Gloucester & Forest Centre of Mission 

Gloucester & Forest Centre of Mission ministers in Matson, a community on the edge of Gloucester city. It is bordered by countryside, but can feel a bit on the edge of things. Some parts of Matson are among the most deprived communities in the UK. This centre of mission is a partnership between Church Army and the Diocese of Gloucester and was launched in September 2019 with Andy Wilson as Lead Evangelist. Parallel to this work, a Pioneer Evangelist will soon be recruited to work in Coleford, a small market town to the south-east of Gloucester. The centre of mission will be involved in helping establishing new worshipping communities, as well as supporting and developing a lay pioneer leadership network across the diocese. We will be partnering with other organisations to enable this work to all take place. The latest newsletter from Gloucester and Forest can be read here.

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Blackpool Centre of Mission

Blackpool has some of the most deprived estates in the country, and the residents of the Grange Park estate face some of the greatest challenges. Grange Park has a reputation of having high levels of unemployment, poor educational standards, crime and drugs. Launched in June 2018, Blackpool Centre of Mission is an exciting partnership between Church Army and the Diocese of Blackburn to breathe new Christian life into the estate and the deanery of Blackpool. Led by Evangelist Matthew Rowley, the centre of mission has established a Sunday afternoon service , the weekly Kidz Klub and a Tuesday study group. Matthew and the team in Blackpool long for the local church to serve the community in practical ways, and looking forward, they will offer their experience and gifts in evangelism to the churches of Blackpool as a resource for mission and fullfil the Church Army DARE strategy. You can read the latest newsletter from the Blackpool Centre of Mission here.

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Bradford Centre of mission

The Bradford Centre of Mission is home to the Sorted Project – a church for young people, run by young people. It was established as a fresh expression of church in 2005 by Andy Milne and his wife Tracy. It has since grown into three separate youth churches with a focus on teenagers and young adults from non-church backgrounds. It has been awarded a Bishops’ Mission Order which officially recognises it within the Church of England. Tracy Milne is the centre of mission's Lead Evangelist and works alongside Pioneer Evangelist Vicky Bell. Its work includes: three youth churches; outreach to schools and housing estates youth clubs; worship evenings; home groups and one-to-one mentoring and discipleship. You can find out more through Sorted's website or by reading their latest supporter newsletter.

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Greenwich Centre of Mission

The Greenwich Centre of Mission works across a number of housing estates and deprived communities in South London and is led by Nick Russell. His work includes: The Superkidz Community Trust, which reaches out to hundreds of deprived children, young people and parents each year through youth and children’s clubs, home visiting and mentoring, families work, holiday clubs and trips and employment advice and training, with specialist work with young offenders and those at risk of offending; Coffee Stop for socially excluded adults; Friendship Tea – an accessible Christian service for adults; Messy Church; a partnership with the youth charity, XLP, to help those struggling at school and at risk of exclusion and the Friday Night Youth Club in Abbey Wood with the vision of growing this into a youth congregation. You can find out more about up to date news at Greenwich in their latest newsletter.

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Hackney Centre of Mission

Our Hackney Centre of Mission was launched in September 2018, in partnership with the Diocese of London. It is led by Lead Evangelist Steve Plumb, and Pioneer Evangelist Andrena Palmer. The centre of mission was launched in September 2018, in partnership with Hackney Marsh Parish, and the Diocese of London. Hackney a borough of over 425,000 residents contribute to a diverse, vibrant, multicultural community. The borough has a mix of communities of wealth and of deprivation. Local churches, agencies, charities and social enterprises run numerous projects seeking to enhance the lives of residents. The Hackney Centre of Mission seeks to work in collaboration to support some existing initiatives and initiate new work. They work with the Hackney Winter Night Shelter offering support and practical help to those amongst the homeless community and with Housing Justice which finds hosts for Asylum seekers. The Clapton Park Tenants Management group have also worked with Steve to run community events. A weekly drop-in Barneys Café is soon to be launched, seeking to meet the needs of people with difficult life circumstances, Hackney Centre of Mission’s vision is to grow new expressions of missional Christian community and inspire mission and evangelism across the Hackney deanery. Church Army’s resource Faith Pictures will be key to doing this. Andrena who started in October 2019 is primarily working amongst unchurched young people (secondary school and older). To find out up-to-date news about Hackney Centre of Mission, read their latest newsletter.

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HARLEsTON Centre of Mission

The Harleston Centre of Mission serves a group of villages in a rural part of south Norfolk, mostly between the towns of Harleston and Diss. Lead Evangelist Trevor Clarke is helping people hear about Jesus for the first time and encouraging nearby churches to be Good News in their communities. The Harleston Centre of Mission is a partnership between Church Army and the Diocese of Norwich in the Deanery of Redenhall. Redenhall deanery is made up of 30 Churches in the southern part of Norfolk and, although the scenery is attractive, there is a deep social need. In 2018, for example, the local foodbanks could not cope with demand. The Harleston Centre of Mission’s key objectives are to nurture faith in an appropriate Christian community and inspire mission and evangelism within the deanery and the Diocese of Norwich. Its work includes: Mentoring young people struggling in school or at home; Midweek Mingle, a weekly group where support is given to parents and others who find themselves in challenging situations; Chatty Church; and their fortnightly Prayer Breakfast, which supports the mission team in prayer with mission and evangelism as the focus. You can read more about Trevor and the work of the Harleston Centre of Mission in their latest newsletter.

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King's Lynn Centre of Mission

Behind the old streets, maritime landmarks and the stone arched windows of King's Lynn minister, lies a much less picturesque reality of loneliness and isolation. This rural Norfolk town is among the 10 percent most deprived areas in the UK. James Hawksworth leads the King's Lynn Centre of Mission here and ministers in an area of considerable poverty – the kind of area where Church Army has made its home in all the fourteen decades of its history. The vision is for evangelism to become a way of life for many Christians, not only in King's Lynn but in the surrounding churches in the north-west of Norfolk.

James' heart is with young people and their families. He's has been working with the YMCA, who have started a youth club in the North Lynn estate and James will act as a YMCA Chaplain at the youth club. This has also opened up avenues to do mentoring with some of the young people on the estate, which he hopes to begin in the near future. James is also a Chaplain at a local school, supporting new year 7 studets who have found it hard to settle in to a big school. He also runs Games Club, a lunch club for young people where James gets alongside those who are facing all types of issues including loneliness, brokenness at home and bullying. In South Lynn, James is working alongside a local church to help them develop their evangelism and outreach on the estate. You can read more news from the King's Lynn Centre of Mission in their latest newsletter.

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Liverpool Centre of Mission 

The Liverpool Centre Of Mission, based in the parish of Norris Green, was launched in November 2017. This is a strategic partnership between the diocese, the parish of St Christopher’s and Church Army. The Parish of Norris Green is based close to the centre of Liverpool. It is an area of social need but also there is much regeneration and new housing being built. Paul Smith, Lead Evangelist, and Cherith Withington, Pioneer Evangelist, assist the running of a foodbank which has a strong focus on listening to, befriending and praying with those attending, leading assemblies. They also teach RE lessons in two local Primary Schools and have a men's football ministry. The Liverpool Centre of Mission is developing a toddler church and a community garden focused on prayer and support for the most vulnerable in their community. Paul is also involved with Merseyside Christian Youth Camps and supports individuals experiencing mental ill-health. Read the latest news from Paul and Cherith in their newsletter.

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Medway Centre of Mission 

In its glory days Chatham was home to Henry VIII's navy, but over four centuries have gone by and the town is now a place where people with many needs live. Stephen Ramshaw and Mike Dare are determined that people's lives will be better because of the centre of mission. They want to give people hope in a place where there is low aspiration, security where there is practical need and a Saviour in a place where many people don't know how much God loves them. Their vision is for the Medway Centre of Mission to be a beacon of light and love to the people of Chatham and the surrounding Medway towns, telling people how much they are loved, valued and worth. Stephen is involved in a number of different initiatives in the area, including: a Sunday service at the Tap 'n' Tin nightclub in Chatham, chaplaincy work on a Monday evening at the same nightclub, a community cafe and fortnightly pop-up furniture shop in Strood and weekly prayer walking in the area.  They also are building relationships with the homeless in the area and have launched Medway Oaks, a weekly drop-in on a Sunday with a 'God slot' in the middle. Find out more about what's happening in Medway Centre of Mission by reading their latest newsletter.

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Middlesbrough Centre of Mission 

Middlesbrough Centre of Mission is based on the Brambles Farm and Thorntree estates in Middlesbrough, which are in the top 1% most deprived neighbourhoods in the country. St Thomas Church (Brambles Farm estate) no longer has a building or congregation and was the last Anglican worship on the estate. The last time the church met there was in October 2006 and their building was demolished in 2007. But the legacy lives on! God is already doing a lot on these estates and the Lead Evangelist, Jane Emson, joins to help this grow, as she works alongside Father Terry Leathley and local laity. Jane is starting a New Worshiping Community (church plant) for 20s-40s on the estate. She has gathered a small team and the new church opened in October 2019 and are meeting for prayer. Jane also helps at Tommy's Youth Club for 11-14 year olds, runs school assemblies and is involved with Feast of Fun, which provides activities and healthy food for low-income families across Middlesbrough. She is beginning to set up a community forum on the Thorntree estate as well. The Middlesbrough Centre of Mission was launched in September 2019 as a strategic partnership between the Diocese of York and Church Army.

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scunthorpe Centre of Mission

The vision for Scunthorpe Centre of Mission, which was launched in July 2017, is 'Transforming Communities, Building Church'. It is led by Paul McDonough and Sean Andrews and works in three communities across Scunthorpe (the Riddings estate, Westcliff and Berkeley). The role of Scunthorpe Centre of Mission is to encourage the present church communities and also bring hope to the wider community and show that Jesus is relevant and that he cares about the folk who live in these areas. Paul and Sean have been building relationships with statutory and local organisations across Scunthorpe. Paul has been leading assemblies in schools in Berkley, where he is based and is currently establishing a messy church in the area. He has also become chaplain to the Forge Centre in Brumby, which works with homeless men and women, providing a drop-in and food. Sean is based on the Riddings estate and works a lot with young people in the area, including at the local youth centre and he also does school visits and assemblies in the three schools on the estate. Sean also visits the local pub where he is there as a listening ear. This has led to great conversations about faith, life and death. In Westcliffe, Paul and Sean have been working with the local foodbank and creating a community garden and nature and conservation area for local schools and groups. You can read more about what Paul and Sean have been up to in their most recent newsletter.

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Selby Centre of Mission

Edge Community is a vibrant community of local families who are discovering God on the Flaxley Road estate in Selby, Yorkshire. Formed in 2009 and led by Evangelist Richard Cooke and members of St James church, it recently celebrated its 10th birthday as a church. Pioneer Evangelist Amy Hayes also alongside local Christians as they reach out to families, children and teenagers. Flaxley Road is one of the most socially deprived communities in North Yorkshire, where there is much brokenness and hurt. Richard and Amy work with the local Christians to bring the Good News of God's love and His power to transform lives in a variety of ways: in the local primary school with assemblies, RE and a Christian afterschool club; supporting local teenagers and young adults; women's Bible study; social events and one-to-one relationships. Partnering with a local charity, Edge Community are working towards establishing a community hub which will help facilitate and support local people. You can read the latest newsletter from Selby Centre of Mission here.

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sheffield centre of mission 

Kinder Kalsi leads the Sheffield Centre of Mission which was formed in 2013, working alongside Deborah Battersby. Amongst the Sheffield COM's key objectives are growing new expressions of Christian community and inspiring mission and evangelism within the Sheffield Diocese. Across the city, they are involved in coordinating mission and evangelism with the 9 churches in the city centre and equipping the Church to build confidence within congregations to share their faith. Kinder is also the chaplain at Springfield Primary School, in one of the poorest areas in Sheffield and whose pupils face challenges such as learning English as a second language and poverty. The Sunday evening Gathering is in partnership with the Methodist Church and Salvation Army. It is an extremely diverse worshipping community made up of individuals experiencing issues such as substance-misuse, unemployment and those experiencing homelessness can share a meal and meet with God.

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Southampton Centre of Mission 

Tim Hyde and Ruth Hills are based at our centre of mission in Southampton. Church Army has had a very long association with Southampton, so it is appropriate that it was one of the first cities in the UK where Church Army developed a centre of mission. Changing to meet changing needs, its work now has the scope to encourage and enable evangelism across the city from a base on the east side.

Tim is based in Sholing Parish where he works alongside St. Mary’s Church, Sholing. This includes running Impact youth group, including fun and games as well as the Deep Impact sessions, a space to dig deeper. They also take these young people on a summer youth camp each year. Tim and his wife Kathy (a covenanted evangelist and commissioned Anna Chaplain) are also involved in a number of community projects, including Classic Cuppa (a traditional Tea Shop for the older community), and the Restoration Project which currently holds a pop-up Repair Café every few months, but has a much bigger vision of a wider community hub. They offer free repairs to all sorts of items, homemade cakes and refreshments and a bike repair service (courtesy of Monty's Bike Hub). There is also a place for people to sit and chat, and a team from the neighbouring Peartree Church bring along Messy Church for the children to get involved in.

Ruth is based in the Bitterne Park area of Southampton, where regular outreach events include: Footsteps, a weekly mum’s and tot’s group; and EDGE, an afterschool club in both the local infant and junior schools as well as a new faith sharing community in the area which meets, eats and shares life’s experiences together. EFC (Extreme Fun Club), is an evening group for junior-aged children. You can read more about the latest news from Southampton Centre of Mission in their supporter newsletter.

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Torbay Centre of Mission 

The Torbay Centre of Mission was launched in September 2016 and is bringing the Good News of Jesus to Paignton, Torquay and people who live in the bay between. Torbay was once a thriving holiday destination, but now it has a very high rate of poverty among children, old people and those of working age. The local churches long to respond, and they have identified people aged 18 to 30 and their families as a priority. Jeff Hill has been living and ministering on the Foxhole Estate, Paignton since August 2014. He is serving families practically through community lunches, a toddler group, work in the school, a big termly community event for families and a Messy Church. Adrian Prescott joined the team in September 2016 to live in nearby Torquay and begin new projects that bring help and hope to people who live in the forgotten corners of the town. Between them they long to encourage other local churches in their mission, and gather people around them to share the vision for introducing Jesus to people who do not yet know how very much God loves them. 

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