Leytonstone United Free Church Com… · Web viewThe A12 cuts at low-level through the middle of...

Leytonstone United Free Church55 Wallwood Road, Leytonstone, E11 1AY

Church Website: www.leytonstoneunitedfree.co.uk

Leytonstone United Free Church (LUFC) – Mini-ProfileOur mission is the growth of Christ’s Kingdom in Leytonstone; a key aspect of this for us is finding creative and innovative ways to be a church with a servant heart. Motivated by the love of Christ, our vision is to be agents of change in the local community, working for the common good as we grow in faith together.

LUFC is a Baptist/United Reformed LEP seeking to offer an inclusive ‘radical welcome’ to all. Based on the foundations of our underlying denominations, we are essentially ‘progressive’ with a broad spectrum of theology. In September 2014, we voted in favour of registering LUFC to offer services of same-sex marriage. Working with other churches in our community, and with other faiths, is important to us. We have been blessed that in the last 35 years we have had two long term ministries.

Sunday morning attendance fluctuates between about forty and seventy, about fifteen being non-member adherents. We are diverse ethnically, in sexual identity, and in age range (though with few teenagers at present) and among those attending are several people with learning disabilities.

The Church is a short walk from the present four-bedroomed manse, an underground station with good communications to central London, and a large supermarket. The pleasant neighbourhood is diverse ethnically and socio-economically: private housing is expensive yet sits alongside social and multiple-occupancy housing with some deprivation. Approximately 60% of local residents are Black, Asian and minority-ethnic.

Our attractive modern building aids our vision to serve the needs of the community. Church activities include a Brigade company, a social afternoon, ‘Baby Space’ and ‘Baby Yoga’, with numerous outside charitable and social lettings including Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous groups. We were instrumental in the launch and development of a Credit Union and a Night Shelter within the borough. We won an Eco-Congregation Award for 2008 - 2010.

LUFC has been blessed financially and created significant historic reserves but for some time we have drawn on these to cover day to day expenditure as well as specific projects. The church is therefore seeking to appoint a part-time position which will be sustainable in the long term. If a candidate was seeking full-time employment, we would be willing to explore alternative ways to make this work. This includes active discussions with our neighbouring Cann Hall and Harrow Green Baptist Church, who are also seeking a part time minister; ministers are invited to consider applying to both congregations concurrently. Other models of ministry we would be willing to explore include bi-vocational ministry and expanding the church’s community work through grants and contracts. This may suit a ministry couple.

We seek a Minister who will participate in both LUFC’s underlying denominational traditions and accept our diversity, a leader and preacher to encourage our spiritual development and to extend our work in the community.

Leytonstone United Free Church – A Church for you of 16Secretary: Amy Willshire Tel: 01708 701 132 Email: [email protected]: Simon Owen Tel: 020 8518 7725 Email: [email protected] and Hire Manager: Fiona Buddell Tel: 020 8518 7725 Email: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



http://www.leytonstoneunitedfree.co.uk/

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ContentsAbout Leytonstone.......................................................................................................................................... 5

Location....................................................................................................................................................... 5

Travel links................................................................................................................................................... 5

Culture and heritage....................................................................................................................................5

Town............................................................................................................................................................ 5

What Sort of Church are we?...........................................................................................................................6

Team............................................................................................................................................................ 6

Worship & theology.....................................................................................................................................7

Finances....................................................................................................................................................... 8

Values.......................................................................................................................................................... 9

What We Do – Church Activities....................................................................................................................10

Pre-school.................................................................................................................................................. 10

Children and Teenagers............................................................................................................................. 10

Adult & Elderly........................................................................................................................................... 11

Mission Opportunities and Discipleship.........................................................................................................12

Active community links..............................................................................................................................12

Mission in the local area............................................................................................................................ 13

Wider mission............................................................................................................................................ 14

Vision opportunities...................................................................................................................................14

Discipleship................................................................................................................................................ 14

The Minister We Seek....................................................................................................................................14

Qualities our members and regular attenders identified as important.....................................................15

Appendices.................................................................................................................................................... 16

Appendix 1: A Summary of the Church’s Financial Situation.....................................................................16

Appendix 2: Annual Report 2014...............................................................................................................17

Appendix 3: Church Leaflets 2015..............................................................................................................17

Appendix 4: 2020 Review…........................................................................................................................17








Church ProfileAbout LeytonstoneLocationLeytonstone is part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest in north-east London, some seven miles from central London and two from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The district takes its name from the Roman milestone near the hamlet that grew up to the east of Leyton (a Saxon name meaning ‘the settlement on the river Lea’).

Leytonstone benefits from the close proximity of Epping Forest, notably the nearby Hollow Ponds, where one can hire a boat or walk for miles on ancient woodland.

Travel linksIt is served by the London Underground Central Line, a London Overground line, and numerous bus routes providing good links to the City and West End and surrounding boroughs. The A12 cuts at low-level through the middle of Leytonstone but provides direct access to the Blackwall Tunnel to the south and the M11 and M25 to the north.

Culture and HeritageThe Borough celebrates its heritage through the blue plaque project, commemorating notable figures with a connection to Leytonstone including Damon Albarn, David Bailey, David Beckham, Fanny Craddock, John Drinkwater, Alfred Hitchcock, Derek Jacobi and Jonathan Ross. Building on this an increasing arts culture has developed in the area. Leytonstone Festival, Leytonstone Arts Trail and Leytonstone Big Weekender and Car Free Day are annual events showcasing an array of local talent ranging from music and performance to talks and visual arts alongside family fun activities. There is also a community art gallery within Leytonstone Library.

Socio-economically, Leytonstone is mixed. In general, the north part (where LUFC is situated) is more affluent than the South (where our neighbouring Cann Hall and Harrow Green Baptist Church is located). Housing is generally expensive, but with many homes in multiple occupancy and some deprivation. In 2011, 26% of Waltham Forest homes were in the private rental sector and 24% in social housing. The private rental sector is increasing as house prices rise. As housing costs are high, young people find it difficult to buy or even rent in the area which can cause transience. Leytonstone is considered an up and coming area and the demographics are changing.

The Campaign to End Child Poverty reports that 26% of children in the area surrounding LUFC live in poverty, lower than the borough average of 35%. In 2011, 6.5% of the labour force claimed Jobseeker’s Allowance. About 60% of the local population are from Black, Asian and minority-ethnic backgrounds, the largest immigrant groups being from Pakistan, Poland and Lithuania.

TownLeytonstone’s shopping areas have , like many other ‘High Streets’, suffered decline in recent years but is now showing signs of recovery. It includes a large Tesco, McDonalds and Matalan, and other national








brands such as Argos, Boots, Iceland and Sainsbury’s together with Pound Stores and a selection of small independent stores, banks and charity shops. An increasing number of restaurants and cafes of all descriptions from Costa to Caribbean cater for shoppers and visitors. For larger stores, a cinema and bowling alley, Westfield Stratford City is two stations down the Central Line. The public library has recently reopened following extensive refurbishment.

Numerous community groups can be found, including Transition Leytonstone that aims to make the district a more sustainable place to live.

What Sort of Church Are We?TeamLocal Ecumenical Partnership

LUFC is a Local Ecumenical Partnership dating from 1979, combining Fillebrook Baptist and Leytonstone United Reformed (formerly Congregational) Churches. The large Victorian buildings of both churches had to be demolished some years earlier and both congregations saw decline unless bold action was taken. Careful plans were made in the late 1970s with the full approval and indeed encouragement of our two denominational bodies. Although a few people dissented, it became more and more apparent that we were being led by the Holy Spirit into a complete union. While in law therefore we remain two separate churches with a sharing agreement, it is important for readers of this profile to understand that we do not think of ourselves as a Local Ecumenical Partnership but as one firmly united fellowship. Denominational differences are seen as being of little importance compared with the call to be salt and light in the community as part of the body of Christ.

Leadership Team

Leadership is through the church meeting as a body of believers with an elected Church Council (incorporating Baptist deacons, URC elders, the minister, secretary and treasurer) providing a steer and managing the day to day decisions.

A number of people within the congregation are willing to preach, lead services and assist with the other practicalities of Sunday Worship. This includes a team to help prepare the screens with song words and images, stewards to assist with welcoming the congregation, volunteers to run coffee bar after worship and many other behind the scene roles.

We have a team of children and youth workers who are DBS checked, many of whom volunteer for more than one group or activity. From 2011 – 2014 we employed a youth worker to work with this team. Some of our groups also draw in leaders and volunteers from outside of the church.

In 2015 we employed a Building & Hire Manager as a reshaping of a previous Administrator Role. The key duties of this role are to strengthen links with groups that hire the building, to make the building available to the community by attracting new hires and to ensure the building is maintained.

In 2001 we appointed our outgoing minister Rev Ray Vincent as our Minister Emeritus on his retirement and continue to maintain a close relationship, inviting him back to preach from time to time. While this title is mostly ceremonial, it remains an important connection to our history and Ray continues to support our church as we journey forwards.








Members

Following a recent review, we have 61 formal (i.e. voting) members, although not all of these are regular attenders. Sunday morning congregations fluctuate from fifty to seventy people, some fifteen of these being non-member adherents. We are diverse ethnically and in age range, although currently with few teenagers, and a number of those attending have learning disabilities. Although a majority of the congregation are local people, a significant minority live at some distance from the church.

Ecumenical and Interfaith

We have a strong commitment to working with other Churches in Leytonstone and with other faith groups.

We are a member of the Churches Together in Cann Hall, Harrow Green and Leytonstone group. We are also part of a local Baptist Cluster (with Cann Hall and Aldersbrook Baptist Church) and a local URC Cluster Group (with Grange Park, Walthamstow United Reformed Asian Church and Trinity).

We currently host two other church congregations; Evangelical Presbyterian Church Grace Congregation (Ghanaian) and the Biblical Revival Evangelical Church (Brazilian) on Sunday afternoons and evenings respectively. We have previously hosted Catholic Masses. We seek to work in partnership with other congregations using our building through occasional joint services and shared events.

There are at least six other Churches within half a mile of LUFC: an Elim Pentecostal Church, a Pentecostal City Mission Church, Hainault Road Strict Baptist Church (not Baptist Union), Cornerstone Anglican Church, St John’s Anglican Church, St Andrew’s Anglican Church, and other congregations that hire schools, churches and community spaces. St Andrew’s and St John’s are our partners in the Churches Together Group and Elim Church is a partner in Forest Churches Emergency Night Shelter. Many of the surrounding churches have a clear Evangelical ethos and we believe our more Progressive stance, outlined below, gives us a distinct character within this locality.

We are also a member of the Waltham Forest Faith Communities Forum. In 2011 we opened our doors to an interfaith walk run by the Women’s Faith Network and in Ramadan 2015 we hosted a “Big Iftar” with the Muslim Teachers Association.

Worship & TheologySunday morning services run from 10:45 am to about 12 noon, and are followed by a time of fellowship when all are invited to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee. Our well-equipped crèche and exciting Junior Church programme enable all to access worship in an engaging and age-appropriate way.

Worship Styles

Within the congregation there are both liberal free-thinkers and traditional evangelicals. This tolerance of theological and Church background diversity means that we may best be described as essentially ‘progressive’ as a church. Some members come from backgrounds of a more charismatic worship style than our broadly traditional heritage.

Music for hymns and songs is currently provided by a group of musicians (piano, flute, guitar and bass). Song words are displayed on two large LED screens on the Chapel walls. Services are supported on these screens through ‘Media Shout’, which enables narrative, images and videos to be displayed, while also drawing from a library of hymn and song words.








We have hard copies of ‘Songs of Fellowship’ but are not tied to this publication and often use other songs and hymns as well. A range of microphones, both fixed and wireless, allow these and the musical instruments to be amplified through a digital mixer desk at the rear of the Chapel. The service recordings are edited and uploaded to our YouTube Chanel. A recent analysis of the hymns and songs used over the last fifteen months or so has shown that the congregation sings the best of both old and new hymns and songs.

Open Membership & Communion

Our Church Constitution provides that membership shall be open to all who confess Jesus Christ as Lord, and our monthly Communion services are open to ‘all who love Jesus as Lord’. We have a long-standing tradition at Communion that children, and others who want to participate in this way, are offered grapes in place of bread and wine and that babies are offered a blessing.

Format of Worship Services

In practice, and certainly during the current transition period, we have routinely followed a fairly standard format for Sunday worship but the congregation is open to change and variation and has tried ‘Café Church’, ‘Messy Church’, group study and Labyrinths. The Chapel is laid out in traditional 'lecture' style but different seating arrangements have been used in the past and the flexibility of the building allows partitions to be opened to accommodate larger numbers if required.

Bible Readings

Most people listen to Bible readings during services rather than following them from their own Bibles. The NIV, NRSV, Good News and The Message versions are all used frequently but many other translations and interpretations have been used to bring The Word to life within worship and are available to those that wish to use them.

Multi-Voiced Church

We operate on the multi-voiced church model. Following a sabbatical to Jamaica our previous minister introduced a ‘Welcome Chorus’ in the service as a time to build fellowship. We have now adopted this practice and include it each week, which involves the congregation standing to sing a verse or chorus and then moving round the Chapel to welcome each other while the music group continues playing. More recently we have enjoyed creative elements of the service: ‘A Week in Four Pictures’, where individual members of the congregation are invited to provide and then talk about their photographs, and ‘There Goes That Song Again’, where members say why a particular song or hymn is important to them, after which everybody sings their choice.

FinancesThe 2014 Management Accounts in the appendix show that the church ran a deficit of £26,000 (before an exceptional donation of £16,000) for that year. Income from the congregation and from bank interest has declined in recent years. The church has run a budget deficit since 2009, mainly due to the drop of the interest rate, reducing the interest of our savings. In recent years steps have been taken to reduce our outgoings, though savings that have been made in salaries of the church administrator and youth worker.

The church owns a semi-detached 4 bedroom manse located on Queens Road, a five minute walk from the church.








Our union in 1979 and subsequent growth allowed us to construct and equip our present premises free of debt in1991, and some later legacies provided considerable financial reserves. Over the last five years, however, the church has spent a large part of these reserves, first on renewing the heating system and kitchen, solar panels, electrical and lift upgrades, secondly on employing an excellent youth worker, and thirdly on installing attractive but expensive LED wall screens and a digital mixer desk in the Chapel.

Our Balance Sheet at 31 December 2014 showed our building and equipment costing £1,065,000, marketable securities valued at £89,000 (probably £80,000 today), and bank current and deposit accounts of £52,000.

It is projected that by employing a full-time Minister and a part-time building and hire manager, the church would run an annual deficit of some £15,000, so that within a few years the church’s reserves would all be consumed. Employing a part-time Minister should mean that the church would not run at a deficit and would have a sustainable future. Since our neighbouring Baptist church (Cann Hall and Harrow Green) is also seeking a part-time Minister, it is possible that two such appointments might well combine to create a full-time post. We are also keen to explore alternatives, such as a "social enterprise" model where the church bids for contracts and grants or bi-vocational ministry.

ValuesInclusive: Radical Welcome

We seek to be an open, friendly and inclusive fellowship that offers a ‘radical welcome’ to all. Radical Welcome combines the Christian ministry of welcome and hospitality with a faithful commitment to eliminate historic, systemic barriers that limit the genuine embrace of groups generally marginalized in mainline churches (young adults, the poor, LGBT people, people of colour, and people with disabilities).

In worship we often sing the song ‘Come all you vagabonds’ and feel that these words describe our belief that we are called together as a loving family in this place.

At a church meeting in September 2014, we voted in favour of registering LUFC as offering same-sex marriage with only two abstentions. This registration will be completed as soon as URC policy allows.

Environmental

We won an Eco Congregation Award for 2008 – 2010; we were the second church in London to do so.

Our church has twenty solar-PV panels on the roof not only to reduce our electricity consumption and to provide some income from Feed-In Tariff receipts but also to demonstrate to the community our commitment to care for the environment. We encourage members to cycle to church or use public transport where practical by providing bike racks and information on our website.

We regularly include prayers and intercessions about the environment within worship and take our role as stewards of creation seriously by committing to recycling and monitoring our energy use.

Social Action

We believe in operating as a church with open doors and a congregation rooted in the local community. We are proud of our tradition of involvement in Credit Union, Branches Night Shelter, Home for Good and other initiatives (see Mission section) and want to continue to develop as a church that cares and provides for our neighbours near and far. This is our faith in action, showing love and lifting up God’s people.








We have good communication links with the GP practice next door, The Allum Medical Centre.

What We Do – Church ActivitiesThe Church’s front door in Wallwood Road is open many times every week. Several activities are run by church members and others by friends who have been attracted by the facilities our premises offer.

Pre-SchoolCrèche

Our building includes a purpose built crèche, located off the chapel, which was refurbished in 2012 as a family play room for under 3’s. The glass and shutters make it a discrete place where babies can be changed or fed, while the screen and speaker ensure the parents and children remaining part of the service. The ball pit and other toys aim to make coming to church as a new family fun and stress free.

Baby Space

Baby Space runs on a Monday alongside the Baby Weigh-in Clinic at The Allum Medical Centre next door. It is a group for parents, carers and pre-school children providing a good range of age-appropriate toys and activities for children from birth to older toddlers. This group has been attended by parents, grandparents, child minders and carers. It is a chance for the church to engage with the community and offer support. In 2013 we ran a Parenting Course aimed at some of the parents and carers connected to this group. Themes covered included budgeting for a new family and infant nutrition.

Baby Yoga

This Friday group incorporates songs, stretches and bonding between parents and new born babies to creates a more contented and better coordinated baby. Proceeds are donated to the charity Mat-to-Fore working in Ghana to run a pre-school.

Hires Aimed at Pre-School and Families

We encourage hires from groups aimed at the parent and pre-school age groups. This includes Baby Sensory and Baby Sing and Sign (currently on a maternity break). We are regularly hired by local nurseries for parties and graduation ceremonies.

Children and TeenagersJunior Church

We aim to provide age appropriate teaching and opportunities for all children to explore faith together in a fun and creative way.

We currently write our own resources but have previously used Scripture Union and Roots. Sessions include games, crafts, Bible stories and a chance to explore together. Questions are encouraged as we aim to provide a firm foundation from which children can continue upon their personal faith journey.

Brigade

As hosts and leaders of the 1st Leytonstone Girls’ Brigade Company, we provide a place for girls, and now also boys, aged five to eighteen, to come and ‘Seek, serve and follow Christ’ each Wednesday. We are








proud to be the longest running Brigade Company in the country and as one of the only groups which did not take a break during the Second World War.

Wednesdays start with primary age children in Explorers and Juniors engaging in team work, craft and activities focused on Christ, teaching skills and learning about the community. This is followed by the secondary school aged Seniors and Brigaders groups who engage in invigorating debates with many profound questions about faith and life growing up as teenagers in East London. It is both a privilege and sometimes a challenge that for many of the children and young people who attend, Brigade is a safe place of exploration and personal growth.

Leytonstone Youth Matters

The church established this youth work charity in 2008 to meet some of the needs in Leytonstone. Its regular programmes include a school mentoring training and placement scheme, UpGrade, a homework and revision support programme and Emplay, a work experience summer challenge. Past activities have also included a regular Youth Drop-In session, Romance Academy, exploring sex and relationships, and a Residential aimed to encourage exercise and teach life skills.

School Engagement

We encourage local schools to visit LUFC as part of their learning about places of worship within the RE curriculum. Sometimes this can include catering for up to 90 children at one time. We offer tours, talks and activities to make this a stimulating and enjoyable visit encouraging church members to get involved to allow us to offer small group teaching.

Seasonal Programme

We also run Easter Holiday Clubs and an alternative Halloween parties each year. Next year we also plan to run a Father’s Day fun day.

Hires Aimed at Children and Young People

We encourage hires from other groups running programmes for children and young people. This includes a long term hire with Mary Dunne theatre school teaching dance and acrobatics through the week and more recently with Leytonstone Jikando Karate group on a Saturday morning.

Adult & ElderlyCommunity Gardening

As part of our commitment to the environment we partnered with Waltham Forest council to “adopt” a small local public garden which we now tend at our fortnightly community gardening group.

The garden often attracts people who are homeless or suffering from addiction so there is a development opportunity to engage with some of the social and spiritual needs as we pick up litter and remove weeds.

Living Well

This group for those who are retired and those who are in care offers a rolling programme designed to meet the needs of body, mind, soul and spirit. Each month includes a chair yoga week, a talk from a visiting speaker, a games week and time of singing hymns and praying. The group also go on trips together and are served a three course meal at Christmas as part of an intergenerational project with a local school.








Feedback from the GP surgery next door indicated a need to combat loneliness for older residents so we aim to encourage referrals to this friendly group.

Prayer Group

A very small fortnightly Thursday evening prayer group meets to pray for the congregation, their friends and family and the wider community. We recognise the need to develop the churches prayer life.

Adoption Support Group

In 2014 we helped to establish the East London post Adoption Support Group which has since relocated to our sister church, Wanstead URC.

Occasional / Seasonal Activities

Occasional activities include Bible studies, BBQ’s, Quiz Nights and Barn Dances.

Hires Aimed at Adults and Elderly

Regular activities run by friends and others are currently Alcoholics Anonymous on Mondays and Tuesdays, Narcotics Anonymous, two political party committees, a local residents association, a pilates group, a yoga group, an ecstatic dance group, and Marsh Quilters a quilting group.

Building & Hire

Our attractive multipurpose-designed building was opened in late 1991 and is used by a number of one-off hires for parties and other meetings: this is not only a mission resource but also produces useful revenue. For several years the local Council used the Church's meeting rooms for their English for speakers of other language classes: this came to an end with funding cuts and with an obvious reduction of income to the Church but it does present mission opportunities for the vacant daytime sessions.

Mission Opportunities and DiscipleshipWe seek to serve our local community as a means of demonstrating the Kingdom of God in action. We do consider all of our activities to be part of the church mission but this section primarily focuses on activities which are explicitly focused on this.

Active Community LinksMarie Pye, our local councillor in Leytonstone Ward, commended Leytonstone United Free Church as being the heart of the community with a dedication to helping others. We try to have an active involvement in community events, and meetings, partnering with statutory services, other churches and local charities to care for the local community.

Mission in the Local AreaNight Shelter

We were founder-members of the Waltham Forest Churches Night Shelter that for a number of years provided a winter shelter in member-church buildings and developed to provide a purpose-built hostel, ‘Branches’, offering supported accommodation to single homeless people including rough-sleepers and those with mental health and/or substance-abuse needs.








Following the creation of Branches and the evident continued needs of rough sleepers, we were also founder-members of Forest Churches Emergency Night Shelter, providing food and safe refuge for the homeless in winter. We partner with two other churches and encourage volunteers from outside of the church to feed and host 30-40 rough sleepers on Sunday nights from November to March.

Credit Union

Members of the church were instrumental in the launch and subsequent development of the Waltham Forest Community Credit Union, a non-profit financial organisation set up to benefit those who live, work or worship in the borough by way of savings and loans opportunities for all, including those with poor credit ratings. This has now developed into the East London Credit Union serving all the surrounding boroughs. Church Member Joy Park was awarded an MBE for her long standing commitment to the establishment and running of the Credit Union until her retirement.

Care2Share

In recent years we have developed strong links with the nearby Care2Share family assessment unit. We have supported many families struggling to care for their new-born babies, as they received support and increased supervision in this residential centre. We have accompanied parents in court visits, offered pastoral support and offered times of meaningful engagement through services of infant blessing. We have also offered practical advice through running parenting classes, partnering with residents to gain work skills through running coffee mornings and including the parents in worship and Baby Space. Many families go on to keep their children while for others their children are taken into state care. We also have a good relationship with the staff and management who at times have a very stressful job.

Jumble Sales

Three jumble sales are held each year; these are widely supported by the community and show our commitment to recycling and support for those on low incomes.

Food

We collect donations for the local Food Bank and try to only serve ethical food from the coffee bar including fair trade teas and coffees.

Website & Social Media

The church maintains a website, Facebook page, Twitter account and YouTube channel as mediums to engage with the community and bring church to a broader audience.

Wider missionMat-to-Fore & Ghana trip

Our church supports the work of Mat-to-Fore, a charity based in Ghana and UK, www.mattofore.org. The charity runs a pre-school for 30 children in the village of Kotei, near the city of Kumasi. In 2014 a group of ten volunteers went out on a mission trip where they helped to run a summer school for 200 children. Through various fundraising events we raised £3,000 to help complete foster homes for ten children. Other projects we have supported include the building of a school, providing access to clean water and biogas toilets.






http://www.mattofore.org/



Charitable Giving

We give regularly to the charities of our founding denominations – BMS and Home Mission on the Baptist side and The URC Mission Fund.

We support Christian Aid and often collect special offerings for emergency appeals run by them and their partner charities.

Vision opportunitiesIn 2014 as part of our ‘Vision 2020’ review, members and friends were invited to complete a questionnaire asking how well our current programme is meeting the needs of our community, and whether there are further needs to which we could respond. From the replies received, Church Council agreed to take forward some matters for further discussion as being the most practicable. These were principally that:

We should recognise the number of LUFC worshippers with learning disabilities and other special needs; We should consider further opportunities for working with parents and pre-school children; We should look at further help for retired and elderly folk; We should support adoptive parents; We should build on our success with the Night Shelter.

These ideas will need increased resources – of people and possibly finance. Many are still to be developed.

DiscipleshipOn occasions we have launched study groups to reflect on chosen themes, sometimes based around a book or resource that has been brought to our attention, such as Henri Nouwen’s ‘Return of the Prodigal Son’, Steve Chalk’s ‘The Inclusive Church’ and Brian McLaren’s ‘A New Kind of Christian’. Within Church Council we have also studied Owen Hylton’s ‘Crossing the Divide’. We recognise the need for development and growth across the full elements of 'discipleship'.

The Minister We SeekWe seek God’s will for this local community and are keen to learn more about the gifts and talents of ministers applying to journey with us; a leader and preacher to encourage our spiritual development in the 21st Century and to support our vision for community work, not as fringe activities of the Church but as the life and soul of the Church.

We seek a Minister who is ecumenically minded and will participate in both underlying denominational traditions and embrace our diversity and inclusivity. This would include offering both Believers Baptism and services of Infant Christening (even if another officiates). The same would be true of services of marriage for same sex couples. The minister will also be prepared to work with other churches in the area.

We will not discriminate on grounds of sex, colour, marital status or sexual orientation.

We are not seeking a paragon-of-all-the-virtues to whom everything can be left. Yet we believe there will be a set of key attributes in the person to whom we are being led.

For financial reasons as explained on pages 7-8, we anticipate that LUFC alone would be able to afford only a part-time minister. We would be very pleased to discuss a variety of models of ministry including shared ministry, bi-vocational ministry, a “social-enterprise” like model and other options.








Qualities Our Members and Regular Attenders Identified As ImportantIt remains important to set out the qualities that people in the congregation are hoping for in a new Minister. Words they have used include:

Pastoral

A warm balanced individual, good at pastoral care, prepared to make pastoral visits. A ‘people person’ interested in getting to know people and their families. Someone who is supportive and understanding;

A servant leader; prepared to continue with what we already do, but also challenge us and be the catalyst to start new things;

Inclusive; one who can recognise and encourage the prayers and talents of different people in church;

Someone with managerial, conflict-resolution and counselling skills, who is cohesive and can bring together different areas of church life;

Prayer & Worship

Good at leading prayer, scholarly and thoughtful in preaching and worship, and with the ability to relate our beliefs to the world in which we live;

Someone who sees spiritual growth and discipleship as central to church life, through Sunday morning services, small groups, mentoring and connecting to regional events;

Able to take an interest in the junior age group and young people; prepared to encourage discussion about faith;

Community

Prepared to encourage the care of our environment and able to understand the need to conserve resources;

Committed to keeping and furthering our community heart and a passion to link up with other churches, particularly for youth work;

Someone who may have had past experience and/or training of non-church work, preferably in a field which could further our community vision;

Personal and Spiritual

Loving and, who knows God personally, who is passionate about Christ and would put Jesus at the centre of the church;

Someone with maturity (not necessarily age related), who can lead us and help us to develop;

Committed to Lifelong Learning as an ongoing form of personal growth, reflection and challenge; having sound doctrine, but open to change and ready to adapt;

Has an understanding that life isn't black & white; authentic and real;

A person with strength of character, energy, and enthusiasm.








All Things to All People?

We recognise that ‘leadership’ does not mean doing all the things this list of qualities and attributes implies. If we are here to work towards the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom in Leytonstone and to seek God’s will on how to achieve this, we must believe that we all have responsibility for this and for the discipleship implied. Our future Minister will lead by helping us to do this both through our own spiritual development and in meeting the needs of our community.

Appendices Appendix 1: Annual Report 2014Appendix 2: Church Management AccountsAppendix 3: Church Balance SheetAppendix 4: Modern 'Epistles': letter from friends who left the churchAppendix 5: Church Leaflets 2015Appendix 6: 2020 Review






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