Friday 1 May 2009

Getting started

Being Synod Clerk means hearing a whole range of opinions across our churches. Just today, for instance -
1) a colleague has complained that we're given notice of ministers' courses far too late for us to have an chance of getting organised to go on them (Yes: I agree! - and he had the grace to acknowledge it's not MY fault);
2) another colleague voiced the opinion that an event he was organising would be seen as "another of those things that synod wishes upon us" (Yes: he could be right!); and
3) an elder asked me how we were going to make sure that lay people take more initatives when there are fewer ministers round to give a lead (Why on earth did she ask ME??)

In other words, there are conversation-starters being thrown out all the time.

Blogging is totally new to me - but this blog is offered as a means of taking some of these and other conversations that much further. It's open not just to people from the churches of our synod, but for anyone who wants to add to the debate.

Don't be shy - have your say! Add your comment to anything you find here....
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6 comments:

  1. John Durell1 May 2009 at 22:28

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. sgurc2 May 2009 at 15:33

    Is this the place for moans? If its not John just edit it out. it it ok put your ecumenical hat on. I am sorry that the Anglicans had to cancel Fire Works. They have been planning it your 18 months or so. BUT why did they only invite other denominations less than 2 months before the event? Nothing against doing things within one's own denomination. But if we are being ecumenical - its altogether at the outset.
    Yours Mr Grumpy from Morpeth

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  3. John Durell4 May 2009 at 20:09

    I hadn't heard that they had cancelled!
    Yes - why not have a moan? - it would have been much better if we had all been in at the start, though I doubt whether our contribution would have made the difference between make and break. And we are perceived (sometimes justly) as a very small Church who are not likely to bring much with us to the table...
    But putting my ecumenical officer's hat on, and knowing all there is to know about best ecumenical practice, I know there have been plenty of occasions where we've done the same - and then regretted it

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  4. Stuart Brock5 May 2009 at 15:37

    Not being used to blogging this is already most fascinating.
    I often think we are the only church that takes ecumenical issues seriously at the start of projects. We always ask what are the ecumenical implications of any issue or plan. Do other churches do this?

    But, if we're honest, aren't questions like this a bit of an irrelevance in a society where most people don't give a thought to the church in any shape or form? We might be accused of taking ourselves too seriously if we get hung up on denominational or ecumenical. The question is how do we communicate the Christian faith to a largely uninterested, sometimes cynical and occasionally hostile society? I'm not knocking the roll of the Ecumenical Officer - just suggesting that maybe we need to look at the harsh reality of our social context and be much more radical in our approach.

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  5. Kenneth10 May 2009 at 18:01

    Hi John
    Killing the messenger has been a great hobby for people over the years, but not one of mine. It is sad, that many good things appear too late for our diaries to cope. So how about you folk out there putting something on the synod site early and with a simple explanation of whats happening.

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  6. John Durell10 May 2009 at 18:15

    We do our best Kenneth - but often things are passed on to us at the last minute: part of the synod clerk's frustration. And sometimes we suspect things get "misfiled" when they get passed on to churches: do your congregation see everything that's sent out in the monthly mailing? Check with your church secretary! But we'll see if we can do better too....

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