VISION FOR GROWTH

Our Vision for the Next Five Years: 2005 - 2010

OUR REASON FOR BEING A CHURCH IS….

To share the Good News about Jesus Christ and his love for all people in word and action

TO DO THIS MORE EFFECTIVELY….

We commit ourselves to developing three key areas of church life over the next five years:

KEY AREA 1: Spiritual Growth

We want to help both children and adults to learn more about the Christian faith.

1. To consider opportunities for people to discuss their faith in worship. This is in recognition of the way that people nowadays usually learn by taking part rather than simply listening, and therefore make our worship more accessible to all age groups.
2. To arrange Day/Weekend retreats to provide the opportunity for reflection, prayer and to consider issues relating to everyday life and faith.
3. To provide opportunities for older church members to talk about their lives and their Christian journeys.
4. To help all of us to learn how to explain our faith to others.
5. To consider ways of celebrating and exercising stewardship of God’s creation.

KEY AREA 2: Outreach & Mission

We want to make sure that our church is welcoming to everyone and offers the opportunity for people to become part of the church as well as supporting other organisations who are sharing the Good News.

1. To explore ways of providing more opportunities for people to get to know each other on Sundays. We will consider the way we use the entrances to the church, where coffee is served, the possibility of breakfasts and the structure of our worship.
2. To continue to improve facilities for those with disabilities. We will consider the provision of large print bibles, induction loops for those with hearing difficulties in the foyer and hall and other ways of making sure that everyone is included.
3. To continue to develop our youth work. We will try to ensure that as young people become adults that there is provision for them in the life of the church by developing the group which started this year for the 18+ age group and looking at ways in which they can become fully participating members of the church. Consideration should be given to the possibility of having a “Gap year” volunteer.
4. To make greater use of information leaflets about the church.
5. To consider new ways of supporting groups involved in wider Mission work. For example to put on frugal lunches to support Christian Aid perhaps in Lent and ecumenically.

KEY AREA 3: Worship

We want to make sure that the worship we offer to God is of the highest quality and is accessible to everyone.

1. To consider our patterns of worship and how they might be adapted to provide a variety of worship opportunities. This may include worship on other days of the week other than Sundays, and the provision of worship opportunities in groups that meet during week.
2. To consider replacing the pews with chairs to enable us to offer more variety of styles of worship and to improve singing by the congregation sitting together.
3. To encourage young people to attend worship.
4. To consider ways of growing the Junior Church and consider how they might be involved in worship (e.g. coming back into church at the end of the service to share what they have been doing).
5. To provide a creche facility.
6. To explore improving the sound system and recording services.

In order that our Vision should be pursued effectively:
• Each church member and regular worshipper will be given a copy of Our Vision
• At each Elders’ and Church Meeting Our Vision will be a standing agenda item and at least one commitment will be explored or reviewed in each meeting
• We all commit ourselves to praying for Our Vision and to supporting and encouraging each other so that we are a church where everyone feels welcome and valued

Our Vision was agreed at the church meeting on March 16th 2005