This note is from Peter Wood, Director of Mission: encouragement and interesting ideas
God’s love is for sharing! It has been great to learn of the different ways that churches
across the diocese are engaging their communities with the gospel. Sometimes it just takes a little nudge or a bit of support to get things moving. I am delighted by the number of
applications that have been made to the fund to help start or develop new projects.
14 applications have so far been successful and some of the funding has helped:
grow a community festival in Stanground
run a holiday club for seniors in Papworth
equip a gospel youth choir in Chatteris
develop a fresh expression of church in a school in Cambridge
set up website for a rural multi-parish benefice in West Leightonestone
St James’ Church in Stretham was finding it difficult paying to heat their building in winter.
So after much prayer and discussion the church decided to start a service in the local
primary school.
They then began to think about using the school and Sunday in a different way that was
open to non-church people and so Ch@ts was born. When I visited Ch@ts – church in the
school – had nearly 30 parents and children present.
Out of this has come a weekly Bible study group for young mums, and furthermore, some
parents have now expressed an interest in being involved in “regular” church in Stretham
on other Sundays. This has resulted in the re-launch of Sunday Club and a creche, with
more young parents and children attending than for a long time.
