Church of Braughing, St Mary the Virgin
« Mission Action Plan »

Our Bring and share lunch has been a success with members of the community beyond the church coming along and joining in.
Completion of the Stannard Room – a kitchen/toilet facility which has opened up the church and made it more welcoming.
We now have a weekly regular prayer group.
We regularly run Alpha courses and have seen people grow in faith.
We have seen 5 adults baptisms and two people confirmed.
We launched an All age morning worship service in the summer of 2019 and now see a few new families regularly attending.
Members of our congregation have completed a healing ministry course.
We held a very successful renewal of marriage vows service with over 50 people attending many of whom renewed their vows.

We haven’t grown in confidence sharing testimonies and our faith stories with friends and neighbours as much as we hoped although it is difficult to measure.
We didn’t hold a just looking evening (we ran Alpha instead).
Numbers of regular worshipers, particularly at our traditional services have reduced.

To be a worshiping, thriving church community of all ages with new people coming to faith or returning to church and taking their place in the church family. To be the body of Christ sharing the love of God in our village and beyond.

Welcoming and inclusive.
Worshiping and witnessing.
Loving and serving.
Sharing and supporting one another.

Continuing to grow a younger congregation (ie more parents with their children becoming part of the church family and also more ‘returners’ joining our church family).

Consolidate on the family and children’s work we are already doing through Little Fishes, Little Fishes church, Baptisms/Baptism preparation, our All age worship services and one-off children’s events.

Becoming more invitational. Involve all newcomers in church life so that they feel an increasing sense of belonging and being part of the church family (ie joining rotas, being part of teams for Sunday teas etc).

Regularly offering Alpha courses as a way of building relationships and helping people to grow in faith.

Improving communication with the wider community.

Advertising services, events, who we are etc in the new free magazine in the village.

Explore opportunities for using social media to its full advantage (post on the young mums’ what’s ap group, use Facebook, Next door, a church near you for advertising/making people aware of church and what the church is offering).

Explore other innovative ways of advertising services and events more widely – eg using banners and other ways?