Pause for Thought August 2026
The Parable of the Growing Seed
He said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.’ (Mark 6: 26-29)
I’ve had the joy of watching not just my own children, but now my grandchildren flourish and grow. At times it feels as though they have suddenly grown overnight, either in height or ability. A new word is spoken, a pair of trousers suddenly too short, an aspect of who they are becomes more clearly defined. And so it is with our church life under the nurturing watchful gaze of God.
Our two churches are shortly going to measure our growth and health using the ‘Natural Church Development’ survey and principles. We are going to notice those places of growth, and tend to the parts that need nurturing, watering, feeding, whilst recognising that “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow” (1 Corinthians 3: 6)
Natural church growth is organic, yet intentional, and happens when the conditions are right, but how do we know are they right if we don’t stop to look. And so together, as church families in each place, we will map out, through a series of questions, what we each think our church life looks like. And from there, we can start to tell the story of our churches from a more informed place, and we can tend those areas that need some attention, that new growth is enabled.
I am excited for this process, because I believe it will encourage us in the places we have already grown - more healthy, more faithful, more prayerful; and it will prompt us to nurture all that God has invested within us. Because God’s desire for His Church is that she thrives, that all are made welcome and that we each flourish and grow and bear fruit in His Name.
Revd Alison Hudson
Priest in Charge
14/08/2026