GROW by impacting your local community
As members of the Church of Ireland we have a remit to impact everyone who lives in our parish area, not just the members of our congregation – which is quite a challenge.
We were thrilled then to welcome Hilary McClay as the sixth speaker in our GROW series. Hilary has 28 years of experience in this area and gave us some very practical guidance in how to meet this challenge.
Hilary turned first to the story of Zaccheus in Luke 19 where Jesus demonstrated that’s it’s important to notice what is going on around us. He noticed Zaccheus, he connected with him, he accepted and welcomed him – which is the model for us as we look at how we might try to meet the needs of the people living in our community.
“The danger is that the church retreats from society into a safe space – a bit like crossing the moat into a castle and pulling up the drawbridge behind us.” Hilary said. “Our challenge is to go into all the world, not go away from all the world.”
Some of the practical questions churches should ask are:
How well do you understand your local community?
Do you know the people who don’t come to your church or any other?
What are the needs in your community that you could help to meet and what would look like?
Having identified what might make a difference in your community, Hilary suggested a range of very good, established projects that churches can replicate. These include food banks, youth clubs, after schools clubs, CAP, English classes, Kintsugi Hope, Peaced Together and winter warmers.
Do join us again on Saturday evening 18 May at 7.30pm in St Saviour’s, Dollingstown when Revd John Dickinson will speak on “Keeping the Bible front and centre”.
GROW looks at eight values vital to seeing growth in our churches. Visit THIS PAGE for full details of the teaching series which runs until Sunday 19 May.