Thousands of churches throughout the United Kingdom participated in Thy Kingdom Come. Here are some case studies of smaller churches that participated this year and some tips on how to participate as a small rural church. Thousands of churches throughout the United Kingdom participated in Thy Kingdom Come. Here are some case studies of smaller churches that participated this year and some important tips on how to participate as a small rural church.
Top 5 tips for the participation of small churches with limited resources
Commit yourself to do one thing well and then build on it: For example, just focusing on an event (24/1) or an activity such as morning and evening prayers.
Collaboration: This can be particularly useful as a small church where resources are likely to be limited. By pooling resources, there is a potential for greater impact. Why do not you consider working with other local churches in your area, especially those of other denominations?
Creativity: Having a smaller congregation may mean that there is not as much capacity to perform activities, but this often leads to higher levels of creativity and ingenuity. For example, why not try creative variation in a traditional prayer service, such as walking walking or prayer stations or doing something completely new?
Focused on the community : Thy Kingdom Come can be a wonderful opportunity to reach the community in general, whether visiting tourists or neighbors. Why not try to incorporate something practical in your TKC activity that involves reaching out to the local community, such as praying on the streets, around key community spaces, or inviting people to eat and have fellowship?
Combination: You may have limited time and resources to organize a completely new activity for Thy Kingdom Come, why not try to integrate it into existing church programs? This could be to adapt an existing corporate prayer time to have a focus on Thy Kingdom Come Focus or encourage small groups to participate during the 11 days or incorporate it into a traditional Pentecost Sunday service.
Although our goal was to pray for the people we know to come to Christ, our Methodist friends established several creative prayer stations focused on issues that affect our local community, such as rural poverty, isolation and problems affecting the agricultural community. .
Case study 1
Rural churches working together (Anglicans and Methodists)
"We participated in Thy Kingdom Come last year, but this time we were much more intentional and started planning earlier.
Ascension Day began with a joint communion service: the 3 small parish churches (each church with an average attendance of 20 to 25 people each Sunday) and the local Methodist Church (with an average attendance of 20 people on Sundays) who we attend often work next door. It is a true evangelical association not only in words but in action.
The opening day was full of activities: regular hours of prayer and several times of food and companionship. While our goal was to pray for people we know to come to Christ, our Methodist friends established several creative prayer stations focused on issues that affect our local community, such as rural poverty, isolation, problems that affect the community agricultural and poor mental health.
We also encourage participants to take to the streets and pray for people. Later in the evening we had a prayer walk, praying for key spaces in our community, such as schools to pray for our young people, the village pub to pray for the community in general and the cemetery, to pray for those who are in duel.
It was the perfect time of day to be outside, like many people: runners, cyclists and dog walkers came out and asked us what we were doing.
The day ended with a lovely evening service and another communal meal for everyone.
Throughout the 10 days, we kept our activities quite discreet, although we had a special service from Thy Kingdom Come Themed Messy Church for families that was held in the Methodist Church on one of the days. For the end, we had a great parish worship service on Sunday, with the attendance of people of all ages, it was wonderful. "
Rev. Fiona Gibson - Vicar of three small churches near Bedford
Case study 2
Thy Kingdom Pilgrimage Come culminates in the joint celebrations of Pentecost Sunday and Christian Aid Week (Diocese of Sheffield)
"In 2017, I planned 8 biking or walking routes to each parish in my archdiocese, the equivalent of 100 miles of cycling, 72 miles of walking and visiting more than 110 churches in the process! The goal was to give every church in our diocese, no matter how small, an "excuse" to participate easily in your Kingdom Come! During the 8 day trip, I met with people in most of the churches and participated in a wide range of small events for Thy Kingdom Come.
This year, we arranged for Bishop Pete Wilcox to make 2 pilgrimage routes; The first of these, which includes the rural decanatos -Tankersley & Wath, ends with an urban walk to the Cathedral. The second started in the small town of Firbeck, where about 30 amazing people joined us for breakfast and prayer in a small church. That day ended with a Deanery Eucharist that links Thy Kingdom Come with Christian Aid Week, as the dean who celebrates raising £ 5k for development work, who received EU funds to create a very significant gift of £ 20k. "
Revd John Hibberd - Mission Development Advisor, Sheffield & Rotherham Archdeaconry
Case study 3
Pray and taste 'prayers: join resources (Methodist Church and others)
"During Thy Kingdom Come, our village chapel, in Grandborough, (Warwickshire) was opened during the week so that other local churches could come and pray. This was an exciting and anxious moment for us, since we only have seven members, so we need volunteers from other churches to help. One of these commissioners parked on a nearby street instead of the church parking lot, which prompted a local resident to leave and tell the butler to move his car. The volunteer steward used this meeting as an opportunity to talk about why the Church was open at this time and invited this neighbor.
Upon entering, the neighbor was attracted to one of the images on the wall and shared that she had a similar image at home. In her excitement, she hurried home to bring her back to the church where she stayed all week!
The lady has not returned to the Chapel since then, but that instance has changed our relationship forever. In the Chapel, our mission is to pray for our community and every week we pray for a different street, road or closure. We can be invisible but we are invaluable. Your kingdom come, Lord.
Volunteer, Methodist Chapel in Grandborough, Warwickshire