Welcome to

York

CONTENTS

Page/s Title 1 Welcome 2 Our Leaders 3-4 Meet the Team 5 Prayer 6-7 100 Years of Elim 8 Small Groups 9 Safe Guarding 10 Sunday School and Youth 11 Students & Young Adults 12 Connect 13 Scrapbook 14 Elim Corner / In Touch

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Welcome to York Elim

Pentecostal Church Graham Hutchinson, Pastor

“I offer you a really warm welcome to our church.

We are people who can say from experience that

Jesus is real and wants to do us good.”

York Elim Pentecostal Church has been in the city since

1934. Over the last 80 years the church has had thousands

of people joining in and they met in a number of different

venues. We now have people from across York of all ages

and backgrounds who serve one another and the city.

A feature of our church is that we are always welcoming

new people. Those moving on are sent out with prayers

and blessing. We meet in Archbishop's Holgate School

every Sunday morning and have activities in our training

rooms, and across the city during the week. Our church

has always existed to help those who attend, to grow in

faith and to bless the communities around them.

WHY WE GATHER TOGETHER AS CHURCH

During the Sunday morning service the worship music, the

preaching, and the children’s programme are all

important, and so is our coffee break. But there is more to

church than that. We are not consumers hoping to get

something out of church like some sort of product we

have chosen.

Church is not a place, it is people. Jesus did not die for

buildings but for people. Church is something we belong

to where we can gather to celebrate life’s milestones, its

joys, sorrows, and victories. We make new memories as

we celebrate life together and as we support one another

in prayer and love. We promote healing, wholeness and

personal development in one another.

WE GATHER TO BE IN THE PRESENCE OF JESUS

We believe that Jesus lives within us by his Spirit, but

there is something special about meeting with other

believers and inviting Jesus to be the centre of that

gathering. Two of the disciples said Jesus was revealed to

them in the ‘breaking of the bread’ (Luke 24:35). When we

gather, as a community, to take communion, we celebrate

an event of history, the death and resurrection of Jesus

and anticipate his return. But there is more – we

remember Jesus life and Kingdom, we choose

reconciliation with God and with our brothers and sisters

in Christ. We remind ourselves of the value we see in each

other, knowing each is precious in his sight and to be

loved.

WE GATHER BECAUSE CHURCH IS THE BODY OF

CHRIST

Jesus is Lord over all things. He is ruling over the whole

planet and beyond. If we want Jesus to be our “head”, or

leader, we must live as members of his body, the church.

WE GATHER AS CHURCH SO WE CAN BE SENT OUT

When we gather in the presence of Christ, we are re-

equipped by worship, prayer and teaching to carry the

presence of Christ out to where God has placed us, to our

families, workplaces, etc. We are sent out to be agents of

his transformation.

Is this the sort of church for you? As you join us for

worship, hear God’s word preached, and allow the Holy

Spirit to lead you, you may want to make York Elim your

spiritual home. It will be an adventure as Jesus shapes you

and the Holy Spirit works through you.

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www. .com

Our Leaders

We offer visitors to our church a warm welcome. We cater for people of all

ages and have loads of opportunities for you to get involved with our Sunday

service. Please introduce yourself to one of our team if you would like to get

involved.

“I enjoy being part of a dynamic and healthy church

that empowers members to have an impact upon

friends, family, colleagues and those around them.”

Graham has been the pastor at York Elim since 1999.

Now he combines the role with the duties of being the

co-chair of One Voice York which the citywide network

for leaders of churches and Christian ministries. He sits

on a number of national boards and is Council member

of the Evangelical Alliance. Graham enjoys running and

most Sunday afternoons a group of runners from the

church go for a short run (all abilities welcome).

Courses and lectures: From time to time Graham offers

spiritual and / or practical courses which are open to

anyone. Course topics include: Preaching, The Old

Testament, Money Management and Relationships.

We also have “open lectures” planned throughout the

academic year. Topics include Creation and Evolution

and Politics amongst others. These are fantastic

opportunities to invite your friends to find out more

about what Christians believe.

“It’s great to be involved in a church that is so active

and involved in the community.”

Graham’s wife, Penny, has been actively involved in

many of our church’s ministry over the years and still is.

She has been instrumental in establishing our Child

Protection and Safeguarding policies. Penny is a

facilitator for a local charity, Family Matters York. She

regularly helps to deliver parenting courses at schools

and churches across York.

Our church has had the

privilege of supporting a

young member of the

congregation who founded

an orphanage called

Biojemmss in Uganda.

Penny is part of the UK

Management Committee.

For more information visit:

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Meet the Team

“Over the years I’ve been able to welcome many people into membership

at our church. It’s been great to see so many people grow spiritually and

to be alongside them in their journey.”

John has been a member of our church for over 30 years. He is married to

Mary and they have three older children, and two grandchildren. The

grandchildren can regularly be seen helping serve communion in the

church. In addition to being an elder, John is responsible for the church

finances. He also leads the Old Testament and Understanding your Bible

Courses.

“I especially enjoy the ‘bring and share’ lunches which usually happen on

the first Sunday of every month; they are a great opportunity to talk, to

meet new members and to socialise.”

Angela is the Railway Chaplain for the area but still makes time to be part

of the team. She developed our welcome and prayer teams. She

encourages people within the church to fulfil their potential and to use the

gifts that God has given them. Angela has a passion for prayer and the

gifts of the Holy Spirit. These fundamental building blocks of faith form

part of the heartbeat of our church.

“Our church is a community that takes seriously the call to be

ambassadors of Christ in this world. We want to be salt and light in our

work places, colleges, schools and daily lives.”

Rob enjoys a variety of sports including hockey and football (he supports

Barnet). He joined our church as a student whilst studying at York

University. Rob is an incredibly gifted speaker and has a heart for seeing

people grow to fulfil their potential in Christ. Rob is involved in a variety of

activities for all ages from kids to youth and students, home groups and

social activities.

“York Elim is simply a great community to be a part of. I’m excited about

what God has in store for us.”

Neil coordinates the church’s worship team. He is sensitive to the Holy

Spirit and when leading worship he facilitates the church to enter into the

presence of a truly awesome God. Neil is a professional guitarist and

guitar tutor, he has played for a number of West End shows and local

bands including the York based band Project 33. Members of the church

regularly attend his gigs. Just ask Neil for details if you’re interested in

coming along too.

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Youth and Children’s Worker “I love working with children and young people and am passionate about

sharing faith with them. I’m so excited to see how God uses our kids in

church and meets with them through our ministry, knowing that God has

something great in store for every child and young person at York Elim.”

Rachel is employed full-time by the church and works alongside the Sunday

School team to lead the youth and children’s work. The team teaches the

children about living out a Christian faith for themselves through Sunday

School classes, Livewires, and child friendly prayer events. Rachel ensures

that all ages are supported both in church and in the community through her

work in local schools and community events, as well as running one-to-one

mentoring, Youth Alpha courses and planning trips to large events such as

Soul Survivor.

Ways that you can get involved.

Role Description More Information

Church set up / pack down

We need helpers to set-up and pack-down everything we use on a Sunday morning.

Rachel

Cleaning We need helpers to clean Elim Corner which is the church’s office in York town centre.

John

Communion We take communion every week and are always keen to have extra people to help preparing or serving.

Graham

Livewires Livewires starts after the worship and lasts for just ten minutes. It is a chance for children and young people to burn off a bit of energy before Sunday school starts. Helpers are needed to supervise activities.

Rachel

Mentoring Mentoring is one to one support through a purposeful relationship which encourages someone to take steps to go further with God. If you are looking to be a mentor or be mentored yourself please speak to Rob.

Rob

PA team The PA team ensures that all the techy stuff is set up and sounds great every week. We’d like to hear from you if you can help with the PA or the laptop.

Rob / Neil

Prayer Our prayer team is available every Sunday to pray with people. They also organise regular and one-off prayer events.

Angela

Sunday school We need Sunday school leaders and helpers for all age groups. We also offer opportunities for people to share short testimonies with the children.

Rachel or Penny

Welcome team Being part of the welcome team is a great way to get to know people in the church.

Angela

Worship If you are passionate about worship and can play an instrument or sing in tune then why not ask about getting involved in the worship team.

Neil

Youth work We have a range of opportunities for you to get involved or help with youth activities.

Rachel

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Prayer

Facilitating opportunities for you to petition God in prayer is fundamental to the life of our Church. We believe in the power of prayer!

We don’t underestimate the

power of prayer and there’s

nothing that is impossible to

God. He wants to do us good

and can heal sickness and

work out situations in our lives

that seem to overwhelm us.

If you would like to receive

prayer, we have a dedicated

prayer team who are available

every Sunday and would love

the opportunity to pray with

you.

Speak to any of the leadership

team if you would like

someone to pray with you.

Our prayer team organise

some great prayer events

which are advertised in the

weekly newssheet.

We also have a Saturday

morning prayer meeting

which is at Elim Corner.

If you have any prayer

requests please either

introduce yourself to

one of our leadership

team or complete the

form at the end of this

leaflet.

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.

If you want to experience Christian community during the week

then why not join one of our fantastic small groups.

Our small groups meet on a variety of evenings and right across

the city. To find a group in your area please see our newssheet

which is available from the Welcome Team. Details of how to get

the newssheet via email are included on the back page.

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Safeguarding Children and

Vulnerable Adults York Elim recognises its duty of care towards children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

In line with Elim's national guidelines, we have a Safeguarding Policy which outlines how to identify abuse, and what to do if abuse is suspected.

All who work with children, young people and vulnerable adults in the church go through our recruitment procedure, receive relevant training and undergo a DBS check.

A copy of the Safeguarding Policy may be seen at the church office. The Safeguarding Co-ordinators are Heather Heeley and Penny Hutchinson.

York Elim is registered with the Churches Child Protection Advisory Service (CCPAS).

All our children’s workers are DBS checked.

Each volunteer receives an interview to check their suitability

Children’s workers receive regular child protection training

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Sunday School and Youth The safety and protection of young children

and vulnerable adults is of utmost importance.

We have long established safeguarding

policies and practices.

Children and young people will experience a safe and fun space where they can be a part of our church community, welcomed to be part of everything we do. York Elim is committed to ensuring children are valued and encouraged to build a relationship with God.

We have various spaces for different age groups that run during the teaching part of our Sunday meetings. Whilst children are looked after in the Sunday school we ask that parents/carers take responsibility for their own children while they are in the church.

For Babies and Toddlers

We have a crèche and play area, we also have baby change facilities which are located in the disabled toilets near the school entrance.

Livewires (ages 3-14)

At the end of the worship and before the preaching starts, children and young people can go to Livewires which is a chance to run around and burn off a bit of energy. After Livewires, the children go to their respective Sunday School groups.

Our Sunday School Groups

We have a number of Sunday School groups in the church covering all ages. Please speak to a member of the team if you’d like to know any further information.

Bubbles (ages 3-5)

Children aged 5 and under are bubbling with life; everything is new, exciting and just waiting to be discovered. The fact is that children at this age are learning more than at any other time and, crucially, when their brains establish learning pathways. They are receptive to God, to hearing his voice and to having the sort of faith that Jesus wants us all to have. Our Bubbles group uses play, story and fun activities to help children develop a personal relationship with God.

Splash! (ages 5-8)

Children aged 5 to 8 love to play together, be creative, they are full of energy, love to explore new ideas and enjoy old favourites. They have a great capacity for friendship and empathy for each other. They can have a depth of spirituality which can be both matter of fact and breathtaking. Splash! encourages 5 to 8s in their daily lives with God. The group provides a space for our young people whilst enabling, equipping and releasing them to be young men and women of God.

Xstream (ages 8-11)

Children aged 8 to 11 like to have fun! They like to be with their friends and are growing increasingly independent. Most like the opportunity to play games and to be creative, but they will shy away from anything that feels too babyish. Their capacity to learn is enormous. Xstream feeds their imaginations and allows them space to ask questions about the things that younger children take for granted. Xstream encourages 8 to 11s to live their daily lives for God with a pick ‘n’ mix approach. It involves a variety of activities that help them apply what they learn to their daily lives.

Sunday Youth (ages 11-18)

11 to 18s can be one of the most difficult ages to communicate effectively with. One minute you can be having an in-depth conversation about the nature of God and the next they want to chat about something completely off topic! They can be so grown-up at times but still occasionally show flashes of the child within. We always have a great time together strengthening a sophisticated relationship with God, building friendships and talking about some of those big questions and topics that allow them to grow in a safe and loving environment. Look out for social events and weekly meet ups in the church calendar too.

We are a

Church

stickyfaith

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Students and Young Adults We really enjoy having students and young adults as part of our church. We offer plenty of opportunities for you to get stuck into our church, connect with Christians of all ages and take advantage of opportunities provided by the church to grow in faith.

Whether this is a new adventure for you or you’ve been in York for a while already, we’d love to tell you how you can be part of the York Elim community.

As a church situated very near to the university, we welcome many new students each year to our church! We aim to serve students well so we invite you to be grounded in our church.

We aim to help students become biblically literate by providing high content Bible teaching on Sunday mornings as well as giving opportunities to experience the power of the Holy Spirit in a context that avoids the fake or bizarre.

We frequently host courses to equip students to grow in faith and develop the gifts and abilities God has placed in them. We actively encourage students to get involved in our fellowship, serving God alongside us by joining a team.

We want to see your faith grow through the Sunday morning teaching but also through mentoring which is offered both in a one-to-one style and in small groups serving and fellowship.

These opportunities include serving on a team, undertaking courses, such as our preaching course, volunteering with a Beesom project - an opportunity for community outreach, or joining a home group.

Lydia and Heather Student Reps!

Our Student Reps are around most Sunday mornings, their role is to support you and help you settle into our church.

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Connect

Stay connected all week by joining our social media groups:

students@yorkelim (group for current and former students in the church)

York Elim (open church group)

Tweets from the church are @yorkelim For Biojemmss updates follow @biojemmss You can follow Graham on Twitter @Ps139tmf

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corner Most of our midweek meetings are held at our office which is known as Elim Corner.

The address of Elim Corner is: York Elim Pentecostal Church First Floor 47 Lawrence St York YO10 3BU

Keep in touch We want you to feel welcome and to be involved in the life of our church. So that we can keep you informed with the latest information, please give us your contact details. Completed forms can be given to a member of the welcome team.

Name _________________________________

Surname _________________________________

Would you like to receive our newssheet via email?

Yes No

If yes, please provide your email address:

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

Purpose of visit (please tick)

Visiting York

With friend or family

Looking for a church

Student / studies

Other

I would like further information on the following (please tick):

Joining a small group

Prayer meetings

Mentoring

Volunteering

Gift aid / tithing

Youth

Courses and lectures

Other (give details) ___________________________

___________________________

I would like someone to pray for the following:

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

If you would like a pen, please ask a member of the welcome team for

one. (and yes you can keep it!)