How Fares Your Local Pastor? Might you offer help? By Trevor Thorn

Credit: writingcooperative.com

Maybe your local Minister is revelling in the opportunities that lockdown has brought. Or maybe s/he is really struggling. My wife is ordained, but retired, and is picking up more and more threads about the angst that the demand for digital skills has brought to many ministers, the unintended pressure of hearing of the success of others and the frustration of a digital platform failing to deliver. The success of ‘others’ feels as if it is situation can all too easily bring guilt, feelings of incompetence and a heightening of a sense of isolation.

In an admittedly small sample of our local C of E parishes, we have noticed the pressure is on the Ministers. Whilst Zoom, or other video-based programmes, can be a meeting place for a fair proportion of church members, there are those who have not embraced new technologies and therefore, making them feel gathered into a fellowship that is ‘meeting’ in a different way, is not easy. It can all too easily become an excluding, rather than inclusive exercise. The vicars of the parishes in which my wife and I serve (I am a Lay Minister) and the parish where we live are both sending out material that includes reflections of one sort or another and can be relayed both digitally and physically.

Perhaps this is where ACW members can make some significant contributions towards helping to keep Ministers sane (and my guess is that many of the members are already engaged in the simple activity  I am about to suggest.)

As a group, we have to constantly strive to be articulate and hone our writing skills. This striving and honing will, in the main, be directed towards our favoured writing style, but to engage with other formats is a challenge which might be worth taking. So, if you are not already doing this, why not offer your Minister an occasional Reflection for sharing around the fellowship/ parish which can be relayed by digital or hard copy means to ensure everyone is ‘joined’.

The benefits might just be beyond our expectations. Parts of your own stories, packaged into short biographical pieces will almost certainly intrigue some. Maybe your skills will facilitate some imaginative ideas about Gospel stories or about the history of your faith community. Whatever topic you decide upon (with the agreement of your Pastor), you will not only be offering fresh and lay (I make a possibly dangerous assumption!) views on aspects of life but here is also an opportunity to let your ‘home’ fellowship know what you are about and, dare I say, give an opportunity to alert your own fellow-Christians to the existence and purpose of ACW. I’m tempted to say ‘win-win’ except I know that not everyone will receive the enthusiasm of their Minister - but you will at minimum have alerted her or him to the fact that you are prepared to be helpful at this very strange time and possibly ease her/his sense of isolation too.