Trinity 19 Elie & Pittenweem 22.10.06.doc
Elie and Pittenweem are old fishing villages in the East Neuk – on the south coast of Fife. Pretty as a picture and worth a visit if you haven’t been there. Pittenweem has two new windows designed by Ursula, one of the parishioners. It’s tough having to spend a Sunday there!
Trouble is that it’s often the wrong people who say, ‘Don’t obsess about numbers’ Because often the numbers do tell you a story. But also there is little point beating oneself up about numbers if you are the Rector of a congregation in a small rural community with a static and aging community. Interesting to see Police Forces in Britain using a similar ranking method today as well.
They are indeed lovely, and there is always Anstruther fish and chips too! Church Growth organisations seem to sustain on the numbers game though. Maybe we should see parishes on a more ‘added value’ basis like schools. Not so much league tables or seeing parishes as suceeding or failing but the satisfaction from progress in those challenging parishes whatver human value judgments are put on them. To God the folk in them are all of value whether there’s the spiritual peace that such places as Elie give or the challenges to sort human problems others seem beset with.