Vicar’s Voice | Bridget’s Blog

Hear from Bridget, Vicar at Holy Trinity, North Ormesby, as she tells of the impact Stepping Up has had on the mission and ministry of the church.

I arrived in North Ormesby in February 2021 in the middle of a national lockdown; I was new to the Diocese of York, but not new to the north of England having grown up and lived most of my life in Yorkshire. I have just spent 10 years in the Midlands in areas where there was deprivation, though not as extensive as here in North Ormesby.

One thing I have noticed over my years in ministry is how often members of the church would love to serve but do not feel they would ever be able to or don't feel confident to offer to.

When I moved here I discovered two of the church members were taking part in something called 'Stepping Up.' It has been great to watch these two people grow in confidence, getting more involved in church ministry and offering to be involved in more visible ministry. It was a privilege to film our online services with them during lockdown, one reading and praying and another filming. Later during the year, Tracy took on the welcome and hospitality side of Sunday services and encouraged others to get involved in church life.

I have watched two people grow and flourish. Tracy is developing the mission of our weekly café, which runs on market days. Lee-Anne runs a weekly Tot's Praise service. She is developing links with nursery and reception in the local school, as well as building relationships with local families. We have received some Mustard Seed small grants to help develop these two areas of mission.

This is every vicar’s dream! The Mustard Seed team invest in encouraging and supporting church members to develop their skills, their confidence and grow in their desire to be disciples working to share the love of God with the local community. This has been so good; we now have three more people on this year’s Stepping Up programme!

I simply cannot recommend Stepping Up enough to you. As a vicar, I would love to be able to invest myself in developing people in mission and ministry, but time pressures and the demands of parish ministry simply do not allow. I am so grateful to the Mustard Seed team for the investment they are giving to people, which allows me to build mission and ministry with the church members.

Rev Bridget Woodall

Vicar | Holy Trinity North Ormesby