[Magdalen] Crazy Sunday schedule

[Jay Weigel]

My goodness, Grace! That's much worse than most of the tiny churches I've
attended, where there is at least *some* lay leadership and *some*
ecumenical action. It sounds like God's frozen chosen, all right...frozen
in time and thought process. The bishop needs to get in there and shake
things up with a PIC who they probably won't like at first but who can stir
up some lay leadership. The ELCA has trained lay folks who do that kind of
thing (some very well, some not so well) and they're paid by the church.(
St. Barnabas had experience of one for awhile; we liked her but she wasn't
that good at her job, however it was her first time out so hopefully she
got better.) It sounds like there might be some faint stirrings of possible
lay leadership in the outfit that just need to be awakened.

On Tue, Dec 22, 2015 at 6:09 AM, Roger Stokes <roger.stokes65 at btinternet.com
> wrote:

> On 22/12/2015 05:51, Grace Cangialosi wrote:
>
>> I know there are lots of little churches like this, including the two I
>> served before, which are struggling with mostly lay leadership and  monthly
>> visits from  a priest, but I don't see much future for them unless there is
>> a totally new model. Working ecumenically with other churches in the area
>> would be a possibility, but for many folks that's almost unthinkable.
>>
>> I guess the question is whether they should be closed or continue to limp
>> along until folks die off. There is no growth potential in that rural area.
>>
>
> The same applies over here, thoigh with the added complication that many
> of the churches are historic - old even in British terms. On Sunday I
> looked at the congregation in one of the churches I serve regularly and
> wondered how many of them would still be there in 10 years' time.  They
> have not had their own shared priest since 2007, and before then tenures
> were short because it was a part-time post. They hope new pastoral
> arrangements which should bring greater stability, with a small team of
> full-time clergy serving a larger group of churches, will come in later
> 2016.  We will see but that might help bring in mre younger people and
> families.
>
> Roger
>
>
>