Weekly Message
There is optimism and opportunity in the spring air!
Thank you to all of you who attended the General Easter Vestry meeting last week and who have asked about it since. We had an opportunity to pause and reflect on what has happened during the last year, but also look further back and see what we have achieved in our parish. As rector, I am heartened by the enthusiasm and optimism in St Mark’s as we live our faith here and now. The prayerful support, volunteering and financial support of the ministry in our parish is amazing. Thank you.
For the last three years, St Mark’s vision for the present and future has been captured under the heading New Spring. It is a season which started in March 2021, when we as a parish considered and evaluated what we were and are doing. Since then, changes have been made and with that, followed the realisation that change can bring good and exciting opportunities.
Three years into New Spring we have already achieved so much good! Visibly, our church building has been subtly and beautifully refurbished to allow us to: provide a warm welcome; prepare and enjoy light refreshments; and enhance our worship by fitting appropriate screens. All this has been done with the objective that St Mark’s should look like St Mark’s. We have welcomed new people to our church, worship and groups. New activities have started, more volunteers have been recruited and there is a friendly and warm buzz about the church.
I started by saying that there is optimism and opportunity in the air. We are now entering the next phase of our shared New Spring vision: appointing another member of staff who will inspire and aid us in the joint task of enhancing our individual growth in faith; growing numbers in our church; and increasing our service to the community.
The Select Vestry has agreed to appoint an outreach worker for three years who will focus on the under 30 age group, recruit and train volunteers, liaise with schools in the area, and support the rector in parish ministry. This is a tremendous opportunity which does not come free (this next phase will cost us around £70 -75,000). The good news is that that the Select Vestry already has a plan for how to fund two thirds of this expenditure. That leaves us with the joint task of finding around £25,000 over a period of three years. I write this to ask for your help and involvement.
The starting point for this is the 5-4-3 Challenge: Five people climbing four peaks over three days in June. Frank and his son Michael, Lynn, Grace and I will undertake to climb the four highest peaks in the UK. We will self-fund this challenge as we join this adventure organised by our Diocese of Down and Dromore. I know I speak on behalf of the team when I say we would appreciate your prayerful support.
The 5-4-3 Challenge is the kick-off event to raise the £25,000 and there are many ways to give. A one-off generous donation, a time-limited standing order (weekly, monthly over three years), a monthly special envelope.
Let us step out in faith with optimism and seize upon this wonderful opportunity before us that will greatly benefit our church and our community.
Blessings,
Helene
Rev'd Canon Dr Helene T. Steed, Rector
Thank you to all of you who attended the General Easter Vestry meeting last week and who have asked about it since. We had an opportunity to pause and reflect on what has happened during the last year, but also look further back and see what we have achieved in our parish. As rector, I am heartened by the enthusiasm and optimism in St Mark’s as we live our faith here and now. The prayerful support, volunteering and financial support of the ministry in our parish is amazing. Thank you.
For the last three years, St Mark’s vision for the present and future has been captured under the heading New Spring. It is a season which started in March 2021, when we as a parish considered and evaluated what we were and are doing. Since then, changes have been made and with that, followed the realisation that change can bring good and exciting opportunities.
Three years into New Spring we have already achieved so much good! Visibly, our church building has been subtly and beautifully refurbished to allow us to: provide a warm welcome; prepare and enjoy light refreshments; and enhance our worship by fitting appropriate screens. All this has been done with the objective that St Mark’s should look like St Mark’s. We have welcomed new people to our church, worship and groups. New activities have started, more volunteers have been recruited and there is a friendly and warm buzz about the church.
I started by saying that there is optimism and opportunity in the air. We are now entering the next phase of our shared New Spring vision: appointing another member of staff who will inspire and aid us in the joint task of enhancing our individual growth in faith; growing numbers in our church; and increasing our service to the community.
The Select Vestry has agreed to appoint an outreach worker for three years who will focus on the under 30 age group, recruit and train volunteers, liaise with schools in the area, and support the rector in parish ministry. This is a tremendous opportunity which does not come free (this next phase will cost us around £70 -75,000). The good news is that that the Select Vestry already has a plan for how to fund two thirds of this expenditure. That leaves us with the joint task of finding around £25,000 over a period of three years. I write this to ask for your help and involvement.
The starting point for this is the 5-4-3 Challenge: Five people climbing four peaks over three days in June. Frank and his son Michael, Lynn, Grace and I will undertake to climb the four highest peaks in the UK. We will self-fund this challenge as we join this adventure organised by our Diocese of Down and Dromore. I know I speak on behalf of the team when I say we would appreciate your prayerful support.
The 5-4-3 Challenge is the kick-off event to raise the £25,000 and there are many ways to give. A one-off generous donation, a time-limited standing order (weekly, monthly over three years), a monthly special envelope.
Let us step out in faith with optimism and seize upon this wonderful opportunity before us that will greatly benefit our church and our community.
Blessings,
Helene
Rev'd Canon Dr Helene T. Steed, Rector
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