Whole Church Update – August 2021

Our Vision

We already have a God-given purpose; it’s given to us by Jesus and it’s the same as every other church.  We have summed it up in this phrase.

“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

Matthew 28

Our STRATEGY: FOUR WORDS

We want to help everyone, both inside and outside the church, on a journey to faith and maturity in Christ.

As the Church of England in Lutterworth, Cotesbach and Bitteswell we have spent the last few months seeking God’s will for the future.

Part 1: Prayer & Fellowship

We spent the first six weeks in prayer and fellowship, drawing back together and seeking God’s will for the future. This included developing 5 Qualities to shape our church for the future.

VALUES: FIVE QUALITIES

  • BELIEVING
  • GROWING
  • BEING FAMILY
  • ON MISSION
  • LIVING GENEROUSLY

Part 2: Discussion & Discernment.

We spent seven weeks in discussions, including a church-wide survey with 127 responses.  The three church councils met together and the clergy and wardens drew those discussions together.

On Monday 19th July, there was an open church meeting in person and online that made some announcements for our future together.  Charlie and the churchwardens offered these conclusions for the next steps.  These are now to be worked through over the next few months.

2021: Some Conclusions

1.  The Wycliffe Fellowship

We want to form a new umbrella organisation to oversee the mission and ministry of the church.  This will enable a joint leadership team and increasing cooperation between Lutterworth, Cotesbach & Bitteswell.

This is not intended to remove the distinct characteristics of our three churches, as most of the impact will be behind the scenes.  This will simplify much of our organisation to help us to work together.

2.  Sunday Gatherings

We used to hold a number of services across our three churches, including some running simultaneously.  We believe that simplifying the pattern will make it easier for us to organise and grow sustainably.

10.30am United Gathering  All together on the first Sunday of the month with a deliberate blend of styles and usual thematic teaching and occasional guest speakers.  Usually held in Lutterworth.

OTHER SUNDAYS

8am Traditional Communion on 2nd & 4th Sundays of the month.

9.30am Classic Service Alternating Bitteswell (2nd and 4th) and (Cotesbach 3rd and 5th): robed with organ, choir, monthly Junior Church.

11.00am Lively Family Gathering in Lutterworth with band-led music, informal style, children’s work.  Possibly breakfast at 10.30am.

~7pm Reflective in Lutterworth, contemplative services in a variety of styles and formats, including occasional evensong.

3.  Life Groups

We are relaunching our midweek gatherings, giving those currently participating and new members the opportunity to join new groups.

Part 3: Planning & Preparing

Summer is a good time for rest and recovery.  But it also gives us some space to prepare for new plans in the Autumn, so we need to hear from as many people as possible.

Get involved

Church is all of us.  We need people who are willing to get involved and serve where needed in our church.  This may be a great opportunity for you to try something new or recommit to something that you used to be involved with.

It would also be good if people would consider taking on new responsibilities for the leadership and organisation of others.  If you would like to explore this, please speak with Charlie or Tom.

Join a Life Group

We’ve decided not to disband all existing life groups in order to start new ones, but instead give people the opportunity to make changes.  If you’re currently in a Life Group, but think a change would be good, please talk to your Life Group Leader and complete the form.

Perhaps you’ve never been part of a group in our church before.  This is a great time to change that.  Please let us know as we will be forming the groups in September.

Finally

In June we asked: How optimistic do you feel about the future of our church?  You said…

Please pray for our future together and look for opportunities to get involved.