On January 6^th this year, we held our first United Benefice Service of 2019.

The service itself was the product of the planning and vision of a small focus group; jointly led by a number of our worship leading team – both ordained and lay, as well as volunteers from a variety of our regular congregations; it was well-attended by our Benefice choir; and involved members of the wider community in bringing it into being (and bringing their alpacas).

St. Andrew’s church was packed – there was a recorded attendance of 100 adults and 20 children.

That’s genuinely astonishing.

In 2017 (I haven’t had a chance to look fully at 2018s figures yet) – if you total up the average attendance on ‘normal’ Sundays across all five churches you get 100 adults, and 23 children. And that’s double-counting some of them who will attend more than one service. On a more normal 4 church Sunday that would come down to 77, and 17.

National attendance statistics tell us that from the 2065 souls we have living in our benefice, we can expect to see 72 of them in a church on any given Sunday.

I know many of you hate statistics. But this one needs to be heard, because it’s not just a statistic it’s a fact that many of us experienced.

When we came together, when we put our heart and soul into doing something jointly the number of people who came together to experience it and enjoy it was more than when we do it separately. I hope we did manage to receive it as an Epiphany.

That coming together is something we’re seeing growing more and more. Those of you who do occasionally wander from church to church on Sunday morning will probably have spotted how we have an increasing number of nomads, gracing and cross-pollinating our worshipping communities. I thank you for making your worship patterns deliberate, rather than habitual, and sharing your time and energies so generously around.

Those of you who are more static in your patterns may not have noticed that growth in movement so much, but I thank you for making those new-to-you faces feel welcome.

Our interconnectedness is something that gives us strength and capacity – it is, in part, what has led to the sustained new life we’ve seen at South Stainley as they’ve so bravely embraced and now embedded a new approach to their worship, and brought in new members of their local community.

It’s what means that when a Reader is struck down with flu in Ripley, then Lay Worship Leaders can ride gallantly in from Bishop Thornton to save Evensong... (again thank you!) It’s what means that for the first time this year I have been asked if it’s possible to serve on the Joint PCC without being on a local one, as sense of belonging has been transformed.

And it is to support that life-giving approach to our worship, that our Joint PCC has worked so hard over the last 12 months to envisage a new way of rooting our regular worship that supports interconnection rather than replication, whilst at the same time retaining regularity of worship at all our churches. That’s been a process that has required patience, understanding, and sacrifice from all involved – again I offer my thanks for those who have engaged with the conversation in the spirit of seeking the common good, and willingness to give that others might gain.

The fine details of how the new pattern is implemented in each parish are still being worked out. For some churches the transition has been easier than others, which has delayed the wider dissemination of information. But in broad brushstrokes the intentions of the overall pattern are:

1. To provide a weekly service in each church that wished to have one (4/5)
2. To try and provide services that keep with the existing character of the parishes.
3. To provide two Eucharists each Sunday across the Benefice.
4. To increase the distinctiveness of each place of worship.
5. To broaden the styles of worship on offer, including more ‘soft’ entry points for those new to church worship and Christian faith.
6. To enable Worship Leaders to better prepare for services, and be more present at them.
7. To encourage more lay leadership to better future-proof our service provision.

I could talk about all of those for hours – indeed we have! - but I don’t think that’s the best use of time tonight. In practice, what does that look like?

It means that on every Sunday you will find an 8.15am early provision at Markington, which alternates between a more informal service of Celtic Prayer and discussion, and a much more traditional BCP language Communion; mid morning you will find a 9.30 service at Burnt Yates, which is a Communion once a month (3^rd Sunday), and a developing pattern of services the other three – ranging from a trial of a Songs of Praise idea, to the more established ‘Rainbow Church’ informal worship; then at 10.45 you will find services at Bishop Thornton and Ripley. At Bishop Thornton the first and third are solid middle-anglican robed Communion, the second is a more traditional ‘family service’, and the fourth is an opportunity for lay-led worship. At Ripley, the first Sunday is All Age Worship, the second is robed Communion, the third is Morning Prayer with contemporary psalms and canticles; and the fourth is All Age Communion. (2^nd and 3^rd also have Sunday Stars, Sunday School). And in the afternoons, on the first Sunday of the month at 4pm we have our Festival Service at South Stainley; on the third we have our 4pm Pop Up Tea Service – an exploration of contemporary news and events from a Christian perspective – in Markington Institute; and on the last we have 4.30pm Evensong at Ripley.

You may be thinking that sounds like a lot of services and complication to provide for 72 people.

If it helps to simplify it a bit, think this way:

Markington offers an early opportunity for church on a busy day, split between very traditional, and inclusive discussion.

Burnt Yates offers a midmorning opportunity to worship together with friends – a great place to bring someone new to church.

Bishop Thornton offers traditional middle anglican Common Worship fare.

Ripley offers a growing engagement with contemporary worship, and a focus for our children’s work.

South Stainley offers a community festival experience.

It might be easier to continue doing what we’ve been doing, and offering barely differentiated middle-anglican worship four times a day every Sunday – but if we want to maintain five distinct worship sites, does it not perhaps make marginally more sense to maintain five distinct worship styles and expand the attractiveness of our repertoire? Maybe even create Sundays in which people can worship in more than one place, and build a deeper understanding and faith experience – start with an 8.15am traditional Communion before going on to have breakfast with a group breaking open the scriptures together? Or going along to a songs of praise service to air your lungs, before heading on to Communion just down the road? Or taking the family to a chaotic, glitter filled All Age Worship in the morning, and taking the chance to have some quieter time yourself at Evensong later in the day?

Does that make more sense? Honestly, I don’t know. But I think it’s worth giving it a go! Don’t be afraid to try something new... and please don’t be afraid to encourage others to as well! That neighbour who loves the King James Version, and can’t stand hearing children in church? Tell them about 8.15 Communion at Markington, or 10am Wednesday Communion at Ripley. Your friend who can’t do Sunday mornings? Why not suggest morning prayer on a Monday or Tuesday, or evensong on a Sunday afternoon?

That work on worship has been the bulk of the JPCCs agenda this year. The other item you may have picked up on is that we’re looking at the provision of the Grapevine magazine at the moment, and trying to visualise how it can best serve our purposes of conveying church and community news as widely as possible, whilst balancing the editorial and managerial constraints. That discussion is ongoing, so there is not much I can say tonight. But I would like to pause to recognise our thanks to those who for many years have put an awful lot of love, care, time, and attention into producing, resourcing, and distributing the parish magazine(s).

I have also become aware this year that a bit more work needs to be done on the communication between the Incumbent, Joint PCC, Churchwardens, PCCs and congregations. I want us to be looking this year at how we make those lines of information flow more freely, and more productively. To that end we will be looking at implementing a quarterly churchwardens and treasurers forum, and looking at the format and content of JPCC meetings. It remains our best tool for joint resourcing, planning, and decision making – but it also remains in its infancy and does need developing.

I think I’ve talked for long enough, though I am happy to take any questions in a moment – on anything I’ve said, or anything else! But first I would like to put on record my thanks to all of you for being here tonight, and to the army of volunteers who resource, maintain, and work tirelessly for our churches – those of you who clean, draw up rotas, arrange flowers, lead worship, make coffee, organise tombolas and raffles, sort out coffee mornings, play instruments, bake, intercede for us, serve as officers of the PCC, and churchwardens... the list could go on and on – I am deeply grateful to you all. Thank you.

Paul Harford, 26^th Feb 2019