APCMs

It’s Annual Parochial Church Meeting season! “Hooray!” I hear you shout! Each parish is required to hold such a meeting every year before 30^th April. I don’t know whether or not that prospect fills you with enthusiasm?! Some people love such things; others would rather stick pins in their eyes.

Nevertheless, the APCMs are important. The church is neither a dictatorship nor exactly a democracy, but the APCM is one opportunity to play your part in the government of your church. I can’t say that people have given their lives so that you can have this particular vote, but you get the idea! Each year, the parishioners elect the Church Wardens and members of the Parochial Church Council. There are also elections every three years to the Deanery Synod.

And you can ask any question you like or make any comments (complaints!) or suggestions. Of course, you can do that at any time. You might prefer to give me a ring, or send me an email, or have a word with me, before you raise something at the APCM but, if you wish, that public forum is available to you.

The APCM is also a chance to review the year that has passed. The PCC will provide a set of accounts and a written report. We trust there will be encouragements and much for which to give God thanks. And, of course, the APCM is a bit like the Oscars: there are always lots of people to thank. Our churches depend on a wonderful army of volunteers who give freely of their time and skills, often with little recognition. Thank you!

The APCM is also an opportunity to look forward and to discuss plans. It encourages us to step back and look at the big picture. Frankly, it sometimes seems to me that I have more than enough work to do simply seeking to keep the show on the road. We’re all concerned about maintaining our buildings and balancing the books. But I don’t want to settle for “maintenance mode”, still less for the management of decline. Since people inevitably die and move away, we need to grow numerically just to stand still. The Diocese tells us that we don’t pay our full costs, and all three parishes are committed to working hard to seek to do so as soon as possible.

But above all it’s the gospel of Jesus Christ that should motivate and inform all that we do. The church is not just an under-resourced branch of English Heritage. Nor are we amateur social workers or counsellors or whatever. We certainly do not exist to pay into the central coffers or just to keep the Rector off the streets. It seems to me that in everything we do we should always keep two main aims before us:

(1) We want to follow Jesus. We are seeking to be his disciples. That’s an inexhaustible life-transforming adventure that affects everything.

(2) We want to help and encourage others to follow Jesus. We want to make disciples of Jesus.

We could add that we want to make disciples of Jesus who will in turn make disciples of Jesus – and so it goes on!

Hopefully, those big aims are clear. We know that our primary means are the Word of God and prayer – all in the power of the Spirit. We’ve also done some strategic thinking when we talked about our Mission Action Plan, and we need to keep that under review. There’ll be much to discuss by way of tactics. Your church needs you! We hope you’ll get on board with this vision and we really mean it when we say that your comments and suggestions are important to us. We’d love to hear how we can do better together.

So, God-willing, I hope to see you at one of our APCMs (details of which, later in the magazine):

·        Dallington on Wed 10^th April at 7pm in the church

·        Bodle Street Green on Fri 12^th April at 7:30pm in the village hall

·        Warbleton on Mon 15^th April at 7:30pm in the church rooms