazine** The Link is published monthly at 40p (Senior Citizens 35p), and we deliver free within the parish and post copies (at the reader's expense) to those who request it. Please contact us if you would like a free copy for a trial period. June 2000, Page 1.
Home Page. Index of articles. New Vicar: background, his son, his holidays. Vicar's Letters: index, "Starter for ten", Shepherd, Visiting. In this issue: (June 2000) New Vicar, Shepherd, Question, C of E Finances.	"Your starter for ten" Dear Church Members, I’m writing my first “Vicar’s Letter” for the LINK while still sitting in my study in Hanford, Stoke-on-Trent. The workmen are still doing things to the vicarage in Eccleshill, and it is not ready enough for us to move in. It feels most odd, as I’m surrounded by cardboard boxes waiting to go. Thank you all for your support at the institution service - you made me feel very welcome, and I’m very grateful. I came to visit St Luke’s Church on a Sunday at the end of April to take part in the services and see what they felt like, but apart from that, I still feel a bit of a stranger. By the time you read this, I’ll doubtless be more settled. So what is the new vicar going to change about our church? To start with, I hope not to change very much. When I arrived in Hanford it was obvious that a lot needed to change: the building needed a new roof, the finances were desperate, and the congregation was small, elderly and demoralised. In Eccleshill it’s quite different - there are two services which obviously work well, there are a lot of church members doing good work, and the building is in fine shape. The first thing I want to do is to spend a lot of time getting to know the people, watching what is already going on, and listening to people telling me how they would like the church to move forward. *Why don’t you invite me to come for a cup of tea and a chat?* I’d like to hear your views, and there’s a list of time slots at the back of church. Then, during the summer, we will try to have a review of the life of our church, and decide what changes we need to make to help us do our job better. Here are three things I think we must keep in mind: (1) The Church belongs to Jesus, not to any one group of people who live or worship there. We all need to listen to what Jesus wants, and not just what we want for ourselves. It is always possible that Jesus wants us to change the ways we do things so that they will help more people get to know him. (2) The Church has to provide for all tastes in worship. I think the pattern of having both traditional and modern services is worth keeping, and we must strive to make sure that all our services are real encounters with God. Different styles should complement one another, not compete with each other. (3) The Church is not just what we do in the building on Sundays. It is also the ways we learn during the week (housegroups?), the ways we serve others (lunch clubs?), the ways we tell others about Jesus and the ways we try to change the world. John Hartley
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