It's not just in the numbers!

Though a packed building may say a lot about the success of a church it certainly isn't the only thing. If you had asked me why we went to St Margaret's Parish Church in Glenrothes this morning rather than one of the others in the area (which can be found very easily on the excellent Church of Scotland website) then my answer would be simple - their website! It stood out well above the rest both for presentation and content (and the fact they had one!) giving a flavour of what might just meet you if you went there - and we were not disappointed.

The normal routine of 9-30, 10 and 11-15 (all different styles) return next week at the end of the Scottish schools' holidays and there was only the choice of a 10 am! Not sure what style we would get at this special service it turned out to be a celebration at the end of the highpoint of their year; the holiday club week based on the theme of Champions Challenge. Clearly all had had a great week and relaxed and informal service picked up some of the things they had learnt (through a structure of look, listen, learn (look at the Bible, listen to what Jesus says, learn what we should do)) and leading thoughts on to the future (used the idea of needing to keep training to maintain success!).

Having used the church for the holiday club they kept it as it had been with banners, trophies, tableaux etc for the service, with three rows of chairs around the outside looking into the open middle area which was used for various activities. It was good to see the place used to best effect and not just maintaining the norm. A very mixed-age congregation looked comfortable with the whole service (though perhaps not so if it were like this every week). We were certainly not "bowled-over" by the welcome, being greeted in a friendly but matter of fact way as we entered, spoken to once as we sat waiting for the service to start, and by one gent as we queued to leave asking if we wanted to join them for coffee in the hall - but certainly no special enquiry if we were visiting or personal interest shown - we'll see of this improves next week!

From this experience I would say that what I have long thought from using the Church of Scotland website (and especially their "Starters for Worship" resource most weeks) that they have better got to grips with changing church to engage a modern time was well bourne out by today.

Good on you Church of Scotland - we Methodist's have much to learn from you.

And "thank you"

A Celtic Model of Ministry - Jerry C Doherty

This is yet one more of those challenging books which gives you hope for the future of the Christian faith.

Doherty diagnoses one of the problems facing the church as being individualism in society (is that post-modernism by another name or one symptom of PM, I ask myself). He finds a solution in the Celtic model of community and goes on to point out that a successful community needs to be inclusive, realistic (in what it tries to achieve), contemplative, to have the capacity for healing and converting and have a spirit (the spirit of peace and love). The question he poses is whether the church can rediscover the ability to be a community which relates to people. Now, I wonder what you think! His suggestion is that churches need to accept the idea that this is what God wants it to be, to accept our need of God, to restore our teaching ministry and to know our Bibles!

For me, all this has made me think about the relationships within the Circuit and particularly in the leadership. Are we a community? I think not - more like the Roman model of "I'm the boss and this is how it is going to be, and you lesser mortals had better accept it." No wonder we are getting nowhere fast - if the leadership cannot get it right, what chance for those who are daft enough to still look to us for the solution!

What a week!

Lectures, lectures and lectures! That said, though I am shattered with all the concentration they have been really great. John Finney, Cyril Ashton, Brenda Mosedale, as well as in-house lecturers were all great, even Phil Meadows was inspiring this time (though maybe it just takes time to get used to him!). Forget the the assignments (is that possible?) just the taught part is so good. Shame about the food, the beds, the rooms - only kidding!

Back to Cliff again

Well, here I am again, back at Cliff College for the 2nd module - LRM2. This will be work in progress ...

It's good to see some folk from last time - and some new ones. The fellowship of Christ is bigger than so often we see in the immediate felllowship of those we know well - the saints of earth! That said, some are easier to get on with than others - but that it the joy of discipleship.