Leading into our Annual General Meeting
Ordinary Sunday 33: 16th November, 2008
Fr John Davis, Vicar of St Peter's, Eastern Hill
To have the parable of the talents as the gospel for a day on which we have our Parish Annual General Meeting has a certain edge. That parable where gifts and opportunities that varied substantially were given to three different people and they were left to do what seemed good to them has been seriously proposed as the gospel justification for the free market economy. This is not the best time to be looking for support for the present economic structures perhaps but it is always a good time to reflect and consider on what we as individuals and we as community of faith are making of God's good gifts to us. The 'Well done good and faithful servant' line is what we all would like to able to hear clearly at the end of the time that we have. The person in this story who simply put what he had been given aside and did nothing with it is the one who is condemned. It is a simple enough message. But it needs to be heard.
Today in the meeting that will follow High Mass we will receive reports from and about a whole range of people in this community of faith who have indeed made much of what God has given them and in many cases have shared greatly the skills and gifts they have for the benefit of the larger whole. We will confirm the nominations of a large number of parishioners to the responsibilities they are about to assume for this new parish year, grateful for their willingness to take these tasks on. We will note the reports across the broad range of parish life and we will be able to see the financial context within which all this happens.
I certainly in particular give thanks for the truly remarkable level of offertory week-by-week giving to the parish in this past year — this is by means of the planned giving envelopes, direct debit or by open plate. As our treasurer has reported it is an 8% year on year increase on last year. It would appear to be the highest total ever, even in a year when we sadly had one of the highest levels of loss of parishioners through death for many years. This 'live giving' is what we directly apply to our ongoing ministry provision, including our music. This is at the very heart of who we are and what we do.
Next weekend on Christ the King, the last Sunday of the Church year, we will at each of the morning masses be honouring these gifts and talents that are being so readily offered and used here. So coming forward to the altar rail will be major office bearers such as church wardens and treasurer and vestry members, those who represent us in synod or on the parish incumbency committee, those who serve in sanctuary or choir gallery or kitchen or grounds and importantly also those who use their gifts in service to others in every possible way and place. The best aspects of the parable of the talents are honoured in this annual celebration of gifts. It is both recognition of what has been received and also a committing to that which has yet to be done. So do your best to be here next Sunday and to come forward to be blessed and commissioned.
Our Parish Vision Statement offers a continuing template for how we would wish to go forward in this coming year. This is a vision that is confident and full of hope — even as we approach times that are anything but certain or clear. I think we all acknowledge that the year ahead could well confront us and our wider community with very significant challenges. This does not make forward planning easy, especially financially.
There will in any case be greater demands on very simple things like the daily free breakfast that is offered from here every morning and services such as the emergency food cupboard that are related. There may well be more obvious examples of people under strain, including mental health issues and substance abuse.
At a time when the diocese is going to be forced because of its own financial difficulties to cut services in chaplaincies we may well be asked to take on more from this local level, looking to the needs of our immediate neighbours in hospitals and universities. In amongst all of this our church is open and available; a place of ongoing worship and prayer, day in day out, with a diverse ministry team. A strong, healthy, welcoming and outward reaching St Peter's Eastern Hill is going to be even more necessary in these difficult times than in easy ones.
Meanwhile at a very practical level we can move forward. We are told by our builders that that very long awaited new toilet block that includes very easy disabled access will be complete this next Tuesday. These are able to be provided because of the generous bequest of our late parishioner Peter McWhinney, who was very conscious of the heavy use of these facilities by those who make use of our breakfast program as well as the needs of those who come to mass.
As was also noted today in the pew sheet, the repair work on the major cracking in the Lady Chapel is set to commence tomorrow, with the difficult and dirty task of removing the concrete render on the walls there and starting again. In due course this area and the whole of the interior of the church will be repaired, cleaned and painted as part of a new ten-year maintenance program. But for this time leading up to Christmas the job is very specific. Later work will be done in February before Lent begins. The church was last painted some fifteen years ago, so it is time.
All this is being done through the St Peter's Foundation, which in turn relies substantially on the response to our annual end-of financial year appeal. This year some $50,000 has been received in donations. That is around the level needed to cover the costs. Other funding comes from investment income from previously received bequests. It is obvious that none of this could be done from the normal routine operating parish budget on its own. The wonderful thing is that is does not have to. The Trustees of the Foundation consider therefore that both the Church and the Parish Hall can be maintained and cared for in this way over the long term. Eventually we would hope to be able to include Keble House and the Vicarage in a similar program. In due course I have no doubt that we will.
The annual reports booklet continues to be available at the back of the church. Please take your copy. If you can, come to the meeting. It will not be too lengthy. But in any case, join with me in giving thanks for all that we value and honour here.
The Lord be with you.
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