The Beacon December 2011 - Beacon Parish of Ditchling, Streat ...

Beacon Parish Wine and Cheese Thank You Parties
Some 90 people attended these parties on Friday and Saturday evenings
November 18 th and 19 th in Westmeston Parish Hall. Those invited had
responded positively to the 2009/10 TRIO (The Responsibility Is Ours) appeal for
Promised Giving funds. Support for Trio had come from a wide range of wellwishers,
often not church goers, all of whom recognise that our churches have a
value way beyond the churchyard walls.
The purpose of the parties was to say thank you for so much generous support
and to persuade our communities to extend the principles of Stewardship in
2012 beyond the offering of Treasure so as to encompass also the other 2 Ts:
Time and Talents.
Hon Treasurer Mark Moody-Stuart first answered questions about his financial
report in the October Beacon. He explained how the Parish finances had
improved in 2011 so as to be nearly in balance. Mark warned that for 2012 we
must stay on our toes because of the effect on future finances of a 5% inflation
rate, as well as of a steady natural flow of leavers. Contributors were asked,
where circumstances allowed, to increase their giving in 2012 to compensate for
those who could not afford an increase. He urged those not already doing so to
make full use of Gift Aid which produces a 25% lift to anything given.
Finally, Father David talked about some new areas of activity for 2012 that
needed volunteers to offer their services on the Talents Pledge form (especially
work with young people that is restarting and the new admin office).
He went on to remind everyone that being a member of the Christian family
meant by definition you were entering on a strong vocation. This meant the
giving of the whole self to the service of Christ in the family and in the
community. Everyone however old or frail had a contribution to make. For
example he said that those who did attend midweek Morning Prayer and
communion were providing a unique support to himself in his work as leader.
Parishes were now ranked by the Diocese in perceived order of excellence, a 1
for Excellent, 2 for Good ...down to 4 for "in danger of having to close". The
Beacon Parish has been ranked 1, though Fr David felt so much needed to be
done that we should not be higher than 2. We were being held up as an example
of how mergers of separate churches should be done. Not any of his doing, he
claimed, but the result of teamwork and outstanding leadership from the lay
readers. He was confident and full of hope for the future both of the Parish and
of the C of E as a whole. Last year had seen more C of E ordinands offering
themselves nationally than in any of the past 100 years. At local level there was a
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