Paul Lawlor, Vicar at St Stephen’s Redditch, writes for the Standard:
TWO ministers with photos in the paper over the last few weeks. Me with the visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, to Redditch.
Then Pastor Robin Baker of Oasis Christian Fellowship speaking of distributing gifts for those in need as we approach Christmas.
Two ministers and a number of different approaches to what ‘Church’ is about.
You might wonder why we need an Archbishop. But, those who heard him speak (you can still hear him on the Diocese of Worcester website) spoke of a humble man seeking to do his best for God and society.
This is exemplified by what we see Robin doing with the charity Acts of Kindness which distributes toys over Christmas to help support those families referred to them.
The same charity is also fundamental, with the support of other churches, in running Redditch Foodbank.
Church is about being a community, about caring for each other; “love your neighbour as yourself,” Jesus said.
So, what am I doing messing about with doors, paint and carpet at St Stephen’s? Isn’t this just wasting time and money doing up a building that is…what? …a historical monument? ….. a place that a particular set of people go to on a Sunday? Or is it a place that represents God in the community in some way?
My view is that the Church needs to be many things but is firstly a community.
St Stephen’s as a building has a role in representing the Christian heritage of this town. We need to keep the building safe and secure for future generations.
So, what is needed in practical terms? Robin needs donations of gifts, he will need help with food collections and maybe with wrapping and distribution.
At St Stephen’s I need to fix the roof and gutters before we think about how we make the building more suitable for a wider use.
When Buildbase manager, Dave Rogers, heard we needed help his immediate reaction was “No problem, we can do that!” The Redditch-based builder’s merchants have pledged, in DIY SOS fashion, to donate the felt we need to make the roof watertight.
Church is not just a load of ministers and buildings, it is a diverse community. Can we all play a part – can we all love our neighbour as ourselves?
