Articles - From the Vicar

Dear Friends

We live in challenging and worrying financial times. Over the last few months, the speed and strength of the economic downturn has taken us all by surprise. Jobs, homes and businesses have been lost by many and we know that we are not out of the woods yet. Also it feels like there has been a seismic shift in the way the economy runs. Many of our assumptions about economic life have been overturned and the future seems particularly uncertain. However, with hindsight many of us would now say that the economy has been far too greed and growth orientated, without any consideration of the moral basis on which we should organise our common life.

All of this means that it does not seem a very auspicious time to launch a Stewardship Campaign at St Edmund's. And yet that is just what we have to do. Very many people give in a committed and even sacrificial way to the Church, and for that we are very grateful. However, a little bit like the national and global economy, as a Church we have been living on credit. We have not been paying our way over the last five years. Nor have we been putting money away to cover the cost of maintaining our much loved, but enormous, church building. This is now showing in the state of the building and we are facing very large costs for these essential repairs.

As a result, during February we will be running a Stewardship Campaign. We are asking all of us who worship at St Edmund's to reconsider the level of our giving. However, we are aware that there are many people who, although not regular worshippers, do have a connection to the Church and care about it - who want it to be there for baptism, weddings, funerals for example. It may be that you would count yourself as part of this wider group. If so, then we hope that you will want to be involved in ensuring the future of the Church building and its mission in the parish and the world. More about our financial needs and how people can give will be explained in the campaign material which will be distributed soon. We are sure that together we will be able to reach our target for this year.

As I began by saying, these are difficult times and few of us are totally unaffected. Yet it can be in times like these that we become more aware of our blessings. As Christians we believe that everything we have comes from God and that in thankfulness we are called to give back to him.

With best wishes
David

© St Edmund's Church, Roundhay