Making Big Announcements

One of the aspects of Church life that can be quite challenging is how to make big or important announcements.

Very often, at the start of a service, we rattle through the events of the week, or we let people know about forthcoming events. The same announcements may also appear on a loop on the screens, in more recent times.

Sometimes, too, we have to highlight various things that don’t happen all the time just to bring them to people’s attention.

It can be difficult and quite emotional if we are announcing the death of someone who is well known to the congregation, and we are conscious that it will come as quite a shock to those hearing that news for the first time.

There are occasions, too, when we have to highlight very happy events like people’s wedding anniversaries, or the birth of a child. There were times, before the regulations changed, when churches would publish Banns announcing the forthcoming marriage of two people, often in both parties’ churches.

Sometimes, there are events of national significance like the death of a monarch, or a coronation, when the church is asked to hold services to mark such significant events.

Last Sunday, when we hosted an invitation service in our church, there were a lot of announcements. We were hopeful that we would have quite a few visitors in response to the invitations that went out, and it was wonderful to see so many parishioners bringing family and friends and neighbours to the service.

We decided to print off a little flyer that people could take away, highlighting events in the next month that are coming up that we felt might be of interest. For those coming with children or young families we wanted to mention things like the toddlers’ group, the uniformed organisations and Messy Church. We thought of those who might have sickness in the family and highlighted a healing service and an event about mental health. We considered those who might like singing and music and mentioned the choir and the forthcoming fundraising concert.

We thought about those who might have enjoyed the worship and wanted them to have other opportunities to return, so highlighted Harvest Thanksgiving.

To add a few further layers of complexity, the Bishops in the Northern province had written a letter to be read at all services about a response to the recent racist attacks on our streets and how we might respond.

A very significant meeting took place towards the end of the week and this led to the appointment of my colleague, Andy, as the Priest in Charge of the parishes of Clonallon and Warrenpoint with Rostrevor. The Bishop was in touch asking me that this news would be announced on Sunday morning to coincide with the announcement in those parishes at their morning service.

What do you include, what do you leave out? At what point should all of these important things be communicated and how best should you do it?

Maybe what you see as a very important or significant announcement may not be such a big event in other people’s lives.

At the end of the day, we opted for a combination of approaches. There was the information flyer with information to take away for our visitors. The best way, too, we felt for people to consider the Bishops’ communication about the sad events of recent times was to print off the letter and allow people to take it away and read it for themselves.

We were conscious that the news of Andy’s appointment would come as a shock to many and, to announce it at the beginning, would take away from all the content of the service, so we went for the very end. Although I have had to make these kinds of announcements on a fair number of occasions, both in connection with colleagues and with myself, they are never easy to word. They are always bittersweet. You are really pleased for the person and for this new opportunity that lies before them with all the talents and gifts they bring into every new situation. You are also sad at the loss of someone who you regard with the utmost affection and respect and who has been such a significant figure in the lives of the parishioners on a pastoral level. Andy has journeyed through both the best and worst of times with us all and shown himself to be someone of tremendous empathy and compassion, of wisdom and integrity.

We are grateful for all that he has done to advance the work of God’s kingdom in this place and will continue to do as he prepares for the next stage of his ministry journey.

A lot of significant announcements take place in the pages of Holy Scripture. Angels announced to Mary that she would become the mother of our Lord and to shepherds that the Saviour had been born. Women announced to the disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead after angels appeared to them. People are commissioned by God to do certain tasks, they are often unsure of what to do and how to go about it.

The constant thing about these announcements in the Bible is that God reassures those receiving them that they won’t be on their own. He will be with them and He will equip them for what He’s asking them to do with His Holy Spirit. Very often, he not only mobilises individuals, but he mobilises communities and, maybe, we are seeing such a stirring in the life of our own congregation.

Let’s not forget collectively our calling to be a people to share good news, the news of God’s love and the Hope that Jesus brings to all who turn to Him.

Look forward to speaking again soon.

Much love to everyone,

Jono.

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