Annual Parochial Church Meeting - 22 April 2010

The APCM is open to all church members and includes elections to key leadership positions within the Parish, including Churchwardens and Assistant Wardens, Deanery Synod Representatives, PCC and DCC members. It's also a moment to take stock of our churches' participation in the mission of God in Oadby. A full agenda and a set of reports will be issued in due course, but you might like to note that the date of the meeting is 22 April 2010. It will be held at St Paul's and will begin at 7.45pm.

The meeting is open to all, but to vote or to stand for one of the elected offices, your name must appear on the church electoral roll. Download a nomination form or pick one up from the foyer.

Leicester's children are "happiest in Britain"

According to an article in the Leicester Mercury, research at De Montfort University shows that Leicester's children are a relatively happy bunch.

One theory, reported in the article, is that children in our city tend to spend less time in structured activities such as clubs and groups, than children elsewhere. It's suggested that this freedom from over-organised social lives leaves more time to be with friends.

It's a good news story worth celebrating, and while the central lesson that friendship leads to happiness shouldn't surprise anyone, it helps us think about the way we work with children in the groups that we provide at church.

Simply providing structured activities isn't enough. Church is essentially relational - about the way that people relate with each other and with God. We're less interested in people "attending our activities" than in deepening friendships and growing as disciples.