KINGSKERSWELL PARISH CHURCH
Our Mission Action Plan
Our Mission Community Action Plan is: ‘To be a church that lives the gospel through worship, through loving service and through engagement with the whole community’
WORSHIP LOVING SERVICE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MINISTRY & LEADERSHIP Page 2
Introduction from the Vicar The Church, like all organisations, needs, from time to time, to refocus and redirect as the wider society changes and develops. A Mission Action Plan is designed to enable the Church Community in Kingskerswell, along with Parishes all over the Diocese, to decide priorities and develop new skills where necessary. We must all play our part in implementing our Mission Action Plan. Already some people have volunteered to undertake new tasks. Maybe you could also volunteer for one of the many jobs that as a Church Community we should be trying to develop? A Mission Action Plan should help identify areas of strength as well as areas that we might need to develop in the life of the Parish. Perhaps where we are successful we can improve further and share with other Parishes? Where there are gaps, we need to develop new skills and some of these new skills may have to be achieved through the help of others from the wider Church and the wider community. Our Mission Action Plan is about helping the Church to grow. It should be a working blueprint for the way forward in the coming years, a benchmark by which to measure our development. Our Mission is to spread the love of God. Our Action Plan is how we might achieve that Mission.
John F Leonard
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WORSHIP
IN OUR WORSHIP WE AIM: To learn about faith and deepen our commitment to God in Jesus Christ, through preaching, teaching, discussion, Bible study and prayer. To have a Church building that is a place of living spirituality: a meeting place for the spiritual and the secular. To be an inclusive church where all are welcome to come to learn and grow in faith. To hold worship within a warm and comfortable environment; to have variety and to be a place where we can have time and space to encounter the divine, to be forgiven, to be loved, to be accepted and to be before God. To generate an appealing and exciting approach to celebrating key feasts in All-Age worship. To develop the ministry of welcome by all members of the congregation. To this end we need to:
Start a Prayer group Develop a worship planning group Reorder the Church Liaise with Diocesan training resources for support and ideas Undertake market research with the wider community Explore the refurbishment of bells Page 4
LOVING SERVICE TO PROVIDE LOVING SERVICE WE AIM: To invite the lonely, depressed and marginalised to social events and provide opportunities for faith development. To provide transport to church and social events. To follow up Baptism, weddings and the bereaved and invite them to worship. To develop a robust, consistent and trained complement to the clergy, e.g. a Pastoral team. To continue to provide first class hospitality for occasional offices and events. To involve and raise awareness, in the wider congregation, of our mission to the community. To this end we intend to:
Investigate and use Diocesan resources to promote lay ministerial development Continue to provide a range of hospitality/social events Create a data base of baptismal, wedding, funeral & individuals needing follow up, transport & home communion Boost and promote Parent and Toddler group Publicise events by our web site and other means
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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY WE AIM: To invest in courageous creative activities for families, children and young people in order to develop disciples and bring people to faith in God through Jesus Christ. To adopt best practice from Schools, Diocese & Youth Service. To develop Sunday Kidz and explore Messychurch and Youth Club options. To continue with a wide range of social events, hospitality and welcome and invite the wider community to them. To have publicity which reflects our Mission, values and priorities, and promote the publicity to a wider range of venues and outlets, e.g. pubs, surgery & schools. To continue to update our web site/ ‘a church near you’. To continue to support overseas initiatives.
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To this end we intend to:
Approach and use the Diocesan Youth worker and the Diocesan Children’s worker Train more helpers for Sunday Kidz Appoint a publicity officer Obtain a secure, waterproof display cabinet. Ensure that every member of the congregation is part of communicating our mission, values and purpose Liaise with Local schools Support Fellowship School Continue to provide a wide range of hospitality and social events
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MINISTRY & LEADERSHIP TO DEVELOP OUR MINISTRY AND LEADERSHIP WE AIM: To have a clear and communicable Vision, Mission and Action Plan to inform future decision-making and financial planning. This should be in line both with Diocesan guidelines and with the broader Mission Community Action Plan. To develop the ministry of all the baptised, e.g. through worship and pastoral teams, outreach, welcoming, inviting and visiting. To find out peoples’ gifts/talents/skills and use them. To work with the other parishes in the Mission Community for consistency of Mission and purpose and mutual support. To use Diocesan training and development resources for: o Worship o Faith development o Children o Youth o Leadership teams o Stewardship To share the vision with: o The wider congregation and o The wider community To undertake a major Fund raising initiative for the reordering of the church. Page 8
To this end we intend to:
Have a structured plan to share our Mission Action Plan with the wider congregation which will inspire and engage all to understand and be part of the Mission of Kingskerswell Parish Church Undertake a gifts audit within the congregation Undertake lay teaching and training Begin financial planning for the reordering
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KINGSKERSWELL PARISH CHURCH Mission Action Plan
PRAYER
Here are some suggestions for prayer that you might like to use to further our mission as a Church Community Page 10
1 Mission “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that all who believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Our worship can have a powerful impact. welcoming and attentive to strangers.
Pray that we are
Pray that we all have a sense of “The Lord is in this place.” It is not a social club. Pray that our preaching is centred on the good news of Jesus Christ and the impact that He makes on our lives today. Pray for the church magazine, the editor and others who work for it, that the news from the churches in the area may encourage people to come and experience the love of Christ. Pray for the work done by the Vicar and Christian teachers in the local school, so that children may learn of the love of Jesus. Pray for the Parent and Toddler group, and give thanks for those who give up their time to run this example of witness in the community. Pray for all the special services at Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost, that any visitors who come may feel the touch of the Holy Spirit and the love of Christ.
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2 Public Worship Worship lies at the heart of our life together. The church is not a building, but a people at worship. Pray that our worship is attractive and accessible. Pray for the sidesmen and women who play an important part in welcoming people. Pray for those who preach and lead services. Pray for the strength and protection of the clergy and Lay Readers, that they may have a fresh vision of God’s love, and work together in harmony for His glory. Pray for the faithful work of Servers, those who read the lessons and those who lead intercessions, and pray for more folk to be encouraged to join in these tasks. Pray for the Churchwardens and for all they do in preparation for services. Pray for the music, the leaders, choir members and organists, and give thanks for all they do to enhance our worship. Pray for the changes in our patterns of worship, and for an understanding and willingness to try new ways. Pray for the children of the church for, “Of such is the kingdom of God.” Pray for those who organize and run the Sunday Kidz, for their encouragement, and for more people to come forward to help.
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3 Pastoral Responsibilities. “Bear one another’s burdens and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.” Baptism This is often a real opportunity to meet with families who may not be used to church. Pray for the preparation for Baptism services, and the follow-up. Marriage Pray for all couples married in St. Mary’s, and a strengthening of family life. Funerals Pray that those who come to church for funeral services may feel the touch of Christ’s healing power in their need. Pray for follow-up work with bereaved families, and for the Service of Light in November. Pray for the sick, the elderly, the lonely and the troubled in the Parish.
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4 Prayer and Fellowship “Lord, teach us how to pray.” Prayer is a vital part of our church life. Pray that all we do is grounded in prayer Pray that those who lead intercessions in our worship may grow in confidence and bring a new richness, depth and spirituality to our corporate prayer life. Pray for the house group, prayer group, and various courses offered in our church, which give an opportunity for fellowship and the study of God’s Word. “We, being many, are one body because we all share in one bread.” Pray for friendship in the congregation, that we may get to know and help one another more. Give thanks for the growth in fellowship through coffee after church. Pray for those who prepare and serve it week by week, and pray for more helpers. Pray for the monthly Sunday lunches and for those who work hard to prepare them. Pray for all members of the Social Committee, who work hard to forge links between church and village communities through events such as the Summer Fair, the Harvest Supper, concerts, dances, film events and quizzes.
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Buildings. Pray for our church building and all who share in its maintenance. Our beautiful church bears witness to the presence of God. Give thanks for those who care for the building, those who clean and polish, and those who care for the churchyard. Pray for the Church Wardens, and their commitment to the many tasks needing to be done week by week. Pray for those who decorate the church with flowers, and enhance its beauty. Pray for the bell-ringers who ring out glory to God. Pray for those who give of their time in administration. Pray for all members of the PCC, for wisdom and unity in decisions made. Pray for a new drive for stewardship, and a strengthening of finances. Pray for us all, as members of the congregation, to look in a new way at the use of our time, our talents and our giving in the service of Christ. Pray for the “Friends of Kingskerswell Parish Church� organisation, which encourages members of the Parish to share in the upkeep of church fabric.
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Personal Responsibilities “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual worship.” We live in a world where people are increasingly lax about commitment and self-discipline. God is a committed, covenantkeeping God. Pray for personal commitment to Bible reading and prayer. Pray for faithfulness and love in families Pray for the care and Christian nurture of children. Pray for regularity in worship. Pray for the quality of our life and witness. Pray for thoughtful and committed giving. Pray for joy in the Lord and a life that reflects it.
“Praise the Lord, o my soul, let all that is within me praise His holy name.”
Laura Franklin
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So what happens now? This plan has been put together by members of your Parochial Church Council and we hope that the Mission Action Plan outlined here will promote a better understanding of our values and beliefs. It is a “living document” and will rely heavily on all our members, both within the Church community and outside, being able to be part of our mission. As such, the Action points will change and develop as together we live out this Plan. There will be lots more to come! Look out for updates in the weekly sheets and on the web site. We need your support in these exciting times for our Church. One way you can begin to help is by cutting out and completing the Parishioner’s Gift Audit and placing it in the box at the back of the Church. The back of the form can be used to add any comments, or any extra skills you have if there is not enough room on the front of the form.
Thank you for taking the time to read this plan, but meanwhile... WATCH THIS SPACE!! Kingskerswell Parochial Church Council Visit our website at: http://www.kingcof.org.uk/
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Parishioner's Gift Audit Please fill out this form to let us know what gifts/talents/skills you have and are prepared to share as part of our church community fellowship/support network: Name: Address:
Phone: Mobile: Email: Details of your gifts/talents/skills: This could be anything like the ability to sew, cook, paint walls, help with gardening etc.
If you are a car owner/driver and would be prepared to be contacted on an occasional basis to help out where someone can't get to church because they have a problem with transport please tick the box here:  Once filled out please place this form in the box at the back of the Church. The Vicar, Churchwardens and members of the Parochial Church Council would like to take this opportunity to thank you for taking the time to fill out this form. Page 18