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ALL SAINTS CHURCH BAWDESWELL The Service of Commemoration took place on Sunday 11th following on from the evening celebrations the night before. We were delighted to welcome the Bishop of Lynn who took the service, and visitors from all the parishes of our Benefice. As part of the service we had a procession right round the church, stopping at the Foundation Stone to repeat the prayer used 50 years ago to mark its laying. The processional cross was carried by Katey Ewing who was followed by the two churchwardens with their ceremonial staffs, and then Tony Footitt the Bishop of Lynn with the whole congregation following behind him. After the service the crowds
mingled and were offered a glass of wine and cheese and biscuits.
The Quinquennial Inspection which the Diocese subjects us to each 5 years has just taken place. This is to make sure we are looking after the building properly and complying with all the latest regulations. It is always a worrying time as the Report usually identifies work that needs doing. We clean out the gutters ourselves and do as much maintenance as possible, but inevitably skilled work such as re-pointing brickwork or repairs to the tower are beyond us. The
inspecting architect wants us to employ a structural engineer to check
the fixings at the top of the tower. These may need to be replaced.
It is comforting for us to have the Friends to help us should such a crisis
occur.
At the Annual Parish Meeting,
David Gurney and Robin Taylor were re-elected Churchwardens for the coming
year.
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PARISH CHURCH FINANCING (4) In three short articles for this magazine, I have endeavoured to condense seven papers on this subject into what I hope has given you some idea of how the C of E is financed. In these, it was explained how the Church moved into deficit, what action is being taken centrally and now, what we, who call ourselves Christians, should be doing at local level. We have a new Archbishop of Canterbury and a sense of a fresh beginning. The Springboard Team, who will be in the diocese in October, will be focussing on the renewal of our mission. Preparation began with a School of Prayer in the Cathedral on March 1st, which 700 people attended: there is a greater thirst for God than is often recognised. Church attendance figures, despite Norwich being named the most godless city in the country, have risen. About 60,000 attended Anglican Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services in the diocese - about three times the capacity of Carrow Rd. Our church schools have never been more popular. There is no shortage of desire for Christian Ministry. It is the translating of this into personal commitment to Christ and regular worship that is difficult. We all live in a parish - this is a parish magazine. The gospel is proclaimed regularly here and yet the toughest missionary territory is often on our doorstep. Why is this? Why do people say that the church is the focal point in the village and is important to them for baptisms, marriages, services and funerals and yet do nothing on a regular financial basis to support it? Well, there are many reasons, but if you truthfully come to examine them they are really only excuses. "Someone else can keep my church going"- well, yes that's just what has been happening and just a tiny handful of mainly pensioner folk in each community have had to find more and more money largely, for example, to meet the rising cost of clergy pensions. It is no answer to try managing with fewer clergy. It used to be one paid vicar in every parish or two - now, we see them trying to cope with six or more. This trend needs reversing. The church's problem is lack of giving. We need regular giving whether you are in church or not (hopefully that too!) Our whole fabric of society is in danger because of apathy. The very freedom our forebears fought for are in danger of being lost: few turn out to vote at elections just as few do anything to maintain freedom of worship including the Established Church. So, please come forward and speak or write (in confidence) to your church treasurer and discuss what you can do for your church and ask any questions you may have. Please help. The mission of our church depends on generous giving. John Harvey
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