parish

Priorities

Update: I made some bold moves, and this is the result

This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it’s a start.

  • DAC Presentation on font and church hall
    • To include extensive explanations why this is the best solution, which the architect hasn’t time to prepare, so I need to have ready.
    • Deadline: 23rd July
  • Summer Camp Liturgy and Worship on Easyworship
    • Deadline: 24th July
  • Walsingham Youth Pilgrimage 26th July to 8th August
    • Leave here 26th July for 2 weeks
  • Ordinand Supervision for next 10 days
    • Reports due by 24th July
  • Blesséd Mass
    • Deadline: 19th July
    • Desert of lack of inspiration on key areas for worship, especially Gospel text: Matthew 20 etc Great Commission
  • Greenbelt  27-31st August
    • Blesséd Mass for adults (date and time still not confirmed) – nothing as yet organised
    • Blesséd Mass for Youth (low-tech, nothing as yet organised)
    • Discussion alongside Ian Adams and Nadia Bolz-Weber (much more eminent than me) on “Rhythm & calendars, feast-days & fasting: Maggi Dawn hosts a conversation exploring the attention paid to the ebb & flow of the Christian calendar in emerging worship.” Of which I know nuuthing.
    • A vague suspicion that I have another worship to lead from Blesséd as well, but of which I have no information. I feel not very in control of what is expected of me, and I am worried
  • MaryMass at Glastonbury, 16th August

    • Have absolutely no idea what I am supposed to be doing for this: an email mentions a screen and a projector and beyond that – help!
  • Sacramental alt.worship book
    • Needs to be written before the end of November.
  • House Purchase to be finalised, and my bolthole moved into.
  • SCP
  • Brune Park Chaplaincy
  • Weddings
  • Baptisms
  • Funerals
  • Bible Study and Discipleship
  • All night youth event with Youth Evangelism Fund money
    • 23rd September
    • Nothing sorted for that yet, amid  the constant fear that the Sunday night youth group might just implode in teenage apathy.
  • Friday’s Youth Club
    • new school year, new challenges
    • funding issues
    • Church Hall issues
  • Parish Pilgrimage to the Shrine, 20-22nd November
  • Induction as Vicar, 16th September
  • Mass… as always
  • Pastoral Care … they are always with us.
  • Divine Office ,,, of course
  • Wife and children – with their own special stresses and strains this GCSE and A’Level year as well as Lou’s NQT year.
  • School Governor x 2 with new Ofsted Inspection, new SEF and a Single Equality Policy to devise.
  • Blesséd Daily Text – both a delight and a right drag
  • …and lots of other things besides

…and behind it all, chronic lack of sleep, low energy levels and my diabetes always threatening to spiral out of control.

Now I am not normally a moaner, and I tend to always be a half-full glass sort-of-person but I can’t seem to get beyond this seemingly enormous volume of activity. I don’t need sympathy, just your opinion on my priorities and the best way to tackle it all. I never claim to be the perfect priest, a second John Keble, and I am not above asking your advice. I know plenty of you are just as busy, just as stressed; but what do you think I could do?

By spr