Suggestion
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Current Status
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1. Bring a friend
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Ongoing. Church growth indicates some success
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2. Bring young people
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Ongoing. More young people now attending indicates some success
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3. Sponsored events
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Sponsored 'slim' raised over Ł500 for church funds. Annual sponsored walk raises large amounts for Leprosy Mission
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4. Picnic afternoons in summer
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Picnic services now monthly during the summer months of June, July and August.
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5. Printed leaflets to residents on estate
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Whole of parish now reached with a greetings card to every home at Christmas and Easter. A street a month targeted for prayer with a prayer request form dropped in to each door
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6. More social events to encourage non-church goers to come through doors
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Friendship Group providing more trips out. More trips scheduled for whole church family. 2007 summer trip to Exmouth overbooked. Record number wishing to attend October 2007 Lee Abbey weekend.
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7. More worship leaders
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Worship group formed (now six people) who plan and take worship each quarter.
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8. Singing group with young people
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Yet to be achieved
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9. Notice board for events
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New notice boards outside church and in the foyer of the Healthy Living Centre. Flyers placed on café tables advertising events.
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10. Personal contact with residents
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Ongoing, but more development work needed here.
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11. Enlarging prayer list
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A street a month targeted for prayer with a prayer request form dropped in to each door. Whole church family presented with a prayer card on which each person, each street and each organisation is prayed for weekly or monthly.
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12. Use magazine to more reach people
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Magazine circulation is up 208% over last three years. Pages now average 36-40. Now over 12,000 people are estimated to have sight of a magazine over the year. Magazine continues to be free, partially paid for by advertising.
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13. Helping people with church for the first few times
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Ongoing, although team of 'helpers' yet to be formed.
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14. Use the new church building as an attraction
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Ongoing. Unique nature of building has attracted many visitors including whole of the cohort post-ordination training curates from across the diocese.
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15. Open air services
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Picnic services now monthly during the summer months of June, July and August.
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16.Advertise in local press
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Some advertising for special events, but regular advertising of services is too expensive at the moment.
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17. Put leaflets in new church/ HLC inviting people
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Flyers placed regularly on café tables advertising events.
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18. Leaflet drop on estate
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Whole of parish now reached with a greetings card to every home at Christmas and Easter. A street a month targeted for prayer with a prayer request form dropped in to each door
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19. Invite parents of children baptised in previous year for an anniversary service
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Not yet achieved.Although a new 'Start' course about the Christian faith will be started soon with these parents as a target group for invitations.
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20.Publish sermons weekly
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Not yet achieved due to high cost in terms of time, transcription services and reprographics for production
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21. Evangelisation - Invite an evangelist or team
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Not yet achieved
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22. Publish a church website to publicise the church not only in Weston-super-Mare but world-wide
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Website up and running and regularly updated
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23. Get someone famous to visit to attract people such as a local Christian football celebrity ?
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Achieved in the visit of Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on July 20th 2007.
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24. Twin with an African village
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Not yet achieved, although discussions with the diocese are already underway
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25. Approach TV/Radio to get Songs of Praise service here or similar
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Not yet achieved, although this is currently being looked at.
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26. Get a Gospel group to visit
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Not yet achieved, but concert provided by Salvation Army choir and band in 2006 was a close match.
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27. Be a local venue for the "Bible Comes to Life" exhibition
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Not yet achieved, although this is currently being looked at
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28. Carols in the HLC Foyer at Christmas
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Carol event took place in Christmas 2005 and 2006. Last Christmas the numbers attending were increased by around 50%
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29. Expand Brownies/Guides/Rainbows /Cubs/Scouts provision
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New guide leader appointed, and a waiting list now for Brownies. However, further expansion depends upon whether or not new leaders are available.
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30. Get involved in Drop-in Café
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Most church members now involved in café, which provides them with coffee and lunches. Church sitters regularly have lunch in the café.
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31. Musical evening to attract younger people
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Not yet achieved
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32. Quiet incidental music in church each day when open
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Music now playing daily- in various styles such as classical, some Christian music like Graham Kendrick hymns and some Taizé to name but three.
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33. Expand the magazine to people who don't come to church
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Magazine now in the foyer of the Healthy Living Centre. The majority of copies are now distributed in this way or by people taking them for neighbours and friends who o not come to church
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34. Identify the mission needed in the area (e.g. drug problems)
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Two groups of Narcotics Anonymous now use the church space for their meetings, around 40 or so strong for each group. Church members attended a 'listening course' to help listen to the problems of those coming into church from outside. Further work now needed in this area.
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35. Encourage Tuesday fellowship (coffee morning) people to share church with others
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Ongoing, although several members have attended church services as a result of coming to the coffee morning
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36. Have a service at another time in the week - Sunday often blocked by football
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Midweek services and Tuesday evening available. Also special events (like Lovesnacks on St Valentine's Day, Ascension Day etc) take place midweek.
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37.Make church activities attractive to others
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Church door always open and welcoming. 'Quiet Area' available with a bubbling water feature, prayer request cards and votive candles for those who wish to sit quietly to pray. Church 'sitters' always available to chat and 'put the kettle on' for visitors.
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38. Sunday lunch club monthly open to all
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Sunday lunch club now disbanded because the sad deaths of several of the club members over recent years has meant that the club is no longer viable.
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39. Holiday club at Easter etc
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Holiday club for children was done a few years ago, but this has yet to be achieved as a regular thing.
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40. Involve brownies etc in a "thinking day" inviting them to morning service
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Holiday club for children was done a few years ago, but this has yet to be achieved as a regular thing.
Brownies have attended some services but more work is needed here in order to make this a regular commitment both for the church and for the Brownies/Guides.
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41. More services outside
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Already achieved through the picnic services
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42. Homegroups/inviting neighbours
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'Second Monday' home group now well established. However, more work needs to be done in this area over the next two years.
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43. Ask the people who don't come what they want at the new coffee centre in the HLC
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Some questionnaires already been used but on a small scale. More work needs to be done in this area over the next two years.
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44. More social groups - whist drive, quizzes etc
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More social events have been planed and enjoyed. Joint social events (skittles evenings, beetle drives etc) have been enjoyed as joint events with our friends at St Peter and Paul church, Bleadon.
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