| 2005 AGM - Chair's Report |
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3. Our Forums, our Ministers’ Meetings, and the Executive have fulfilled a valuable if frustrating role. They continue to serve (to the extent that members take part in their meetings) as occasions when the churches come together to renew and develop their friendships in Christ, to learn about each other and what is going on in each others’ churches (to some extent), and to plan our regular CCT events – such as Christian Aid Week, our Good Friday worship and witness; and our other acts of shared worship. Without some form of coming together (as provided by the Forum and Ministers’ Meetings) I wonder whether such events would be properly planned and organised.
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4. On the other hand, Churches Together is not where the churches are planning their work together. This is done through informal groupings. The strength of working this way can be seen in effectiveness of church co-operation, and the fact that it’s now considered normal and unremarkable for there to be co-operation and shared worship across denominational boundaries. The weakness of working this way is that inter church co-operation involves some of our churches on particular projects or activities, but very rarely all of our churches.
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5. It may also be that emails and modern methods of communication are making meetings (such as the Forum) not only less attractive, but less necessary. Having said that, the essence of the church is communion (koinonia) and if we don’t actually take the trouble to meet pray and worship together, are we really together? Sometimes we look at an agenda and say to ourselves ‘Yet another meeting’. Yet meeting together in the Lord’s name is one way of defining church. Perhaps we expect too much of ourselves, and not enough of God.
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