Dear Friends, Welcome to a bumper edition of the Benefice magazine which covers  both July and August – again thanks to all who have contributed.

I have always been a keen tennis fan; I played for many years but also enjoy        following the game as it circumnavigates the globe during the year.  When you play   singles it is quite a lonely experience as you pit yourself against the other player as you seek victory.  There were never any crowds or coaches offering advice at my level!     Anyway I was thinking about tennis singles, and how you are own your own, and how it compares to life in church.  There are many examples in the Bible about how we are called to work together and share our gifts to build up the body of Christ. It is when we work together and share in worship and prayer that we realise we can do far more together than on our own.

This working together was very much in evidence on Saturday 17th June when we gathered as a benefice in St Peter’s Church, Stanley, to hear from each church about their life and ministry. For me it was very uplifting to hear about the number of  projects that are on the go across the four churches, and to see the energy and enthusiasm on show.  We also met in different groups to think about areas of our shared lives that we could develop. Lots of good ideas came out of the groups, but of course, we can’t work on everything at the same time!  However, all the suggestions have been noted down and the next stage will be to discuss over the summer how some projects could be launched in the autumn. Here’s a flavour of some of the ideas we shall be taking forward:

1. On Tuesday 11th July from 7pm there is a meeting at the Alverthorpe vicarage for fellowship, and to discuss house groups, prayer groups and outreach.  Also, see the St Anne’s page for details of a new women’s group starting 16th September. 

2. We will look at how some key church services could be joint services for the      benefice e.g. Ash Wednesday, Ascension Day etc.  Also look at the formation of a worship group that could deliver key services like Harvest across the benefice.

3. Social events: maybe each church could organise a social event during the year.

4. We have a number of children and young people’s groups—we could meet up now and then to share good practice etc.

Overall, the challenge is to discover areas of life we can share that is sustainable, measured and responsible. Sadly, church life across the board is facing financial pressures, and with few clergy as well as decreasing numbers in our pews, we face a challenging future. God hasn’t given up on us though!  Just read the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 and see what he can do with just a few loaves of bread and fish!  It will be through prayer, openness to God’s Spirit and working together that God will continue to bless us as we seek to be a beacon of light and hope to those we serve and live.

So dear friends, please keep praying, and watch this space for more details about our plans for the future.  Also keep praying for a new Associate Priest to join us. 

God Bless and take care, Glenn

Rev Glenn Coggins, Vicar of the United Benefice of North Wakefield