|PIC1|The Bishop of Lichfield has issued a call for more churchgoers to offer themselves as clergy or lay leaders. The Rt Rev Jonathan Gledhill's comments came in a recorded message played in churches across the Diocese of Lichfield on Sunday.

Since the Decade of Evangelism in the 1980s it has been the tradition in the diocese for a taped message from the bishop to be played in all his 585 churches on the second Sunday in January.

In his latest message, the Bishop talked abut the "exciting turnaround" in the five years since 2002, when the diocese was heading towards bankruptcy, and talks of a "wonderful confirmation of God's love".

In his message, Bishop Gledhill highlighted a number of growth signs in the diocese, including the licensing in 2007 of the largest number of lay leaders in memory and the several thousand returnees on Back to Church Sunday.

He also praised other significant areas of development, including the appointment by parishes of almost as many children's workers as the number of clergy cut by the diocese, and the strengthening of financial reserves.

A number of larger churches in the diocese, have also stopped declining and started growing, and there has been growth in a large proportion of the churches in the diocese, including some of the poorest.

Bishop Gledhill said that the diocese had been able to respond positively to this good news in their plans for 2008 by increasing the number of new curates (new clergy on training posts) from nine to 11.

The diocese has now reversed the planned cuts of three full time clergy and started to plan instead for an increase in clergy numbers.

It also managed to reduce the rate of the annual increase in the amount of money requested from the parishes from 4 per cent to 3.74 per cent.

The Bishop acknowledged, however, that in spite of the good news, some parishes were still struggling.

"But for every apparently insoluble problem we face there are encouragements and exciting opportunities," he said. "So I hope you will join with me at the beginning of a new year in giving thanks. Thank you to God for all the signs of his amazing grace, and thank you to all the faithful parishes where people have upped their giving and their commitment."

He added that the diocese faced a "particular challenge" to increase the number of people coming forward to serve as clergy and lay leaders.

"We are going to need more clergy and especially more ordinands," warned Bishop Gledhill. "We are just coming to the point over the next five years when the baby-boomer cohort of clergy is planning for retirement. Numbers of ordinands are up, but not yet enough to compensate for the expected number of retirements."

Bishop Gledhill appealed for prayer that some of the diocesan clergy would retire a little later than at 65, and that the diocese would be able to support more new ordinands each year, paid and voluntary.

He also appealed for prayer for the maintenance more Lay Readers and other voluntary It's also important to pray for the increase in the number of Lay Readers and other voluntary lay ministers, as well as the funds to train and pay for clergy and lay workers.

"Jesus didn't exactly know all the details of his coming ministry. But he knew he was loved and entrusted with the Good News," said Bishop Gledhill. "We don't exactly know how things will be for our diocese. But as we receive strength from God we will continue proclaiming the Kingdom, making new disciples, encouraging the ministry of the whole people of God, calling out ministries and using gifts, and increasing the number of ministers, lay and ordained."

He said that the task now was to produce enough high quality, paid and voluntary clergy in as many parishes as possible.

"Of course, we have to raise the money to pay for them. But a good stipendiary priest will soon pay for him/herself in all but the poorest parishes. Given the chance of a new vicar, most parishes will rise to the challenge of paying for him or her," he maintained.

Bishop Gledhill called upon every churchgoer in the diocese to take up their responsibility to follow their calling in the Church.

"So the challenge this year, if we are continue the turn-around and provide for our churches, is not merely to do with the numbers of people coming through the doors of our churches but what happens to us as we walk out of the doors," he said. "All beloved sons and daughters have a ministry. My hope is that every parish will be encouraging every member to consider their calling and their ministry, because everyone is a beloved son or daughter.

"And out of all those callings my hope is that there will be some more from each place who will be given the gifts for ordained and lay ministry so that together we can be a sign of God's love and grace."

The bishop has asked churchgoers to set aside Ash Wednesday on 6 February as a day of prayer and fasting for the diocese.

"First and most important to celebrate and thank the Lord for wonderfully giving us the security of his love; secondly to pray that the turn-around will become a steady growth, particularly in children and young people; and thirdly in prayer to the Lord of the harvest to provide the increase in ordinands, clergy and lay leaders we need for these next years."

The Bishop's message to congregations began as an audio cassette. For the past three years, this was supplemented with a video message for those churches with data projectors.

This year, churches have a choice between playing a CD track of the Bishop reading his message, or playing a video news report by television journalist Robin Powell about the Bishop's message, which concentrates on the call for more clergy and lay leaders. It is thought to be the first time a video news report has been commissioned specifically to be shown during church services.

The bishop's message and the video news report are available online at www.lichfield.anglican.org.