"People see Church as a great big helicopter!
........ you have to be careful not to get too close
in case you get sucked into the Rotas!" Milton Jones
I was thinking about this today as I managed to miss the fact I was reading at the 09:15 service, doh! Musing further I realised I am on the Chalice Rota, the Reading rota, the Coffee rota, the Drop-in rota and the Youth group rota. Helicopter syndrome, lol
I was reading Krish Kandiah's reflections on this (http://krishk.com/2011/01/reaching-a-missing-generation/ ) and asking similar questions to what you are saying in this post last week.
How do we answer this? Do we divide the congregation up into outreach-people and church-service-resourcers, then make sure we don't overload the outreachers by asking them to do any church-based stuff? Or do we just streamline church services…and have one person rostered to do the readings each month, and one Communion station at church which only the clergy operate?
Do you think there are general directions we should be heading in to ease this kind of situation?
Murray,
Good Question! Maybe one for a beer and a discussion, but musing out loud (to throw over to you for your musing and comment)
1. The church is the people so it's going to take us, the people, to make things happen.
2. We need however to review and revisit what internal activity is actually needed for the community to function, and therefore what is not (which will involve some difficult questions and decisions)
3. We need to recognise callings, gifts and opportunities and make sure that those 'ministers/ministrys' are not sucked into endless (actually any) maintenance rotas.
4. At the same time though avoiding any 'in' and 'out' sort of language and recognising all that people are and do, in and through Christ, throughout the week and weekend.
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I'm in a slightly odd situation regarding St Nix as I have a ministry outside of the church which I have the privilege of being paid for, so I'm happy to plug in to what is needed when I am available. My problem is rota confusion and overlap e.g Preaching twice on the Sunday I was on coffee duty, lol
We worship in a church where the direction is from one man, not the whole body (the Catholic one) and that is a problem in itself. Yet we went to a Men's Breakfast at our local Anglican church and you could not move for rotas. Outreach to everyone including a special group for Dad's with children under 5. Fantastic - but taking a whole plethora of people to run it.
The answer of course is to do what you have resources for and do it well. Don't overload anyone but spread the load between all (see J. John's latest views on evangelism is for everyone). And never underestimate the little old lady who washes up and value her as much as the guy preaching !
I have mixed views on rotas. Generally I'm fairly sceptical of them, but I have also seen them work well in some contexts (and have used them myself).
For me, the difference comes down to what extent they are enabling (opening a task up to more than one person) and to what extent they are coercive ("these are the things that you *ought* to be doing").
On balance I think its better for 1 or 2 or 3 people to do something really well and with the right motivation; than for 10 people to do it grudgingly, badly, or forget to turn up, etc.
Ray and Stuart,
Your wisdom is appreciated.