|
Some
local examples of "Fresh Expressions" of Church, or new ways of
mission, worship and evangelism
|
Bolton
and Rochdale District -
"New" ways of engaging in worship, mission and evangelism
across the District
|
| Fresh
Expression |
Comment |
Circuit |
Contact Person (Contact
can be made through the District Office email
) |
| After
School Café Church |
Ecumenical - meets in St
George's LEP |
Bolton |
Rev
Pat Brown |
| Pram
service Café Church |
|
Bolton |
Rev Pat Brown |
| Tuesday
Church |
Holy Communion/Lunch Club |
Bolton |
Rev Pat Brown |
| Sept
2007 - new minister set aside (70%) to pioneer Fresh Expressions |
Bolton |
Rev Pat Brown |
| Cricket
Club Church |
Commencing
December 2007 - occasional services aimed at local community who may find
it difficult to come to traditional Church |
Bolton |
Rev Pat Brown |
| Parent
& Toddler - Coffee drop-in |
Messy Church |
Bolton Mission |
Deacon Janet Smith |
| Café
Church : with a difference |
Café with a Difference |
Bolton Mission |
Mrs Fiona Key |
| Blog |
Worship at the Reebok |
Bolton Mission |
Rev Phil Mason |
| Schools
Work |
Schools work -local as well as
Methodist |
Farnworth & Worsley |
Rev Enid Knowles |
| Holidays
at Home |
Holiday club |
Farnworth & Worsley |
Rev Enid Knowles |
| Pond-dipping
Church |
Meet in local Country
Park (Unexpected Campaign) |
Farnworth & Worsley |
Rev Enid Knowles |
| Zac's
Bar |
|
Farnworth & Worsley |
Rev Enid Knowles |
| Chaplaincy |
Church in Community |
Farnworth & Worsley |
Rev Philip Brooks |
| Third
Thursday |
Moorhouse |
Rochdale & Littleborough |
Rev Carl Howarth |
| Messy
Church |
Norden |
Rochdale & Littleborough |
Dean and Marion Sherriff |
| Café
Church |
Brimrod |
Rochdale & Littleborough |
Rev Malcolm Sharrock |
| CYP |
Discotheques |
Rochdale & Littleborough |
Rev Dr Daniel Mwailu |
| APEX |
Meet in charity shop |
Rochdale & Littleborough |
Rev Dr Daniel Mwailu |
| Cafe
worship |
Queen’s
Hall; 3rd Sunday
pm; Café style worship, testimony, discussion |
Wigan |
John
Parker |
| Homeless
meal |
Queen’s
Hall; weekly; meal with Christian input and care |
Wigan |
Trish
Green |
| 7
Up’s |
Queen’s
Hall; weekly; children’s fun group with worship & prayers |
Wigan |
Ray
Calland |
| Songs
of Praise |
Queen’s
Hall; bimonthly; hymns chosen by those attending (most come through Coffee
Bar) with comment and testimony |
Wigan |
Brian
Rollins |
| Act
1 |
Aspull
Churches Together; monthly pm; modern worship with testimony |
Wigan |
Norman
Connah |
| Men’s
and Women’s Breakfasts |
Aspull;
monthly; breakfast with worship and speaker; for outreach |
Wigan |
Phil
Prescott, Sylvia Connah |
| Rock
Bus |
Standish;
travelling youth club with Christian content |
Wigan |
Albert
Shanzl |
| Little
Lights |
Goose
Green; Mother and toddlers group with Christian input |
Wigan |
Deacon
Margaret Hughes |
| Just
4U |
70+
age |
Leigh & Hindley |
Rev Paul Martin |
| Wednesday
Warm Up |
Teenagers |
Leigh & Hindley |
Rev Kathy Selby |
| Messy
Church at Bedford |
Saturday
afternoon events with "Godspot" & Sunday afternoon
cafe-style. e.g.Fireworks service in November |
Leigh & Hindley |
Rev Sue Whitehead |
| Messy
Church at Tyldsley |
Sunday
afternoon cafe style in conjunction with St. George's C.of E |
Leigh & Hindley |
Rev Sue Whitehead |
| SWAD
(Sunday with a Difference) |
Café-style
- Prayer, themed discussion, 10 min talk by minister |
Bury & Heywood |
Rev David Burton |
| Care
4 Toddlers Group |
Leading
to non-structured reflective worship |
Bury & Heywood |
Rev David Burton |
| Open
Door |
Coffee
& 10 min worship attended by community members |
Bury & Heywood |
Rev David Burton |
| Ladies'
Health & Beauty Day |
Pampering,
relaxation, massage |
Bury & Heywood |
Mrs Pam Burton |
| French
Language Ecumenical Bible Study & Sharing Group |
Bible
study and assisting in language |
Bury & Heywood |
Mrs Sandra Holt |
| Tea
and Toast |
Intergenerational/Interactive
Family Cafe-style (Heaton Park) |
Prestwich & Radcliffe |
Mrs Sally Thornton |
| Galaxy:
Stay and Play |
Messy
Church - Craft/Sunday School/Meal
(0 - 11s) Parents, child-minders and carers (Heaton Park) |
Prestwich
& Radcliffe |
Mrs
Sally Thornton |
| Home
Services |
Whitefield |
Prestwich & Radcliffe |
Rev Janet Aspey |
| Youth
Church |
Ecumenical |
Prestwich & Radcliffe |
Rev Janet Aspey |
| Big
Sing |
Eccleston/Coppull |
Chorley |
Rev Hilary Howarth |
| Open
Doors |
Eccleston/Coppull |
Chorley |
Rev Hilary Howarth |
| Messy
Church |
Craft,
meal worship (5 - 11+) |
Rossendale |
Rev David Burrow |
| Café
Church |
Discussion,
prayer (all ages) |
Rossendale |
Rev David Burrow |
| Refresh |
Ecumenical youth church,
Youth Alphas, schools' work & Mission to Schools |
Rossendale |
Rev David Burrow |
Fresh
Expressions Vision Day
A
Fresh Expressions Vision Day was held
on 5
October 2006
at
Canon Slade School, Bolton
Reports
of the Event
Report
of the event
(From
the "Fresh Expressions" Website)
Reports
from local participants
From
John Parkin (Bolton Mission Circuit)
Inspirational
‘Fresh Expressions’ Vision Day in
Bolton
Over 200 Christians from six denominations met in
Bolton
on
15 October 2006
, to hear
about new ways of being the church.
This popular Fresh Expression Vision Day
was jointly sponsored by the Chairman of the local Methodist District, Rev’d
David King and the Anglican Bishop of
Bolton
, Rt. Rev’d David Gillett.
Speaking after an afternoon and evening of presentations, buzz groups and
workshops, David King said he wanted to see local Christians beginning to find
new ways of reaching out, as they constantly relied on the Holy Spirit. David
Gillett said he looked forward to the day when ecumenical teams of Christians
were forming fresh expressions throughout the area and especially in the
clubbing centre of
Bolton
.
Workshops included sharing about fresh
expressions for older people, fresh expressions in schools, and how to start a
fresh expression if all you had was an old building but lots of faith.
 Jim
Hodgkinson, a Local Preacher from Horwich, was inspired by the day, the vision
of the leaders and by the assurance that it is a movement gathering momentum. He
said ‘I came away with lots of check lists against which it will be possible
to examine our own proposals - really good tools to help us get it right.’
Jim Hodgkinson (left) and
Rev’d Otto Ntshanyana taking part in a buzz group
Rev’d David Griffiths, The Anglican /
Methodist Ministry Development Adviser for Bury, said ‘Fresh Expressions were
what the Church has done over the centuries as it has responded to the prompting
of the Holy Spirit in new ventures of faith and witness. We heard of some
exciting examples today of ‘all age’ activity and worship; a bus making
contact with elderly people no longer able to get to church; a stall at a
village day involving people making a banner of Christian symbols; and worship
in a local pub, coffee shop and cafe.’
Margaret Higson, from Edgworth, thought
the event was professionally organised. She said ‘It
has been inspirational and set my mind wondering how we can achieve new
ventures, but also made me realise we need to be patient and be spirit led not
self led.’ It stirred up personal thoughts in her that the Church needs to
move on. The day gave a few pointers. She said ‘There was no deep theological
discussion, everything was down to earth and practical, yet based within the
structure of worship.
From
John Parker (Wigan Circuit)
God is at work in his church. Well at
least he is in
Bolton
!
The national Fresh Expression team came to
Bolton
to lead a vision day. The event proved to be so popular that it was
over-subscribed. About 250 people attended.
The event broke into 3 sections:
1.
Moving on in a
Mission
Shaped Church
2.
Starting a Fresh Expression
3.
Sustaining a Fresh Expression
Each of these sections followed a similar pattern:
-
Introduction
by one of the Fresh Expression national team
-
A
5 minute DVD example of a fresh expression
-
An
interview with someone in charge of a local fresh expression
-
A
tentative conclusion of patterns to be recognised in fresh expressions
Also between sections 2 & 3 there was a short break to eat & this was
followed by a choice from nine seminars which ranged from youth congregations,
café church, worship, older folk, church in school, resources etc.
The organisers also managed to fit in some worship, prayer & buzz groups. In
all it was a very full 5 & ½ hours.
There were a good number of resources for sale. The DVD on Fresh Expressions
being a particularly good resource in that it has 14 examples as well as a 30
minute introduction.
Fresh Expressions of church come about by dreaming dreams & then acting on
them. There is no hand me down plan, we need to rely on God. They are hard work.
Yet the marvellous point in it all is that people are coming to faith in Jesus
Christ & often these are folk whom the church would not normally reach. Some
of the stories brought tears to our eyes.
The day proved to be encouraging & enriching. It caused everyone to think
and it sent us home enthused. We now know for sure God is at work and not just
in
Bolton
.
__________________________
Methodist Church backs
new Fresh Expressions DVD
The Methodist Church is backing a new DVD looking at new ways of reaching
people. Fresh Expressions is presented by Diane Louise Jordan and features a
30-minute feature suitable for home groups, church councils and other small
groups, as well as several shorter items examining specific projects.
Former BBC producer Norman Ivison produced the DVD. The Revd Tom Stuckey, the
President of the Methodist Conference, and the Archbishop of Canterbury have
commended it. It is designed to support training and new initiatives in a
variety of church contexts. The video content can be viewed as a DVD or
transferred to a computer for use in presentations.
The Revd Graham Horsley, Methodist Secretary for Evangelism and Church Planting,
said, “this DVD gives about a dozen different examples of fresh expressions,
and is honest about what does and doesn’t work in each case. We hope it will
inspire and challenge as well as offering models of good practice.”
The DVD is jointly produced by the ecumenical Fresh Expressions, the Reaching
the Unchurched Network (RUN) and The Methodist Church. It will launch on 27
February at the Prodigals Conference and is published by Church House
publishing.
Notes: Fresh Expressions is limited company backed by The
Methodist Church and the Church of England aimed at developing and encouraging new
and different ways of being church in a changing culture. Methodist minister the Revd Peter Pillinger
works for Fresh Expressions, growing networks to accompany churches and
Christian groups developing or wanting to develop fresh expressions of Church. More information about Fresh Expressions can be found here: http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk/
while more about RUN is here: http://www.run.org.uk/
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BOLTON
AND ROCHDALE METHODIST
DISTRICT