Emmanuel Church Redditch

General background

Redditch is a town with a population of approximately 90,000. It was designated a New Town in 1964 with the object of reducing overcrowding in Birmingham. The town is a unique blend of old (dating back to a 12th Century Cistercian Monastery) and new. The town also dominated the global needle-making industry in the 19th century. The remains of the Cistercian Bordesley Abbey and the Forgemill National Needle Museum are popular attractions for visitors to the town.
Redditch is located in the beautiful rolling countryside of Worcestershire and is right in the centre of the national motorway network. There is a rail-link into the centre of Birmingham (40 minutes).
One of the most striking features of Redditch is the vast amount of greenery and open space. New housing, industrial and office developments have been carefully blended to fit in with the town. The 900 acre Arrow Valley Park runs through the heart of the Borough with extensive woods and park land all around.

Short History of Trinity and then Emmanuel Church

Emmanuel Church is a URC/Methodist Ecumenical Partnership, originally formed in 1976 when Redditch New Town was being developed. The Congregational Church was demolished to make way for the Kingfisher Shopping Centre and as Bates Hill Methodist Church was old and in need of extensive repairs, the two congregations decided to form a united church known as Trinity Church. The combined congregations began worshipping at their shared premises known as the Ecumenical Centre in 1976.
Initially the church had two ministers, one URC and one Methodist, the Methodist also having pastoral
responsibility for Alcester Street Methodist Church. In 1991 Trinity Church considered that to continue having two ministers emphasised the division of the two founding churches rather than the unity to which they aspired and it was decided therefore to have only one minister and a second person (Deacon or Lay Worker).
Subsequently, close links in the life and work of Trinity and Alcester Street Church were developed
which culminated in a formal local Ecumenical Partnership agreement in December 1999. Because of
an aging and reduced membership together with increasing need for costly maintenance, the Alcester
Street building was eventually closed and sold, as it did not prove possible for the premises to be
developed for mission and work in the community. The two congregations then merged fully to become Emmanuel Church.

Ministry and Leadership

The minister with pastoral responsibility for Emmanuel Church is appointed in turn by each of the LEP denominations. The present minister is from the Methodist tradition and his predecessors have alternated between URC and Methodist ministers. In 2008 funding became available to support a Family Worker, employed by the church, to work alongside the minister in a complementary ministry. The Church has a core of active, loyal and capable lay leaders. The church is part of the Bromsgrove and Redditch Methodist Circuit and also a member of the West Midlands URC Synod.
The ring road makes the town centre an island and this means that as the church is located within this island, its congregation is largely dispersed with many members travelling several miles into church.

Ecumenical Centre

Emmanuel Church occupies a unique position on the second floor of a modem building on the edge of the Kingfisher Shopping Centre. The Sanctuary is at the heart of the building; it is of modern design, light in its decor with moveable chairs and furniture offering opportunity for flexible use in worship and other activities. Other facilities include a carpeted area adjoining the sanctuary called the Narthex, a large hall capable of partition into a large and small hall, a large meeting room, kitchen and coffee bar, minister's vestry, church office, small interviewing room and Centre Administrator's office. Other office space is currently occupied by Nightstop, Carers Careline, BARN (Bromsgrove and Redditch Network) and Victim Support. On the upper floor is what was once a caretaker’s flat which now provides office space for the Circuit Administrator, Emmanuel’s Minister and Lay Workers.

The Church employs a Centre Administrator for 20 hours per week to deal with the day to day running of the centre. Many groups within the town hire rooms at the centre on a regular basis. New groups which need a room to meet are welcome, often for no charge to enable them to get started.
There is a thriving coffee bar open 6 days a week, where fair trade products are sold. It is staffed by volunteers and is open from 10-12noon Monday to Saturday. On Friday lunchtimes 12-1.30pm sandwiches and ploughman’s lunches are served together with a choice of mainly homemade puddings.
A Child Contact Centre runs on Saturday afternoons to enable children of divorced and separated parents to maintain contact. This is run by a group of volunteers from several Redditch Churches.
Some of the organisations which use the Ecumenical Centre are listed below:

Borough Council Indoor Bowls                                  Slimming Classes
Redditch Music Society                                           Princes Trust
Kingfisher W.I.                                                       Widows Friendship Club
Rainbows, Brownies & Guides                                  Redditch Older Peoples Forum

Wheelchair access is reasonable and there are disabled toilet facilities.

Congregational Life

Emmanuel Church is a United Church with one membership roll, each member holding joint membership of both traditions. For denominational purposes the total number is equally divided. Members presently number 145 plus about 80 adherents; and a Junior Church roll of 10.
The total attendance at worship on Sunday mornings is about 80. Sunday Evening services have an attendance ranging from 25-35, and a short Thursday morning service ranges around 15-20.
A variety of groups meet in the week in people's homes for Bible Study, prayer and fellowship. Many people find them to be a rich place for sharing and asking questions, for mutual support and growth.

There is a Ladies Group called Moveable Feast which meets on the 6th of every month in the evening with occasional evenings also open to men. A Craft Club meets to make a wide range of goods which are sold throughout the year; the proceeds going to many differing charities.
A bi-monthly Church newsletter is produced by teams of lay-people.

Children’s, Young People and Family outreach

There is an active Junior Church which meets with the whole Church at the start of morning worship and then retires for its own session. Also many events and trips organised.
Tots & Co
A weekly toddler group that meets on a Monday morning at the Ecumenical Centre. Free play, craft, rhyme and story time for under 5s and their parents/carers. The group has close links with its sister group (also called Tots & Co) that meets on a Wednesday morning at the Salvation Army.
Whatever!
A fortnightly group for 8 – 13 year olds whose aim is to have fun and make new friends in a safe environment. Favourite activities include: Badminton, games, crafts and cooking plus regular DVD evenings.
Messy Church
Emmanuel has a Messy Church team made up of members of church family, young people from Whatever!; and colleagues from the Salvation Army; holds on average 3-4 Messy Church events throughout the year.
Girl Guiding (Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers)
Emmanuel Church is delighted to support 4 church sponsored units based at the Ecumenical Centre. Our aim is to outreach to girls and their families, including them in the worship and social life of the Church.

Decision Making

The Church meeting makes all major decisions in the life of the church, receives reports and authorises the actions from them. A church meeting is convened 6 times a year.

Elders Meeting.
Elders are responsible for the life, stewarding and oversight of the Church. Are accountable to the Church Meeting and meet at least twice a year.

Other Groups.
Other groups which meet regularly in order to facilitate the life and mission of the church include:
Pastoral, Worship, Finance, Property and Management; World Service and Mission, Strategy, Social and Catering and the ‘Work amongst young people and families’.

Worship

Services are held at the following times:

Sundays         Monthly    9.15am    (Communion every 4th week in the month)
Weekly 10.30am    (Communion on the 1st Sunday morning)
6.00pm     (Communion on the 3rd Sunday evening each month)
Thursdays     Weekly   11.00am     An informal act of worship on a regular pattern including, music and meditation, holy communion, prayers for wholeness and healing and prayers for peace and justice (Attracts attendees of the coffee bar and occasional passers-by).

Ecumenical Involvement

The church supports 'Churches Together in Redditch' and there has been a Covenant between some of the churches in the Town centre for a number of years:

St. Stephen's Church (Anglican)
St. George's Church (Anglican)
Mount Carmel Church (Roman Catholic)
Salvation Army

Each Friday morning the Town Centre ministers meet together in the Ecumenical Centre for breakfast and prayers. The churches occasionally share together in joint services and social events; also act together in joint ventures whenever this would be useful and possible.

Current Employees

URC/Methodist Minister; currently Methodist. Shared with other Churches in the Methodist Circuit.

Children’s and Family Worker; Emmanuel full time. To support and extend our support of fellowship with and outreach to children, young people and families.

Church Centre Administrator; Emmanuel part time. To support the tenants and all organisations who wish to use the facilities of the centre.

Cleaners; contract. To keep the public places hygienic.

Volunteers; upward of 50 people, who serve on the coffee bar, maintain the building, keep the place running.

Emmanuel Church Redditch (Methodist and URC)