Who are we? 12 parishes (12 PCC’s) 15 church buildings 6 schools 1 town, 14 villages Population approx 6000 (3100 in Beaminster) Staff Team Rector Team Vicar/Pioneer Curate (June 14) SSM Associate Priest Some retired clergy 1 LLM, 1 LLM in training Some LPA’s Some LWL’s

What is your dream? What one thing stops your church from doing mission/being missional?

Coffee, children but no loos yet… Start with prayer, then keep praying Focus on hospitality – good coffee Build worship for families and young people both in church, outside church and in school Leads to growth, new relationships, increased occasional offices, increased festival attendance, lots more hope Leads to a need to change our buildings…… Money eg increased share, supporting new things?

What I have learned Don’t go too fast and pray and plan and then pray some more. Assemble and equip your team before you start anything. Trial things if you can, then look for feedback and react to it. Do one thing and do it well – don’t overstretch volunteers Build up community partners and connections. Good relationships with school bear fruit. Presence and visibility help things happen. It takes time to build trust, but once people trust you they will come with you. Don’t be afraid to dream and don’t be afraid to fail and don’t be afraid.

Cafe Prayer Every Thursday pm St Mary’s Beaminster Coffee and cake followed by an hour of prayer for our communities and churches Contact Rev Jo Neary for more details: Cafe Prayer Every Thursday pm St Mary’s Beaminster July 2012

A year of discipleship 2012/13 Focused preaching Training courses and small groups Looking at telling our story of faith Basis of prayer for anything new Culminating in Vocations day asking the question “What are we called to do?”

November 2012 –an introduction to what new things might look like. 6 week introduction to Fresh Expressions: Mission shaped intro

Lent week trial of After school club - Broadwindsor

September 2013 Launch Walk in Wednesday

November After school club goes weekly

July and August 2014 Messy Church trial for Broadwindsor

September st Anniversary for Walk in Wednesday

Messy Church moved in from villages into town – connecting with those who don’t have transport Moved from morning to afternoon – response to those who swim in the morning Now 8 times per year – don’t meet in the summer but do connect with major festivals if we can. Point of contact for baptism families. Most families who come to Messy Church don’t go anywhere else – it is their church. How do we connect better with them, disciple them? March 2015……

After School Club – June 2016 Just finished our third year – continue to get up to a third of the school attending. Building disciples with the children, getting them to lead worship and pray more openly. Offering confirmation to those in Yr 5 and 6 Big group of volunteers – including discipling adult leaders Worship on average 40-50, largest worship group in the village.

Other things: Winter 2015, October onwards 2016 Village Praise: Comrades Hall Taking worship outside the church, making is simpler, changing the time, changing the style of music. 3.30pm all year round in Village hall. Service of the word, more modern music led by small band, discussion based sermon, prayers sometimes interactive or creative. 40 min service followed by tea and cake. Average attendance 20+ Average Evensong attendance 12 Also

Prayer Spaces in schools May 2016

What else? Some transfer of people from Fresh Exp or outreach back into Sunday worship. Tends to be returners rather than new converts. Having the time to focus on occasional offices and building relationships continues to bring a steady but small flow of people in. Change does mean some people go – but only a few. We lose less than we gain. Investing in lay leadership eg new vocations, growing family worship, gaining new confidence and skills. Hospitality wins goodwill for the Kingdom. Saying yes brings people in.

June 2016 – what next? No more new – just building Connecting with Mums from Messy Church – monthly get together “God, cake and wine” After school club in another village Enabling lay leadership for “God slot” in Messy Church and after school club. Mission community – developing rule of life and accountability for those in leadership Youth cells for age potential building projects Set vision for next 5 years: One PCC, better infrastructure and support, focus on vocations and discipleship.