OK, so fine words maketh not a church, but often they’re a start at shaping what we’re about – and even more importantly, opening ourselves up to let God shape what we’re about. So here’s what we in Hodge Hill have just agreed to adopt as our ‘strapline’ and purpose statement as a church… (I’d love to hear your thoughts on it, or your experience of similar journeys elsewhere…)
Growing
Loving
Community
in the love of God ♥ with all our neighbours ♥ across Hodge Hill
‘Growing...’
...as a diverse, all-age, journeying community of friends and followers of Jesus
...as a partnership of Christians from different church traditions – Anglican, URC, Methodist and others
...in seeking to live lives (a ‘Rule of Life’?) of:
- listening and learning,
- worshipping and praying, [‘attending to God’]
- working and caring, [‘tending the world’]
- rest and recreation, [‘tending our selves’?]
- hospitality and healing [‘attending to others’]
‘Loving...’
...we recognise, and seek to express, God’s love in:
- compassion,
- generosity,
- trust,
- friendship
- and hope
‘with all our neighbours...’
...we recognise signs of God’s kingdom in the life and work of our neighbours – of all faiths and of none
...we will not do alone what we can do in partnership with others
‘across Hodge Hill...’
...across the diverse neighbourhoods of Hodge Hill (including Firs & Bromford estates, Bucklands End and Hodge Hill), we seek to nurture God’s love through:
- Neighbourly presence – growing community from the ‘grass roots’, beginning with our relationships with friends and neighbours
- Partnership projects – working with partner organisations to address particular issues or needs
- Community ‘hubs’ – working with partner organisations to develop safe and welcoming ‘centres’ of community
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