The Christian community in your local church.

In the churches I serve, it’s the annual meeting time of year and one thing that strikes me again and again in these meetings is the number of people who have an active part in keeping our churches open, looked after, beautiful and welcoming.

As well as the ‘official’ jobs of churchwardens and Parochial Church Council (PCC) members, there are many whose unseen efforts ensure that our churches keep running and we continue in worship and in serving our communities.

That is entirely as it should be, because the Bible says that everyone has a part in the church or, as St Paul writes: There is one body and you are all members of it.

Church is not just about the ‘vicars’ or ‘ministers’, but about everyone - and all those who call themselves Christians are called to be a part of the Christian community which is their local church.