Jenny’s letter May 17th
Dear Friends,
“How will we solve this together?” That, I think, is the real question before us at St Barnabas at the moment.
Many of us know the famous words from Apollo 13: “Houston, we have a problem.” The exact words were slightly different — Jack Swigert first said, “We’ve had a problem here,” and Jim Lovell repeated, “Houston, we’ve had a problem” — but what matters is what happened next. No one on the spacecraft, or in Mission Control, could solve the crisis alone. They had to think clearly, work together, use what they had, and quite literally come up with an “out of the box” solution to bring the astronauts home safely. And, against all odds, they did! Incredible.
We are not in outer space. But we do have a serious problem. And serious problems are not solved by waiting for somebody else to fix them. They are solved when people think, pray, offer what they can, and take responsibility together.
There is much that is good here. The church continues to welcome new people. The Centre is busy throughout the week. There is worship, prayer, pastoral care, children’s work, community groups, cups of tea, laughter, kindness and friendship. These things matter deeply. They are signs of God’s grace among us.
But church life does not happen by accident. Behind every service, every event and every act of care are people quietly carrying responsibility. Increasingly, fewer people are carrying more of it. That is not unique to St Barnabas; it is the reality facing many churches today. The shape of church is changing, and perhaps part of faithfulness is being honest enough to recognise that.
At the moment we urgently need both a Churchwarden and a PCC Secretary. These are not simply titles or administrative extras. They are essential roles in the life and governance of the parish. Without people willing to step into them, it becomes increasingly difficult to continue in any format, not least the way we currently work.
I know many people are already tired and busy. I also know that volunteering can feel daunting. Yet I believe very strongly that God calls people — often gently, quietly and persistently — into the work that needs doing. In Scripture, when God asks, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” the answer comes: “Here am I; send me.” (Isaiah 6:8) Sometimes I wonder whether the people God is calling are already among us, but perhaps assume surely he must mean somebody else. Most whom God calls feel ill-equipped at the start. Many feel fear. Clearly we need some natural gifts and talents to help us to undertake a task, but God gives the rest. Responding to God’s call is almost always an act of faith: “Not my will, but yours be done.”
I am not writing to create pressure or guilt. I am writing because we need to recognise reality with honesty and hope. If we cannot find enough people willing to take responsibility, we will need to think carefully about what is sustainable. We may need to ask difficult questions about activities we treasure — the café being open five days a week, aspects of our Christmas outreach, the Tree Festival and other commitments. Not because these things are unimportant, but because every part of church life depends upon people, energy, time and commitment.
St Paul reminds us: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit… To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:4,7) The future of St Barnabas will not depend on one person doing everything. It will depend on all of us prayerfully asking what part we are called to play, however large or small that may be.
So perhaps we begin there: not with blame, not with anxiety, but with that simple and faithful question:
How will we solve this together?
Wishing you a peaceful and safe week ahead,
