Apsley End, St Mary version: 4

Things seen about our local community

• Loss of Apsley village community - now a dormitory of Hemel Hempstead.
• Fragmentation of family life.
• Significant new housing development - commuter population.

Three things we have seen about our church

• Absence of 18-25 year olds but good number of young families
• Changes in peoples' lifestyles.
• Two successful initiatives – Saturday Café and Messy Church

Vision (for five years' time)

A vibrant Christian community with a raised profile in Apsley and Nash Mills.

Priorities (for the next five years)

• St Mary's to become the centre of the new Apsley.
• To help Apsley become a community once again.
• To develop resources to enable 1. and 2. above to happen.

Goals (for the next year)

• To host a community forum to help the church better understand and serve its community.
• To produce an audit of church life and activities.
• To explore the possibility of establishing a communications group.
• To explore together with the congregation ways of developing home groups and other ways of Going Deeper Into God.
• SMART goals’ progress 2014-15 – Monthly Messy Church well-established; various fundraising events with church and community focus; continuation of events/services in the community e.g. carol singing outside Sainsbury’s, in local pub, in newly opened care home and occasional eucharists in church school; various nurture programmes – PILGRIM course, Lent film course, 5 adults preparing for confirmation and annual Quiet Day at Douai Abbey.