Missional Listening in Mevagissey

• Charlie and Abby Clayton are missional listeners in Cornwall

• Moving to the area, their strategy continues to be one of 'pray, listen, be available and see what happens'

In January 2021 we moved from Birmingham to Mevagissey, having felt called by God the previous year to live and serve as missional listeners – or pioneers – in this beautiful Cornish harbour. We didn’t know anyone in Mevagissey; we had only visited briefly a handful of times. In the middle of a lockdown, we moved into the only available place to rent in the village, unpacked our things and began to pray. There was no particular plan, the only strategy being to pray, listen, be available and see what happens!

This is still the strategy. A year in, we have a growing love for Mevagissey, have got to know the most beautiful people, and continue to pray, listen, and wait for God. Home Mission funding has been a vital means of enabling and sustaining us to be here and respond to God’s call. Not only has the financial provision covered significant shortfalls in our finances, but the mechanism in receiving it has meant a partnership with a Baptist church nearby and the support and encouragement of Carl and the SWBA team. Feeling connected to a church and ministry that really ‘gets’ what we are doing and why we are here has been significant in helping us to step into the unknown and respond to God’s call.
 
During Autumn 2021 we were able to facilitate a weekly event called ‘The Big Covid Debrief’ which was held in the local Methodist church. It was comprised of a number of craft led activities, prayer room, refreshments, reflection garden and volunteers available to chat. The hope was that before people went back to a more natural way of life as restrictions lifted, there would be chance to process what had gone on in the 18 months prior. The response to the event was excellent, where each person who came was really thankful to have been able to process and release some of the pressures they felt during that time. A common line was ‘before I came in I didn’t think that Covid had really impacted me, but after having time in here, I have realised how much it has affected my life’. We were able to pray with and for people, chat and remember, help people as they grieved lost loved ones, and speak of hope for the future.
 

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