Church Growth in an Urban Priority Area - Church Growth Research ...

Church Growth in an Urban Priority Area By Catherine Ellerby, freelance writer, in conversation with the Revd Sue Wicks, Vicar of St Elisabeth’s Church, Harraby (Carlisle Diocese) Summary This case study illustrates how clear vision, an innovative approach and an on-going desire to respond to local need in an Urban Priority Area has led to numerical growth and strengthened links with the community in the context of a parish church in Carlisle.

Background Built in 1954, as part of the then brand new Harraby estate, on the outskirts of Carlisle, St Elisabeth’s was originally a church/church hall, a multipurpose building used by the church and community. The parish of around 9,000 is set in a mainly deprived area of high unemployment. There are high rates of crime and education indicators are in the bottom 10% in England. A separate church building was built in 1967 with the intention of reaching out further in mission to the community and, for the first 15 – 20 years, the church thrived with both buildings well used. After this, however, a trend of decline began. When the Revd Sue Wicks arrived in the parish in 2003 numbers had fallen to around 35 and most members of the congregation were over the age of 75. Numbers continued to dwindle to a low of around 20. Sue says: “There had been a succession of incumbents over a long period, most staying for between two and five years which was very unsettling for the church and community.” She believes that one reason for the fast turnover may have been that the church was so active and involved in the community that there was too much for one vicar to sustain. “In an urban area like Harraby, it can be hard work because there isn’t a pool of professional people who are able and willing to take on responsibility or join a team - a lot falls to the vicar. I can see how vicars might have struggled over that time, with two buildings to maintain, Sunday services, weekday activities and other clergy duties– you couldn’t sustain that for long.” The buildings were part of the problem and Sue realised they were a drain on resources as well as clergy energy. The church lacked finances, giving was poor and the PCC was not contributing to the diocesan parish share. When she arrived, St. Elisabeth’s was £80,000 in debt to the diocese. Things needed to change and gradually giving increased so St. Elisabeth’s began to pay its way (although it still falls short of the suggested £52,000 required per annum). However, both the church and the church hall needed repair and it 1 July 2014

soon became clear that it was not possible to maintain two buildings. The hall would cost well over £200,000 to update and make safe – money that simply was not available. The decision was to sell the hall and land and use the funds raised to make the church more accessible as both a worship centre and a community space. A new church heating system was a matter of priority and was installed, whilst at the same time the pews were removed to leave a multipurpose space, with welcoming carpet and chairs. With only one building remaining, it was much easier to maintain and to focus efforts more efficiently. For everyone concerned, it was a better situation, although very difficult, Sue says, without a kitchen.

A Vision for growth – from the youngest first Alongside these changes to the building, Sue was leading the church in developing a five year plan for growth, driven by a vision to continue to reach out in mission to the local community. In particular, she saw a need to prioritise and minister to the needs of young families with babies and toddlers. Sue says: “The PCC decided that if the church was going to grow again we needed to focus on the very youngest. The area was and still is full of young families and there was a desperate need for a toddler group so we fixed on this as our priority.” At this point, Betty Bear arrived at St Elisabeth’s. Betty (short for Elisabeth) was an idea another local church had used, and St. Elisabeth’s took to it in a big way. Thus a teddy bear arrived who would capture the attention of little ones but also become the face of the children’s work at the church. Dressed in liturgical colours according to the season, Betty became easily recognisable by everyone, sitting in her own chair at the front of church for services, and sleeping under the altar in a Moses basket when not in demand. The Betty Bear weekly baby and toddler group began in November 2003 and has flourished over the years with up to 35 people attending at one point. The group offers a place to play for babies to infant school age children and provides a varied range of activities including play, crafts, a book corner, song time and a 15 minute Bible story slot. Refreshments are served for young parents, carers and grandparents, offering a chance to build relationships with members of the church and with one another. The group continues to be an important and valued part of the work at St Elisabeth’s, still going strong, although numbers have dropped off to between 15 and 20 each week. This 2 July 2014

may be due to the greater availability of groups and activities now including free nursery places from the age of 2.

Growing the children’s ministry upwards When the original group of children from the Betty Bear baby and toddler group reached school age, another group - “Little Teds” - was formed and was very successful. Once this group reached 7 years of age, a girls’ group pinX (power in Christ) met for 7-11 year olds as there was still a Boys Brigade to cater for boys. However, the latter folded and Sue felt it was time for a new strategy. After prayer and careful thought she decided to take the opportunity to introduce uniformed organisations for boys and girls in the form of a Baden Powell, churchsponsored Scout group, which includes sections for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts, catering for children aged 5-15, with the option of a senior section for 15-18s in the future. Sue explains: “We recognised a need in the parish for children to have aspirations, to be able to succeed in small ways, to look out beyond their home area and to build self-esteem, in the hope that these young people would eventually break through the barriers of their social setting and step out with confidence into the wider world. It seemed that a type of uniformed organisation might fit the bill, and after research we decided to join the Baden-Powell Scout movement, which believes in traditional scouting with traditional uniforms and values. “If they come to our groups, boys and girls have a uniform, and there is a sense of enjoyment and achievement in working together towards awards and badges – and of course, a chance to socialise with other children and have fun. We are unusual in that we are a church-sponsored group, with provision for not just a Christian ethos, but Christian teaching as well.” St Elisabeth’s now has 75 children attending its children’s groups – ranging from babies at Betty Bear to the 13-year-olds in the uniformed groups, some of whom started at the original Betty Bear group and stayed throughout attending all the groups. Sue says it is rewarding to witness the growth of one individual who began to attend St. Elisabeth’s at the age of 11 and got involved with worship and activities, joining a residential annual week at the Keswick Convention. She is now 20, training as a nurse and still attending church, not just as a member of the PCC, but as a warranted leader in the Scout movement who helps with four of the children’s groups. And the parents come too. Regular attendance at the Sunday service at 10am, has grown over 11 years from 20 to 6070. Around 16 of those attending at the moment are because of a direct link with the groups, while others come through friends and relatives of those closely involved. The ages range, Sue says, from babies to teenagers, right through to people in their 90s. “It’s a relaxed atmosphere, and warm and cosy. The older people love the younger ones and the children are happy to be part of the service which includes a short 10 – 15 minute sermon.” 3 July 2014

On the first Sunday of each month there is a “Prayer and Praise” all age non-Eucharistic worship service. Popular with adults who have links to the groups, this service has seen dramatic growth, regularly drawing up to 180. Sue explains: “Most parents of all the groups attend Prayer and Praise services each month with their children. As the groups have grown, so have our Prayer and Praise numbers. Over the years, adults and young people have been confirmed through their connections with the groups and are now attending our weekly Sunday service.”

Involvement and care for the rest of the church community Pastoral care of the elderly has been another priority for Sue, recognising that it is important that the older people in the church family don’t feel that they are being overlooked, and to keep them involved with where the church is going.

Volunteer teams Much of the work is done by Sue and her lay reader, Gael, who are also involved in the work of the three schools on the estate. They now run five children’s groups each week (Betty Bear, Beavers, two Cub packs and Scouts) with a team of helpers from the church. “We welcome helpers but say that if they want to join the team, they must come to church. We want the children to receive Christian teaching and be influenced by Christian role models. We don’t Bible-bash – that’s not the way we do things here – we teach by example.” As part of this example, Sue, as Vicar, doesn’t expect church members to do anything which she wouldn’t do. This means that as well as leading groups, she is on both the cleaning rota and the coffee team. She admits that working in Harraby’s context may be tougher than in some other areas: “the hardest thing is not having many people who can take on responsibilities and lead, but it is amazing to see people change and grow more confident. “One lady who cleaned the church when I arrived, is now the church warden and manages the charity ’Op’ shop, a diocesan initiative providing low cost second-hand clothing and furniture. Many of the volunteers are church members - it’s great to see people taking on new and bigger responsibilities and see their gifts developing over time.”

A growing community – numerically and spiritually Alongside the significant numerical growth, people are developing in their faith, their commitment and service and in relationships with one another. “I have been here for 11 years – which is the longest a vicar has stayed - and it’s amazing to see how people change when trust and relationships are built over the years. It’s about getting to the point when people trust that you’re not going to walk out on them, as well as about being visible in the area and walking alongside them.” A new challenge for St Elisabeth’s is space. On “Prayer and Praise” Sundays, they can’t serve coffee due to lack of space and the children’s groups are over-subscribed with a waiting list of 17 for Beavers.

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There are plans to build a much-needed community café and sports hall/function room onto the side of the church to accommodate the existing groups, and also the youth ministry which the church needs to develop for young people who will outgrow what is currently offered. Sue says that many young families and older people are generous to the church in every respect but there is not much money around and some of the members are not yet ready to be committed givers. With a small fund left over from the sale of the original church building the church is currently involved in making grant applications and fund raising.

Living life together – building strong relationships The emphasis on doing things together at St Elisabeth’s helps build community and keeps relationships strong. There are regular trips to the theatre, parish meals and holidays, walks, monthly coffee mornings and Tea Cosy, the group of mainly older people who meet and chat over a cup of tea each week.

What has led to growth? Sue identifies a number of factors which stand out as being particularly relevant in leading to numerical as well as spiritual growth. Context Much of Sue’s first year was spent finding out about Harraby’s context. “It’s a question of sussing out the area, looking at where you are, what the needs are and deciding where you’re going to put your efforts,” she says. The decision in 2012 to opt for uniformed organisations was particularly appropriate in Harraby’s context. Children and parents welcomed the chance to get involved and the team are able to run the groups with a Christian ethos providing fun, friendship and Bible teaching while modelling this by example. Vision Concentrating the vision largely on babies and young families has been a key factor. By investing in this group, parents have come to church and some have become regular and involved members. The vision for the buildings has been in line with the overall vision which is now developing in response to growth, youth ministry, and the on-going social needs of local people. Innovation Betty Bear helped everyone to engage with the church and as a symbol, and has continued to be a way of linking in children and families. This innovative approach has been very successful with Betty provoking interest and an opportunity for church-focussed Christian teaching even for the very young.

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Being focused and not trying to do everything Sue admits that it can be hard not to try to do everything, especially in an area where there is a lot of need. “You have to decide what your vision is and stick to it,” she says, “no matter what else comes along you have to be firm in what you’ve decided to do, without guilt - you can’t do everything. I committed myself (with full support from the PCC) to the children and young people and to caring for the older people. Those ministries, and Sundays at 10.00am are what we focus on.” Lay teams working with ordained clergy Sue works closely with Gael to lead teams of helpers and volunteers from the church. “It’s amazing,” she says, “as a small team, we can only do so much but we have been blessed by a number of retired clergy who have moved to the area and chosen to worship here. When people come with experience of leading and offer to run Bible studies and help with whatever needs doing, we accept gratefully; it means we can do more – seeing how this has happened is just unbelievable.” Welcome Referring to the church as “the ugliest church building on the outside” Sue highlights the welcoming culture which they have fostered at St Elisabeth’s. “It doesn’t matter what the church looks like outside, because people feel at home here. We try to be informal, welcoming and friendly to everyone from the youngest to the oldest and people enjoy that feeling of community and they want to keep coming.”

Conclusion In conclusion, these factors, alongside the hard work and commitment of a small team at St Elisabeth’s in the context of on-going prayer are leading to significant growth demonstrated numerically, spiritually and in social transformation in the heart of this community.

Further information For further information, please visit the parish website at www.stelisabethsharraby.co.uk or contact the Revd Sue Wicks, telephone no: 01228 596427 [email protected]

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