A beacon of hope for Hoxton Mission Action Plan 2013-16 The Big Question: What will we do to further the mission of God in our neighbourhood?
Vicar s Introduction I am so encouraged by the signs of God s grace among us. Over the past three years we have seen real growth in our corporate worship, in our outreach to the neighbourhood and in our relationships with one another. I hope you share my excitement and anticipation for the next three years as we seek to follow God s guidance for our church and community! Planning for growth and change helps us to prepare for future. It also challenges us to aim high when considering the work God can do through us. This booklet contains a clear plan for how we as a church will direct our energies in mission and ministry over the next three years. All of the goals in this booklet have come from within the congregation. They have grown out of detailed discussions, meetings and away days with the PCC 1 and from informal conversations with members of the congregation. Principally we are guided by prayer and although there are lots of details in this plan we remain committed to the claim of Ephesians 3:20 which declares that God is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. We believe these Mission Action Plan goals are inspiring, stretching and attainable. However, we do not want to place limits on what God can do in our church through our plans, so we humbly submit our plans and ideas to him praying the prayer that echoes through the ages: Lord guide us. I am so excited about the years ahead and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your partnership in the Gospel. Revd Graham Hunter St John s, Hoxton 1 PCC stands for Parochial Church Council. It is a group of 13 church members who meet regularly on behalf of the whole congregation to work with the vicar on issues of governance. 2
Mission Action Plan Targets We have organised our Mission Action Plan in 6 general categories. Each category has a number of specific goals and target dates for their implementation and / or completion. The PCC will evaluate our progress at every time they meet. Each category has one goal marked with an *. These goals are part of our special youth focus for the period. Some of the goals are corporate meaning we will achieve them as we work together; some will be accomplished by people already in places of responsibility in the church; and some are personal. The personal goals in italics suggest ways we can each grow as individuals serving Christ in our church and community. Worship & Services o Grow Morning Service To Usual Sunday Attendance September 2014 Of 150 Adults & Children o Establish A Schedule Of Training For Services Ministry January 2014 Leaders (Worship, Welcome, Hospitality, Readers / Prayers Etc) o Install New AV System Autumn 2013 o Plant An Evening Congregation With A Team Of At Least 30 Adults September 2015 o Establish Youth Worship Band * Autumn 2013 o Personal Engage Fully And Prayerfully With The Weekly Worship Services. Fellowship & Pastoral Care o Introduce New Sunday School Group Autumn 2013 o Establish Pastoral Care Team & Register Autumn 2013 o Establish Calendar Of Social Events To Include April 2014 Regular Men s & Women s Fellowship Events o Establish Regular Volunteer Led Pastoral Group For Autumn 2013 11-16 Year Olds. * o Personal Be Welcoming To Visitors, Speak To One New Person Each Week. 3
Mission & Neighbourhood Outreach o Embed 6-Week Alpha Course As Twice-Yearly Programme (Evening & Daytime) September 2014 o Develop And Deliver A Regular Parenting Course In September 2014 Partnership With The School o Increase Effectiveness Of Existing Mission Activities Ongoing (Such As The Winter Night Shelter, Foodbank, Friday Fun, Charity Sales, Hackney Citizens) o Develop Effective Outreach To Young People In September 2015 Hoxton In Partnership With Urban Hope * o Personal Invite A Friend Or Neighbour To A Social Event Or Course Discipleship & Spiritual Growth o Develop Pattern Of Termly Short Discipleship Courses May 2014 o Plant New Connect Group Jan 2014 o Organise Annual Church Holidays And Retreats Ongoing o Develop Dedicated Young Leader Training Programme * September 2014 o Personal Make Use Of Discipleship Resources Available: Connect Groups, Daily Reading Notes, Courses, Retreats Administration & Leadership o Develop New Leaders From Within The Congregation o Establish St John s As A Training Opportunity For Lay Leaders, Ordinands And Clergy. Ongoing September 2016 o Develop Communications Strategy To Include April 2014 Database Of Church Members o Increase Income From Premises Rental By 20% September 2016 o Increase Voluntary Giving By 10,000 Each Year For September 2016 The Next Three Years. o Fundraise For Full-Time Youth & Children Ministers * Autumn 2014 o Personal Pray For Our Leaders 4
Building & Premises o Appoint A Building & Premises Manager Autumn 2013 o Establish An Annual Programme Of Volunteer Works January 2014 And Repairs o Prioritise For Completion Within The Period Of The MAP The Following Works: Replace Toilets Renew Hall Flooring; Improve Exterior Noticeboards And Signage; Redevelop Playground; Renew Lighting; Replace / Renew Doors; Replace Pews With Chairs July 2014 July 2014 July 2014 September 2014 July 2015 September 2016 September 2016 o Create Dedicated Youth Fellowship Room * September 2015 o Personal Get Involved With Volunteer Work Days Special Focus: Youth Ministry The development of high quality youth ministry has been a consistent concern throughout all the discussions of the PCC over the past two years. For that reason, we have decided to propose a Mission Action Plan Special Focus to help us develop youth work over the coming years. Each category of our MAP has a particular youth-focused target. These are summarised below to help us keep them central in our planning. o Establish Youth Worship Band Autumn 2103 o Establish Regular Volunteer Led Pastoral Group For 11-16 Autumn 2013 Year Olds. o Develop Effective Outreach To Young People In Hoxton In September 2015 Partnership With Urban Hope o Develop Dedicated Young Leader Training Programme September 2014 o Fundraise For Full-Time Youth & Children Ministers Autumn 2014 o Create Dedicated Youth Fellowship Room September 2015 5
Sounds Great! How Do I Get Involved? Time Money Prayer We hope that every member of our church will feel inspired by this Mission Action Plan, and that we will all want to play an active part in this mission over the coming years. Amongst the many ways you can be involved, we can all contribute in the following ways: Giving our time: this plan will involve many volunteers and lots of special skills. Please consider the areas you could contribute to, and contact the church leadership team. Giving our money: we would encourage every regular member of the church to prioritise giving financially by bank standing order or payroll giving. Committing our prayers: we would like every regular member of the church to be committed in praying for this Mission Action Plan. Please consider attending prayer meetings and services. Each one of us can engage personally through: Engaging fully and prayerfully with the weekly worship services Inviting a friend or neighbour to a social event or course Being welcoming to visitors, and speaking to one new person each week Making use of discipleship resources available: Connect Groups, daily reading notes, courses and retreats Praying for our leaders Immeasurably More Ephesians 3:20 declares that God is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. We are committed to remaining open to the guidance and leadership of the Holy Spirit, and trust that God will use this plan, limited though it is, to effect transformation in our lives and in the life of our community. Accountability The PCC will regularly review our progress, and we will report back to the wider congregation on how we re doing. Please discuss with us any areas which you think are moving too slowly! 6
Our Context: Hoxton Hoxton is a rapidly changing neighbourhood. It is no use speaking of community in Hoxton: for there are at least six different communities. Rather, the church seeks to engage and serve people from every different community within our neighbourhood. Hoxton is both a historically significant, and also a historically deprived neighbourhood. Despite being one of the closest residential neighbourhoods to the historic City of London it is also one of the poorest. Council data places our ward in the top 5% of urban deprivation. The Church Urban Fund poverty survey ranks us the 7th most deprived parish out of 503 parishes in the Diocese of London. However, Hoxton is also a neighbourhood famed for its vibrancy, diversity and friendliness. In the context of great need, the church desires to demonstrate the transforming power of Jesus Christ and to see made manifest his kingdom. Our Context: The Diocese of London We are a Church of England parish within the Diocese of London. We are led by the Bishop of London, Rt Revd Richard Chartres, and overseen locally by the Bishop of Stepney, Rt Revd Adrian Newman. The Diocese has recently published its 7-year Mission Action Plan: Capital Vision 2020. In Capital Vision 2020, the church in London declares that we aim to be: 1) Confident in speaking and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ 2) Compassionate in serving communities with the love of God the Father 3) Creative in reaching new people and places with the good news in the power of the Spirit St John s Hoxton is pleased to play our part in Capital Vision 2020! 7
Vision To be a beacon of hope for Hoxton Mission To worship God with joy, making Spirit-filled disciples of Christ; to share the good news of Jesus with all the people of Hoxton; and to play our part in the transformation of the local neighbourhood Values Welcome Hospitality Excellence Joy Hope 8