Loving the City of Southampton

Loving the City  

Above Bar Church

Loving God | Following Jesus | Sharing Hope

What does it mean to love the city of Southampton?

1 Corinthians 12 describes the church as a body. Every member is important. Each has gifts and a role to play. A gift is an ability that comes from God to meet a need and is to be used for the common good. When one part of the body is not functioning effectively it affects the whole.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ… God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13, 18-20)

Discovering your passion shows you where to serve If you could change anything in the world and you knew you wouldn’t fail, what would you do? This will help to identify your passion e.g. education, injustice or age demographic.

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These gifts can be clustered as shown in the grid on page 2.

Which group fits you best?

What are your top three gifts at this time in your life?

Ask others who know you well.

Discovering your gifts shows you how to serve  Spiritual gifts in scripture, predominantly shown in Romans   12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:8-10; 28-30, and Ephesians 4:11

Prophetic gifts (bold, inspirational, communication)

Priestly gifts (sympathy, service, behind the scenes)

Kingly gifts (organisation, down to earth, getting things done)

Evangelism

Giving

Administration

Exhortation

Healing

Apostleship

Interpretation of Tongues Hospitiality

Faith

Knowledge

Mercy

Leadership

Prophecy

Pastor/Shepherd

Wisdom

Teaching

Miracles

Discernment

Tongues

Serving/Ministering

In the 2015 Above Bar Church survey we discovered 58% of the Church serve in at least one area with more than 15% serving in three or more areas. This is very encouraging!

There are still many needs and opportunities however to contribute to in the church family. We acknowledge building the body is not only done in church activities but also everyday on our frontlines. Similarly some may not physically be able to serve in an area but can underpin many ministries of the church through prayer, encouragement and financial giving. As you read this booklet pray the Lord would bless each ministry and ask the Lord what part you will play in the coming year.

The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. (Matt 9:37-38)

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A group for pre-school children and their parents and carers.   We meet on Monday and Tuesday mornings. We aim to provide a happy, friendly environment for children to play, and adults to chat and make new friends.

What could I do?

Oversee sessions communicating with the team, and ensuring the session runs safely Serve in the kitchen preparing drinks for adults and children, as well as the mid-morning snack Mingle and get alongside parents and children, both in conversation and in activities.

Craft prepare and/or help with crafts at Poppin Church.

Poppin welcomes families from all faiths and no faith at all, and aims to show them the love of God through actions and conversations.

Poppin Church provides opportunities for families to engage with Christian faith through the activities and Bible stories.

To find out more or join a team Email: hannahzealey@abovebarchurch.org.uk

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Hannah Zealey, Children’s Ministry Assistant

Please pray that Poppin would continue to be a place where people enjoy time together and encounter God’s love through the welcome they receive. Pray that families will continue to come to Poppin Church to hear more about the good news of Jesus and for creativity for the team who plan and prepare each event. Pray that God will continue to provide the team required to enable Poppin and Poppin Church to run well.

What is GSMA? GSMA (Great Sunday Morning Adventure) is run for children aged 0–11 during both Sunday morning services.

In these groups we teach children about God from the Bible in fun and engaging ways. There are separate groups for babies, toddlers, 2-4s, 4-7s, 7-11s.

How can I help?

Join one of the teams - there are a number of varied roles within GSMA and WOW, from teaching the Bible to preparing craft, helping with activities and working with children with additional needs.

What is WOW? It’s a fantastic club for children from the church and their friends (years 3-6) which takes place on Wednesdays during term time 6-7:30pm. As well as varied and fun activities each week we have a short talk to help the children understand more about the Bible, and to discover the relevance of Christian faith for their lives.

Jane Watkins Head of Children’s Work

Want to know more or join a team? Contact Jane on:

jane@tonywatkins.org.uk

Give thanks and pray for the 110 team members who serve across children’s ministry. Pray that the Bible would continue to be taught faithfully and delivered engagingly each week and pray that children will keep bringing their nonChristian friends to WOW and GSMA.

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The youth work at Above Bar Church seeks to Enable young people to Engage with God by: Enjoying one another, Experiencing his love and being Equipped for whole life discipleship.

Young people at Above Bar Church are part of a loving community, enjoy a great programme of events and have lots of opportunities to explore the Christian faith and loads of time to get to know God better.

How can I serve?

There are two youth groups at Above Bar Church:

Mentor a young person Pray, sign up to pray for a young person.

Study the Bible with a young person.

Join the youth team on a Thursday night or Sunday morning.

The Box For those in school years 7-9.

Rooted For those in school years 10-13.

We want to teach the Bible in a way that is relevant to the lives of young people today, to help them discover who Jesus is and grow in their faith.

For more info contact Aaron: aarongriffin@abovebarchurch.org.uk

Our longing is that all the young people that connect with Above Bar Church meet with God. Aaron Griffin Head of Youth Ministries

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We love students, so we are here to welcome you into our family and support you in your mission on campus.

Being on the team means:

• • • •

Leading a small group Doing a regular 1-2-1 Being part of the Huddle

Going on the annual weekend away • Cooking alongside the students As part of the church family, you could: Offer hospitality, buddying with a family and cooking them a meal as often as you’re able.

1-2-1, opening the scriptures and prayerfully supporting one another.

For More information contact Callom Harkrader: callomharkrader@abovebarchurch.org.uk

Please pray that the Student Ministry would be effective in encouraging the students to be active in their pursuit of knowing God and seeing his work in their lives; pray that their love for him would spill out into their work and relationships.

Callom Harkrader, Head of Student Ministries

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Cameo Cameo is our regular meeting for those over 50, held on the first and third Wednesdays each month, Cameo meets to chat, enjoy a meal together and take part in activities or listen to a talk. (Lunch costs £4.)

What we get up to: Activities including craft, music, bell ringing, Bible class and games. We have talks from a range of speakers, mostly from external organisations.

Who we are: Cameo isn’t just for members of Above Bar Church. Everyone is welcome, whether or not they attend church at all.

Volunteers we need: Kitchen Helpers. You don’t need to have much experience in the kitchen just a willingness to muck in and help out.

Increase our heart for the Lord and that we would seek him more earnestly in prayer. Grow our love for one another and help us to be a blessing to each other.

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Pastoral Care We are committed to being a church which cares for each other. We all need God’s love and grace in the different circumstances we face.

How does the Pastoral Care Team support the church?

Much of the pastoral care at ABC happens within homegroups and other informal groups or friendships, but sometimes it is necessary or helpful for the Pastoral Care Team to be involved.

Involvement can include visiting people who are ill/elderly in their homes or in hospital, oneto-one support, or bereavement care. The level of involvement depends on each person’s availability and experience.

Team meetings (whole team or subgroups) usually total 5 times a year. PCT members are required to have a DBS check and to be a member of Above Bar. The PCT is headed up by Sally Campbell (Head of Pastoral Care), working with Tim Sutton (Minister responsible for Pastoral Care).

To send a prayer request or to receive the prayer e-network, email: prayer@abovebarchurch.org.uk To receive the weekly/monthly pastoral prayer list contact the office.

Please pray that as a church we would increasingly be an authentic community of people that walk alongside each other in the joys and sorrows of life, and point one another to Jesus. Pray for wisdom, strength and compassion for the Pastoral Care Team.

Sally Campbell, Head of Pastoral Care

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Be the friendly and welcoming face of the Above Bar Church community. Create loving environments that help people experience God. We greet people at the door, hand them a weekly bulletin, show them to their seats, serve refreshments, and much more.

We want to do our best to welcome and host people at our Sunday services and to help them feel at home so that they can experience God. You will also meet some great people and have fun along the way.

First Impressions volunteers make a real difference!

If you enjoy being a host and love interacting with people, this is the team for you.

Serve | Engage | Connect Get in touch and come on board!

Email: gerhildhaitchi@abovebarchurch.org.uk

Visit: The welcome desk

Online: abovebarchurch.org.uk/serve/firstimpressions

Once you are part of the team you decide when and how often you want to serve.

Gerhild Haitchi, First Impressions Team Leader

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Jesus came to serve and give. Please pray that as the First Impressions team follow Jesus and serve the church family, they would experience joy and see God’s kingdom grow.

Audio& Visual 


We are passionate about great audio and visual that seeks to facilitate everyone’s interactions with God, in a way that points people to Christ.

There are three main ways to serve on the Audio and Visual teams. Each has a rota and you can choose how many times you serve in a month. There is also great training available.

PA Good PA is vital to effectively running our Sunday services.

Those doing PA work closely with the musicians and service leaders to bless the whole church.

Projection Visual aids in the service really help people to connect with the verbal communication.

Video Video is becoming increasingly more important within in our culture and it is a great way to communicate the message of Jesus.

Want to know more or sign up? Contact Adrian: adiedick@gmail.com

Please pray that people would be free to engage with God in our services and that we can relevantly help them to connect with Jesus.

That each of the team members would be able to meet with God as they serve the team.

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B

ig reakfast

Andy’s Story At first Andy was invited to church, but he only knew a few people. It wasn’t the kind of thing that he would ever have decided to do on his own, but now he says, ‘It was the best thing I ever did! I love it.’

A free breakfast, with a short talk about what we believe as Christians. We particularly welcome anyone who is homeless and vulnerable.

How can I serve?

Cooking Chatting and sharing Serving tables and setting up

The breakfast group began shortly after Andy’s first contact with church, and soon drew in more people. Word spread about what was on offer, and soon more people began coming to the breakfast. It’s not just an opportunity to have a warm cooked meal, it also brings people out of the cold and wet to a place where they don’t feel threatened and can hear the good news of Jesus.

Andy and others have been helped to get their lives back on track, turning around desperate situations into hopeful ones. Serving breakfast like this, and showing friendship, is a simple but profound way to show the love of Jesus to people.

Want to know more or sign up? Contact Ruth: ruthspradbery@abovebarchurch.org.uk

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Ruth Spradbery, Social Action Development Worker

Please pray that the guests would feel relaxed and would engage with the team. Each week we have a short talk and an opportunity for the guests to think about God, pray that the guests would get to know him.

MORE2

LIFE

The More2Life group meets in the lounge during the 9:15am Sunday service at the same time as the GSMA children’s groups.

More2Life exists so that people from Big Breakfast can experience some of the Sunday service but also spend time together in a small group. In the group there are believers, doubters and seekers.

We accept people as they are and do not judge them. we play games and we also study the Bible, listen to and pray for each other.

We are a group of men who gather once a week, who seek to befriend, support and encourage each other, especially those on the ‘fringe’ of the Church/ society.

We seek to help others who are exploring the Christian faith, but who feel they do not ‘fit in’ to normal church life. Our gatherings are relaxed, informal and non-religious - retaining a sense of occasional humour and perspective in our lives.

We meet Tuesdays at 6.30pm-8:30pm.

Want to find out more about volunteering for More2Life? Email: ruthspradbery@abovebarchurch.org.uk

Please pray that God would reveal himself to every member of these groups and that they would get to know God better.

CROSSOVER MEN’S GROUP

If you would like to find out more about volunteering for Crossover Email: steveloha@hotmail.com

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Serve the poor Save the lost With the church Across the nation What can I do?

CAP Core Values The relief of poverty for persons in the United Kingdom and elsewhere who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress by reason of their social and/or economic circumstances by providing and promoting the provision of advice and other services.

The advancement of education of the public in all matters relating to the management of their personal finance.

The advancement of Christian faith and doctrine.

Drive clients to Above Bar Church or local events.

Accompany Ros on a visit.

Support a client, includes 2 contacts per month: • A call or text • Meet up for coffee, at the client’s home or in a coffee shop, CAP will even pay for the coffee.

Help out at our coffee drop in on Thursday mornings 11-12 Organise client events, be part of a team and help with planning and organising client events.

For more information: Contact: rosbriggs@abovebarchurch.org.uk

Visit: www.capuk.org Give thanks for the volunteers that we have and those going on visits and supporting clients afterwards Please pray for opportunities to share the gospel and to be bold and clear in sharing our faith. Please pray for clients to be pointed towards God.

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Ros Briggs, CAP Centre Manager

Please pray for the right support for new Christians in their faith.

In the summer we will be starting a new initiative to support people who want to stop doing something but struggle to, whether that be smoking, binge drinking, gambling or an internet addiction. It’s really hard to tackle things on our own, isn’t it?

Support for when you want to stop!

CAP Release Groups help people break free.

Whatever the struggle, Release Groups provide a safe and confidential place where people can tackle the issue right at the core to break free and stay free.

Denying ourselves the things we want can be really tough, especially when we’re addicted to things that are not good for us.

How Can I serve?

Volunteer to assist the CAP Release Group Manager in the running of the group.

Provision of refreshments for group members.

For more information or to volunteer contact: paulwebber@abovebarchurch.org.uk

Please pray God would break the chains of addiction and bring true and lasting freedom and that he would provide wisdom and insight for the leaders. Britain has a serious problem with dependency and it's getting worse.

2.6m children live with parents who drink hazardously and we have the biggest drug problem in Europe.

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We are passionate about building relationships with internationals and welcoming them to Above Bar Church.

What is English Language Café?

This is an opportunity for internationals to practice their English in a relaxed café style environment. We focus on conversational English that compliments accredited courses. We aim to build relationships and develop community.

How can I serve?

English conversation: This involves building relationships and meeting new people.

Crèche: Looking after the children while their parents practise their English.

Serving tea and coffee.

Monday s 1-2pm

For More information contact Ruth Spradbery: ruthspradbery@abovebarchurch.org.uk

Please pray that God would build a depth of relationship between the leaders and those that come to the café. That conversations would open up and a sense of community would develop.

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During 2014 Basics Bank distributed 5 days-worth of food 9,531 times and clothed 2,300 people in need.

2015 figures are similar.

Have you ever thought about the volunteering needs of Basics Banks in our city?

Do you like to chat and drink coffee?

We are looking for befrienders, who are willing to sit and chat as clients come in.

Do you have retail experience?

We’d really benefit from a warehouse supervisor for a half day a week.

Basics Bank helps people who have lost their jobs and need a hand until the benefits system kicks in, low wage families who can’t make ends meet this month, mothers and children relocated to the city fleeing domestic violence, individuals struggling with their mental health, the bereaved, the bewildered and the broken.

Welcomed, respected, loved and fed – here at Above Bar Church.

Do you have a driving licence? We’re always on the lookout for individuals that can drive a long wheel based van.

How about being a Food Bank Supervisor? You would be the point of contact.

Identifying the needs of the clients. Talking to clients as they come in and helping them to get the support that they need.

For more information or to volunteer contact: office@southamptoncitymission.co.uk

Please pray that those who come to Basics Bank will feel welcomed and respected and that they would experience the love of God through the people that they meet. Thank God for our hardworking volunteers and pray that we fill the remaining spaces we require.

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A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families. (Psalm 68:5-6)

Foster Long-term: where the care plan for a child is that they will not return home and the child has reached an age where we will find it very difficult to find an adoptive home for them.

Short-term: where the care plan for the child is that they will return to their birth parent/s when it is suitable for them to do so, or when we place a children in a short term pre-adoption placement while we are looking for a permanent home.

Southampton City Council find homes for children and young people who are no longer able to live with their birth families.

There has been a steep rise in the number of children coming in to care in the UK in the last few years. There are over 600 children in the care of our Local Authority.

Respite: this is planned weekend placements designed to give other foster carers a break.

Emergency respite: where a child or young person comes in to care at short notice, in an emergency situation.

Adopt We are looking for adopters from a wide range of backgrounds. Our children are all individuals and all need different types of families.

Support Pray for and encourage carers, their birth and foster children that the fruit of the Spirit would flourish in their home.

Offer to babysit so carers can have quality time together.

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Accept that looked after children who attend church may not be as well behaved as birth children in services and GSMA.

Want to know more? www.homeforgood.org.uk Contact :
 paulwebber@abovebarchurch.org.uk

Please pray that each of the 15,000 children who need a home for good in the UK will find one. Christians would ‘go the extra mile’ and adopt children that are difficult to place i.e. 4 year olds and above.

Street Pastors offer reassurance, safety and support through listening, caring and helping.

They patrol in teams of men and women, night and day. They care for, listen to and help people who are on the streets.

What do we do?

Trained volunteers run regular patrols at night-time in Southampton city centre and in schools and parks throughout the city during the day and evening.

We work to: Enhance community cohesion by linking different people groups together.

Calm emotional or aggressive situations. Reducing anti social behaviour.

Reduce vulnerability of people who are lost or alone.

Supply local information and signpost relevant local services.

What can I do?

Come and join the team – our volunteers serve for 6 hours a month.

You could become a Street or Prayer Pastor and do schools, day, night or evening patrols.

For more information visit: www.streetpastors.org

Contact:

 

mandy@southamptonstreetpastors.org Pray for the peace and welfare of the city (Jeremiah 29:7) Pray for the salvation and healing of people in Southampton.

Pray for the Street/Prayer Pastors and their families, staff and trustees.

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69 Above Bar Street, Southampton, SO14 7FE 023 8022 8275 office@abovebarchurch.org.uk

Loving God | Following Jesus | Sharing Hope www.abovebarchurch.org.uk Above Bar Church is a charitable company limited by guarantee.

Registered in England and Wales, registration no 6959469. Charity registration no 1131075