Mission and Discipleship

Our Mission Statement:

Love God; love people; make disciples of Jesus.

Mission and Discipleship Policy

 Worship – Increasing awareness of God’s presence, and to celebrate God’s love.

The Church will:

• welcome all people in a totally inclusive way, and provide a place where all  people can come before the Lord in praise and adoration;

• ensure that corporate worship is regularly reviewed to ensure that it improves and is in differing styles and places and is the best we can offer to God;

• ensure that its members and friends will have the opportunity to take part in regular mid-week prayer and praise events;

• hold special services to which non-regulars may be invited and welcomed, that are suited to their needs (e.g. Easter and Christmas services);

• provide appropriate communal ‘Rites of Passage’ for the wider community, including baptisms, weddings, funerals and remembrance as permitted under the rules of the Methodist Church of Great Britain.

Learning and Caring – Helping people to grow and learn as Christians.

The Church will:

• provide opportunity for study groups to meet in order to explore and develop faith and its relationship with daily life;

• challenge and encourage its members and friends to attend worship, to pray and to study the Bible regularly;

• be welcoming to all users of, and visitors to, its premises by means of a ‘Welcoming Strategy’ that will be regularly reviewed;

• provide the opportunity for women’s and men’s groups to meet as required to encourage and promote togetherness;

• appoint pastoral leaders to ensure that support and care is given to all Members and friends.

Service – Being a good neighbour to people in need and to challenge injustice.

The Church will:

• provide and ensure a safe and hospitable space for all who use its premises;

• be involved in community and environmental action: working for peace and justice;

• providing quality meals, whenever possible,  at affordable prices to the local community;

• support and promote Christian Aid events and fund-raising;

• support and promote Junior Mission for All events and fund-raising;

• support and promote World Mission and Mission in Britain events and fund-raising;

• actively support the Newcastle under Lyme food bank.

Evangelism – Making more followers of Christ.

The Church will:

• tell the good news of God’s love and invite others to become disciples of Jesus;

• encourage and investigate training for those wishing to gain confidence in talking about God to others;

• demonstrate Christian principles to boys and girls through the work of the Boys’ Brigade and Girls’ Association;

• ensure that for children and young people up to 11 years there will be 'Kids Fun Church' and a crèche available on Sunday mornings whenever it is practical to do so;

• encourage the planning of various events on the premises to enable the invitation of non-church people and non-regulars; these opportunities for appropriate evangelism will be utilised using various methods. 

• support, wherever possible, all Churches Together in Newcastle Town events to show public togetherness with other denominations;

• investigate ways and opportunities to take worship out into the community.

This policy will be reviewed annually by the General Church Meeting.