1. St Paul’s is blessed with a gifted yet humble leadership team, including staff, parish council and wardens. I have been privileged to see this at a closer vantage and am deeply encouraged by the men and women that God has raised up to lead. They genuinely love God and want to see him honoured through our ministry and wise stewardship of the resources he has placed in our hands at this time. They are also gracious, and have had my back many times in these months, always seeking the win for the team rather than personal achievement.
2. In a church the size of St Paul’s, lots of things are happening. At the same time. Involving lots of people, and lots of decisions. I have seen this more by being exposed to 2 different decision making chains at the same time. It can do your head in! But it’s amazing to see.
3. I’m having to think and pray about money more than I usually do. It is stretching and humbling and a privileged burden of leadership.
4. You can’t do everything that you’d like to get done. I am seeing even more intensely the need for careful allocation of personal time and energy into certain things and not others. Sometimes the best is served by forgoing the good.
5. God’s people are wonderful, gracious, and challenging, no matter what chair(s) you are sitting in!
In Anticipation 