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The congregation is a small but vibrant community whose numbers are augmented, especially during the summer months and the skiing season, by visitors from all over the United Kingdom and abroad. Several regular visitors have holiday homes nearby and all of these are welcomed back as ‘adherent’ members. We are one of the parishes within the Scottish Episcopal Church which is spear-heading Local Collaborative Ministry (LCM). The start of LCM at St John's |
| The
start of LCM at St John’s
Up until 1995, St John’s was linked with St Columba’s, Grantown
on Spey, 15 miles away, where the rector lived. This was a problem for pastoral
visiting and for the life of the parish. After the rector retired in 1995,
we initially sought to retain this structure but failed. Eventually, Bishop
Gregor McGregor, then Bishop of Inverness, came up with radical proposals
which were both exciting and frightening and which he described in terms
of Joshua’s sending forward of the Israelis: ‘we have not passed
this way before’. We were to be a new experiment in ministry –
by ourselves, with a stipendiary priest for a limited time – learning
to be self-sustaining. The diocese would augment the salary.
At the same time Bishop Gregor initiated our use of the 1982 ‘Blue Book’ of the Scottish Episcopal Church. We were to begin straight away to bring our worship up to date. The Revd Christopher Race came as ‘temporary’ priest-in-charge in 1996. He (and we) began a teaching programme which initially involved the vestry, then was extended to the wider congregation. It included: weekend sessions, evening bible study and integrated series of sermons. The emphasis was on the importance of the ministry of all the baptised and the responsibility of being a baptised Christian.
In July 2001 Christopher Race left; now we had to prove to ourselves that we could cope alone. Our Non-Stipendiary Priest (Revd Roddy Shaw) was made ‘Priest Companion in Mission. We were apprehensive but this was a time when we were released to grow; ‘growth’, however, need not mean increase in numerical numbers – rather it is increased closeness to God and responsibility for His work of all members. |
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| Our
practice of LCM today
We genuinely believe that everybody counts at St John’s. All are encouraged
to use their gifts (if they wish). We have 43 communicant members and our
ministry team consists of one non-stipendiary priest and two special ministers
of the sacrament (both licensed to preside at a Eucharist using the reserved
sacrament), one of whom is in training for Local Ordained Ministry. Visitors
on some Sundays double or treble our numbers. |
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| Our only Sunday service is the Parish Eucharist
at 10.30am. Look at the picture above, which shows the various tasks that
are required for that and how they get distributed. The tasks are quite
deliberately not put in any hierarchical order – all are equally important.
We encourage our regular visitors to join the rotas. The background shows
the happy meeting over coffee which rounds off the service.
We are not very good at sticking to standard formulations but, for those who are familiar with the details, we THINK we are best described as being at the ‘formation stage’ of LCM. We are also doing some of the things in the 3rd stage. There are many other tasks which we share and some are listed below: |
• Vestry (chair rotates) • Preparations for marriage and baptism • Sick Communions • Treasurer and Stewardship Convenor • Organising rotas • BASFA (ministry to the local homeless) • Church as institution (membership of synods etc.) • ‘Candy Floss’ and other fund raising. |
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The rotation of the vestry chair appears simple but has represented a radical and fundamental change from having a priest-in-charge as chair of the vestry. The Badenoch and Strathspey Furniture Association (BASFA) is a joint initiative with the local Roman Catholic Church to recycle furniture from those who no longer need it to those who have just been given their first home. We believe that it is essential that a living church is ministering its local community as well as ministering farther a field individually and together (which we also do). |
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