There is something wonderfully personal, caring and honest about the account of events that followed the resurrection in St John’s Gospel, which we just heard.
The despondent and emotionally exhausted disciples turn back to their fishing – the stranger on the shore – whose very first word to them ‘children’ expresses care – and his instruction to put the net out to a certain place – to the right of the boat.
The miraculous catch that follows – and with it the recognition that it is Jesus their Lord – and Peter throwing on some clothes and jumping into the water to get more quickly to the shore.
The sight and smell of a hearty cooked breakfast already being prepared for them on the beach by the risen Jesus.
The awe, the wonderment, as they were confronted for the third time with the reality of their Lord’s resurrection.
And then the tenderness, and the challenge as Peter is given the opportunity to profess his love for Jesus three times – overwriting his earlier denial at the time of Jesus’ arrest.
The passage concludes with the simple words ‘Follow me’. Words Peter had heard just three years earlier – simple words he now knew something of the true consequences of responding to, and of the love and faithfulness of God, in his leading.
Each of us here, as those who also endeavour to be ‘followers of Christ’ have had our fair share of highs and lows of fortune in this last year, some more dramatic than others, but I pray that in, through and sometimes despite our experiences, we have sensed and known something of God’s care and goodness and faithfulness.
And that at least some of that finds expression in the companionship and fellowship of our life in the church here.
And it is that common life which I give account for today in the guise of a Rector’s annual report.
And the over arching sentiment I want to express is one of thankfulness.
Thankfulness for God’s presence with us in our endeavour to be church in this place, and thankfulness for the wonderful collaboration of so many people in giving expression to that endeavour.
First, to your Church wardens, your almoners, the advisory committee, and finance team who with generosity of their time and a real commitment to seeing the very best for our church, employ great wisdom and good humour, to make things happen. Thank you so much.
Thank you too, to our Sunday school leaders, and to Liz who heads up that creative and dedicated team. The nurture of our children’s faith is a vital part of our shared ministry and while it happens across in the Youth Centre, mostly out of sight from the main body of the Church – it should never be out of our prayers.
Numbers vary from between 15 or 20 up to 30 at times, and the children are taught in a number of age related groups. And as well as all the hard work they do, the children also enjoyed Christmas parties, the Eisteddfod, and their summer treat which is as popular as ever.
We were also very pleased to have run a couple of evenings for the teenagers this spring who were confirmed last year. With 15 or 16 coming on both occasions. They had great fun – exhausted me – but we hope very much to have them continue to meet from time to time.
It’s always good to bring the church family together for services, and the family services on the first Sunday of the month have been great fun – and enhanced of late by Fran and helpers providing a short creative session in the Lady Chapel in the course of those services so that we can provide for both children and adults on those occasions. Thank you to Fran and all involved.
One of the jewels in the crown of this church is the choral music and I want to say another very big thank you to Nick as our organist and choir master, for his tireless work, enthusiasm and drive for excellence. And of course to all in the choir, thank you. Together you are a powerful testament that there is still very much a place for a formal choir in church services. We’re grateful for your leading us - sometimes dragging us -through the psalms and canticles – for leading us in the heartiest of hymn singing, and on other occasions causing a real spiritual tingling with exquisite music.
I would like to thank Beth Lloyd. Beth very kindly offered last year to do the church rotas. Not much you might think – but you try organising 20 or 30 people with all their likes and dislikes for different services, forever disappearing on holiday – you try organising them onto a cohesive rota that reflects the ever changing cycle of church worship in this place. Thank you Beth – you are worth your weight in gold to me!
And thank you to all those people whose names populate Beth’s rotas! Servers, readers, intercessors, welcomers – a growing band of wonderful people whose efforts enrich the worship and life of this place.
And that is not to mention Jennie Le Sueur’s rota of coffee makers who provide refreshments after the service for – it would seem – more people than ever, though thankfully with much improved facilities. Even the quality of biscuits seems to have been getting better and better!
Nor should we forget that other wonderful group of people who make our church look so beautiful, to the glory of God, with church flowers, and a particular thank you to Mrs Daphne Tingley who heads up that team, and more than that, pops into church numerous times in the week to keep everything looking fresh and wonderful. Thank you so much.
Daphne has indicated to me that she would like to pass the baton forward later this year, and I trust that as we seek to fill that role afresh, folk will not be slow in coming forward.
Parish News is an important and much valued community newsletter that we are responsible for and my thanks to Eileen Simmons and her band of collators and distributors who make that happen month by month.
Parish News and indeed the rotas and weekly pew news are now all available online at the new church website put together and maintained by Stuart Murphy who has done a fantastic job putting together this facility which is used by people not only from this congregation and Island community but also by people from every corner of the globe with prayer requests and enquiries. Stuart has software tools that let you see in geographical terms who uses the site. Quite remarkable. So a very big thank you to Stuart.
Lastly, we give thank for the good and strong relationship we have with the municipality, through John our Constable, the procureurs and not least Nicky and Rose in the Parish office, all of whom have been so encouraging and supportive through this last year. Our thanks also to Phil Le Sueur and all involved in the Honorary Police who have amongst other things brought dignity to many a funeral by calming or stilling the traffic, and helped control the many hundreds of cars that converged on the RJA&HS for the Crib service. Thank you.
That’s a mighty long list of ‘thank you’ s rather than a report so far – but it points to a very healthy church that increasingly involves the gifts and talents of those involved.
• Involved not just in services Sunday by Sunday – but in putting together the biggest and best attended Anglican service in the Island – attracting an estimated 1,500 people on Christmas Eve to the Crib Service. And thank you again to all the team – especially Daniel Speck – for helping make that happen. Its a remarkable initiative that put God back into Christmas for hundreds of people who wouldn’t otherwise go anywhere near a church.
• Involved in helping Durrell celebrate 50 years by organising an outdoor service that drew more than 200 people – an outdoor service that will happen again on Sunday 18th July.
• Involved in a fundraising drive that saw the most fabulous series of events and Open Gardens across the Parish that not only enabled us to pay for some excellent improvements to our church facilities but were remarkable community events in themselves. Another thank you to the team that made those things happen.
• Involved in growing together in faith with an increasingly strong group of people meeting together on Tuesday evenings for discussion, study and prayer. A group which expanded to incorporate the 15 or 20 people who attended this year’s Lent Course.
• Involved a growing number of people with a desire to grow in holiness, with a dozen people joining a mini pilgrimage walk around part of the parish last October, 28 people committing to read daily Bible notes throughout Lent, and a group of fourteen going on pilgrimage to the sacred Isle of Iona next week.
• Involved organising a harvest supper and lent lunches which combined raised thousands of pounds for the less fortunate of the world, again huge thanks to all involved in the catering and organisation of those events.
• Involved a thousand and one other initiatives and acts of kindness, words of prayer and encouragement, or just a listening ear as you and I have endeavoured to bring our shared Christian values to the work place and to home.
• Involved in ministry at Trinity Primary School and contributing richly to the Open the Book Project. And my ordained ministry sees me involved in Ethics and Governance at Hospice, a Scrutiny Panel, chairing the Homeless Outreach Group, on the board of Governors at Rouge Bouillon, going in regularly at Little Sisters of the Poor and the fulfilling of numerous responsibilities at Deanery level as Vice Dean.
For those who have a heart there is more church going on in the week than there is on a month of Sundays!
But that there is so much to give thanks for brings its own very real challenges for the year ahead. All of them positive:
1. We have so far made some fantastic improvements to this building, in particular the new refreshment facilities are a real boon, as are the porch cupboards – and it never ceases to amaze me how versatile the Lady Chapel space has become. The space really works for us – rather than frustrates us. But there is more to do with the refurbishment of the vestry areas that will require considerable thought and careful design in this year ahead, we are also hoping to commission a new pulpit, and we would like to restore the painting of the Madonna and child to its former glory. So there will be continuing fundraising initiatives needed, some of which are already being planned – but all of which should be great fun. Please get involved wherever you see opportunity.
2. As you will hear from the treasurer later this morning, we have made considerable strides in the right direction with our finances, principally through your ongoing generosity and commitment to respond to God’s goodness to you. The wider church’s call on relatively prosperous Jersey churches to help fund those less well off parts of the Church is a reasonable one – and we need to go on consolidating and improving our church finances so that we can in turn respond generously as a church.
3. The nucleus of a new church youth group is there. We urgently need prayer and appropriate offers of help to grow this initiative. I am not a born youth worker – but together we surely have the resources.
4. We have the challenge of growth as a church. It may not be evident every week – but look to the fringes and we are growing fast. This becomes clear and most evident around major festivals and family services where we all but burst at the seams. So while at a purely practical level we need to resolve how we seat more people and speed up sharing communion on those occasions. In this coming year I also want us to work, both individually and as a community, at our understanding that things will inevitably feel different, and may have to be different as our numbers grow. Praying and working through the reality of varying needs in the congregation that will be addressed by varying styles and forms of worship – from the madness of mothering Sunday services to the meditative quietness of evensong, a mixed and varied diet is needed to feed a growing congregation.
5. The challenge of growth as a church will also require us to explore starting a second faith group in addition to that already running on Tuesdays and discerning appropriate leadership for it, similarly the pastoral care of our church community needs to be spread beyond the rector – and again this will require not only prayer and discernment from me – but from amongst you – discernment and willingness to respond to help.
6. It is wonderful that we do some great things as a church - the challenge is of continuing to do those things without exhausting or simply taking advantage of those who make them happen. This year we need in particular to refresh with new members the team that puts together the Crib service – so that some who have been heavily involved for five years may take rest – and we get to take on new ideas and energy. Similarly, Daphne, after three years of excellent leadership with church flowers needs to be helped to step back and rest by others stepping forward.
7. Lastly, the challenge for all of us – that of growth in holiness and discipleship. There hasn’t been such good time for a long time at Trinity to ‘catch the wave’ to get involved afresh in the life of this church, and yes we can do this at a practical level – but we also need to get involved afresh at a spiritual level – which starts with committing afresh to worship in this place – but continues in the way we pray and read through the bible, or meet together to encourage one another in the faith. So listen out for when that new faith group starts up – or get involved with the one that meets on a Tuesday. Look out too for the Bible reading notes which I’ll be making available in the next few months.
Lastly one more thank you –
Thank you to all of you - I really do feel I am the most fortunate Rector in the Island with the most wonderful congregation. Thank you.
And: Two short quotes which I endorse:
When Sir Winston Churchill was asked what his greatest achievement was – winning the war perhaps? No – replied – persuading his wife to marry him.
Behind every successful man there’s an amazed wife!
