Church Review 2011/12

1.         Looking at our Church

1.      Inspect every room on the premises prayerfully

a)                  What are your detailed impressions?

b)                  Try to get the views of users

Your overall impressions: Compare and contrast a) & b)

Norman Goldsworthy

Rachel Newton

Brenda Weeks

2.         Write an account or keep a journal of the activities which take place on the premises for any seven-day period.

a)      Find a schedule of activities – see glass notice board between prayer room and office

A group could plan for individuals to visit on separate days in a given week, record  activities and numbers and note whether or not they are church based.

Laura Hobbs

Janet Shaw

3.         Meet with two non-church regular users and find out what they know about the church, its beliefs and teachings.

Janet Shaw

Brenda Weeks

4.         Outline of any work on the buildings planned for the next three years.

Trevor Evans

Richard Lathwood

John Peacock

5.   Gather the views (questionnaire and or individual interviews) different groups (children, under 20s, 20s-40s, 40s- 65s, over 65s) within the congregation about the building.

Barbara Windaybank

Brenda Weeks

6.      Details of any new projects or initiatives in the last two years. Examples might be new house groups, mums and toddlers, changes in style of worship.)

Rachel Newton

7.      Survey of formal and informal communications with the world and within the congregation; eg web, notices, magazine, anecdotes. How might these be improved?

8.     Survey of how the church prepares and supports people as disciples of Jesus. This might include membership training, house group programmes, etc

Zoe Farr

Rachael Morris

9.    Responses to specific questions

1.      Is the church Mission statement (see church website) appropriate?

2.      Do we have appropriate activities for different age-groups?

3.      How do/ should we pray?   Look at formal worship, prayer diaries? Other?

4.      How many local preachers, worship leaders, supernumerary ministers are there in the congregation.

5.      In what ways does our church show faith in action? Eg Alpha Course

6.      How does your church engage in mission in the worldwide church or locally?  Eg coffee mornings for local charities, work in schools, partnership with community projects.

Jill Whitehall

2.         Looking at our Neighbourhood

1.         Make a map and highlight important places in the area.

            a) Define area!

            b) Define important!

Tony Light

2.         List local churches; what links do you have. Meet with leaders of as many as you can

a)  Define local

b)  Ask how they serve their neighbourhood

c)  Can we learn from them?

Janet Wisheart

3.         Meet with local councillors, MP, other community leaders etc.  What do they see as the major issues confronting the neighbourhood? What is their vision for the future?

Andrew Shaw

4.                  Talk to 2 or 3 neighbours of the church; what are their perceptions of the church? What needs do they think that the church could be meeting?

Angela Neary

5.         What is the population profile of our area?

What does the Bristol City Council Neighbourhood Survey (2009) or any other statistical data,  tell us about the age profile, quality of life,  etc?

Angela Neary

3.         The Story of our Church

1.         Write a short history of our church

·         Refer to Laura’s book on “Village Methodism”

·         Interview older members to record their memories of earlier church life.

·         Write up the events from where it finishes in 1989

Vivien Evans

Laura Hobbs

Daphne Branchflower

2.         Describe our church community

·         What organisations do the church as a whole and its members individually support either by raising money or in practical ways.

·         Collect project work from pupils at St Mary Redcliffe & Temple School who have done work on “their church” for their picture of the church community.

Mavis Lane

3.         How has worship changed over the last ten years?

Liz Lathwood

Ian Withers