Planning Day - 13 July 2002

Each person was asked to answer the question: "What are the key events in the life of St Luke's as you remember them?" They then shared their answers with the people sitting around their table. Finally the results were shared and recorded on an ohp and used in a time of prayer.

The events remembered were very varied:

the fire in 1972
missions - St John's College - the Choice Youth Mission - beach missions at the front
homegroups
Saints Alive and Alpha courses
conferences and visiting speakers
parish office
salaried staff - Joyce and Paul
OLMs - Barbara and Margaret
David Trollope coming as vicar
musicians/worship
change in services/different styles
healing ministry
overseas mission groups
St Luke's Halsall School
covenant with other churches
Crossroads
increased financial giving
Hopes and Dreams
Jesus Video project
prophetic words - need to be looked at again
change in atmosphere
car boot sales!

These memories were personal to people present. Other people would have remembered many other events and activities that have been held over the years. The purpose was to remember God’s goodness and give thanks.

Health Checks

Canon Robert Warren had identified 10 characteristics of a healthy church. A sheet describing these characteristics was given to each person. They were asked to score each one from their own perspective on a scale 1 - 10 where 1 is weak and 10 is strong. The results were then collected and averaged. They are shown here with the results of the Homegroup Leaders meeting who did the same exercise.

The planning day participants were more optimistic than the Homegroup Leaders averaging 6.3 versus 4.9. In both cases there is still much growth required.

Looking Forward

Two watch words have guided our planning as we look forward:

Strengthen what you have,
Build stepping stones into the community.

Strengthening the life of St Luke's

Research has shown that growing churches are strong in eight key areas. Over the past few years we have used these areas as a framework for evaluation and planning. David shared our current thinking on each area, highlighting where we are seeking to improve.

Inspiring Worship
- improve sound system in church
- greater variety of music/more people involved
Holistic Small Groups
- develop Homegroups along cell church principles
- increase number of people in Homegroups
Empowering Leadership
- more training courses & support for leaders
- protection for all policy needs updating & implementing
Passionate Spirituality
- become a more praying church
Gift Orientated Ministry
- involve more people in the life & outreach of St. Luke’s
Functional Structures
- review our administration
Loving relationships
- work more closely with other churches
Need based Evangelism
- the big question - what plans does God have for us??

More work needs to be done in evaluation, setting goals and implementation. This work will always be ongoing and needs updating regularly.

Building Stepping Stones into the Community

Sue Sinclair from Kingsway Christian Fellowship shared how God had called her to both pray for and become involved in community action. Her testimony, stories and enthusiasm were very challenging. We are called not to just build a church but to transform a community. "Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven."

We then had a time of prayer and listening to God seeking the way forward for St Luke's.

The following suggestions were made:

The need to reconsider a prophecy given by Jim Smith to St Luke's in about 1995.

The waters of repentance need to flow into this community,
to bring hope and healing to the people.
This is the plan and desire of my heart.
My people must become the channel of the water of repentance.
This will be costly for you,
and for your leaders, but do not count the cost,
value only the prize - my spirit seen at work in every place.
Humble yourselves before me.
Cry out to me, and I will show you the way in which you are to walk.

We considered this very relevant for the present moment as we sense the call to get involved in the community is growing. We need to repent, let go and seek God's plans. The words of Mission Praise 591.

Sue Sinclair had walked praying through Crosby village on the way to the session. She was aware of violence creeping into the village and the growth of drinking and the George about to open till 1:00 am. She was also struck by the fading cross on the front of the Crossroads Cafe. Was the cross loosing its central place in our lives?

She also had a picture:

of a beehive and the beekeeper tending it
and removing the top to taste of the sweet honey and to give it out.
I believe that the Lord is saying -
You have a real sweetness at the centre of this Church
but it is time for you to take that out and to release it in our community.
It is time for our community to taste and see that the Lord is Good!

The need to strengthen our prayer life could be helped by renewing the daily prayer books that named streets/schools/community buildings etc and were used by all the churches. We could consider a prayer clock where people agreed to pray for a set time each day and so have continual prayer.

We need to be more aware of and support our ministries into the community eg Halsall School, Crossroads, uniformed organizations, ATC, play group, hospital visiting etc, as well as individuals ministries through their
daily work.

Support was expressed for Manor High School becoming linked to the Church of England.

Could we have combined services once or twice a year and encourage all congregations to come together?

Conclusion

We have had positive comments about the session. People felt encouraged and renewed. God seemed to be confirming the call to not just build stepping stones into the community but to walk on these stones and become involved in the community in new ways.

The day was the beginning of a process of seeking and discerning. Please continue to pray and seek the Lord for the future and feed back thoughts and ideas.

this page was last modified on 16 August 2002