The Bible Course
St John's Haydon Wick have run The Bible Course from Bible Society. This excellent course was well attended and much praised by those who attended.
Talking Jesus
St Matthews, Bristol recently ran the Talking Jesus course within the church. This was followed by a preaching series about invitation, relationship, going deeper in prayer and the importance of small group discipleship.
Landfill banquet
Lawrence Weston and Avonmouth ran a Tearfund Big Quiz night with lots of guests from outside church and a 'Landfill Banquet' with food saved from being thrown away by supermarkets.
Missionaries where you are
Emmanuel, Bristol connect with community with a philosophy of trying to help the church family see how important it is to relate the gospel to those they interact with in all kinds of ways. The church wants to support people to be missionaries where they are each day.
Family fun day
St Stephens Soundwell hosted a Family Fun Day on the Field opposite the Church in the Summer holidays. Lots of people came out to support the event, meet other local residents and enjoy the activities.
Community prayer
St Andrew's North Swindon engaged with the National Prayer weekend. They put up banners in the community to let people know that they the church was praying for them.
Senior citizens Christmas lunch
St John's Haydon Wick held a senior's Christmas lunch for the elderly alongside their monthly communion services in two different care homes. This is a growing and important ministry for the church.
Open Door Policy
At St Mary's Shirehampton an open door policy exists. This means anyone can come in daily between 10am-12 and speak with someone. This link with the community provides countless oppprtunities for connections to be made and people to be supported.
New Housing
Frenchay and Stapleton have worked with the other churches in the area to outreach to people who have moved recently into the new housing estate at Frenchay Park/Frenchay Gardens.
Sharing stories of everyday faith
St Stephen's Soundwell, have encouraged church members to share stories of everyday faith during services. This has had a really positive impact and been hugely encouraging to everyone.
Eucharist and community connections
St Agnes Bristol have worked to ensure that the centrality of the Eucharist in our worship, alongside their informal high church style, attracts people. The considerable work involved in their baptism and funeral ministry in the local African-Caribbean community makes the church an enduring focal point for thousands.
Social Justice Missional Community
As part of the Avonside Mission Area, Lawrence Weston and Avonmouth benefice have developed a missional community based around social justice, this involves both study/worship/prayer & action in the community.
Mental Health Awareness Group
As part of the Avonside Mission Area, St Mary's Shirehampton have established a Mental Health Awareness Group which has also provided opportunities for people to explore the Christian faith for the first time in detail.
Early morning evangelism and prayer
Sea Mills and Coombe Dingle have set up an early morning evangelism prayer group and are encouraging people to go 'door to door' in the parish inviting people to special guest services.
Music and food
In the Marshfield Benefice they have held regular special services with music or food as a real draw for the community at the key points of the church year, including Plough Sunday for the rural community.
Fuelling the fires of faith
St Peter's Henleaze have continued to develop their 'Fuelling the Fires of Faith' Action/Prayer/Community/Culture/Understanding programme. As part of this they held a 'Treasure Sunday' and encouraged everyone to review their stewardship of time, talents and treasure.
Eco-discipleship
Cotham Parish Church have embedded thinking and praying about Climate Emergency into the life of their church. This has had a significant impact on their understanding of discipleship as they now talk about eco-discipleship as a church.
Welcoming newcomers
St Mary Redcliffe have developed a clear process to ensure newcomers to the church are welcomed and introduced to regular members of the congregation.
18-35's Home group
St Anne's Oldland and United Church Longwell Green ran Alpha in 2019, this led to the creation of a specific home group for 18-35's.
Local Business Network
All Saints Clifton connect with their local community through a Local Business Network. This sees the church actively enabling independent local businesses to find a place to meet informally and discover opportunities, connections and shared interests. Through regular events such as art exhibitions and an annual Summer Drinks’ Party, church and gardens are open for local business owners to explore and learn more about the part All Saints plays in the community such as music, art, talks, support (dementia and homelessness), and so much more. The Local Business Network database consists of over 300 local businesses, and feedback from those attending this year’s Summer Drinks Party in early July was extremely positive and supportive of the work the church does in the local community.
Pilgrim Course
A monthly Pilgrim course in Greater Corsham and Lacock sees small groups reviewing together the teaching provided in church on the first Sunday of the month. This has been a good way of involving Sunday congregations in following a discipleship course and has also resulted in the setting up of a completely new day time small group attended by people from across the Team.
Breakfast Services
Greater Corsham and Lacock have run two breakfast services outside the church building. These were a great opportunity to invite baptism families to a more informal service in Corsham Town Hall and provide a more interactive talk/sermon slot with people of all ages sharing ideas around the breakfast tables.
"Come and see" Sunday
St Andrews Chippenham ran a "Come and See" Sunday. Prior to the Sunday they leafleted invitations to 2000 homes and were delighted when people responded. Seven new regular worshippers have joined the church as a result of the mission.
Hungry for God
At St Anne's Oldland a monthly Worship and Prayer Evening called 'Hungry for God' has had a significant impact in deepening the discipleship of the congregation.
Congregational life of prayer
St Saviours Coalpit Heath have used Common Worship daily prayer as an effective way to make disciples. This has encouraged liturgical formation and the life of prayer among the congregation, whether in church or by using the app at home.
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality
St Peters Bishopsworth used the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality material as a sermon series and in home groups and found it was very well received.
Café Connect
At St Martin's Knowle, 'CaAt St Martin's Knowle, 'Cafe Connect' runs every Friday in the church and provides a fantastic space for members of the community to come in, enjoy a wide selection of meals, wonderful home made cakes, and meet members of the church. The cafe runs with a spirit of generosity - we ask people to make a donation for the food they have received, and invite people to donate extra if they wish to enable food for others who may not be able to otherwise afford a meal. fe Connect' runs every Friday in the church and provides a fantastic space for members of the community to come in, enjoy refreshments and meet members of the church.
Young Alter servers
All Hallows Easton are committed to mission and evangelism spreading the word of God to all people. The church has encouraged young people to join the Altar Servers and found that those that have, have really been blessed by serving in this way.
Community Fair
The Holy Trinity, Westbury on Trym Community Fair hosts some 40 different organisations who put up their stalls in and around the church every spring. A few thousand people come through the doors and it serves as an excellent outreach to the local community.
Concert Series
In North Sevenside an ongoing series of concerts have enabled the chruches to connect with their communities and invite people to come and enjoy music in the churches.
Food surplus
When St Peters Chippenham studied ++Welby’s Book on Mammon they were led to establish a food surplus project giving new families confidence to trust church and even attend Messy Church.
Special events
Marshfield benefice have found that church events and special services that build on relationships and tell the Good News such as the 'Plough Service and Lunch', 'Candlemass baptism celebration', 'Breakfast Service', 'Harvest community supper' and events linked with the local school, have helped them to build peoples faith and understanding which can lead to people joining Alpha courses and post-Alpha groups.
Congregational feedback on the website
The St Andrews Church webpage where details are provided about their upcoming family services includes the following quote from a member of the community who began attending the monthly service. What a great way to encourage people to come.
Donna and her sons (in school years 3 and 7) started coming along last term and Donna wrote this review to help other people know what to expect:
"The first time we attended, we were so warmly welcomed. The boys liked the relaxed atmosphere and had lots of fun doing some very creative craft activities.
The service was very enjoyable too (we all got to do a little bit of light-hearted acting) which added depth to the Bible story that we were learning about.
Inviting the bereaved to services
"In the parish of Yate, members have taken to intentionally inviting the recently bereaved to a succession of services starting at All Souls. The season of invitation ends with an evening Candlemas Service. During the season, they discovered that a number of the widows who had been invited lacked the confidence to come straight to a church service on their own as they didn't like the idea of entering the church alone. They therefore invited them to a tea at a local pub first where they met other people in a similar position to them and then walked across to the church together. A number of them commented on how helpful that had been."
Questions to ask when meeting people
"When meeting people, Revd Simon Dunn from St Pauls Chippenham, holds the following questions in his mind that he seeks to pose each time he meets with someone.
• How have you sensed God’s Presence this last week?
• Where is God working in your life right now?
He finds these questions instigate healthy conversations for those with/without a personal faith and they assist him in being Missio Dei focused rather than function or church orientated.."
Including time for sharing and testimony in services
At St Paul's, Chippenham, it has found that people's stories are SO amazing and encouraging, even when the “sharer” does not think so themselves, that it has intentionally include time for testimony/sharing in as many ways and services as possible. It finds that these invoke conversation and sharing amongst the congregation at a much deeper, real, and indeed wider level, after each occasion (e.g. over coffee at the end of the service).
An 'of course we can pray' attitude
"At Malmesbury Abbey, they has adopted an 'of course we can pray' attitude. This followed some prayer ministry training it hosted and means that it intentionally looks for opportunities to offer prayer to people through the ministry of the Abbey."
Find out more about building a foundation of prayer here.
An invitational memorial Service
At St Mary's Shirehampton once a year, the families of all those who they have held funerals for during the year are invited to a memorial service. The names are read out, along with those of any others that have been submitted on little cards. At Christmas these name cards are put on the Christmas tree when the lights are switched on as a symbol that these people are remembered and their families prayed for.
Find out more about building a culture of invitation here.
Conversation and Chocolate with toddler group mums
At St Johns, Haydon Wick Swindon, it hosted a very well received “Conversation and Chocolate” evening for mums from the church run toddler group. This was an evening away from their toddlers where they could discuss any questions they might have about God, faith and the church. Calorie-laden evangelism!
Community prayer request card boxes
An idea seen on the internet involved an Anglican parish church which had had little boxes professionally printed up that held a stock of prayer request postcards and a box compartment for completed cards to go in. These were placed in local shops and the church offered to pray for those requests submitted into the boxes.
Find out more about building a foundation of prayer here.
Becoming an invitational church
At the Season of Invitation training session we were challenged to be invitational as well as welcoming. One suggestion was that during a service the leader encourages people to ask God who he would like them to invite to a particular service. They are then asked to name that person with those sat near them and to pray together for that name. Next everybody writes the initials of that person on a Post-it note and places it on the cross at the front. People then make the invite during the week. If the answer is 'no' then that’s ok, you have at least been privileged to hear where that person is at in their journey with God.
Find out more about a culture of invitation here.
Engagement with the Sunday teaching
Christ Church Clifton record all the teaching from their Sunday gatherings and make them available for anyone to stream or download on their website. In addition the preachers prepare a set of sermon notes and small group discussion questions which are also available online. These are used by the weekly small groups to enable discussion and further exploration of the sermon themes and so embed the teaching into everyday life.
Making resources for discipleship available
The Community of Saint Stephen's & Holy Trinity in the centre of Bristol have begun providing resources which are available within both churches to help people engage with prayer, scriptures and important issues of faith. They are currently in the process of producing a 'Growing in Faith' booklet with information and links to online resources for discipleship. 'Discipleship' has been added as a permanent PCC agenda item and they have tried to create different spaces and multiple themes/discussions for people to grow in their faith.
Find more resources for discipleship at www.disciplekit.org
Alpha at the Carol Service
At St John's, Haydon Wick Swindon, it has shown clips from the Alpha course during a Christmas carol service. It also gave out an Alpha invitation card as people arrived, inviting people to respond if they would like further information about the upcoming course.
Church Mindfulness
In Minety, North Wilts a small group meeting weekly in the local CE primary school has been undertaking a Christian Mindfulness course under license from Richard H H Johnston ( christianmindfulness.org.uk). Christian Mindfulness draws on Christian traditions of meditation and contemplation, integrating these with the latest scientific research and insights to help people to learn more about being with God, being aware of our whole selves, our thoughts and feelings. With more than 20 people attending from many church backgrounds and several with no formal church connections, the church have found people growing closer to God and being helped with some difficult issues they were facing in their lives.
Explore Together at Friday Night Live
Friday Night Live at St Stephen's Soundwell began as a way to re-engage with Church families with older children who have drifted away in recent years and to reach people with the love and teachings of Jesus for whom 'traditional’ church might not be the natural option. The time begins with a period of sung worship interspersed with prayer, followed by using the “ Explore Together” resources from Scripture Union, allowing all ages present to engage with the Bible in ways that suit their learning styles or comfort zones. Everyone is then invited to share their ‘exploring’ in small groups and as a whole and if they choose to do so and to stay afterwards to share time, stories and life experiences with one another over food.
Organising and contributing to village community events
Being part of a village with an active community calendar, Wroughton Parish Church have been aiming to build up their presence at local events such as the village carnival, duck race, summer picnic etc. as well as offering new activities for families. Their Community Engagement Group works to a rolling calendar and they are regularly either organising their own community events such as Gardening Day, annual Pumpkin Party or Pancake races or being a part of the local planning groups who put together village events. The church is involved in something in the community approx. every 6-8 weeks, and has really benefitted from connecting with the same people at the different events, growing relationships with local families, welcoming them to the church family service and being seen as playing a positive part in what helps the village to thrive.
Using Season of Invitation, Alpha and Fruitfulness on the Frontline materials
The benefice of Warmley Syston and Bitton have used the season of invitation materials throughout the autumn and have followed this by running an Alpha course in January. A natural progression on from Alpha is to explore together how people live out their faith in our everyday lives. The churches have used the LICC Fruitfulness on the Frontline course to help them with this which has offered useful and relevant teaching for growing disciples. This has now become part of our annual church life cycle. Both new church members and those who have been part of the church for a while have valued the opportunity to engage with the fundamentals of faith and to encourage each other to grow in discipleship.
Remembrance Day Service
The parish of Warmley has seen a rise in attendance at their Remembrance day service which is held each year at the war memorial on Warmley High Street. Last year there were over 500 people in attendance with veterans, uniformed organisations, emergency services, local councillors and MP’s represented. After the service people are invited to meet with one another in Warmley Community Centre and to share tea and cake. The church has been working with their local councillor to enhance this event and it has both made connections with different groups in the community and brought them closer together. The value of this for the church is that is has provided them with an opportunity for conversations with the wider community and a chance to invite them to other events at St. Barnabas.
Find the HOPE resources for remembrance here.
Puzzling Questions course
St John's, Haydon Wick Swindon, like many of our churches, has run a Puzzling Questions six-week course which covers questions like: “How Can I be Happy?”, “What is God like?” and “Why is there so much suffering in the world?”. Produced by The Ugly Duckling Company, it is aimed at people who have little real spiritual awareness in their lives. The course can be developed as you feel right for your group.
Local conflict transformation course
In the Gauzebrook Group, North Wilts, churchwardens and other key local leaders have attended sessions on transforming conflict in church settings. This has improved relationships within the church and with groups within the community, who are often expressing views on churchyards and similar things.
Providing a place of prayer and reflection in the midst of a community tragedy
Last December the community of Rodbourne in Swindon was rocked by the news of the murder of a young mother of two. In response to these tragic events, St Augustine's Church opened it's doors for the evening so that people had somewhere to go and share with one another. The church provided an opportunity for people to light candles, sign condolence books, add stars to our Christmas memory tree or simply talk to someone who would listen. The church harnessed the power of social media to let people know that it was open, with it's initial Facebook post being read by 15,000 people. There was no agenda, and prayers were held every half an hour with tea and coffee served throughout the evening. Over 300 people came through the doors that evening, and it demonstrated to the community why the church is so important, being there at the heart of the community at a time of grief. Sometimes tragic things happen and our ability to respond quickly can allow us to be there for our communities in a time of need.
Find out more about building a foundation of prayer here.
Churchyard work days
At All Saints in the village of Sutton Benger a group has been formed to care for our beautiful churchyard. The church advertised for helpers in the parish magazine and on the church gate. The group meets once a month and bacon butties, homemade cake and hot coffee is provided to all of the helpers. Regular members of the congregation, along with local residents and others from further afield enjoy the outdoors, the exercise, the fellowship and the fun of working together to care for the village churchyard. A great sense of community has evolved from this initiative.
Coffee and cake drop-in
On the last Tuesday of month St Nicholas' Whitchurch opens up their Church Hall for people to drop in and share tea/coffee and cake. Around 15-20 people come with at least 5-6 who do not attend Sunday worship at the church. It’s has now become a regular place of fellowship for some and people have also asked for prayer and to visit church on occasions.
Ale and Arty Charity Festival
St Peter's Ale and Arty Charity Festival in Henleaze enabled people to experience 'church' in new and different ways. For both regular church attenders and attenders of the Festival from the local area, it was the first time they had found: craft ale served in the church aisle, Scalextric cars to race round tracks where the nave altar and choir were normally situated, a bouncy castle on the church lawn and the church resounding to bands playing music of many different genres on a Saturday evening! As well as bringing people together in new ways, the Festival also raised money for two local charities.
Making the invitation personal
As a church, Bishopston and St Andrews have, as one of our objectives, 'creating a culture in which everyone is empowered to lead people to the Lord Jesus'. As part of their journey towards inhabiting this culture they are working on growing a culture of invitation in the church. For Christmas 2016 they did not produce any promotional flyers etc for the Christmas Services before Christmas Weekend. Instead they encouraged our small group communities to host events around our services and invite their friends to their events and to the services. All sorts of events we organised and every one of our services had a high numbers of guests and importantly guests who had been personally invited and already had friends who are members of the church. It was a bold and scary step, but one that worked!
Using LICC Whole Life Discipleship materials
As a small church with a small number of members, St Anne's Eastville find it especially important to equip their congregation members so they can be disciples in their everyday lives. A few people who have a great vision can change great things everywhere they go! It is a change in mindset that takes a long time to settle. On their journey to create whole-life disciples St Anne's have found the resources from LICC extremely helpful. They used the two courses “Life on the frontline” and “Fruitfulness on the frontline” as lent courses and attended an LICC IMAGINE church learning hub with encouraging effect.
Weekly breakfast club
St Peter's Penhill, Swindon run a Breakfast Club (completely open membership) on Monday mornings from 9.30 - 11.30am. A 'pick and mix breakfast' is served with all items costing 40p. People can just drop-in for a cuppa (no charge for refills!) or anything up to a 'full English' at £3.60. The church doesn't aim to make a profit and ensures that everyone who wishes to eat is well fed regardless. The drop-in is proving very popular with the community and on average 28-30 people are served at every session, of whom only 4 or 5 have any other connection with the church. There is a good atmosphere and lots of fellowship at the sessions - more and more people are attending 'just for the company'.
Encouraging people to use their God given gifts
At The United Benefice of All Saints & St Barnabas in Swindon they are constantly seeking where, and how every persons gifts can best be used. The church believes that as everyone is called to service in God’s Kingdom and use the charisms that God has bestowed upon them, our response to God’s call and the use of those gifts forms part of stewardship. Vocation and service is a continuous theme thread throughout the churches worship, preaching and prayer.
Where's your front line?' display board
At Christ Church Downend, following on from participation in a LICC Learning Hub the church has shared ideas about how every service, small group and activity can equip people to live for Christ in every circumstance and place they are in. Arising from this time was the idea for 'Frontline Focus'. This involves the creation of a display “Where’s your Frontline?” in the welcome space at the church where people can add a sticker to show where their main frontline is. The board is used as a prompt for prayer and everyone displayed is prayed for at least once a year that they might be fruitful where they are placed in life and work. Photos, prayers, interviews and videos are used to highlight the Whole Life Discipleship programme and its link to every aspect of church life.
Chat café for young parents
St Cuthbert's Church, Brislington, had become aware of the number of young parents in the area and that there was nowhere they could drop in to chat to friends or make new friends in a safe environment with plenty of room for prams, pushchairs and buggies. With this in mind the church started the Chat Cafe. It meets once a month and is for all those who care for young children, parents, grandparents and carers. It is hoped, that by our example, those who use the Cafe may show an interest in the Church and why it exists.
Using the Pilgrim course
St Saviours, Coalpit Heath have used the Pilgrim Course with helpful effect within the parish. Each session has the same format, so people become comfortable with that. The bit of liturgy at the beginning and end of each session provides a prayerful setting, and there is a video clip for each session, which helps the group members relate to the thinking of Bishops, theologians, and the 'man in the street' etc. The Lectio Divina approach to scripture is engaging and open-ended, which people also appreciate.
Visiting every household in the parish
At St Luke’s Brislington, the church has connected with its community by visiting every household in the parish (nearly 3000) to say that as a church we will be praying for them in the following week, and asking if there is anything they would like the church to pray for. The volunteers have had some lovely encounters, with many people who professed no faith being pleased to see church members and to make the connection.
If you would like to think more about this, you can find out more in the diocesan ‘How to’ guide written by the church here: www.bristol.anglican.org/howto
Cream Tea event
"Holy Cross Ashton Keynes, North Wilts has created connections with each other through fellowship, as well as with members of the local community by holding a Cream Tea event in the church every couple of months. The event is held in the church (in the welcome space we have created by removing some pews) on alternate months. More recently the events have included a Bible reading and prayer and or something connected with our faith. "
Happiness Lab
St Mary's Shirehampton ran the 6 session Happiness Lab programme produced by Ugly Ducking Company in 2017. The zone between un-churched and occasional-attenders is something the church was wrestling with and The Happiness Laboratory was an excellent programme to bridge this gap in a non-churchy way. It pre-supposes nothing about the delegate’s worldview, understanding or beliefs and really does start wherever they are. It aims to help delegates appreciate that they are “spiritual beings in a material universe”. There was lots of good feedback from course participants and the church is now considering the next step.
MOVE training
B&A Church have used MOVE training to help them to make disciples. This training shows people how to be disciples who make disciples, encouraging to pray regularly for their friends who are not Christians, equipping them to share their story and to share the gospel with others.
Community fun afternoon
St Anne's Eastville wanted to show their neighbourhood that they are their church, and that they are fun! For that purpose they organised a family fun afternoon in one of the estates of their parish. They provided free food and drinks, arranged free face-painting and hired some outdoor games for children to play. The event was a lot of organisation, but with the help of many of church members it was achievable, and it was well worth it! People came along were impressed that we would provide all of this for free.
Walk through Advent
Christ Church Hengrove ran a "walk through Advent" event at which the community were invited to spend time considering the 4 great themes of Advent. The church was rearranged to make 4 prayer stations, with various visual aides and some practical things to do at each station, reflecting a them of advent. The idea was the inspiration of a church warden, following the “Thy Kingdom Come” prayer initiative earlier in the year. The church was open for 3 hours, people could come and go as they wished. We held it following our Mid week lunch and several people who would not ordinarily attend church came and spent time reflecting on Advent. Each person was given a leaflet to guide their way through the Advent themes.
This time tomorrow (TTT)
Stratton Benefice have a spot at our monthly Benefice Service when people are invited to talk about their work which is made easier for them by providing some questions like ‘What will you be doing tomorrow at 11am?’ ‘What does it take to do your job well?’ and What are the frustrations in your work? We finish by praying for them. This has really encouraged the congregation to realise that what they do at times other than a Sunday morning is important to God, it has been run alongside a programme including the ‘Fruitfulness on the frontline’ course and as part of our Year of Blessing in 2017 and ‘Channels of Blessing’ Theme for 2018. We then regularly include them in our prayer diary.
Using the Pilgrim Course
St Saviour's, Coalpit Heath, ran the Pilgrim course in 2017. They found this easy to run, very well-presented, including a short video each week, enlivening, and deepening of faith.
Sunday services structured informally for family and message application at St James’ Lockleaze
On Sundays at St James’, Lockleaze they begin with refreshments followed by a time of sharing – both bad news and good news stories, things that God has done and points for prayer. The children then gather at the front as Prayer Maidens and Prayer Warriors and informal prayers are said. During a worship song all the children grab an instrument, get on the stage and sing, dance and make a noise before departing into their groups. The adults remain for a short talk and then grab another coffee. This is followed by discussion of 3 pre-prepared questions relating to the talk helping them to apply what was said to their lives. This structure has allowed for a really good sense of informality and family which people have connected well with.
Mossy Church at Wroughton Parish Church
At Wroughton Parish Church they run Mossy Church, a hybrid of Messy Church and Forest Church. Mossy Church is about encouraging children and families to connect with nature and encounter the Divine Creator in the natural world. The idea is to; Connect with nature by using our senses. Create things using natural materials gathered up from the garden, wood or beach. Get our hands dirty, sometimes get wet and always have fun. Learn about how to care for and love the earth respecting and honouring it because of its sacredness. Once
Evangelistic board games café at St Christopher’s Brislington
Once a month on a Sunday afternoon at St Christopher’s, Brislington vicar Andrew Schuman hosts an evangelistic board game café for enthusiastic board gamers. The café attracts people from across a wide area who bring exciting and complex board games to play together and build relationships with one another. Through this great venture the church is reaching out to a specific group of enthusiasts and building relationships with them.
'Sunday School For All' at Dorcan Church
With working patterns of long hours or shift working, and time squeezed parents with young children, evening home/cell groups where discussion and teaching takes place can be difficult to attend. Dorcan Church has therefore started “Sunday School for all” which replaces a Sunday morning service each quarter. They start off with breakfast, then move to worship together where the theme for the day is introduced, and then the adults go to their Sunday School for teaching and discussion, and the children and teenagers to theirs! Topics explored have included the origins of the creeds, “How was Jesus fully human and fully divine?”, and coming soon will be the various theories of salvation and “Does prayer work?”
Word and Spirit services in South Bristol deanery
In South Bristol churches come together on the first Sunday of every month to worship together in a ‘Word and Spirit’ service led by local ministers and hosted by a different church each time.
Word and Spirit is an informal service that includes time and space to listen to the move of the Holy Spirit, opportunities to receive prayer ministry and good refreshments and fellowship at the host church.
A welcome event for people new to the church
Malmesbury Abbey hosts a welcome event for people new to the church, held after the 4pm contemporary service for all those who felt that they were new to the church. It brought in pizza and wine and ate in the church at long tables. During the evening members of the Abbey were able to speak with people about church activities and home groups and were able to get to know these new people better.
Sharing hot food with those in need
At Holy Cross, Ashton Keynes, North Wiltshire they run ‘Food For thought’ with the aim of creating opportunities for everyone to experience God’s love and serving the needs of others.
Volunteers from the church offer to hold an item of food in their freezer. (A cake, chicken casserole, shepherd’s pie, or similar). When the co-coordinator hears of a family or person for whom life is tough, she rings the next person on the volunteer list who takes their gift of food to that person to show that the church family cares.
Text-A-Prayer
At St Augustine’s, Swindon, they have set up and advertised a mobile phone number to which parishioners can text in a prayer request. These prayers, once filtered, are then used and prayed for during Sunday worship.
Find out more about building a foundation of prayer here.
Big questions café; discussion based outreach
In January, St Peter’s, Chippenham launched “Big Questions Café” in the church hall; an evening of discussion, question asking, sharing (as well as drinking coffee/tea and eating biscuits). The café is a a monthly event with a different topic being discussed each time such as ‘How did the universe begin?’, ‘Did we evolve from apes?’, and ‘Who was Jesus of Nazereth?’. The desire is to stimulate conversation (sometimes provocatively), grant a safe space for questions to be aired and shared, and NOT to provide specific answers.
Running marriage preparation courses
In the parish of Yate, for the marriage preparation course, there is always a printed name card on each table (like a table reservation in a posh restaurant) which adds greatly to the sense of welcome. Members have also discovered that it is important to have background music playing during the discussion times so that each couples’ conversation can’t be overheard by others.
Door knocking in the parish
St Anne's Eastville realised that many who lived quite close to their church still didn't even know that the church existed. To address this the church gathered a group of interested individuals together and walked around the parish. When they reached each street they stopped and prayed for all those living there. They then knocked on doors on the street to introduce themselves (“from the local church”). It often didn’t require any more rehearsed lines because discussion evolved out of the group just being there. If it was deemed appropriate those knocking on the door also asked if the household had any prayer requests and these were then integrated into weekly prayers at the church.
Dealing with issues face to face
"Email is great for communication, as is the telephone. But for Revd Simon Dunn at St Pauls Chippenham, nothing beats face-to-face when responding to issues of difficulty or hurt or misunderstanding. Simon also has a simple card, to leave them with (his most often used card is a “thank you” card, in which he says thank you to them for being who they are). It has meant changing his priorities and sometimes sending apologies for meetings but he has found this approach much more important and beneficial for all as it builds relationship, trust, honesty, openness and humility."
