COSTA BLANCA ANGLICAN CHAPLAINCY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
Good Morning to you all, and Easter Greetings.
We are a Resurrection People, and Alleluia is our name.
We hope that you, and those you love and pray for are managing to keep safe and well during this very difficult times.
It has been the most unusual Holy Week of our lives, but in a particular way, the online Prayers from Fr Jim, the Videos that Fr Marcus produced, and the wonderful live stream services from Fr Rodney and Fr Robin made it all seem very real. I for one found Good Friday incredibly moving, which in turn made our Easter service totally joyful. Thank you.
But on to more mundane things.
The Standing Committee and clergy have been in close contact with each other, and the diocese concerning the consequences of our current lockdown situation. To put it bluntly, we are very worried about our finances.
At present there are no services, so no cash collections, no fundraising activities, no Wedding Blessings, or even funerals, so we have very little money coming in. Our collections in church normally amount to between 5 and 6 Thousand Euros per month!
Yet most of our expenditure is continuing.
It would be good to flatten the curve!
All chaplaincies are in the same position, and there has been some relief from the diocese in that they have delayed increases to our contribution to the Common Fund, and set up a Hardship Fund for Chaplaincies that are struggling. So that is a help.
We have been praying, talking and thinking about what to do, and this is where we are at the moment.1. We are coping financially at the moment by using the reserves built up, by you, over the years – though if the ‘lockdown’ persists, we will begin to struggle as these reserves become depleted. 2. This is not a request for money – yet. 3. Rather, we would ask now that among all the other worries and stresses that the international response to the virus is causing, you might spare a thought and pray about your response if and when our reserves are such that we begin to have difficulty meeting our costs, and we need to ask for help. 4. If you are able now, you can help by ‘saving up’ your normal offering until such time as we can all be together again, or, we have explored ways that we can facilitate donation by giving directly instead of ’cash on the plate’ each week, to try to make it easier to give regularly; there will be no pressure to do either, we are well aware that there may well be other pressures on your finances.5. There is a ‘Donate’ button on our web site and using this, you can donate using Paypal, or you can set up a direct payment through your existing bank account, either here in Spain or in the UK – Carole, who is our stewardship secretary can help you with this, or you can contact Dennis, our treasurer.6. Our costs, operating even at this very basic level, amount to about 7000 euros per month in stipends, social security and other regular costs – even though travel is limited, our cars have to be paid for.7. As a committee, we are monitoring our financial situation closely, and we believe that it will beprudent to keep you updated in about a month or so – the situation may well have changed, and we may have more information then.8. Any monies that come in during the time of crisis will be for Chaplaincy use, and will not go towards Diocesan funds.
9. After the Virus we will have a Freedom Party, where we will all try and gather together, and ask each church to put on at least one piece of entertainment. For example a sketch, or a choir piece, or some magic. A bit like a variety show.
Bring food and drink to share, that sort of thing.
10. We will also have a Thanksgiving Gift Day at some time when we are all able to get back to our churches. At this event, folk will be encouraged to make a donation to chaplaincy funds in thanksgiving that together we have got through this, and that we have felt the presence of the Lord throughout.
We want to make special mention of our Local Wardens.
We cannot put into words how grateful we are for all that you do as our wardens, keeping in touch with our whole church family. We pray that we are all given God’s strength to sustain us through this.
If you need to talk about this, or anything, just call anytime.
Thank you all for everything you bring to our Church Family here in the Costa Blanca. We have much to be grateful for, and much to look forward to.
Every Blessing,
Fr Marcus Ronchetti 965 874 166 marcusronchetti@yahoo.co.uk
Martin Bentley, Warden 965 744 657 martinbentley1@gmail.com
Diana Pringle, Acting Warden 966 460 725 pdiatomic@hotmail.com
Dennis Johnson, Treasurer 966 488 467 tresoroblanca@gmail.com
Elaine Mitchell, Secretary 966 864 963 albirchurch@gmail.com
Carole Bentley 965 744 657 carole.bentley1@gmail.com