CAPTION: Rev'd Dr Sam Wells, Vicar of St Martins-in-the-Field church in Trafalgar Square, outside St James' church in Swimbridge, Devon
Heart Edge inspiring Devon’s church communities to take journey of growth and discovery
The writer, broadcaster, theologian and Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields church in London, Rev’d Dr Sam Wells, swapped his usual city centre location for rural Devon this week as he led the Heart Edge Mission Shed day in Swimbridge, near Barnstaple.
He said “We introduce some mission ideas to local churches and invite them to think about how they can use them in their own context. Our mission statement at St Martin’s is ‘At the heart, on the edge.’ That’s obviously the fact that we are on the edge of Trafalgar Square, but also at the heart of London, but also talkng about the fact that Jesus’ ministry was bringing people from the edge to God’s heart and saying that those on the edge are actually the closest to God’s heart.
“The joy of doing an event like this is that this is a community that feels on the edge and the Gospel teaches that you might feel on the edge, but as far as Jesus is concerned, you’re at the heart.”
Singers from St Martin’s Voices with Sam Wells
Sam and his team led a series of information sessions, practical workshops and times of reflection and worship, with music provided by four singers from St Martin’s Voices, St Martin’s resident choir. The choir also performed a concert in Swimbridge church in the evening.
Sam started the day by giving a theological overview for the Heart Edge philosophy, saying “I think of Church in three senses, firstly it’s dwelling where Christ dwells, secondly it’s an assembly (that’s what the word ‘church’ means literally) of a bunch of peple who are just trying to get along, to forgive one another, to live in community, to be faithful, to walk in Jesus’ footsteps, the third notion of church is the whole panopoly of bishops and synods and church buildings and faculties and the whole nine yards of administration.
“When the newspapers say ‘the Church is dwindling’ they are always referring to the third notion because they can relate that to other institutions and count numbers and so on. But I always think, if we’re getting the first two right, who cares about the third one?
“The place to begin is not to evaulate our ministry and our work and our faithfulness by how the third one looks, because that comes and goes. The real one is are we fulfilling the ultimate calling of God, and are we getting on and making do and muddling along as a community?”
Rev’d Cathy Schoffield leads a Eucharist service at the end of the day
Sam also shared a three-point framework for creating flourishing churches, explaining: “There are three ways in which we can revitalise communities today: the first is to invest in technology to go along with the contemporary trends and embrace technological changes … the second way is what you might call the ‘old old story’, churches in rural communities are very much invested in Harvest festivals, Roagtion Sunday, Mothering Sunday, Remembrance etc, but also in robed choirs and conventional liturgy. I’d encourage people not to give up on those. If you are doing them really well, they are still valid, people still appreciate them and can still relate to them. When you start saying the Lord’s Prayer people will join in because they feel like they belong.
“The third is where the Church is perceiving and discerning the thing that society is crying out for but no-one is providing, things like contemplation and times of guided silence, but also relationship.
“Today has really been about encouraging and inspiring people to think how all three of those categories: modern developments in technology, time-honoured practises and the things that Church can offer that society is desperately short of – could enable your community to find growth and discovery.”
During the Heart Edge event partipants took part in a taster session for the Being With course, which helps people explore the Christian faith in new and refreshing ways. They also heard about the Heart Edge network of churches, which follow the 4 Cs: Compassion, Commerce, Culture and Congregation as a model to enable flourishing churches.
Liz Dunbar with a fellow participant at the Mission Shed
There was also a session on the Growing the Gospel Together resource for worship, which include a weekly reflection linked to the lectionary readings and open questions for small groups to explore the scripture passages.
Participants were also treated to Great Sacred Music in the church – a 35 minute sequence of words and music which explores through song and readings the musical of ‘our great religious heritage’ (classical or contemporary.
Liz Dunbar, a Pioneer Licensed Lay Minister, who attended the Mission Shed said afterwards: “We were given a plethora of thoughtful and practical ideas from a church that has spent years prayerfully discerning how best to share Divine love in their community.
“St Martins-in-the-Fields may be in central London but everything the various staff spoke about and demonstrated was adaptable to our Parish churches in Devon e.g. training, courses, frameworks, tools, books. There were so many creative resources that we could all use, but it was also so important to hear the methodology and theology behind their conception from Sam Wells too.
“Having members of the St Martin’s Voices sing for and with us in taster sessions, really added to the experience and reminded us of the power of music.”
