Vicar’s Report 2011-2012
I am delighted to report on yet another wonderful year for All Saints Church. In fact, so many splendid things have happened, have continued to happen and are, prayerfully, soon to happen that it’s difficult to know where to start...
So, in no particular order and with apologies for any items I’ve omitted...
We continue to enjoy good relationships with our two primary schools, Dallimore and Ladywood and we are growing a relationship with St John Houghton Roman Catholic School (I hope to soon be a member of their Friday lunch-time ‘God Squad!')– sadly, as yet we have not made any significant in-roads into ‘the Comp’ – our prayers are needed here to open their doors to All Saints Church, even if it’s only a tiny bit at first!
Our brothers and sisters at Hillcrest, Ladywood and Oliver House Care Homes continue to enjoy worshipping with us when we visit them once each month and I must thank all those who regularly give their voices and time to these simple but well received times of worship – I’m also delighted to report that ‘our team’ has grown (and for whom this is now their church), but, of course, more are always most welcome to join ‘our team’. Linked to this is an idea to hold a ‘Songs of Praise’ Service in ‘church’ on the third Thursday of each month in the lighter nights, when we can gather to worship in simply singing our favourite hymns – your comments are most welcome ...
As you will have gathered from the number of reports, our various groups continue to flourish and
increase, both in the depth of what they do and in number. Again, I must thank all those who give of their time and energy to organise, lead and support these many and varied activities. Not included in this list is our new venture of a quarterly ‘Half-Day of Prayer’, when we open the 'church’ for an afternoon for both corporate and private prayer around a seasonal theme (we’ve done Autumn and Winter so far and on Wednesday 25th April we’ll take up a Spring theme ... book this date!)
The ‘occasional offices’ continue to bring us many opportunities to meet and to serve others who are presently outside our fellowship. Our Baptism Services continue to meet a growing demand – we’ve a baptism booked virtually every Sunday from now until the end of June! Also, the number of weddings continues to increase with twenty five booked this year, eight booked already for 2013 and two for 2014. We’re also seeing those whom we’ve married here in recent years returning to have their children baptised, which is a lovely continuing contact.
Our ‘Prayer Visiting’ continues (after a winter break) and we have already visited 39 of our 68 streets! The vast majority of people really appreciate our invitation and are delighted that our church has taken the time to come to them with an offer of service rather than a ‘hard sell’. We also enjoy the occasional door step chat and the occasional offer of a ‘cuppa’. The percentage requesting prayer remains around 10%. These requests also help us to better know the concerns of our parish so that, as we continue, each week, to pray alphabetically, for three streets in our parish, our prayers are better focused. If you’d like to join the team, then do, please have a chat with me.
Our ‘Eleven Eleven’ Parade Praise Service continues to just about hold its numbers, albeit with no
significant attendance from the Scouts – a more difficult age group to retain. I’m delighted that Rev Rachel’s husband, Kevin, now leads the music team and has raised the quality and variety
of our sung praise. Rev Rachel has now assumed responsibility for this service and hopes to develop it away from being seen as purely a ‘Parade Service’ to one that involves a wider variety of children and their families. Rev Rachel and her team would appreciate our prayers as well as our support by simply being there to worship with the youngsters.
Following Rev Rachel’s inspiration, we’re really delighted to be able to offer a short, simple personal service to those who have lost a child through miscarriage – either recently or indeed in the past – it’s called our ‘Memory Box Service’ and to have made available in our churchyard a memorial for those from whom we are separated before birth at which those so bereaved may spend a quiet moment.
Over the past six years we have been seeking to grow All Saints Church both in the depth of our relationship with God, in number and in commitment to our community. I am delighted that we
have seen and continue to see such growth. As part of that growth, I felt prompted last year to offer us a ‘Verse for the Year’, namely Joshua 3:5, Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.’ As my remarks and as our reports confirm, we are seeing and will continue to see the Lord doing amazing things amongst us. To encourage us further I offered us afresh, at the start of this year, the challenge from James chapter 4 verse 8a, “Come near to God and He will come near to you.” Only in a deepening relationship with Jesus will we see our lives being transformed and, through such new lives, we will see a little more of God’s reign on earth as it is in heaven.
Finally, I must never forget to praise the many, many things, often unseen and unspoken, that happen within our fellowship and beyond – for example, the love given to family, friends and neighbours through prayer, practical support and simple friendship. We have only to look around our church today to see how many have come back to their relationship with God through this simple and natural sharing.
Finally, may I thank you all for your love, encouragement and support, both for myself and for my family ...