Neil's blog

Home!!! After a week in Edinburgh at the General Assembly it’s great to get back to home & family! It was good catching up with friends & some of the business of the Assembly was interesting, in fact ‘RADICAL’! The question now is, “Can we play a good game as well as talk a good game!?”

The Church of Scotland is pushing through radical proposals to encourage & develop new forms of ministry & mission in preparation for the massive reduction in ministers that are required by 2014. Projections from 20 years ago, that we’d have about 200 less ministers than we do by now, have not materialised & each year we run at a deficit of almost £5 million. At last, the stranglehold on ministry & mission, with which ministers have ‘cork stopped’ the people of God from being released in full service, is loosening. The financial crisis is forcing the issue, but unfortunately I suspect most congregations & presbyteries are nowhere near ready to launch congregations into Kingdom service without an ordained minister, depending on a team of lay folk.

It’s a huge challenge for us at Fullarton (never mind other churches), which is fairly progressive, to aim, within the next 4 years, to grow & develop leadership & ministries, & become less 'full-time minister dependent'. It’s a wonderful challenge for us ordained ministers to try & do ourselves out of jobs, helping to create many more ministries among our flocks & neighbouring flocks; the priesthood & pastorhood of all believers!

We talked a good game at the Assembly, but I can smell more than burning rubber as we hit the difficult road ahead & reality dawns. I do hope we won't end up like the proverbial ‘rabbit caught in headlights’ paralysed by the mammoth size of the task ahead. It’s an awesome challenge, so let’s get on with it!!! Ok, who’d like to take our services this Sunday?