A year of trying old & new initiatives in local church outreach (Wymondham Methodist Church)
Harvest: September 2015
Another church year – a year of opportunity for worship, caring, engagement with the community, mission and outreach… But why haven’t I thought about harvest earlier? I ask myself this each year… But we do now always have the church open on the Saturday for people to come in and view the arrangements. Simple arrangements done by different people in the windowsills both sides of the church. And we make it coincide with the Historic Churches bike ride so that we are able to be open for them too, with basic refreshments. It makes sense to have a Harvest Songs of Praise on Sunday evening and to invite the Day Care Centre members to see the display which we have deliberately left until the Monday morning.
Edith Cavell: October 2015
It is great to join in with the culture marking WW1 centenaries when it is appropriate, and a good number of people came into the church when we had it open on August 4th 2014 for marking 100 years since the outbreak of war. Because this is Norfolk, and Edith Cavell was a local girl, it seems absolutely appropriate to mark the centenary of her execution in October (2015) in a special way. ‘An afternoon with Edith Cavell’ is very successful with a one woman dramatic performance, a WW1 tea and a musical sing-a-long. One of the best things for me was developing relationships with the other people who helped plan the event – from the Royal British Legion, the local Heritage Society and Wymondham Abbey (our local parish church).
Nativities Display: December 2015
I am just thinking about organising a Display of Nativities (not crib festival – sounds too churchy) when a local person asks me if they can display their many sets in our centre. Having said that we too have lots of sets we agree on a joint venture. Over 100 sets are displayed, refreshments are offered, children colour and make nativity sets. The Saturday coincides with the Town Christmas event, and so we have dozens of people coming through our building. We tap in to what is going on in the community but they think we have donethem a favour! The ‘Town Team’ wants us to do it again next year…
It seems a good idea to explore ‘nativity’ on the Sunday morning and we end up including a live nativity play acted by adults.
Posada: December 2015
The fifth year for our Posada – large 2 dimensional figures of Mary and Joseph that travel around the town during Advent. No schools this year but some usual venues (care homes, shops, cafes, Day Care Centre, Rangers) and some new ones (a warehouse, funeral directors, café on a farm that has built a manger scene but with no figures…)
Easter: March 2016
Christmas is over, why does it always take most of January to recover?! The Town Team is asking, “What is anyone doing for Easter? Are the churches doing anything?” I can’t think of anything that is not our normal church activities but then have an inspiration… what if there were to be a LARGE Easter Garden in the church. Our main flower arranger initially says ‘no’, then she says she will think about it, and then on Good Friday there is a garden with the crosses and bare landscaping. On the Saturday flowers appear but the tomb remains closed. We have our normal Easter Fayre in the church centre and people come in, as well as off the street, to see the garden. We offer small chocolate eggs to all that come and those who leave comments might be chosen to receive one of three ‘Real Easter Eggs’. On Easter Sunday morning the tomb is open and we base the service around the garden and the tomb. I give everyone an ‘Easter Garden in a box’ to take home. Visitors are very enthusiastic. Some people on the Saturday just sit and reflect, one lady says it was as though she was transported into the first Easter garden.
To Open Day or not to Open Day: May 2016
We wonder whether to repeat the success of two years ago and the not quite so successful event last year and hold another Open Day for the Town Green Centre. It is great involving nearly all the groups that use our Centre (over 25) with stalls and demonstrations. There is networking and relationship building and much fun. However, we don’t want to lose the ‘sparkle’ by doing it every year and so we decide to leave it for this year. In May 2017, the Town Green Centre will be 25 years old so we will definitely have a bonanza then!
Open Gardens: June 2016
The Manse garden is taking part in ‘Wymondham Open Gardens’ – a biennial event that attracts hundreds of people and makes thousands of pounds for charity. We advertise it in the programme as a ‘spiritual garden’ and hand out ‘points to ponder’ with one word reflections to make people think at different points. Four hundred and fifty people come through our garden over two afternoons. They all take a stone at the welcome table and place it on our cairn so we are left with a presence of all the people who came. Eighty of them walk our rope labyrinth that we have spent ages working out on our front lawn. All very successful and lots of conversations. Many people say how relaxing and peaceful our garden is…
Summer activities: July & August 2016
We look forward to our usual programme of Summer events – ‘Day Out at Home’ (enjoyable social day for all ages), film afternoon, Ladies Group summer afternoon. Our colouring sessions have taken off and they will continue, perhaps with jigsaws alongside the colouring? A non-church couple from the colouring have asked me to do a meditation. Perhaps I will use a Mindfulness CD of eight sessions that I have acquired and we will see where that takes us… Lots to think about and explore and, oh my goodness, it is going to be Harvest again!
Jacqui Horton
Summer 2016