Using our talents for God. September 2024

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Dear friends,

Each of us are called by Christ to use our talents / gifts to honour God.      In Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus told a parable which we now know as the parable of the talents, it tells of a man about to go on a journey, before he set off, he called his three servants together, put them in charge of his property and he gave each them resources appropriate to each one; and then he left them to it and went on his way…. You can read the rest of the story for yourself, but it implies that we have talents & abilities, and we are expected by God to use them for his glory!

There are two major areas where each and every person who calls Crowborough United Church their home can make a huge difference to the future of the church and its buildings.

1. Use your talents: to fulfil roles within the life of the church.  SIMPLY put this is so URGENT that we find someone to fulfil the following roles. As church members we simply must take responsibility, we can’t keep saying no or hoping someone will do it, the future life and ministry of the church depend on this.

   1. There are two CRITICAL roles within the life of the church that aren’t being done that seriously question our viability to exist as a church,

      1. One is the Safeguarding lead (you don’t need to be an expert, CSUA provides the expertise, we can train you as you help us do this)

      2. We need to appoint an Elder to be the named Church Secretary to simply be the named lead person as far as both denominations and the Charities Commissioners are concerned.

 

‘’ Simply speak to Andy, Vicky or an Elder without committing yourself BUT please don’t wait to be asked or think someone else will do it, or that you are not qualified. You will have to be interviewed though.

 

Funding:

Some people in and around the church wrongly think that we are funded by the state or church authorities, which is simply not true! We are self-financing, we can apply for grants from various bodies but for most of our income we must raise all the monies ourselves that we need to run the church.

Simply put, your giving to the church financially is essential so that we can a) just continue to minister in the way do now and b) plan for the future with some sense of certainty. Also, you know that the building needs to be urgently upgraded as mentioned by our property Elder Sheila Foreman in her recent letter.[i]

Some of the ways that you may be able to do that:

• If you give regularly consider increasing your giving if you can afford to do so.

• If you don’t already give by standing order as this helps us to budget better.

• If you are a taxpayer, make sure you sign a gift aid form.[ii]

• In September /October consider making a separate one-off financial gift to the church.[iii]

• Let us create our very own ‘Parable of the Talents’:  In September every regular attender of Crowborough United Church who wants will be given £10.00[iv] to use (see Sheila) to imaginatively see how they can raise funds for the church building upgrades / repairs / renewals as mentioned in a recent letter from Sheila.

Your church needs you!

With much love

Andy

Rev Andy S C Melvin: Area Minister and Mission Enabler

 

[i] Estimated costs for that upgrade approx. £30,000

[ii] Ask our Treasurer Colin Eaton for a Gift Aid form

[iii] Labelling your gift envelope or bank reference ‘My United Talent Gift’

[iv] generously given by a member of this church as part of their ‘talents’ to help other find and use theirs to God’s glory