Community Mission

Craig and Lauren, husband and wife completed Stepping Up at Easter 2023, and were commissioned as Community Ministers during Harvest 2023. They have embraced this role with great enthusiasm and are proud to be doing this venture into Community Ministry together. Lauren and Craig have developed a number of regular events as well as seasonal activities. 

Seasonal activities 

Advent and Christmas 2023 was a busy season with lots of community events and activities. Lauren and Craig have built some great partnerships in the community to offer support for people in need: 

• A local hotel donated 12 duvets for people who might need them. 

• Sainsburys Local donated £150 worth of food to help those who were in need. 

• They organised a Christmas gift/toy exchange  

• They also ran a warm space to keep the church open when the church café is closed.

Christmas services and celebrations were a great opportunity for Craig and Lauren to be involved as Community Ministers. They ran the Crib service for the kids at 3pm Christmas eve and had over 50 people come and take part in the service. The local Greenhedges Day nursery had a Christmas play and they took part, leading the family and friends in prayer at the start of the service. 

For Lent they hosted “40 tins for 40 days” and were so blessed with all the over whelming support received.  Ten very large bags were filled with food and hygiene donations that went to their local food banks. During Easter week they gave out Easter cards to anyone who came into the church or used the church café. 

Being With the Local Community 

Lauren and Craig use their gifts and skills to run weekly craft groups. Lauren runs a crochet/knitting/painting group, and Craig runs a woodworking and gardening group. 

The church now hosts as monthly film night with pizza and popcorn and fellowship before/after the film, and they have hosted a 10-week bible study course. 

Being with the local community is central to all they do, they have a monthly prayer walk, and are regularly in and around the church/café available to anyone who may need to talk, ask questions about the church, or even to sit and pray. Craig and Lauren also visit people at home and share in the ministry of Home Communions. 

Lauren and Craig say: 

“This is just a taste of what we have done in the last 18 months, and even though we have personal circumstances/health issues, a young child, and other voluntary commitments, we have loved every step we have taken along our journey of faith and being able to share it with our community.”   

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