Minister's Monthly Message

Summer 2010

All Good Things.....

Well here it is, my final article for the Magazine. Five years is both nothing at all and a lifetime when you think about it. So what do I write on behalf of myself, Sandra and Thomas?
Firstly – thank you. Thank you for sharing the journey with us, whether you are a member of the Church, a friend in the Community, a user of the Church buildings, someone ministered to through the occasional services of Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals or even in Tom.s case someone who shops in Knaphill Co-op.

Journeys are important and map reading in our household is not always perfect (and neither is the driver.s patience). The same is true of our journey, it.s had its ups and downs; but the ups would not be ups without the downs. Ups include personal friendships (we won.t say who – but you know who you are) the downs when one of them dies and for Thomas that was the death of Joyce Ing – one of many church members in both churches to go to glory during our time in the circuit. Thankfully we celebrate a risen Lord and death has lost its sting, so with Easter recently behind us we know that though our paths split we will be reunited in Heaven – although Epsom is a little closer.

Thank you to my Senior Stewards -Peter Milne and Stephen Gurd for their support during my Ministry at Knaphill and to Jean Morwood at Addlestone. Interestingly Jean has recently started her journey and Stephen is about to end his next April, and I.m pleased that, subject to election at next year.s AGM, Sally Barber will take over that role.

Sandra has loved her ministry at both churches and they have been very different, but equally rewarding. It will be a great wrench leaving the young people at Knaphill – each of you needs to know that you are God.s special child, and Sandra has counted it a real privilege to teach you and to see you grow up over the years. We will miss you greatly.

At Addlestone Sandra has enjoyed leading Thursday Coffee and Prayer Mornings, and it.s been wonderful to be part of a caring community which now looks out for each other as real family and no longer as just an act of duty.

For Thomas... well, football nights with Alan Stockwell (anything to get to Sky Sports) will be a highlight, and a friendship which got Tom running and hopefully that will continue. Another up is Thomas. skills on the Audio Visual desk where he is the master of the visual. The team are looking for two people to replace him so clearly he is almost irreplaceable.

Secondly, we thank God for the developments in the life of the church. The brief at Knaphill when I arrived was to grow the Junior Church and develop the house groups -the reality is that Junior Church has grown massively, but sadly house groups have not flourished as we would have hoped. However, I remember standing at Walton saying my goal was to double the size of the church in numbers, and in the spirituality of those who worshipped. Did I succeed? Well, I guess the answer is yes, in part. Membership numbers have remained static over five years (the only church in the circuit to achieve that), and when I arrived the Membership list was wildly overstated.

Our real Membership has probably increased from 70 to 110, which is good, but not quite double. Attendance on Sunday.s fluctuates, but is certainly up from on average 60 to 80 and we are now pleased that the church is full at Parades, Remembrance and Christingle services. Even better is the All Souls Service, which now sees massive numbers of people attending. Through such links people have come into church, in particular Desna and her family, and I.m delighted that on my last Sunday at Knaphill we will welcome Desna into Membership.

As to growth in spirituality – how can you measure it? My belief is that the Spirituality of the Church has developed significantly. Examples are the Leadership Team, and the growth in the number of Local Preachers, as well as the many people who have over recent months expressed their gratitude for the help we have given as they have grown in faith.

Thirdly, I thank God for our journey as a family. Knaphill and latterly Addlestone was our first ministerial appointment. Clearly I did reasonably well having been invited to become Superintendent of the Sutton Circuit -a large and responsible appointment. We will never forget you or the Circuit.

nick.oborski@methodist.org.uk