Jayne - it's really easy when you think about it - DD is currently the only child there every week.
we also have the Junior Chorister, who will be joined by his sister in September.
We used to have a large Junior choir and a number of children, where they all went off into Sunday School.
When the last incumbent came, lots of people left. lots
We didn't get new people in to replace them (and there was a fair amount of persuading families to go to St Mary's instead because it was last incumbent's favoured church, and he basically wanted to ruin St Michael's), so all the families go to St Mary's, and we are left with all the old people - we have noone to take a creche or Sunday School, because the one who did it here wanted to "retire" from youth work, and she now doesn't come every week anyway.
we went through a 4 year interregnum, and it has pushed the parish into survival mode.
We got our NV in February, and he is slowly turning us round.
But it does take time - a NV can't just come in and start changing things straight away without knowing what the dynamic of the parish is, and what the strengths of the people are. (and where help is needed)
unlike the previous knobhead, NV is making sure that he doesn't put any backs up, taking his time and getting to know us all. Finding out what works, what doesn't work (what's been tried in the past and what's never been tried)
" I just don't get NV not seeing it as a priority and in your shoes I'd be looking for a church that welcomes families."
that is a totally inaccurate and unfair comment.
I know you haven't been with this thread since the beginning, but I have talked at length about our churches and how the last vicar mucked them up good and proper. The NV doesn't want to come in on a bad foot - he's here to help the churches grow.
During the wilderness years, we went down to 45 regulars here and about 40 at St Mary's.
It's not something that can be built up quickly. It has to be worked out slowly.
And I'm not just going to leave my church! that DH has been in since he was 7 (so we're talking 45 years!) and my choir (so letting everybody down in one fell swoop) just because "it doesn't welcome families"
It does welcome families, it's just that this town and these people don't do church.
If you only have one or two children in a church service, anyone who comes in will see that. You can't manufacture children or sunday schools or creches in the hope that children will come.
If we have baptism parties, (which we do quite a lot, because people like to have the traditional baptism in the traditional font with the pretty building for photos), we have a Tower Room, which the families are told about - it has activities and toys for the children, at least 2 members of the congregation (the same ones who also have lots of other jobs to do) go into the tower and help out.
In a congregation of 45, where 10 of those are the choir (and only 1 Junior Chorister), 3 servers, 2 churchwardens, 30 really old people, there's not really a lot you can do.
We have services for local schools in december, because that' the only time they'll take us up on the offer, and we tell them about the choir, and all the opportunities for their singing career, and we tell them about St Mary's family services, but noone takes them up