Over recent weeks, Trinity Church has been looking at ways it can grow and develop – growing spiritually, missionally and numerically – both as a church and as part of the Wantage and Abingdon Methodist Circuit.
The process began with a “Going for Growth” day on Saturday 9th May. People from churches across the Circuit came together to share what they were doing. The day began with each church sharing a Bible story that best relates to their church’s current situation. Nine people from Trinity attended. Neil Oastler gave a presentation based on the feeding of the five thousand. Starting with five loaves and two fish and ending with baskets full of leftovers, he showed how small resources can have a much bigger impact than people might expect. Activities such as Experience Easter, Evergreens, Toddler Group, Uniformed groups, Friendship Group and others may have small resources, but over the years they have reached thousands of people. During the day, people discussed what they would do in their own church to bring the gospel of Jesus to people if money and resources were unlimited. They also looked at how the Circuit could be more effective.
The next step took place during a service on Sunday 17th May, led by the Revd Wayne Hawkins. Members of the congregation were invited to place leaves on a tree to represent different church activities.
Some activities were seen as being in spring, showing new growth. Others were in summer, flourishing and doing well. Some were in autumn, still valuable but beginning to decline. Others were in winter, with little activity taking place at present. (There were also some activities people proposed for the future – like seeds.) The exercise would help people think about where the church should put its time, energy and resources. It has also raised questions about whether some activities take a lot of effort while producing little benefit.
A further discussion took place on 6th June at a coffee morning in the Conduit Centre. Twelve people attended and shared ideas in two groups. People talked about styles of worship and ways of making Trinity more welcoming, especially for newcomers. There was also discussion about the needs within the community that the church might be able to help meet, given the Trinity membership and location. Some of these included lunches for school children and their families in August; parents’ coffee before and after school; games café; messy church and supporting those bereaved.
The ideas from these events will now be collated by Revd Wayne Hawkins and Revd Georgina Bondzi-Simpson. Proposals will be discussed at a church meeting on 17th June and priorities agreed. Church trustees will then consider the agreed priorities to be focused on during the coming year and ratify them. The Circuit has offered support and resources to help these projects succeed.
The aim is not simply to increase the number of people attending church, although that may happen. The key aim is to help more people encounter the love and grace of Jesus Christ through Trinity’s activities and service in the community, building on the church’s strengths and responding to local needs.
The whole process of exploring growth has been steeped in prayer: praying, listening and discerning how we can be partners with God in his mission. So, we pray, that the Lord will continue to lead and direct us as this process comes to a close.
A Prayer:
God of the Journey, whose servant Abraham travelled in faith, grant that we might find within ourselves something of his courage, enabling us to reach the destination you intend for us, for our community, and this world. Amen.