Vicar's Report ­ Cogges `08

2008 has been a challenging year for many reasons ­ call it the 7 year itch
or what you ever you like but it has been a year were one has observed
significant numerical growth. The electoral roll in 2007 contained 156
names. We now have over 200, which in church growth terms moves us
from the realm of a small church to a medium church. Not only are we at
a numerical transition but we also find ourselves at a place where we
must cultivate a new environment that releases the missional imagination
of the people of God. The work of any leader is to assist people in
discerning what God is up to amongst them.

More of that in a minute.

What are the challenges that come with numerical growth?

The first one is obvious and I've heard it again and again in the past year
when you mention someone's name in the congregation: "I haven't met
them yet", or "what do they look like?"

Is it realistic to expect 200 hundred people to know one another? I think
not. In a small church, the primary circle of belonging is the church as a
whole, but in medium size church the primary circle of belonging is
usually a specific affinity group or program.

That's why men's and women's ministries become vital and a healthy
fellowship/home group structure must operate effectively outside
corporate worship activities.

Invariably leadership functions differently in the medium size church.
Since this size of church has far more complexity the leader must
represent the different constituencies in the church. There is simply too
much work to be handled by a small core of committed people(Cogges
has functioned like this for years). Because of these factors, leaders need
to be chosen less on the basis of length of tenure and strength of
personality and more on the basis of skills and giftedness. In the medium
size church, laity with the necessary gifts must rise to the surface and do
more of the ministry alongside the staff team.

It also means that as leaders lead they too ought to be released into their
areas of giftedness ­ why ought the congregation be the only ones
liberated to follow their passions and fulfill their giftedness in ministry!!
It also fair to say that in medium size churches change happens through
key groupings, teams AND those with prophetic ministries.

The real key to growth in medium size churches is developing the
effectiveness and quality of the ministries that meet real needs and that
are aligned to what the church has discerned is the will of God. The
values that create the church's new identity will eventually enable the
church to clarify what key ministries must take priority.

Needless to say significant administrative skills are required when a
church transitions from one size category to another.

The second point concerns how a leader helps the church imagine its new
future.

Nancy Beech,

`Our churches will die if we refuse to navigate the white waters of
chaos always associated with change and growth. We must be
fearless in recognising what we need to let go of and what must not
slip away. We need to become leaders who can handle the trouble
and discomfort associated with change and have the tenacity to
remember the few new things that should be done as well as the
things that we must continue to do'.

An illustration

Rowers row facing the stern(back) - with back to the future ­ important
because recognising where we've come from encourages us to push
forward to where we need to be.

Canoeists canoe facing forward - always pushing forward ­ they head for
the white water with relish and a little fear but with a sense of excitement
about the journey.

Kipling once said this, `They that only England know, know not
England.

Often the canoeists are the ones with the prophetic edge or those new to
the church, who see with fresh eyes some aspect in the way the church
needs to change. Of course their words won't be the only words or even
the last words but they are nevertheless important words that help us
navigate white water.
Antoine de Saint Exupery ­ published a collection of sayings called
`Citadelle', he said,

`If you want to build a ship, don't summon people to buy wood,
prepare tools, distribute jobs and organise the work; teach people the
yearning for the wide, boundless ocean'.

The mainstream church in UK is too focussed on motivating its members
to embrace the technicalities of shipbuilding without ever having first
inspired them with a yearning to sail the high seas. The church that God
will ensure prevails might disturb and frighten many of us but that is no
reason not to seek it and pursue it and build it.

We've been so fortunate to have Chris Neal journey with us awhile. He
loves white water canoeing and we've been blessed by his ministry to us.

He has disturbed us with a vision of what sort of community we need to
become to help a world that is trying to navigate white water in a very
shaky craft. A craft that is struggling to survive economic
instability(picture of baby in paper saying they'll be 23 years old before
the country is out of debt), ecological and environmental uncertainty and
a looming energy crises.

Chris believes that the church must become a prophetic voice speaking
hope into a world of despair. Our community must actively

identify with the life of Jesus ­ being at home everywhere and nowhere
transform the secular society ­ by living on the margins of society
live highly communal lives ­

These are some of the outcomes of becoming a missional community:

We must      foster transforming discipleship
             Live incarnationally ­ being shaped by our context
             Explore evangelism as an integral part of mission
             Create spiritual, economic and social capital
             Commit ourselves to the local community
After the away day Chris encouraged us to draw together the themes that
have been emerging, discuss them, pray about them and draw them
together until they reflect what Christ's wants us to do. He suggested,
that at this stage, we ought not to be too process driven(which risks
imposing our will for the church over Christ's)and too passive(which
risks not achieving any meaningful change). He summed up this
dichotomy as `being rather than doing' and advised us that we need to
focus on people, not programmes, values, not structures, the vision, not
the institution and to be world focussed not church focussed.

This is what we've been doing since January.

Met with ministry team/PCC to develop values statement.

Values statement

`We should be transparent and have family values, walking beside each
other in solidarity. We wish to develop deep relationships which show
compassion and value honesty so that we demonstrate noticeably
different lives wherever we are. To be Christ centred, to seek God
honestly, to trust each other with humility and respect, to give to each
other generously and to bear with each patiently. To be welcoming and
caring, nurturing and valuing each other, following the love and teaching
of Jesus, and sharing it with all whom we meet. A depth of commitment
to Jesus which grows from small groups meeting together to build up to
go out into the world and be Christ like.

`Open to God nights' ­ to hear what God might have to say about the
shape of things to come.

Chris Neal to meet with PCC/Ministry team on 6th May.

Decide how to include the rest of the Church in the ongoing process
Further headings

Youth Worker(substantial gift to help fund a youth worker)
Finances(healthy ­ thanks to Keith Harwood)
Andrew Pritchard(look forward to his arrival)
Madley Park(meet with Jigsaw attendees to agree a plan from September)
Greg/Gareth(training/thinking about ordained ministry)
Alpha(starting again in September)
Roger/Cyril(how fortunate we are to have two retired clergy of their
calibre)




Andrew Sweeney                                  April 2009