Denomination: Anglican Church
Open doors, Open hearts, Open minds is a summary of our philosophy at St Chads, our mission statement, and has been unanimously adopted by the PCC. As with all such phrases, it is intended both to express how we see ourselves now, and our aspirations for the future.
OPEN DOORS - Our church doors stand open from 8am until 5pm from Monday to Saturday and on Sunday mornings, and many drop in to find sanctuary in a busy world. This also implies that our worship, its music and the language we use strive to be fully inclusive of male and female, young and old, black and white. Our aspiration is that an atmosphere of encouragement should prevail, in which all can offer their gifts to the glory of God and the benefit of others.
OPEN HEARTS - This points us out into the community. St Chads has always understood itself to be aiming to inspire and encourage its worshippers to play their full part in the life of this town, the county and the diocese - and indeed further afield. We aim to express in our individual and communal living Christ's love for the world, and to be a place where people are made to feel that they matter. It also means that we try to advocate justice for the poor, the oppressed, the excluded and the marginalised.
OPEN MINDS - We are all seekers after God - none of us has full possession of the truth, and it is our privilege and responsibility to accompany and support all those who come within our care on their particular journey of faith. "Growing in faith" courses are run regularly through the year. Each of us has a responsibility to grow in relationship to the God who is revealed in the person and life of Jesus Christ, and to do so through regular worship, daily prayer and study of the Bible. We strive towards the Benedictine rule of mutual obedience, where the loudest voices do not dominate, and where we recognise that the Lord often reveals what is better to the newer and younger minds.
We are an inclusive church making everyone welcome. Children are always welcome. We have a number of young families in our congregation and there is a crèche and Junior Church provided at the main 10.00 am Sunday Service.
As a FAIR TRADE church, we play a full part in supporting Fair Trade in the world as well as in issues of an environmental nature. Matters of social justice are always high on our agenda with strong support for organisations such as Amnesty International. Members of our church are key movers in founding the Ark which is a new “drop-in” centre in Shrewsbury for those who are homeless and vulnerable.
Many folk are attracted to our church because of its excellence in music. Regular services are enhanced by a robed choirs with the support of a fine 3-manual organ, newly refurbished in 2011. Apart from the many Friday lunch -time concerts offered every year, St Chad’s is the chosen venue for internationally-famous ensembles such as: The Sixteen, Ex Cathedra and the English Symphony Orchestra. It has recently hosted no fewer than three BBC Songs of Praise broadcasts.
We host a variety of events during the year, many of them reaching out to a wider audience than our church congregation. We are all seekers after God – none of us has full possession of the truth. It is our privilege and responsibility to accompany and support all those who come within our care on their particular journey towards God.
OPEN DOORS - Our church doors stand open from 8am until 5pm from Monday to Saturday and on Sunday mornings, and many drop in to find sanctuary in a busy world. This also implies that our worship, its music and the language we use strive to be fully inclusive of male and female, young and old, black and white. Our aspiration is that an atmosphere of encouragement should prevail, in which all can offer their gifts to the glory of God and the benefit of others.
OPEN HEARTS - This points us out into the community. St Chads has always understood itself to be aiming to inspire and encourage its worshippers to play their full part in the life of this town, the county and the diocese - and indeed further afield. We aim to express in our individual and communal living Christ's love for the world, and to be a place where people are made to feel that they matter. It also means that we try to advocate justice for the poor, the oppressed, the excluded and the marginalised.
OPEN MINDS - We are all seekers after God - none of us has full possession of the truth, and it is our privilege and responsibility to accompany and support all those who come within our care on their particular journey of faith. "Growing in faith" courses are run regularly through the year. Each of us has a responsibility to grow in relationship to the God who is revealed in the person and life of Jesus Christ, and to do so through regular worship, daily prayer and study of the Bible. We strive towards the Benedictine rule of mutual obedience, where the loudest voices do not dominate, and where we recognise that the Lord often reveals what is better to the newer and younger minds.
We are an inclusive church making everyone welcome. Children are always welcome. We have a number of young families in our congregation and there is a crèche and Junior Church provided at the main 10.00 am Sunday Service.
As a FAIR TRADE church, we play a full part in supporting Fair Trade in the world as well as in issues of an environmental nature. Matters of social justice are always high on our agenda with strong support for organisations such as Amnesty International. Members of our church are key movers in founding the Ark which is a new “drop-in” centre in Shrewsbury for those who are homeless and vulnerable.
Many folk are attracted to our church because of its excellence in music. Regular services are enhanced by a robed choirs with the support of a fine 3-manual organ, newly refurbished in 2011. Apart from the many Friday lunch -time concerts offered every year, St Chad’s is the chosen venue for internationally-famous ensembles such as: The Sixteen, Ex Cathedra and the English Symphony Orchestra. It has recently hosted no fewer than three BBC Songs of Praise broadcasts.
We host a variety of events during the year, many of them reaching out to a wider audience than our church congregation. We are all seekers after God – none of us has full possession of the truth. It is our privilege and responsibility to accompany and support all those who come within our care on their particular journey towards God.
