CHURCH GUIDE 2015
Welcome to St Paul’s Shadwell! SPS has been our home for ten exciting years - and we hope that it becomes a home for you to thrive in too. Our vision is for the transformation of Shadwell and the East End through the love and power of Jesus. We do this through making disciples, transforming communities and planting churches. We hope you can join us on the adventure!
Rector
O UR VA LUES AIM HIGH We want to live out of audacious faith and enduring hope, being the best we can be, because God is glorious. GIVE IT AWAY We want to welcome everyone warmly, give what we have generously and share the good news creatively because God is gracious. ENJOY IT TOGETHER We want to pursue loving friendships, forge dynamic teams and encourage far reaching unity because God is good. BOW THE KNEE We want to serve with humility, pray with expectation and worship with abandon because God is great.
SUNDAYS We have three services:
9.30 AM Holy Communion 11.00 AM Informal family worship (with cafe from 10.30am)
6.00 PM Informal evening worship (with cafe from 5.30pm) All our services are relaxed and welcoming. No background knowledge or experience is assumed. Come as you are.
C H IL DR EN & YOUTH Every child is an equal and valuable member of our church. That’s why we offer fun sessions in which children can meet with God and discover how to pray. We also take children’s safety seriously and all our staff and volunteers undergo a DBS check. We have the following groups on Sundays during the 11.00 AM service: Wobblers (10-30 months) Tumblers (Nursery age) Scramblers (Reception to Year 2) Explorers (Year 3 to Year 5) We also have a Youth Group for those in Year 6 and above. Every other month on a Friday night, youth from churches across Tower Hamlets meet together for an event called Access.
ALPHA If you would like to discover more about the Christian faith, or look into the core beliefs again, then Alpha is for you. Over ten weeks, in a friendly, informal setting, there’s a chance to discuss openly about the meaning of life. There is no cost and no question is off limits. Look on our website for details of the next course.
“Alpha at SPS has been a roller coaster ride of emotions for me. It allowed me to ask questions, explore my faith and challenge ideas, all without fear of ridicule.” Samantha
CONNECT GROUPS It can be daunting to try to get to know everyone at SPS, so Connect Groups are a great way of becoming friends with a smaller number of people in the church. Most Connect Groups meet mid-week on a fortnightly basis. Some groups meet at St Paul’s; others in people’s homes across East London. Usually they involve food, prayer and discussion.
“Joining a Connect Group is like a feast for the soul. It has helped me refocus on God and His plans for me this past year. I'm looking forward to what He will do this year!” Christa
COMMUNITY We seek to serve the people of Shadwell with humility, generosity and love. Here are some ways in which we do this: Money Management We offer free coaching and debt advice on Monday evenings and Saturday mornings, and Live Smart courses to help make the most of our resources. Mums, Tums & Little Ones Every Wednesday and Thursday, 10am-12 noon, church is set up for parents to relax and chat over a cup of coffee and for their toddlers to play. Coffee & Cake Usually on the first Monday of the month, 10am-12pm. Anyone is welcome to join us for coffee, cake and chat in the CafĂŠ Room.
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Night Shelter From November to May, we host a GrowTH night shelter, one night a week. Family Life courses and Mentoring We regularly run courses on marriage and parenting, and offer mentoring for a small number of children.
Children’s Holiday Clubs In partnership with other churches, we help run clubs in school holidays. We also have community fun days during the year. Father’s Football We support outreach, particularly to Bengali dads, through weekly football sessions. TELCO SPS is a member of this local expression of Citizens UK, working with churches, mosques and schools to seek the welfare of Shadwell.
GET INVOLVED CO N N E CT Join us at a Welcome Lunch, where over a meal we can get to know each other better and share more about SPS. You can also join a Connect Group directly.
S E RVE Everyone has gifts and skills and we encourage all church members to join a team. Sunday teams include welcome, hospitality, worship, media, prayer ministry and CSPS (children’s church). Community teams are wide-ranging, including helping with the night shelter, playing football, getting involved in local campaigns or volunteering with children’s clubs.
P R AY We need God’s help for every activity we do. We meet to pray every Thursday, 7-8am in the Cafe Room. Every term we have an evening of prayer and worship called ‘Kingdom Come’ - details on the termcard.
G I VE We depend on the congregation for all our finances, so giving is one important way of getting involved.
WHAT N E X T ? Fill in a Connect Card and drop it in the Connect Box in church, or hand it to a member of staff. "Being part of the Nightshelter team helps me stop thinking about myself. It adjusts my attitude and helps me to focus on the needs of others." Ben
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