Wednesday December 31, 2008 - St Pauls Mission Plan update

Author: Paul Hockley

MISSION PLAN

We will bring fresh hope to the people among whom we live

Our Mission Plan was launched in February 2008 after about 8 months of background work by a small group of people. The Plan is based on “Ten Arrows” of Mission set out by the Vicar in June ’07. In support of HOPE ’08, embraced by churches throughout the country, we used the above commitment as a guiding principle, such that everything we took on in the Plan could be traced through to this goal.

Here is a summary of what has happened so far and of what is still in progress. We enjoy close links with other churches and are always looking for more opportunities to connect them: some suggestions for these are included. We want to help those leading the same ministry in different churches to know and work with each other. At the end of the Plan there is a list of unmet needs – areas of ministry we may either take on in future, or give some assistance to other churches who decide to focus their efforts in these areas.

Arrow 1: Ongoing Prayer and Intercession

• Held Prayer School in Q1 2008 (during Lent)
• Held 3 Prayer Parties (the last one a joint Praise/ Prayer Party)
• Begun to organise Prayer Walking in 4 areas
• Working to improve communication networks for prayer
  • We still find attendance at prayer events disappointingly low, given that it is the “force multiplier” that underpins all our other work.
  • In particular, we want to find ways of engaging more men in prayer, and are considering a re-launch of prayer triplets.
  • Communication of prayer needs within the church and to/ from small groups is still unsatisfactory.
• Identify the “prayer warriors” in each church and get them to “compare notes”.
• Consider joint prayer events where the organisers are a visiting church rather than the home team, to increase attendance and interaction.

Arrow 2: Raising a Young Generation of Disciples

• Activities on different Sundays divided into crafts, music and storytelling. Of the 18 people ideally needed for this, 17 in place.
• Following appointment of new paid Youth Worker, re-started CRASH after-school club – plan to introduce some specific Christian input sessions.
• Working with small group of the “going-on” teenagers on Bible study and mutual accountability.
• Organising a 4-day Youth Festival in Penketh, Aug 09.
• Youth specifically supported in prayer by leaders/ helpers each month.
• Active BB company – looking for ways to bring them and parents into closer fellowship.
• We still struggle to find a good model and content for Family Services and a group is currently taking a fresh look at this.
• On other Sundays, we have yet to decide the best timings for younger ones to join/ leave the service in church for their own activities.
• We would like to increase the part played by young people in structured elements of services in church.
• Encourage people involved in children’s and youth work to talk to each other about the work.
• Make young people, especially those in very small groups, aware of activities/ events in neighbouring churches.

Arrow 3: Use our Buildings to the Full

• We run 8 Café sessions each week in the Oaks and the Manna House, with many happy customers, though we would always like to do more for them spiritually.
• We inform all local residents from time to time about what is happening, though the large mailing cannot be undertaken very often.
• To celebrate the centenary of the Oaks building, we held an Edwardian Day in Sep ’08, and a service of nine lessons and carols in Edwardian style in Dec ’08.
• The PCC has agreed that when the church building is decommissioned we will not meet in the Oaks but rather in the High School, thereby moving off our own “patch”.
• There are still local people who don’t know about us, and it seems there can never be too much communication, or too many ways of doing it.
• With more helpers, we could put on a regular “lunch club” for the elderly, maybe with a speaker.
• Volunteers always seem scarce so we tend to keep them to ourselves – is there another way?
• Those responsible for fabric issues might pool information about local trade and repair contractors they would recommend.

Arrow 4: Use everyone’s gifts to the full

• We are re-launching annual visiting to each member by clergy to encourage people to discover and pursue the ministries God has given them
• A number of small groups and individuals are reading a book called “SHAPE” to help them find the place God has for them in His Church.
• Every-member ministry is a regular subject of preaching.
• With help from visiting leaders, we are beginning to discover the place of personal prophecy in understanding how God has gifted us.
• We have begun to maintain list of unmet needs (attached), not to reproach ourselves for what we aren’t doing but to help people consider where God may be leading them.

 

• There remain some church members who do not see the need to commit to anything: a discouraging habit has emerged where people who used to come every week now come less often – and give less often.
• We have yet to measure the effects of what we have put in place, which should be reflected in the number of people taking an active part in ministry, and the proportion of members willing to receive an annual visit.
• Since God’s gifts are for each other and for the church, they are discovered and expressed in the context of relationships. We need to facilitate the use of some of these gifts outside our own congregations.

Arrow 5: Develop Fresh Leadership

• We have adopted the CPAS “Growing Leaders” course, lasting 9-10 months, as the means by which we train and prepare people for leadership, after the model of Jesus.
• The first group of 7 people have completed the course, and the 5 still at St Paul’s are all in positions where their training can be put into practice.
• It has drawn out fresh calling and aspirations from some of the trainees (cf Arrow 4).
• The second group of 12 people began the course in Oct ’08. It includes some existing leaders and PCC members as well as “fresh faces”.
• We have planned a Leadership Meeting in Jan ’09 where we aim to strengthen and encourage cross-links between leaders, who tend otherwise to relate only indirectly through reporting to the Vicar. Some feel this has been neglected.
• We can offer the experience of both teachers and learners on the course to those wishing to explore or try out this training, to which we remain committed.

Arrow 6: Evangelistic Events and Follow-up

 

• A barbecue was held in Honiton Square in Aug ’08, with participation from many West Warrington churches.
• Though those involved have tried to ensure follow-up, we would still like this to improve in any future events.
• For 2009-10, we should like to plan two further joint events. While there is general goodwill between churches, our own busy in-house programmes do hamper working together and prevent such events from becoming more regular.
• We would like our services to be more consistently visitor-friendly, especially those that happen just after outreach events.
• We do not have an appointed evangelism coordinator and feel that such a person would be an asset.
• The Cluster group, along with the larger liaison group for West Warrington churches, could become more pro-active in making room for joint events.

Arrow 7: Smaller Groups for Pastoral Care

• About a third of our congregation are members of a house group or “cell”. All of these people know the benefits of the closer relationships these groups bring, and 2008 has been a good year.
• There is a current Alpha course: both this and the previous one were hosted by cells.
• There is a monthly Men’s Breakfast in the Manna House, usually with a short talk from someone from within or outside the group.
• Limited cell membership hampers personal development and discipleship, and we need to find other ways of achieving it.
• The good things about cell membership are not made known often enough: one means we have used for doing so is a “Cell-ebration” service where people speak about this.
• It would be worthwhile establishing contact between those people in different churches involved in house group activities, so that insights, ideas, problems and successes can be shared.

Arrow 8: Raise Profile of a Caring Church

• In 2008 we succeeded in upgrading our previously “static” website, to try to reflect what God is doing among us.
• We acknowledge that this arrow covers much more than communication. A small group has been looking into open-air healing sessions in local shopping area.
• There has been prayer walking (Arrow 1) and also some street visiting. In Dec ’08 we went carol singing in Cuerdley followed by more carols in the pub.
• We continue to seek e-journalism skills that can be used to focus our website content on the human dimension with up to date news.
• It is likely that leaflet campaigns achieve more when there are specific events to publicise rather than general information.
• Street visiting and delivering leaflets have been undertaken jointly by churches in the past, and we should always consider doing this together.
• Is diversity in website design and content a strength, a weakness, or both?

Arrow 9: Small Teams to take part in Mission outside the area

• St Paul’s is involved here because the Vicar is the Regional Coordinator for “On the Move”
• An “On the Move” barbecue, involving over 25 churches, took place in Warrington Town Centre in Jun ’08.
• Again the coordination of follow-up was harder than organising the event itself, where the biggest problem was probably the clash with Walking Day.
• An event in Stockton Heath is in prospect during ’09, and two other northwest venues are being explored.
• Maybe the Biblical principle is that if we only seem to have a little of something, we should give some away!

Arrow 10: Leave no Mission Field untouched

• In 2008 we established a group of 9 people to visit Heathside residential home twice a month for informal services, which are greatly appreciated by the residents.
• Children came in with us to do a Nativity presentation in Dec ’08. Other media including puppets and dance are being considered.
• A marriage course – the second in recent years – was run in 2008.
• A football team, playing in a local league, has been set up, with a squad of over 30 including 8 church members. This is seen as an outreach activity for men aged 16-40, with Christian speakers at events such as the Awards night.
• We are starting a Café Church in the Oaks in March 2009.
• Other initiatives can be added to this arrow as and when God moves people to get into new areas (viz unmet needs list).
• It would be useful to put together details of other work in residential and nursing homes and get those involved to talk to each other.
• We would like the football team to develop relationships with other churches in Warrington and help them set up their own teams to join the league and start their own mission.

 

UNMET NEEDS

• More people to join regular café teams
• may allow us to open Oaks on Saturday mornings
•  may allow special lunches to be put on
• People to sit at tables in the Oaks and Manna House to talk and pray with diners – like “On the Move”
• More people to help with “Tea and Toast” in Manna House on Fridays – ensure enough helpers to look after the (often) large numbers of young people
• More people in prayer triplets, holding our family (both organic and church) life issues before God
• Another man in the A team (music) of children’s work, to balance the team
• One or two e-journalists who can seek out news stories and put them on our website
• People to join a performing (puppet/ dance/ drama) group for regular outreach ministry, maybe alongside other churches
• People to start a “Jesus in pubs” ministry
• People to take part in friendship visiting to those who find it difficult to get out (eg Oak Gardens tenants)
• People to take part in a group healing ministry outdoors
• People who feel called to play an active part in ministry to men, within and beyond the current congregation