Friday 23 April 2021
Ideas for parish mission and ministry, as featured in the Church Times. Host a memory café or a beer festival, experiment with jazz vespers or kick start children's ministry.
“We realised that this would be a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate to the community that our beautiful church building was not just a place of worship, but should be at the heart of our community, and for everyone”
“We had prayed specifically that good conversations would take place, and that there would be a real sense of warmth and welcome and easy talking”
“We thought that the café was going to tackle one hurt: dementia. It has, in fact, tackled others as well: isolation, loneliness, and the need for a place where people know your name and care for you”
“Breathing Space is a simple ministry that offers rest and quiet in a church setting, encouraging us to slow down and seek God in silence”
“The service is about offering a safe space to remember before God a beloved child; a place where people can sit united in grief, acknowledging that the path can be dark and difficult, and yet gathered in hope”
“Visiting a grave can be a lonely experience, but this service enables people to know that in this special place they do not only connect with those who have died, but that they are part of a living community”
“Many of our worshippers have become regulars, and say that they see this reflective service as a key part of their growing spirituality. It provides space to ‘put themselves back together’, and to prepare for the week ahead”
“We invite anybody of any musical ability to come along and join our choir and experience our own ‘Heaven on Earth’ — and it has been both great fun and a great success, attracting a good number of singers from across the area”
As people age, loneliness can become a serious problem. Huw Spanner considers church efforts to combat this
Andy Walton meets members of the Men in Sheds movement, which is tackling loneliness among older people
More resources: Older people’s ministry
Struggling to attract or keep children and their families? Margaret Pritchard Houston advises on developing a ministry from scratch
They can play a crucial part in tackling mental illness and food poverty among parents, says Claire Kay
More resources: Children’s ministry
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PCC essentialsFrom fundraising to faculties
Parish initiativesIdeas for parish mission and ministry
Preaching tips and inspirationFor lay and ordained preachers
For ordinandsIn college, on placement, and beyond
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They and their mental health should be a higher priority, says Paul Vallely
The Bishop of Lichfield, with the Bishop of Stafford, is looking to appoint an Archdeacon of Stoke-upon-Trent
The trustees of Launde Abbey are seeking a senior ordained person as Warden following the retirement of the Venerable David Newman.
The North-East Chinese Methodist Church exists to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ across the North-East of England. It currently consists of three churches - Durham, Middlesbrough and Newcastle. These churches are multi-lingual and worship in Cantonese, Mandarin and English. The congregations consist of worshippers of all ages.
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