Avonside Mission Area has recently completed the Your SHAPE for God's Service sessions produced by the Diocese. These were designed to help churches enable people to discover their unique SHAPE, the gifts God has given them and how they might use those in His service.
It was a real blessing to take time out from a busy life to really listen to what God might be calling me to next.
Over the three sessions people considered their identity as disciples and developed a biblical understanding of discipleship, were provided with tools to explore their spiritual gifts, and helped to discover how God may be calling them to use them for God's service in the world as well as reflected on their experiences as followers of Jesus so far. Rev Simon Potter said that there was "great honesty in the room and people were talking about their faith journeys in quite vulnerable ways."
Julie and Kate, who participated in a group, said "I found the sessions helped me see how much I had grown in my gifting over the years and where God might be leading me now.
"It was a real blessing to take time out from a busy life to really listen to what God might be calling me to next. It's so easy to get into a habit with activities or just do things because you're asked to and not stop to ask God if that is really what He wants you to be doing."
If you are interested in using the SHAPE sessions in your parish you can download the leaders guide and participants workbook here.
The Avonside Mission Area is a mission partnership between five Anglican churches in North West Bristol. Together they are pursuing Christs transformation of their communities; socially, culturally and spiritually, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Mission Areas are a strategic initiative of the Diocese of Bristol bringing parishes together to serve alongside one another with a coordinated approach to mission, sharing resources and ideas. Learning from the Mission Areas is collected and shared to inspire and resource mission activity across the Diocese.