Listening Month- February 2019

Dear Friends,

February is here and Listening Month is upon us.  And if you are one of those who remains puzzled as to why such a month has been called then let the wisdom of Solomon speak to you: “Listen to God’s voice in everything you do” (Prov. 3:6 in the Message). As the people of God, our first instinct, whatever our circumstances, should be to seek the voice of the God who loves us.  Even more so when we have important decisions to make, or when we are considering challenges and how to respond to them. This is what the people of God do

The Assessment Commission was called into being to reflect on how the Diocese of Natal is funded by its parishes.  There are many critics of the current system of assessment. Some would say it is unfair, that it is unresponsive to changing parish circumstances, that it is dis-empowering in not giving parishes a greater say in what they can afford.  There are certainly many creative ideas and viable alternatives that could be considered by the Diocese. And all of these issues will be evaluated by the Commission in due course

However, as much as we may want to rush in and solve the issues, the far more important opportunity presented by this process, is for us to pause and take the time to listen: listen to the people of our parishes and their experiences, views and ideas. And most importantly, to listen to God.  We pray that you will enjoy this opportunity to once again listen together with openness and expectation.

Yours in the name of the God who speaks.

Archdeaconry Chris Meyer- Convenor of the Assessment Commission.