January News from the 3B’s Churches

If you have survived the snow and another Christmas, managed to purchase the right presents, cooked the biggest meal of the year, eaten it, embraced X-factor and Strictly Come Dancing or hidden away behind the sofa and are now wondering what the New Year holds...let me tell you what it holds for the parishes of the 3B’s.

I think that most of us can say that we already know what the ‘Church’ is all about. After all, we have been doing it for donkey’s years!” Maybe some people would react negatively to the idea of trying to set a “vision statement” for our church. And yet history and experience show that many unhappiness's in churches are caused by Christians not really seeing eye to eye about what they think the church is supposed to be doing.

So over the last year the Parochial Church Council of the 3B’s and a smaller Vision group have been discussing what we think our vision is for our church. It has been a hard job, a bit like trying to nail down a jellyfish to a brick wall, and we haven’t got there yet. We know that we are:

• being united in Jesus,
• being focused on Jesus,
• showing love,
• welcoming all equally.

and much much more but quite frankly it is not enough.

We have to turn these sound bites and catch phrases into action and set a new course. The point of a vision statement is that we can all unite behind it when we set our priorities as a church. So now we are asking you for comments.

We are not saying this is what our church is like now, although we hope we succeed in some areas. We want to fix aims for the future - together. So we are holding an open meeting on Saturday 29th January 2011 in the Gladys Bevan Hall Upper Beeding.

If you have been part of the Church in the past come now and help us build the future. Rev John.

Return To News Page