Rev Sue Steer - Pioneer Community Minister
Lubbesthorpe, Leics
Sue has pioneered a variety of community ministries for 20 years, founding the Pathways Centre at Hinckley Baptist Church and creating a seven-day-a-week community-focused church. There, she launched missional initiatives like a mental health meditation group, Dementia Support, a community café, and Messy Church.
Since 2016, she has worked in the New Lubbesthorpe new housing development which will eventually become a new town. Originally employed by Churches Together in Leicestershire her role was to foster a healthy, inclusive community whilst seeding a Christian missional community.
This has resulted in Lubbesthorpe Alive CIC a community development non-profit which has fostered children’s work, interfaith activities, signposting and 1-1 support for people in need of additional help, Connexions for older people and wellbeing initiatives. Based in a small Community Hub, the groups offer practical support, friendship and connection. They also organise a variety of larger community festivals and events.
Early on in this ministry a small Christian community emerged from the community work, meeting to learn, pray, and share meals. This grew into Lubbesthorpe Christians Together, a network of missionally minded Christians seeding new initiatives with friends and neighbours in homes, outside and in The Hub whilst staying connected for support and fellowship.
Steve Watson - Community Chaplain
Beeston, Notts
Steve is employed part-time by Beeston Baptist Church as a Community Chaplain. His context is working in Middle Street Resource Centre (MSRC), which is a mental-health focused community centre in the heart of Beeston. It used to be a NHS Day Centre, but when it was threatened with closure it was taken over by the community as a CIO.
MSRC is centred around a lovely cafe where people can come and just be, meet with friends, have coffee and cafe or even lunch. Leading off of the cafe are a series of rooms in which various activities take place – some run by the centre, some hired by outside services, others privately hired. On any given day there are plenty of activities for people to take part in (some free, some have a small charge), such as relaxation, art, yoga, music appreciation, woodwork, guitar groups (even a ukulele group!)
Outside, the centre is blessed with a lovely garden which is tended by a willing group of volunteers which is a place I love to go in summer to seek solitude or sit and chat. The people at the centre have been very welcoming of me as I am the first chaplain that the centre has had. This has also resulted in conversations around faith and belief pretty much every day. If someone wants to talk privately I am also available for one-to-ones which happen most weeks. However, some people are happy to talk in the cafe and even be prayed for there. MSRC being a charity has a large group of volunteers without which it wouldn’t be able to function.
Steve has been in situ for 18 months and loves his role at the centre. It is a blessing to get up in the morning and look forward to going to work! He primarily uses the Parish model of chaplaincy, seeking to build relationships, be a listening ear and offer advice, comfort and spiritual wisdom. In addition, he also runs groups at the centre – a spirituality group, a prayer space, and seasonal specials such as 'Journeying to Easter'.
Rev. Ann Marie Fradgley - Pioneer
Nettleham, Lincs
Ann Marie is a pioneer in Nettleham, Lincolnshire. Since arriving in the area in 2019 she has felt an increasing call to “Create places of Sanctuary”. Soon after arriving, God placed Anne (a co-pioneer) in the same locality, and together they have led the Sanctuary spaces as they have organically grown:
“Creative Sanctuary”
“In the beginning God created…” (Genesis 1:1)
tries to create a God centered creative space where people find community, friendship, hospitality and above all experience the love of Jesus. This has developed into a space particularly for those seeking and searching for a relationship with Jesus as we welcome God’s creative Spirit and presence among us. It is a safe space in which individuals are free to be themselves and to explore and discover what a life of faith looks like for them.
“Table Sanctuary”
“Jesus said…, ‘Come and have breakfast.’”(John 21:12)
... And that is what we do! Sharing breakfast together around the table to intentionally focus on God: rooted in God’s love, relationships and hospitality. It has become a community that worships, prays, explores scripture, and breaks bread together.
“Soul Space”
“Jesus said, ‘Come… Learn from me, for I am humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul.’” (Matthew 11:29)< Soul Space is a time for participants to step away from the busyness of life to intentionally seek to nurture their relationship with God as they learn to rest in God and find nourishment and refreshment for the soul. This is a time to be still and listen to God and experience different ways of prayerful-ness as a means of exploring what personally helps each person draw closer to God.
Currently these groups meet within homes – Ann with her co-worker are praying for Sanctuary Spaces within the village to allow Creative Sanctuary to be visible within our community, thus allowing others to join us. Additionally, a larger place is needed to allow us to invite more to Table Sanctuary.
Karl and Karen Relton - Pioneer Community Ministers
Lubbesthorpe - Leics
Through their life together Karen & Karl have always kept the question "How do we reach people who are not part of any church?" front and centre. Karen has led initiatives into local schools, and been innovative in finding ways to connect primary schools to the life of the local church. Together they led community focused ministries while Karl trained at Spurgeons for accredited baptist ministry.
While leading a church in Ely for 12 years they collaborated with other churches on several new community initiatives across the city, advocating an 'inside-out' mindset at every level of church.
Feeling called to a new chapter in pioneering, they joined with Rev Sue Steer and the small Christian community at Lubbesthorpe to contribute to the community work on the new housing development. Here they now operate in a self-funded capacity as pioneer community ministers, living incarnationally in the new housing - first renting and then buying a new-build. Their 'open house' approach enables them to come alongside residents of all faiths and none, discussing spirituality, pointing to Jesus, and exploring in greater depth with those who wish to.