It is interesting looking back to previous October magazine entries "from the Wardens".
It was in 2003 that we first directed our Harvest Festival gifts to "Feed the Children" and we will do so again this year at our service on Sunday morning, 7th October, and also this year there will be our celebration lunch. Feed the Children are a UK based organisation who are well known for their ability to respond quickly to crises. So watch out for the pew sheets to tell you what food stuffs to offer at the Festival Service.
Also this year there will be a Festival Concert on the Saturday evening of Choral Music in the Anglican tradition.
Looking back to past October magazines again, it was in 2004 that we had just welcomed Bishop Steven of Kitale (Uganda) and our emphasis was on supporting him with his work for refugees from the Sudan. It is interesting to note that we were able to give a total of £4,000 in that year to various organisations. At the same time however "Fairer Share" was being introduced and sadly giving and "Share" have not proved compatible.
The PCC always allows a basic giving each year of £1,500 in the annual budget and this is topped up from any surplus from the previous year's account. But as "Share" has inexorably risen from £35,235 in 2004 to £47,418 in the current year, so account surplus has dwindled away and we have to anticipate an end of year loss. On the brighter side however, the dioceses did make a surplus from "Share" last year and was able to give us a refund of £2734 recently!
By 2005 we were greatly concerned with the requirements for the disabled laid down by the DDA. Already a disabled toilet had been formed and the envelope scheme of all the talents was proving a great success towards the necessary funding. And the working together and joint efforts of that period carried us onwards into the re-ordering and refurbishment of St Marks, already in the experimental stage in October 2005, and very much a main feature in October 2006. Just a year ago all had been completed except the new lighting which followed shortly after. So for nearly a year now we have enjoyed the benefits of that quite arduous undertaking. Also by October 2006 our plans for the Golden Jubilee celebrations for St Marks were well advanced with all volunteers for the Jubilee Weekend in place and even the now notorious "Chuches" tee shirts were under way.
Our Jubilee celebrations continue still for a little while longer. After the St Marks weekend came "Making Connections" which also has now come to an end - but only for this year! In the last three months fourteen of the congregation have been led by the Rector over approximately 3 miles of the parish's many roads, knocking on some 350 front doors, meeting some delightful people, none less than friendly, and hopefully spreading the word that we are very much alive as their parish church and will always be there whenever they might need us.
Visits are kept as brief as possible and are conducted from the front door step. We tell the people why we have called; we are praying for their particular road in that week and feel we would also like to meet them and see if they have any special prayers they would like us to include for them. We leave them a pamphlet giving brief details about our churches and move on so that we do not disturb too much of their evening.
We now look forward to the lighter evenings returning next year so that we can start again on some of the other roads in the parish and continue the process for many years to come until all have been visited. Then, like the Forth bridge, we can go back to the beginning again! but see penultimate paragraph Forth Rail Bridge (opens new window)
But in the meantime, as our Jubilee year draws towards its close, we can still look forward to "Another Opening, Another Show", the concert for 17th November, and then finally the Bishop of Salisbury, Bishop David, will celebrate with us at our closing service on 9th December.
Vic and I have enjoyed the whole year with all it has meant to the church and the congregation and we just hope each of you have as well.
Garnet Lambert