Alconbury Weald welcomed its latest resident recently: its first vicar. Reverend Robert Paddison was licensed to serve the community as a Church of England Pioneer Minister in a ceremony held at the Ermine Street Church Academy and conducted by the Bishop of Huntingdon, the Right Reverend David Thomson. The Service is an important milestone in the development of the new community, and a formal legal process, which gives Rob – as both a public servant, and in his spiritual role – the authority to work with new residents and surrounding communities. Speaking during the Ceremony, the Bishop said:“Alconbury Weald is an exciting and dynamic new community and it is very important that we are here at the start of the process. The Church wants to play an active role in building strong spiritual foundations for the new community, ensuring it is not just a place to live and to grow, but to live well and grow well. We have been working with the developers Urban&Civic and know there is a real vision for not just new homes here but a real, robust, healthy and happy community.” I had s bit of serious fun in the sermon comparing the way in which Andrew becomes a disciple in John 1.35-51 with the house-selling business. I am still waiting for a booking to offer it as a seminar to the local sales force... 1) What are you looking for? (What do you want?) Good sales begins with a good product And a good product is one that meets a real need which can both be offered with integrity And is likely to be profitable in the long run. So well before the sales pitch, as it were, comes careful listening and research What do the people here actually want and need? And as church we are particularly concerned to serve. Good news for others comes before own needs of church. So listening to others and listening to God really matter at this foundational stage in building a new community. 2) Come and see There has been a first conversation. Getting out there and being with people is important. No engagement, nothing follows.There are all sorts of media in play these day, but all lead up to a personal contact backed up by a real offer, something we genuinely think is good news, and have given some time and thought into getting ready: the welcome, the first impressions, the information… I joined a gym a while ago and was totally a fish out of water. Coming to a church meeting must be even more so I'm not entirely joking when I talk of Costa concessions in our porches, but really good info too, answering the real FAQs. 3) Stay all day When it’s working properly a relationship starts to build and grow. There's probably tea and cake too (it was four o’clock when Andrew was with Jesus…) In reality this is usually more than just one conversation, it's a bit like courtship or making friends: not too little, not too much. The aim is a win-win, a real sense of personal knowing and being known, and a growing sense that this is the one. In terms of our strategy, engage has led to grow has led to deepen, and the point of decision is reached 4) Tell And we know it’s happened in the story because Andrew goes off and tells others. The cycle begins again. He is now the one saying to others ‘Come and see’, and doing the sales team’s work for it, just as in church take-off comes when everyone not just the vicar spreads the word. It's very easy to reduce mission to numbers of converts, and housing development to units sold, and these things matter or we're both soon out of business. But that's not in fact, as we probably all realise, the ultimate goal. Even in business terms the short term vision is likely to go awry. The real goal is human flourishing, and we are deeply grateful for those who build not just houses but homes, with decent construction and solid foundations snd a desire to look at the bigger picture of community too. And we are humbled to be able to play our part inn digging the spiritual foundations and building the people who will make this not just a place to live but a place to grow and grow well too. David Thomson | May 1, 2018 at 7:03 am | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: https://wp.me/poSLL-3z6 |