WANTED

CHURCHWARDEN for ST LUKE’S

As you might know, we did not elect a churchwarden to replace Ann Somers at our recent Annual Parish Church Meeting. This note explains what a churchwarden does and why they are important.

What does it involve?
Churchwardens are the leading members of the congregation elected by them to represent them and work in co-operation with the clergy. The rights and responsibilities of wardens are laid down in church law. There are 2 wardens so that they can always work together and share their work.

It sounds quite a responsibility…
Yes and no. There are many others at St Luke’s who do the work that churchwardens at other churches have to do on their own. For example, Paul Beardwood on our SMT acts as buildings co-ordinator, Sue Kenyon takes hall bookings and Keith Sagar cuts the churchyard grass!

Do I have to go to meetings all the time?
A churchwarden is a member of the Parochial Church Council (PCC) which meets 6 times a year and a member of its standing (executive) committee which meets a couple of weeks before each PCC meeting.

Will I have to be in church every Sunday at all 3 services?
No. Churchwardens are entitled to holidays! With a team of 70 sidespeople and a welcome team at 11am, the work of a churchwarden can often be delegated to them.

What qualifications do I need?
None. Churchwardens need to be willing to serve others, to be approachable and to be able to work with others. They will need to want to grow in their faith because being a churchwarden is an ideal way to do so!

How long do I have to do it for?
At St Luke’s we suggest a period of 4 years but in fact you can give up at any time. You should be willing to serve for this period of time, however, as it does provide some continuity and ensures that we always have one more experienced warden to help the other.

How can I find out more?
If you’ve read this far, you will want to ask God if he is calling you to this responsibility. God can speak to us in all sorts of ways: directly in prayer, indirectly in circumstances, through others and even this leaflet! You can talk to Carole Firth who is our warden at the moment and to Ann Somers who is retiring to ask them specific questions. You can talk to Pete Spiers if you want to take things further.

How would I actually become churchwarden?
We would need to give notice of an extraordinary parish church meeting so that you could be elected. This process is very affirming as it shows you that the congregation will be supportive.

What happens if we don’t have another churchwarden?
Then other people will have to cover the work and there is more pressure on Carole as the only warden. With 360+ people on the electoral roll, its very hard to believe that God is not calling someone to this particular role! People who have been churchwardens often say what a privilege it has been and how much they have learnt about themselves, others and God through being one.

IS GOD CALLING YOU?

7 May 2010

this page was last modified on 8 January 2011