PLAN FOR GROWTH
PLAN FOR GROWTH 2009 – 2011
I would like to thank those of you who attended our whole church meeting in November 2008, to look at the future direction of the ministry at St. Martin’s for the coming three years.
We made some good progress and have begun to set some measurable targets and goals. Having made significant progress & meeting all of the goals set in the previous three years, if was necessary to refocus and look forward with fresh eyes.
We have decided to focus our prayer and attention on the following three areas:
A Parish Mission to Children 2009-11
The Plan for Growth placed ‘Mission’ as one priority amongst others. All 3 are intrinsically part of Mission. In each one the church is considering how best to reach out with the Good News of Christ Jesus, whether to existing members or to the wider community. Unpack that ‘sending out’, which is what mission means, and we realise that it also means strengthening and sustaining pilgrims, new and seasoned, in their journey of exploration of the Christian Faith. That means paying constant, considered, attention to every facet of church life. That way, when people do come in to explore, they find St Martin’s to be the attractive, prayerful and welcoming place that we cherish and the sanctuary where they find the signposts they need: support, teaching and guidance that will nourish and sustain them on their Christian journey.
Target 3/3 of the Plan for Growth is Families, Children and Youth Work.
The intention is to:
To identify and encourage potential leaders in this important work [Aim: OLM]
To widen ways of involving local children in worship
Like the other 2 priorities, whatever we do needs to be seen as an integral part of the whole Plan for Growth, in the way already described. With this in mind, we first of all carried out a theological reflection with children's leaders and our Reader in Training. That asked what it would take to interest children in knowing more about Jesus. They concluded that if we are to reach out to children and young people it will need to be in ways that are attractive to them and not only to us. Once they are interested, we need to keep and deepen their interest and involvement. When we are planning activities to ‘grow spirituality’ and looking at ways to publicise the church’s presence and role therefore what we do should be attractive enough and broadly based enough to include children.
From this emerged a proposal that as part of our ‘Plan for Growth: The Way Ahead’ St Martin’s will undertake
A Parish Mission to Children 2009-11
This proposal is not about something with a separate life of its own. The purpose of this proposal is to keep children’s needs at the heart of church planning.
Two phases are identified, the first phase covering Leadership, Uniformed Organisations and School links, then the second phase covering an after-school 'Take 6’ Story Club.
Phase 1: Leadership
To do this, as already identified, there needs to be a link person who is part of the wider parochial ministry. We have already identified a need for an OLM to lead this important ministry. That is not likely to change. Certainly there will be an ongoing need for a ‘bespoke’ children and youth worker working out of St Martin’s for at least some of the time. Efforts to find a permanent children / youth worker will continue.
Meanwhile, Penny Mittler is offering her services as Reader in Training at St. Martin’s with Families, Children and Youth Work as her Ministry Focus, at least until July 2011. That work would be under the guidance and support of Revd. Donna, the PCC and existing children’s leaders.
Phase 1: Uniformed Organisations
Penny will join the uniformed group meetings on an agreed regular basis as a link person between the groups’ leaders, members and families and St Martin’s Church, to promote church activities, to increase their involvement in special, seasonal and child-focussed services & events and to encourage the exploration of Faith and Christianity by means of Badge and Project work and other activities, visits, etc.
One early activity in which we were able to include the youngsters was an inter-active display of the I AM sayings of Jesus, during the Weekend of Prayer (September 11 -13).
The Mission Weekend and family services in October and November offer further opportunities for involvement, as do the seasonal activities of Advent and Christmas. Penny will link all these and other experiences by working with the groups on Projects and Badge Work to explore the Christian Faith.
One possible outcome of these activities could be the Confirmation next summer of some of the young people who respond.
Phase 1: School links
Penny will shadow & assist Revd Donna in school visits, school assemblies, family fun events, seasonal services etc. to get to know the children, staff and families of Greenside School and to become known by them ahead of Phase 2.
Phase 2: ‘Take 6’ Story Club
After full discussion and preparation and subject to regularly available support staff, Penny's aim is to set up and lead a mid-week, after-school, Story Club in Church for Year 1 children (5+ and 6) sometime next year (2010).
Penny Mittler : September 1st 2009 |