The vision of the St. Paul's Church family is to be a '21st century abbey':-
where people grow into followers of Jesus.
This statement was formulated by the Parochial Church Council, at their meeting of the 22nd July 2003 and re-affirmed 22nd July 2006.
Our model was that of the Mediaeval abbeys; places where people came to seek help and healing, to seek solace and shelter, to worship & celebrate.
Centres of Mission, from which people set forth to preach the Word of God, and to share God's Love with those they met.
People often describe the feeling of 'being in a holy place', as one where the space between Earth and Heaven is 'paper thin' or 'a touching place': a place 'where earth and heaven meet'. This is how we feel in our worship.
To better understand our vision statement, this fuller explanation was presented at the 2003/4 Annual Parochial Church Meeting (AGM) by the then Vicar, Rev. Jeremy Allcock:-
"Where there is no vision the people perish." Proverbs 29 v18 (Authorized Version)
During the past year the PCC has formulated a vision statement for St. Paul's. The vision has developed out of prayer, discussion, reading, research and consultation over 3 to 4 years. The vision identifies what the Lord has already been doing at St. Paul's over the past decade or so and attempts to build on that foundation. We hope the vision will give us a strong sense of direction and focus for our mission and ministry as we look to the next five years.
There has been some discussion whether the resulting vision is more for the church centre than the Church - that is the people. The vision is based on the church centre as a place of focus within the community and as a springboard for our mission and ministry. However, it is hoped that the vision will be relevant to each of us - to people, not buildings. We hope the focus on serving, welcome, prayer, worship and discipleship will be applicable to all the Church family throughout each aspect of our daily lives.
a 21st century abbey - The abbey idea is a picture. Abbeys at their best were places where people came and went all the time - local people, travellers, pilgrims, the poor and the rich. They were places where people came to worship and pray, but they also came for learning, trading, sanctuary, healing, celebrations etc. The abbey was often designed to shine in the dullness of everyday life, to give expression to the glory of God, to inspire awe and amazement at the wonder of God. At the heart of the abbey was a believing, worshipping, praying, serving community of disciples. These disciples of Jesus often led lives of great discipline and sacrifice to fulfil their ministry for Jesus. They were different and yet very much engaged in the world. They often sent many out into the world to serve, to teach, to heal and to spread the news of Jesus. The 21st century adjective acknowledges that we must be fresh, new, contemporary, relevant. We must scratch where people actually itch. We have the eternal truths of the Bible, the great traditions of the church, the wisdom of God's people across the centuries but in a world that has changed so much so rapidly we need to find new ways of sharing these wonderful things.
at the heart of our community where all people are welcome - We have wonderful buildings and facilities but how selfish if they are not shared with humility,
generosity and welcome with the community around us.
This should also be true of our own homes, our attitude and approach to everything we own and the people we are.
As Christians are we approachable, hospitable, generous and affirming?
Do we get involved; offer what we have - at home, at work, in our neighbourhoods?
Equally our church centre and our worship must be a place of welcome not foreboding.
When I was a child I would sometimes wait for my grandfather to come home from the pub.
It was a place I never went in to - it was a dark, smoky, noisy and forbidding place.
I was not welcome there. Many people feel the same about church. They do not know what goes on inside.
They feel they are not welcome or not even allowed to come in.
We have to change this perception and break down the walls.
St. Paul's is not our church, it is the Lord's church and he wants to share it with everyone -
the rich, the poor, the hungry, the lame and the outcast. He wants each of us to look on the world around us with accepting eyes and welcoming hearts.
for comfort and healing, for re-creation and celebration, for learning and encouragement - There is so much that goes on at our church centre. However, we wanted to give some definition to what sort of things would be appropriate for our church centre. We hope that most of the activities we run or host would now fulfil these criteria - criteria that reflect the character of the Lord, the people of God, and the traditions of the Church at their very best.
where in worship earth and heaven meet - We believe that worship is key.
We are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.
Worship is a daily occurrence. It happens in any place. It is giving expression to our deepest feelings of love for the Lord.
It inspires us and encourages us and it gladdens God's heart. It also speaks to people who do not believe.
Many people crave a true sense of the transcendent, the spiritual, something that will inspire and uplift them.
They want worship that is sincere and grounded in the reality of their lives, yet gives them a profound experience of the character of God. People meet the Lord in worship.
Our inspiration was Jacob's vision of the stairway or ladder to heaven, a place where heaven and earth are joined (Gen. 28 v10-22).
Also George MacLeod's vision for Iona - a thin place - only a tissue paper separating earth from heaven.
a place of prayer for the people of all nations and all ages - As with worship, prayer is key. It is essential. Our inspiration came from the story of Jesus clearing the temple in Jerusalem. The money changers etc. had taken over the Court of the Gentiles and therefore prevented them from coming to pray in the Temple. Jesus quotes from the prophet Isaiah, "My temple will be called a house of prayer for the people of all nations". Then as the leaders rebuke the children for shouting in the Temple, Jesus quotes from Psalm 8 "You have trained children and babies to offer perfect praise" (Matt. 21 v12-16).
We live in an area with the highest ethnic population and the highest birth rate in the UK. It seems an appropriate vision to open up our church to encourage prayer for the people of all nations and all ages, including us - God's people who are persistent in prayer on every occasion (Eph. 6 v18. Col. 4 v2)
where people grow as followers of Jesus. - our ultimate vision is to see people grow into and grow as disciples of Jesus. The whole vision is driven by the desire to fulfil the command of Jesus, "Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matt. 28 v19-20) Our vision gives us the opportunity to: