Mission and Growth
Read about Home Groups, Missionary Llinks,
PARCHE, Prayer Ministry, Bereavement Team, School
links, Parish Outreach .
Home Groups
On alternate Wednesdays we have the opportunity to meet in smaller groups in
people’s homes for Bible study, prayer and friendship. This is an ideal way to
get to know people better and form closer friendships than is possible in the
wider context of Church services, to explore our faith and discuss what we
believe. Several such groups meet in homes throughout the parish.
Studies follow themes during the “terms” of Spring, Summer and Advent. Recent
topics for study have been the Beatitudes, the Letter of St. James, the Old
Testament book of Nehemiah and St Mark's gospel.
We support mission both at home and abroad, with special links to
Missionaries in Sri Lanka, Albania, Romania, south-eastern Africa, Medellin (via
Caring & Sharing) and St Patrick's in Hove.
(Pastoral Action in Residential and Care Homes for the Elderly)
This organisation started locally and is rapidly expanding to become
nationwide. We have an active branch at St. Michael’s, with two dedicated teams
of members who offer support to the housebound and those in local care homes, by
visiting, conducting services, and general friendship.
We aim to promote and develop prayer as the priority and key to renewal and
spiritual growth. The Parish has a prayer chain for quickly passing urgent
prayer intentions throughout the members.
We have a team of trained and authorised members who help with the Healing
Ministry after the main Sunday and Thursday services.
Our trained Bereavement Group follows up the needs of bereaved families,
including an annual Bereavement service to which they are all invited.
St Michael’s has established a strong link with the local infants school.
Currently it has 350 children who attend the church along with their parents for
their annual Christmas carol service and class groups visit the church
throughout the year. The children have contributed art work for exhibitions
during our Michaelmas Festival weekend for the past two years. The local
secondary school also took part in our Michaelmas Festival and we are building
up further links with it.
We have an ongoing outreach with literature and knocking on doors, in order to contact people whom we may be able to help. This tends to be concentrated in the summer months,
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