The Church School Partnerships have been very popular with churches and schools for a number of years. As schools have engaged with them and want to engage with the Bishops Vision of Bigger Church Bigger Difference, a new award was created.
The Church School Worship Award has been designed to focus on developing and growing a worship community. This is a community that is aimed at parents and children together and is intentional about growing disciples, about nurturing individuals and enabling local leaders to grow.
Archdeacon Jennifer McKenzie was overjoyed to present the Diocese of Liverpool’s first ‘Church School Worship Award’ to Wellspring, based at St Pauls Goose Green CofE Primary School and St Pauls Church.
On presenting the award, she said “To see school and church working together towards forming a new worship community, and growing in trust while deepening their relationship with God is truly uplifting. Hearing how lives have been positively changed as more people St come to know Jesus and hearing their stories of growing in faith and confidence as well as their desire to reach and serve others is the epitome of “being a bigger church, making a differ difference.” Their exciting plans for creating a garden to be shared with the community, demonstrate how knowing Jesus can lead us to difference-making action.
The Wellspring Worship Community has already proved effective at reaching families from other schools—including some high schoolers. One of the great encouragements was to learn that, as a spin off, they now have three small discipleship groups that meet in addition to Wellspring and are currently working their way through Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life. Truly God is up to new and wonderful work in Wigan”
Rev Tim Montgomery, Transforming Wigan commented “We are really proud of the people of Goose Green community creating a really fab worshiping community.”
Rev Mark Wade , Local Missional Leader for WellSprings, added “It is great to be working with an amazing team of people, worshiping God together, growing in our faith, impacting lives.”
The Church School Worship Award
The Church School Worship Award has been designed to focus on developing and growing a worship community. This is a community that is aimed at parents and children together and is intentional about growing disciples, about nurturing individuals and enabling local leaders to grow.
The award has four sections:-
Part 1 - Developing your programme. Demonstrating that school/church have developing a community with God at the heart
Part 2 - Education and Worship. How is worship at the heart of the community?
Part 3 - Making and Growing Disciples. How are individuals growing in their relationship with God?
Part 4 -Self-Evaluation. Sustainability and Growth Plan. How is it the worship community working, is it sustainable?
For more information contact Rev Dawn Harrison - Bishops Officer for Spiritual Direction
And Seconded to Schools Development Minister.