About Us

Our Mission for the Bridge Benefice

As we look forward to the next few years in the life of our parishes, we see these as the priorities for the development of our mission.

To create and promote a pattern of worship which fits the rhythm of village life, that brings the parishes together and makes the most of the great Christian festivals and special occasions.
In common with many rural churches we notice that while Sunday congregations are small, the big occasions are always well attended. We want to make the best use of these opportunities, to create a calendar of high-quality special events and services and to ensure that people who come only on these occasions know that they are part of church life too.

To make our churches into hubs of the community, open to all and used in a variety of ways for the good of all local people.
We value the historic importance of our parish churches at the heart of the villages, but we also recognise that we need to work hard to ensure they are fit to fulfil this role in the 21st Century. We will continue to adapt the buildings and the way they are used, in order to maximise the number of people coming into these great places of worship. This will include making them available for people of all ages, welcoming the many visitors who come to our villages and for community use, as well as for purely Christian worship.

To build a worshipping community that crosses all generations and parish boundaries, with a diversity of worship that includes young people, older people and those who have no church background.
We recognise that our core congregations are getting older and not entirely representative of the wider community. We will continue to value the faith and spirituality of these older worshippers and recognise their needs, while sensitively introducing and promoting newer forms of worship which will create a more diverse and inclusive group of worshippers. This will include building on the existing family services and fresh expressions, ensuring that these are part of mainstream church life, not entirely separate.