Update from Locking Parklands

I've been hearing that many people have enjoyed the WEBA video Weston-super-Mare, a Moving Story as it's done the rounds of the Jesus be the Centre events this autumn. My suspicion is that many of us can relate to this particular story, about two couples who take the step of buying not-yet-built houses on the new development at Locking Parklands so that they can build Christ-centred community there. Perhaps some of us hope God might use us in a similar way one day.

I was recently asked for a short piece to go on a leaflet promoting Home Mission, which all our churches will be receiving soon, and so I got in touch with Liz Cundy, one of the  Locking Parklands four, and asked her for an update. As they've only been there a year, and incarnational mission is a long term business, I didn't expect as much news as I got! I could only write a few words for the leaflet, so here's Liz's full reply for us all to share:

We are still visiting all new people who move in and taking them a welcome bag and card which gives us the opportunity to meet each new family.
Mums and Tots with about 8 families on our books happens at our house weekly on Mondays with both Mums and Dads as does a Community Coffee Morning on Thursdays when we have approximately 6 - 10 people coming along. 

We also head up the Residents Community Group which organises Events  - our BBQ in the summer attracted 200 people!
Other events have included an Easter event ,a  Teddy Bears Picnic, and more recently a Harvest morning using Chris Duffetts ' Fruit of the Spirit'  ideas alongside Tea Coffee and Doughnuts.  As we have no community building we have to do all of these outside but God has been gracious and faithful so that we haven't been rained off yet.  We see our church as being the worshipping part of this same community group and not something separate.

The four of us meet regularly every week over a meal and then spend the evening catching up, praying and listening to God.

Hospitality has been one of the most important ways of meeting with people and we usually spend at least one evening a week just having different folk round for meals and gradually building up relationships with them.  We have discovered there are a lot of 'Prodigals' on our patch so believe that they play quite a big part in what God is doing here.  Please pray that God will inspire us and give us wisdom for the next step forward.

As this is about Home Mission Funding for our training at the Crucible Course we just want to say how valuable the course has been to us, not just in it's teaching but by the encouragement we receive from other like-minded people each time we go.

Please pray for Liz, Malcolm, Debbie, and Andrew as they take all of this forward!
Ruth Whiter