Church of England Practice

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Because the Church of England is the product of deliberate compromise between different traditions of witness to Jesus Christ, no two parishes are identical.

As we consider our own Parish in the context of an 'interregum'between two incumbents, it seems opportune to consider some of the following kssues:

1. Time

How important are:

  1. Advent: the Advent Wreath
  2. Christmas: the Christmas tree, the Crib; Candlemas candles
  3. Lent: Ashing
  4. Holy Week:
    1. Palm Sunday: The procession with Palms
    2. Maundy Thursday: the procession with oils, the washing of feet, the procession to the 'Altar of Repose',;  the stripping of the altars
    3. Good Friday: the procession of witness, the Liturgy of Good Friday
    4. Easter Eve: The lighting of the Fire and Paschal Candle, the Exultet, nine readings, the Easter Garden
  5. Other major Feasts:
    1. The Ascension
    2. Corpus Christi
    3. The Assumption
    4. All Saints/All Souls
    5. Other feast days, including saints days, the Patronal Festival, 'Mothering Sunday' and Harvest Festival
    6. Feasts/observances fallen out of fashion: carol singing, Plough  Sunday, Lammas, Rogation, May Day and Whitsun processions,
    7. New observances: The Crib, the Jesse tree, Christingle
  6. Should we promote?:
    1. More public walking/witness
    2. Public Worship

2. Worship

  1. Should we supplement or replace our daily Eucharist with?:
    1. Services specially for and involving children
    2. Matins and Evensong
    3. Other services of 'The Word'
    4. Publicly announced daily prayer
    5. Advent and Lent special prayers
    6. Stations of the Cross in Lent
    7. Congregational hymn singing
  2. Should we?"
    1. Offer a 'wedding package', including light  catering
    2. Communitise the Service of Remembrance

3. The Church Building and Activity

  1. Should we?:
    1. Increase church building use
    2. Provide space for non' church' activities
  2. Fasting and Feasting
    1. Declare a public fast and the beneficiary of proceeds
    2. Hold a breakfast before, during or after Eucharist
    3. As a default, provide food and/or drink after all special services
  3. Fund Raising: Should we raise funds primarily for/"
    1. Ourselves
    2. Those less well off than us
    3. Local causes.

4. Memory and Culture

  1. In thinking of ourselves as a continuing community of witness to Christ, how important is?:
    1. The Churchyard and Memorial Garden
    2. The In Memoriam book
    3. Post tragedy memorials
    4. A written church history
    5. Church history taught in schools
    6. Pilgrimage
  2. How highly do we value?"
    1. Christian drama
    2. Christian literature and poetry
    3. The Church library
    4. Our stained glass and other features
    5. children

5. Children

  1. What value do we set  on the involvement of children?":
    1. In Sunday school
    2. In acts of worship
    3. In enabling groups, eg  choir,bell ringers
    4. post 11 Bible and Christian studies
    5. Leading cultural and fund raising activities

6. Leadership

  1. Is this a comprehensive list of leadership/participation roles in our Parish?:
    1. Churchwardens
    2. Parish Secretary
    3. Readers
    4. Ministers of Communion
    5. Sacristan
    6. Altar Servers
    7. Scripture readers
    8. Leaders of Prayers of the Faithful
    9. Choristers
    10. Offertory gift presenters
    11. Choristers
    12. Organist/Choir Leader
    13. Musicians
    14. Sidespeople
    15. Bell ringers
    16. Coffee makers and caterers
    17. Glower arrangrs
    18. Cleaners
    19. Outside maintenance
    20. Sunday school workers
    21. Creche organisers
    22. Mothers' Day Posy makers
    23. House Group leaders
    24. Pastoral care team
    25. Home administrators of Communion
    26. Occasional office organisers:
      • Weddings
      • Funerals
      • Baptismal register
    27. Librarian
    28. Fund raisers and social event organisers
    29. Parish Magazine:
      • Contributors
      • Editor
      • Advertising executive
      • Distributors.
    30. Web master
    31. Treasurer
    32. Giftaid officer
  2. What other positions might we need,k or more people in current positions?:
    1. Youth workers
    2. Community outreach leader
    3. Ecumenical liaison
    4. Parish 'link' leader
    5. School liaison
    6. Parish administrator team
    7. Cultural leader (internal and external)
  3. Hands up!
    1. How many of these jobs do you do?
    2. How many new ones are you prepared to do?

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