This is a section of random thoughts, experiences and trivia which I hope you find entertaining, occasionally irritating, sometimes thought provoking.

I welcome feedback and suggestions as I would like to update this section on a regular basis.

Sitting in the pew, listening to various priests, observing the congregation, reviewing my life, my thoughts sometimes stray. Let me share some with you.

• Poverty is where you seek it. I once attended a committee meeting, in a parish North of Sydney, where I was told, emphatically, that: "We are a poor parish all pensioners and retirees it is impossible to ask parishioners to give more!"
  
  Now, the Parish Priest had told me before the meeting that he needed to build a school, that there were over 400 Catholic children in State Schools in the catechetics program.
  
  I could only say to the Committee: "Either I have the wrong information - or you're the most active bunch of old age pensioners that I've ever met!"

• I recall that the "Widow's mite" was thrown at me in every parish that I worked in: "They are pensioners, they can't give." "They are poor farmers, they can't give." "They are doing it hard; they can't give."
  
  When I met the "Theys" I experienced only generosity of spirit and giving. Too often we use others as an excuse for our own disinclination to give.

• Committees. My favourite definition of a committee is :a group of people who, individually don't know what to do, and, collectively, decide that nothing can be done!
  
  I have sat on many parish committees!

• Face to face is best
  
  I have seen figures which suggest that $1 from direct mail could be $12 from a telephone presentation could be $50 from a personal approach.
  
  I have read notes to a Diocesan Appeal (USA) where the difference between mail or pulpit and personal solicitation is at least fivefold increments.
  
  Yet we are increasingly moving away from the personal visit in parish programs. I am as guilty as others in this. We hear: "It is too hard to get Visitors"; "Parishioners are fed up with visiting"; "We get too many knock-backs".
  
  In a Capital Appeal, I would not dream of using other than personal, face to face, visiting.
  
  I think that we are short changing our parishes. What is now happening is that we appeal from the pulpit, we pledge in the pews. Then we may have mop-up visiting.
  
  It is all back to front.
  
  We should visit first then mail or phone as a last resort to contact those who cannot be visited.
  
  Try it. At least once in every two or three renewal programs.

• Forget the gimmicks: Preach the faith
  
  We bemoan falling church attendance and some parishes feel that they have to have "new liturgies" or "more relevance" (what ever that means) or "new approaches" to build attendance or retain young people or liven up the "service".
  
  It seems to me that the growth in Christian churches is in those non-mainstream churches that preach a strict and certain faith life; who have, and live, high moral standards and who are not afraid to speak out on those standards.
  
  One of the most impressive events that I have witnesses recently in my own parish, was an eight week course in Psychology and Theology. Up to one hundred and fifty people turned up each week, often in stifling heat, because they wanted to learn about their faith. No razzamatazz. No pop bands. No nonsense. Just a Marist priest lecturing each week to an attentive audience. Wonderful!
  
  In teaching giving within the church, we don't need gimmicks or pizzazz; we just need Faith.

• I was interested to observe, in a New Zealand Church that I attended, the small amount of money in the collection plate.
  
  This was not, as it first seemed, an indication of a dying parish but, rather, of a parish that did things differently. Actually, most parishioners gave regularly through a direct bank debit.
  
  That meant that even if absent, one's support of parish continued. I encountered opposition when I suggested using charge cards in parishes. But, we offered and many welcomed the opportunity.