This book is the story of the changes our parish has encountered over the last eleven years or so in the areas of ministry and decision-making. We are on a journey and certainly haven't arrived. We don't claim to have found all the answers or to have made all the correct choices and decisions. However, we are excited by the things that God has been doing in us individually and as a parish and wanted to share them, for these are difficult and challenging days for so many of us in the Christian church.
This is not a blueprint for success but rather a sharing of thoughts and ideas, many of which have started working for us. Each church is unique, and what works in one place may not work everywhere else. Ultimately, God is our best guide; the important thing is to walk day by day with the One who longs to bless and help us. The Apostle Paul reminded the church at Philippi that the One who had begun a good work among them would bring it to completion (1:6); not even St. Paul thought that he had "arrived" (3:12).
We hope that we address the issue of why congregations should want to get involved in stirring the spiritual fire that burns within them. Patterns of ministry are changing and this can often be hard to accept. The truth is that when we allow the Holy Spirit to burn within us, we become increasingly prepared to try new things. It isn't that we get sold on the idea that "new" is good and "old" is bad, so it's out with the old and in with the new. All sorts of chaos has been caused in the life of the Christian church over the centuries by people who think they knew better than everyone who came before them. God isn't encouraging us to develop an addiction to novelty and an indifference to everything we're already doing that works well.
In Luke's Gospel (24:13-35) two believers found themselves walking with the risen Jesus. The Scriptures took on a new meaning as their hearts started to burn within them through their increasing openness to God. They realized that the One who broke the Bread for them was Jesus himself, and they set out for Jerusalem to find fellowship with the other disciples. Before long, the fire of the Holy Spirit stirred them up at the Feast of Pentecost.
When that happened, the young church became willing to live as the Lord directed. Had that not been the case, the Gospel wouldn't have spread to Europe. Centuries later, it wouldn't have crossed the Atlantic and made its huge impact on the newly born United States of America, burning the truth of the Gospel into the hearts of the Founding Fathers. When we open our hearts to God and allow the Spirit to stir up the spiritual fire he brings, we become equal to any challenge and can face the future with real confidence in God. That's the case for us as individuals, families, churches and nations. Quenching the Spirit has the opposite effect!
There is an ancient prayer that is still prayed by many Christians 5 weeks before Christmas day. The prayer became so well known and loved that this day is still known as "stir up Sunday" and the tradition of making and stirring the Christmas pudding on that day still remains! "Stir up, O Lord, the wills of your faithful people that they might bring forth the fruit of good works"
Ten years ago, we arrived in a small, fairly traditional Anglican parish in South Wales. We found lovely people in the mostly elderly congregation, many of whom were deeply committed to God; they had an obvious faith in him. Much of the running of the parish fell on the shoulders of wardens, the lay reader, the minister, and a few others. As tends to be the case in many parishes, one style of worship was on offer.
Today, we have about forty people actively involved in running the parish, five worship styles are celebrated, and the average age is gradually getting younger.
We still have a long way to go but would like to share with you our journey up to now. Over the years, God has been gracious to us in so many ways. It is our prayer that we might all continue to know this in the future.