dawn

Growth is mostly slow and imperceptible. Progress is often the same.

It can be frustrating for those who are keen to be seeing things happen. And depressing for those who, because it's so slow, simply cannot see anything happening really at all. Sometimes they're the same people.

The issues with which we're having to deal as leaders here are such that if there's progress at all it always seems desperately slow. And yet progress there is.

We had a meeting again this evening of those who form the leadership team. So some of the day involved preparation for that. And much of the meeting itself involved our chewing things over and teasing things out in relation to what God is doing among us here.

We have a clear vision.

It's a vision of what we believe are the Lord's priorities for us here and now. It's clear, challenging, and puts down a marker as to what we're really about. We're committed to this. Six distilled priorities, defining who we are and what we are about so far as the Lord is concerned.

We have great facilities.

A superb suite of halls, set in wonderful grounds, with a car park the envy of most. We view them as a gift from God: we believe they are a blessing not a burden, a resource the Lord has given us and not some sort of millstone round our neck.

We have a sizeable congregation.

A good many hundreds, of all sorts of folk. A lot of them growing quite elderly, frail and infirm. A lot of young families, too, committed one way and another right up to the hilt between their homes, their work and all the other bits there are to life.

Time is at a premium for those who have the energy and drive. Energy and drive are rather lacking in the folk who have the time. It would be great if we could balance the whole thing out a bit! But we can't.

And it means there's maybe more that we would like to do than what we actually can. At least on our present way of working.

What we're trying to do is to 'marry' these three and see how they fit together. The priorities, place, and people.

It excites us, the way we may yet be able to further the purpose of God: we're inspired and enthused by the possible ways to be sharing the good news of Christ: we're keen to make disciples and to use to that end the God-given place that we have.

Just how we might use all our premises here to that end is a question we all must address. 'All', as in all of the congregation. And just what that will involve, and how that might be made to work - well, all of that as well needs wise consideration by us all.

Progress is slow. It all takes time. And sometimes it must seem, I fear, that nothing's really happening much at all. But it is.

Dawn is often frustrating. I've sat on the shores of foreign climes waiting and waiting to capture on film the rising sun. Hours on end, with an ever so gradually lightening sky the only clue that the sun will finally rise.

It's still very much the dawn with us here. But the new day will appear!