Following on from this statement, in November 2008 we underwent a Faith and Skills Audit - this is the sermon preached by Diana Lowry to explain how this is to work, both now and in the future:

Many of you may remember the occasion some years ago when Peter Nokes surprised the congregation by giving away £500!  This was to give willing ‘victims’ the opportunity to raise money for the Renewal Appeal in an original way.  Each individual was given £5 to ‘invest’ for the church and in this way £500 was turned into a few thousand pounds to pay for work on restoring the fabric of this church.  As is often the case, although the money was very welcome, the ingenuity, enthusiasm and fun generated by this project were even more special. Some people used the money to buy fruit and jam jars and make and sell jam; children produced cards offering their services washing cars.  Hand-made birthday cards appeared and cookery books were made and sold.

The basis for that idea came from today’s Bible reading as does the Faith and Skills Audit that we are in the process of undertaking.  The exercise we did all those years ago looked at the more ‘literal’ reading of this passage, in recognising that a ‘talent’ was a type of coin.  Today we are looking at the more ‘figurative’ interpretation, looking at the talents and gifts that God has given, recognising them (something many of us find difficult), thanking God for them and offering them back to Him to use in His service.  The last time we had a ‘talent show’ there was a definite end, when the money was collected in.  This Audit will not be time-limited but through it we will offer our skills and talents to God for the long-term.

No doubt we all have stories to tell about the amazing things that can happen when we say ‘Yes!’ to God.  It can be a bit like setting off on a long distance walk.  We have the map, the walking boots, the compass and the cagoule so we can step out.  However we are going to be in for some surprises: we don’t know exactly what the path will be like, how many rocks and puddles we will have to work round, or even barbed- wire fences! And what will the views be like?

As we step forward in faith, offering our talents back to God, we don’t know what obstacles there may be.  But we know that God will have made the right path clear for us as we rely on Him. And in the same way as we can only partially imagine the views we will get on our walk, so too we may be surprised by what we can achieve with faith.

Sometimes it is others who can see our potential rather than us. When, much to my surprise, I felt that God was calling me to be a Reader I spoke to various people to see what they thought. One of these was Chris Bard.  When I asked him what he thought about the idea his reply was: ‘Of course, but YOU needed to realise.’ And so it is with all of us: God has given us all skills; we need to acknowledge them with thanks, own them, and offer them back to God.

Now to the practicalities. When you came in you were given an A4 sheet of paper asking you to fill in aspects about yourself. This is designed to help you think ‘organically’ about who you are.  At the end of this sermon I will be handing out cards with coloured diagrams of eight areas of skills that impact on our corporate life here.  They are not meant to be exhaustive but I hope they will help you to recognise skills that you have.  Please put a circle around any skill which you feel applies to you.  Let me know if you need a large copy and/or pen.  It may be that the actual skill you have is slightly different, in which case do feel free to write that skill down in the ‘have we forgotten anything’ slot on the sheet.

I have asked you to put your name and contact details down and it may be that at some point someone will contact you to ask if you can help in a particular area.  However most of all this is about YOU recognising your talents and encouraging you to offer them.  This may mean that, as a result of this Audit, you will want to approach someone to offer to help say with Monday Morning Coffee, or Flower Arranging, or undertaking prayer for particular individuals or situations.  

Everyone in church this weekend, including the children, will be asked to complete one or both of these forms.  Anyone on the Electoral Roll and members of the congregation, will be sent a form if they are not in church this Sunday and it would be helpful if you could make sure that I have seen you today and crossed you off on my list of the Electoral Roll to avoid duplication.  If you can take some questionnaires for someone else that would be helpful, please let me know who that is.  Please take the  questionnaire home and bring it back to one of the services in the next week.  Alternatively please send it to St John’s House for Geoffrey’s attention within the next two weeks. 

On 25^th January I will be presenting the results of this Audit at a Congregational Meeting after the 9.20 service ie about 11.15. am.  Please come!

I think this is a very exciting time to be a member of St John’s. Richard Benson, Founder of the Anglican Society of St John the Evangelist, said: “If we use God’s talents, we shall find that they become multiplied in the use. We thought we had two; we find we have five.”  I hope and pray that will be our experience.  Amen.