S1 Welcoming Church Synod, we’d like to introduce to you today the Synod’s ‘Welcoming Church’ Program, the continuation of the United Reformed Church’s commitment to Radical Welcome. S2 Introduction 1. Our approach has been to supplement and adapt for our own use the ‘Radical Welcome’ materials produced by the United Reformed Church and endorsed by Mission Council. We have put together a 3- stage programme, which we hope will enable every congregation to participate, regardless of style, size, theology, location, ministerial scoping or LEP configuration. The program as a result is much more flexible than the ZI process, though using much of the same excellent and challenging materials, But, you will no doubt be pleased to hear: 2. There are no external deadlines, congregations can go at their own pace 3. You are encouraged to use the materials flexibly to suit your situation 4. The three stage approach, we hope, will allow all congregations to take part and complete to a stage they are comfortable with, and so the notion that this is an all-or-nothing idea, or only open to more liberal churches has been removed 5. Rather than recruiting companions and the evaluating of a churches progress feeling like an OfSted, we propose to ‘buddy’ churches with another local church at a similar stage, and provide tools for mutual accountability and honest self assessment. S3 AND REMEMBER ... it’s not about the numbers S4 The 3 stages are: 1 exploring 2 engaging 3 embracing 1
S5 Exploring Is something every church can do, we’d like every church to be a congregation which is exploring the welcome they offer. Range of resources available, both printed and online which help your congregation discover for themselves what they do well, what they do not so well, and stuff you've probably never thought of that could all add to your welcome, not just for Sunday worship, but throughout your buildings and activities. During the exploring stage you are: 1. encouraged ask some of your members to visit another local church to experience being the visitor and bring back stories of how that felt. 2. asked to complete as a church one of three books about welcome and evangelism 3. ensure that all parts of the church are involved and all parts of the churches life are considered, not just Sunday mornings S6 Once you’ve got to know each other, you can help each other make the church even more brilliant. S7 Resources 1. The Grove Booklet 2. Everybody Welcome 3. Purpose Driven Church 4. Our own, Vision4Life materials (online, some in the RW pack) S8 However welcoming your church is we believe you will benefit from joining in the exploring stage, and even if you did some of this for the ZI process some months ago, we still encourage you to look at some of the resources you didn’t use, maybe some of the Vision4Life bible studies on Welcome would be a good way to get the congregation engaged again, without it all being about practicalities. We believe every church in our Synod will benefit from becoming and exploring church and every congregation in the Synod can achieve this stage. S9 It's about hospitality, friendliness, presentation, image etc. 2
S10 Engaging Once your church has undertaken the exploring stage, (which is done entirely on your own and at your own pace) and hopefully brought about some changes and new ideas as a result, the next stage encourages your congregation to delve deeper. This stage we have called Engaging and is at the heart of the denominational resources on Radical Welcome. 1. To move on to be an engaging church you will also need a church 2. meeting decision to try to ensure ownership and 3. commitment to stage two. S11 Here’s how it then works, once you have church meeting agreement: S12 1. Contact your area Welcoming Church rep, that’s one of us 2. We will work with you to pair you with a ‘buddy’ church as soon as a suitable congregation is at the same stage. It may be a church in your pastorate, a local United Reformed Church which you don’t know that well, or an ecumenical partner which you have already approached and are happy to work with you. 3. The first part of Engaging is to get to know your ‘buddy’ church. Perhaps have a joint Elders meeting to share your experiences of the Exploring activities. Visit each others churches, share a session on your hopes and fears for this programme. A simple checklist will be available of questions or areas you might explore together to be confident you have each taken a full part in the exploring stage and are genuinely ready to Engage. 4. When you’re ready to go, let us know and you will each receive the Radical Welcome pack. And here’s more good news, you will not be spoon fed! The Radical Welcome resources have been redesigned for you to be able to use yourself, with a friend or friends from your buddy church leading you through the materials. 5. Again there is no time deadline, you are encouraged to take as long as you need to fully Engage with the Radical Welcome material. 6. AND ... if you really get stuck at any stage, or need a bit of help to get going, just contact us, and we’ll find someone to help. We couldn’t possibly have the answer to every scenario or problem now, but if non of above works for you, we'll meet with you and help work something out. And for any worship or bible study leaders listening, LOADS of the Radical Welcome materials use Luke’s Gospel as their basis ... which is this years Lectionary Gospel. If you work thorough the Exploring stage and get on to the Engaging stage before too long, you’ve got loads of resources to use in worship between Pentecost and Advent to supplement the process and get the whole congregation engaging! 3
S13 Introduction to the Radical Welcome pack S14 There are 7 components 1. Getting Started 2. Understanding ‘the other’ 3. The Biblical and Theological Understanding of Radical Welcome 4. Exploring Boundaries 5. Fully Engaging with Radical Welcome 6. Welcoming ‘the other’ 7. Moving towards covenanting And if that wasn’t enough, there is a whole host of poems and worship resources to use both during tour Engaging stage and for the Covenant Service if you complete all the areas and wish to commit to being a Radically Welcoming Church. S15 There’s even a sheet which lists all the hymns in Rejoice and Sing with a Radical welcome flavour, we’re spoiling you now! S16 1. You are encouraged to use the materials flexibly, adapt them to best suit your situation, and if you have a better idea than is in the pack, tell us! 2. What is important is fully Engaging with the seven areas/themes, not simply completing the pack. 3. You may want to work as separate churches, helped by a ‘buddy’, or you may wish to do all or some of the sessions together. 4. Remember there is no timescale, the important thing is to Engage full, not finish quickly. 5. It may take you more than 7 sessions to fully Engage with all seven areas 6. If you find one area particularly tricky, may want to try something else and come back to it later 7. If don't want to a particular issue, or it gets very tense or heated, stop what you are doing and instead engage with the reasons for the uncomfortableness. S17 Try and address any problems you discover as you go along S18 1. It will probably take your church at least six months to complete this stage fully, it may take you a lot longer. There is no rush. 2. You may get to the end of the materials or even half way and decide as a church, we’re not quite ready for this, or there are some theological difficulties we need to address before we can move on. That’s OK, better to be honest and realistic then just plough on. 3. You may decide in your church meeting to end it there, or, to go back to the exploring materials & do some more preparation work. 4. But, when you think you are fully prepared for stage three, S19 confirm that with a church meeting decision then let your Welcoming Church area rep know. 4
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