We had a great service at South Carlton on January 9^th, well-attended, to say thanks and farewell to Fr Sebastian and Alida. He has now retired, and we wish them both well in their future life and ministry.

When I was at school, we sang at the end of term a hymn which still connects me not only with the vista of endless holidays to come, but with the poignancy of the departure of friends, the need to regroup, and the excitement of things moving on.

Lord, dismiss us with Thy blessing,
thanks for mercies past receive.

We have a lot to be thankful for. Eight lovely churches, eight distinctive, locally embedded, and faithful worshipping communities, broadly grouped as three hubs in the south, middle and north of the long, thin parish. I have a huge affection for the place having lived here and ministered here in the past. I obviously compare it with where I mainly serve now, in Nettleham.

Fascinatingly, the population of each of the two parishes is almost the same. Springline, at the last census, 4,047 and Nettleham, 4,212. How many of the Springline residents described themselves as “Christian”? – 67.8%. And how many of the population are in the oldest age group, “65 and over”? – only 13.8% – a very low number for West Lindsey – Nettleham has 2.5 times more. More than twice as many are in the great missing-from-church generation, “45-64”, many more than in Nettleham. What a huge opportunity – a large parish of people most of whom describe themselves as broadly Christian (remember, No-Religion was a choice) and with a preponderance of people in the age group that is economically and socially most active.

As you know, the diocese is confronting a challenging scenario across its 630 churches – falling attendance, the burden of maintaining demanding historic buildings, an ageing and dwindling group of people caring for churches, a failure to do what the Lord requires of us (to love mercy, to do justly and to walk humbly with our God – Micah). And of course, a thumping deficit.

Where are our best chances of seeing a flourishing church? Where there are significant numbers of people (think harvest!), where there are already active congregations, where there are clear needs to be met (loneliness, mental health, lack of stimulation for young people, pockets of deprivation) and where there are good links with other institutions (schools, for example). You don’t need to be a theologian or an organisational planner to see where the finger is pointing. At you. Which is to say, for the time being at least, at us. As Rural Dean I share with your Churchwardens the responsibility for these churches.

You will at some point have a new incumbent – every Anglican church must – but it is unlikely we will be able to provide one entirely for Springline. My plan is to work hard in your parish, to offer guidance where I can and to sow peace and collaboration. We shouldn’t do, as often in a vacancy, as little as possible to rock the boat and just tread water. The gospel imperative is now. Let us put behind us “to what am I and my church entitled” and think rather “with what has God blessed us and what does God require of us”.

For the next month at least, we will provide clergy and lay ministers to maintain the existing pattern of worship, occasional offices, local prayer and pastoral care. Then we may need to adjust – not only in Springline but across the deanery – and seek the best way to nurture our existing faith communities and attract new people to the life of the Kingdom of God.

We will need to reflect on the vocations of the individual churches, and how they serve the flourishing of the faith across the parish. That might be more worship, more activity, and more public service, not less, and if it does, we will need all hands.

As we say thanks and goodbye but commit ourselves to the future, let the end of the hymn speak:

Let thy father-hand be shielding
all who here shall meet no more;
may their seed-time past be yielding
year by year a richer store.
Those returning, those returning
make more faithful than before.

Fr Richard Crossland,  Rural Dean of Lawres