Growing Together

What is ‘Growing Together’?

 Back in May 07 the Church Council held an ‘Away Day’ at the Settlement.  We listened to the experience of another parish in the Diocese which undertook a year-long programme exploring all aspects of the Christian life, including stewardship of time, talents and money.  We decided that we needed to do something along similar lines.  Since May a small group has been meeting, and we are now launching this programme which we are calling ‘Growing Together’.

We want to explore what it means to be God’s People in the Parish of Norton, living life in abundance as God wants, supporting one another through the difficult times, as well as having fun together!  We shall do this by…..

      Getting Together

        Reflecting Together

          Working Together

            Praying Together

             Exploring Together

                Sharing Together

                  Celebrating Together

 Getting Together

From September to November 2007 we held a series of wine-and-cheese socials in the Clulow Room to which we are invited all members of our church.  Each social was hosted by two PCC  members, who became the ‘link’ church councillors for that group.  The main purpose of the socials was to give people a chance to get to know one another better and to introduce the Growing Together process.

 Reflecting Together

 If our church is to grow each of us need to be letting God make a difference in our lives.  We could all do with a ‘spiritual MOT’ from time to time!  But this is something we can’t do on our own.  It’s good to have somebody else to talk things over with—helping us to think about how God has been at work in our lives, and what he might be wanting us to do next.  Our Clergy and Reader and a priest from another parish are all ready to hold conversations with people who think it’s time for a ‘spiritual check-up’!

Working Together

 Last year the Church Council did some hard thinking about the way we do things in our parish.  The outcome was something which we called the new ‘parish structure’.  Areas of activity were divided into three headings: Parish Life – worship, social, fund-raising, maintenance, etc., etc…. all the things that keep the wheels turning; Way Ahead – basically outreach, mission, evangelism; Young Church – from Snapdragons and Sunday School to Streetdragons and Sofa Group.  In New Year 2008 we shall return to this theme and take another look at how we work together.

 Exploring Together

 In Lent this year (2008) we shall take time to explore how as Christians we use both what we have and what we are.  In a Lent sermon series and a Lent course we shall think about our resources of personality, ability and material possessions.  What difference does being a Christian make?  How do we use all of this for God?

Sharing Together

 After Easter it’s time for the Annual Parochial Church Meeting.  This is when the Church Council is elected, and also the accounts for the previous year have to be presented and approved.  It’s about sharing the responsibility for our parish life.  At and after the APCM in 2008 we shall be focussing on this shared responsibility, especially on how the church’s financial needs are to be met.

 Celebrating Together

 Every time we come together on Sunday morning we celebrate who we are as God’s People in the Parish of Norton.  We shall use our Growing Together prayer each Sunday to remind us of this.  But when we come to the summer of 2008 it will be time for a special celebration, so watch this space…..!