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Back to Church – How to Rebuild?

 

How to reach our hurting communities?


The Small Church Connexion (SCC) held their fourth zoom webinar on Saturday 17 April with 54 attendees from across the country. After prayer and scripture (John 6:1-15), there was an opportunity to talk and pray in break-out groups. Networking is always a feature of SCC events. There were two themes to the day, each with an excellent speaker.
 

Back to Church – how to rebuild?

Simon Goddard encouraged us all to not rush back to ‘normal’ or do new things but to rest and reflect over the last year.

He suggested we ask some searching questions like:
  • What losses and opportunities have there been?
  • What has accelerated during lockdown?
  • What creativity and innovation have you seen in mission?
  • Will we rebuild or reset?
  • Will rebuilding what was there before, be sufficient for what lies ahead?  
He outlined some lessons learned over the last year and reflected on - Biblical Discipleship from 1 Thessalonians 1:5-7  

Simon gave us three tools to consider:
  1. As you reflect ask WHY, then HOW then WHAT, in that order
  2. Taking a S.H.A.P.E. Inventory of people in your church  Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Passion, Experience
  3. The Season Assessment - For each activity that may be restarting, consider which season it was in.
 
SimonGoddard

Click here for written notes of this session and PowerPoint slides.


 

 

How to reach our hurting communities

Ruth Rice shared her life experience and the creation of ‘Renew Wellbeing’. These are simple, safe and sustainable places where it’s OK not to be OK.

Renew Wellbeing is really a prayer movement with activities.
  1. Prayer - A quiet space and punctuate social time with regular prayer slots across your session. Invite people to join for prayer but no pressure.
  2. Be Present - Be there, turn up on time. Chat and journey with people as they talk whilst doing their hobbies, or learning a new one. The church needs wellbeing as much as the general population and they can then invite a friend.
  3. Be in Partnership - Partner with the local authority mental health groups. They are delighted that the church can give low level but a regular point of contact
As 1 in 4 people in UK have a mental health issue, Ruth wanted to share the Shalom of God with them through her own painful experience.

Check out the Renew Wellbeing website

(Book – Ruth Rice – Show Up, Slow Down and Pray)
 
RuthRice

Click here for written notes of this session and PowerPoint slides.

 

Responses to the day:
  • “Thanks for today. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was thinking to myself four hours of webinar is going to be so slow. It was wonderful. Well organized and great speakers”

  • “What an amazing time!  We are buzzing”
  • “I thought this was the best Webinar I have ever attended and I’ve attended quite a few!  Totally relevant to our situation (and to big churches too I think) informative, inspiring with positive suggestions we could use”

 
 
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Small Church Connexion webinar held on 23 October 2021
Watch this webinar - A time to talk, learn, swap ideas and pray - with guest speaker Hayley Young talking about 'Building a Bigger Table'
Small Church Connexion webinar held on Saturday 17 April 2021
Read about this event for smaller churches with sessions from Simon Goddard and Ruth Rice
Small Church Connexion Spring Retreat Online - March 2021
Report on this retreat led by Sandra Kimber