About Us
Christchurch,
Abbeydale is a church which is unique in Gloucestershire, a Local Ecumenical
Partnership (LEP) with a single congregation founded by four denominations:
Anglican, Methodist, United Reformed and Baptist. Christchurch exists within a Church of
England conventional district within the Gloucester City Deanery and Gloucester
Diocese, a Methodist church within the Gloucestershire Circuit and Bristol
District, a United Reformed church within the Gloucestershire Area of the West
Midlands Synod and a Baptist church within the West of England Baptist
Association.
The
conventional district is an Anglican area created from parts of the two
parishes in which Christchurch is situated.
We therefore undertake work across the entire neighbourhood, including a
responsibility towards those who are members of no church.
Abbeydale
and Abbeymead are suburban residential areas three miles to the east of the
City of Gloucester. Our church is
situated on a prominent site opposite a Morrison’s supermarket at the centre of
these two large areas of housing. Other
services close to the church include various small shops, a public house, community
centre, a medical centre, a vet, a private dentist and optician. There are two primary schools close to the church. To the rear of the church is a small diocesan
housing complex known as Anne Edwards Mews.
Building
began in Abbeydale forty years ago with mainly private housing, but
neighbouring Abbeymead is more recent. There
is a mixture of housing catering for families, couples, singles and
purpose-built units of sheltered accommodation.
The area is predominantly owner-occupied. When compared with the rest of the City of
Gloucester, the proportion of ethnic minorities is relatively low. There is a good age mix. The total population of Abbeydale and
Abbeymead is about 12,000. Abbeydale
and Abbeymead are pleasant areas in which to live; many people have lived in
their homes since they were first built.
As
well as being an LEP, Christchurch is part of a wider Anglican-Methodist-URC-Baptist
Covenanted Partnership, working mostly with three Anglican churches, St. Lawrence
at Barnwood, St. Oswald at Coney Hill and St. Leonard at Upton St Leonards. There are occasional times of active
co-operation, for example with Lent study groups, evening services during the Lent
and August. Within the immediate area
there is also a Baptist church, a Roman Catholic church and two Evangelical
Free Church plants, one of which is known as Abbey Church and with which
relationships have grown over the last few years.
The
location of Christchurch presents a number of advantages; we occupy a central
position and have a large mission field literally on our doorstep. The four-denomination make-up of our church
presents a unique opportunity for a minister seeking to broaden his or her
ecumenical experience. There will be
good support for the minister both from within the membership of Christchurch
and from the wider community.
The Building
Christchurch is relatively modern. It was built as a single project in 1995 and has been well maintained under the direction of the property stewards. There are no structural problems with the building. Routine maintenance and
decoration are undertaken by volunteers from the church membership during an
annual work week in August. The
Quinquennial Review undertaken in 2016 raised no major issues.
The flexible multipurpose worship area comfortably seats 185
and is equipped with a sunken baptistry, font, altar-table, computer, three LED
audio-visual screens and a sound system with a loop for the hard of hearing. The overall effect is light and airy. Also within the church building are modern
toilet facilities (including for the disabled) and a fully equipped kitchen.
There is in addition a small room known as ‘Shalom’, which is set aside for
quiet prayer, an office and a reasonably-sized meeting room, which can be
subdivided by a partition. There is never enough storage, but we make extensive
use of two loft spaces. The church car park has space for about 40 vehicles.
A modern minister’s house, usually
known as the Manse, stands next to the Church.
Built in 1992, it is a detached family home with a large lounge,
kitchen, dining room, study, four bedrooms, a very wide garage and a well
maintained garden. Schools, doctors and
all local amenities are within easy reach.
The facilities for living and working
at Christchurch are attractive, modern and efficient
At the East end of the Church there is
an area of Remembrance that has been authorised by the Diocese of Gloucester
(the owners of the land on which the church is built) and approved by the other
denominations for the interring of ashes of church members or those of any, or
no, denomination requesting this and previously approved by the minister and/or
Church Council..
A Visitor’s View of the Christchurch Building!!
On a hot summers day after Probus, I was chatting to my friend Mike Wood about my first visit to a Salvation Army Church and afterwards he said "if you like looking at churches would you like to visit ours."? The invitation was taken up & off we went to find Christchurch and although I have never been a member of that church & not of the same faith I do enjoy visiting other churches..
As we drove into the car park I noticed immediately that the architecture was different from that which I had imagined, no towers, gargoyles or finials and the layout was unusual in its octagonal form with a pitched roof following the shape of the red brick buttressed walls, with a cross of clear glass blocks built into one elevation, of the wall, and with the shape of its Gothic windows it was a unique design and it definitely stood out and caught the eye, even though of modern design.
As I walked through the lobby into the main body of the Church, I was taken by the raised altar with the light shining through the glass Cross from behind, it was a strong symbol and I felt due reverence toward it and as I walked around the room, the Cross could be seen quite clearly from any direction when facing the altar.
The room was devoid of chairs and looked almost minimalist, but it enhanced the presence and size of the room and your eyes are forced to lift up to to the high wooden ceiling with its angles formed by the octagonal shape of the brickwork, giving the feeling of a safe umbrella to all inside What was quite unique was the provision of a small built in underfloor pool, so that the practices and beliefs of some denominations could be observed. Mike explained that the philosophy behind the design of the Church was so that it could accommodate multi denominational worship and to provide for the wider community. It seemed to have a strong community spirit, with all who worship there being encouraged to support it by taking part in its internal and external programs and activities, with provision off the lobby at the rear for refreshments, office space & preacher. There are different preachers that visit weekly from the various denominations It is truly a " Glorious Church ". in its concept, fulfilment & worship & one which I was very pleased to visit.
Ormonde Collett
Worship
We
aspire to make our services warm and friendly, varied and accessible, but at
the same time dignified and meaningful.
We are keen on congregational participation and regularly include
children, who have an important and valued contribution to make. We are good at offering welcome and
hospitality. Theologically, the church
aims to be broad and inclusive and recognises the value of the Lectionary in
the life and worship of the church.
Morning services during the vacancy will be led by a variety
of ministers and lay preachers from each of our four denominations. The form and style of worship is the choice
of the individual preacher. The result
is a rich diversity, which the congregation enjoy. Our average morning attendance during the
year 2017 was 79. At present, Holy
Communion is celebrated once a month on Sundays (and always at major festivals),
and weekly on a Wednesday evening which attracts between 8 and 10 communicants. Non-alcoholic communion wine is offered by
both chalice and individual glasses.
Members of the Church Council or others approved by Church Council assist
with the distribution.
As we are a diverse congregation with differing traditions
who wish to share worship together as a single church, we have learned to
accommodate each other in order to develop a deeper understanding of our common
faith. Praise, prayer, Bible study and
challenging teaching are important to us.
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We have a regular organist, two
assistant organists and a talented piano/keyboard player as well as Jubilate, a
music group of around ten members, including instrumentalists and singers.
Books available are ‘Hymns and Psalms’ and the combined version of ‘Mission
Praise’, but we hold a Church Copyright Licence and a Music Reproduction
Licence so that more music is available to us.
The words of hymns and the liturgy, including congregational responses,
are projected onto AV screens. There is
active lay involvement in worship and this includes stewarding, the reading of
lessons and often the leading of intercessions.
Sunday evening services are held
fortnightly at 6 p.m. One, which
attracts a small but dedicated group, takes the form of a Bible Study. More popular in terms of numbers is the
monthly Café Church, at which refreshments and informal worship are offered.
Special services held annually include:
the Methodist Covenant Service; Wednesday in Holy Week, Maundy Thursday and
Good Friday Services; Harvest Festival; Remembrance Sunday and the Christingle
and Carol Services.
Whilst
Christchurch’s minister leads worship at most of the services, clergy and
preachers from the other three dominations of the LEP are invited on a regular
basis in order to maintain the diversity of our traditions. This gives our minister the opportunity to
conduct services in other churches of our partner denominations.
Within
our own congregation there are four reasonably active retired ministers (from Anglican,
Methodist, Baptist and URC traditions), an Anglican Reader, lay preacher and a
Methodist Worship Leader.
Church members appreciate
the variety we currently have in our worship, including the balance of
traditional and more modern forms. Our style of worship is lively and enthusiastic in an ecumenical setting. At the same time, we are open to new ideas and
fresh expressions, provided they are introduced sensitively.
Ministry
The congregation has its own minister who is appointed from each of the four denominations in turn. Worship is led mainly by that minister, but visiting ministers/preachers from the other three denominations are invited on a regular basis.
Aim
and purpose
Christchurch
Abbeydale Church Council (CC) has the responsibility of cooperating with the
incumbent minister in promoting the whole mission of the Church, pastoral,
evangelistic, social and ecumenical, in our geographical area (a Conventional
District to use the Church of England term).
The CC is also specifically responsible for the maintenance of the Church
building. During the Interregnum, Church
Council has operated in an effective and harmonious way to take the Church
forward. The new members who have joined
Council have added their strength and wisdom to support us all as we seek to
find a new minister and develop our church life together
The
ecumenical nature of the church, a key foundation stone since its inception, is
reflected in the contact with other churches, and as different ministers are
welcomed to our church to lead worship. We are blessed with an excellent team
of “retired” ministers representing each of the participating denominations of
Christchurch who play an active role in delivering services, bible study and
celebrating Holy Communion, especially during an Interregnum.
Objectives
and Activities
The
CC is committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at
Christchurch and so become part of our faith community. The CC maintains an
overview of worship and makes suggestions on how our services can involve
groups connected with our church. Our services and worship put faith into
practice through prayer and scripture, music and sacrament. When planning our
activities for the year, the incumbent and the CC try to help ordinary people
live out their faith as part of our Church community through:
·
Worship and prayer; learning about the
Gospel, developing their knowledge and trust in Jesus and supporting each other
as part of the family of God.
·
Welcoming newcomers to the church
whether as visitors or as in due course, as potential members.
·
Providing pastoral care for people
associated with the Church and/or living locally.
·
Developing connections into our local
community particularly the local schools
·
Providing baptismal, wedding and funeral
services to our community as required.
During
the Interregnum, our Worship Planning Group have undertaken the planning
processes associated with our services.
To
facilitate the work of our church we maintain the fabric of the church
building, the associated rooms and the area outside the church in good
condition. Minor works identified by the
Quinquennial Review carried out by the Architect appointed by the United Reformed
Church have largely been completed and no major works are expected to be
required in the next five years with no major expenditures forecast.
Following
on from the granting of permission to inter ashes on site, several interments
have taken place and a Book of Remembrance is kept by the church as a formal
Church Record of interred ashes within the curtilage of the church.
Achievements and Performance
Worship
and Prayer – the Church Council is keen to offer a range of services during the
week and over the course of a year to be both beneficial and spiritually
fulfilling for all. For example, the midweek communion service provides a
smaller more intimate, weekly opportunity to share bread and wine; this service
offers a quiet space and is valued by those who regularly attend.
We
continue to use worship material from various sources reflecting our ecumenical
ethos, and a typical service is accessible to, and appreciated by, members of
participating denominations.
Music
is provided by a dedicated group of organists and piano players, and Jubilate,
the church singing group, regularly provides an input before and during morning
worship, and at evening cafe Church services.
In addition, Jubilate has carried out singing engagements at other
churches.
For
the third time, we put on "NOAL" ("Nativity on a Lorry")
with Abbey Community Church. We visited
a number of local streets with a nativity scene on the lorry, carols being
played, and distributed free sweets and booklets to local families. This initiative was again very well received
by locals, again with surprise that we were giving away God's love and not
trying to raise funds.
Use
of the church buildings has increased and a variety of different organisations,
both Christian and secular, are welcomed in.
This year has seen the development of a mother and toddler group led by
Abbey Church who use our buildings to provide this service to a large group of
local parents.
Going
forward, we are working to improve external communications through actions
championed by our Advocate, Frank Heggs, and training relating to Healing
Ministries.
Membership
At
present we have 91 members and 51 adherents. Most people live locally. The membership
and adherents’ lists are reviewed annually, with some being added and other
removed. The average weekly attendance during 2018 was 79 (2017 was 77), but
this does vary through the year, particularly at festival times. An increase in attendance was noticeable in
the second half of 2018.
Looking outwards
As
well as our regular services, we enable our community to celebrate and thank
God at various points in their own lives. There were 1 wedding and 3 baptism services
throughout the year and 4 funerals services were held in the church, with our
minister officiating in further services at the Crematorium.
We
ran a monthly T@3 group attended by about 40 persons from the local community,
a regular Luncheon Fellowship, Community Holidays group, Craft Group and Banner
Group. We deliver "Open The
Book" at the two local schools (Heron and Abbeymead) and open the church
for Experience Easter and Experience Christmas, events much appreciated by
children and staff from the schools. We
have a successful Boys Brigade and Girls Association based at the church. The church is also used as a very pleasant
meeting place by other community groups.
The local Scout Group parades at our Annual Remembrance Day Service and scouts
and their leaders participate in the service.