The Church on the Road
Inclusive. Eucharistic. A safe place to be with God.

After much deliberation the Leadership team came up with a mission statement which is simple
and to the point, as well as being a statement that can be unpacked in lots of different ways.
We have tried to describe who we are without limiting what we do and how we develop.
Here are a few ways of unpacking this statement.

a) We are very obviously a church on the road – so close to the road that people do not notice that
we are there. (salt and light in the community – salt and light is so often not noticed until it is not
there!) Many people walk, ride and drive past. We stand here for them all; people of faith, people
on the edge of faith and people of no faith at all. We commit to pray regularly for all who
pass this church – travellers on the road.

b) Some will stop here for a moment – visiting the church or the community hall (many of our hall
users call the hall “church”. In the hall we have, karate, knit and knatter, art and writing groups,
dance etc etc) They come in to pause for a while on their journey of life. Everything that happens
here (hall and church) should be rejuvenating in some way – coffee, art, dance and of course
spiritual refreshment in the church which is a place of memories and silent prayer. They may join us
for worship in Holy Communion, praise and thanksgiving. This is refreshment for the spiritual life
with prayers of thanks for help that they have had and prayers for help as they leave on their
journey, with prayers for others who journey too. We are an inclusive place of hospitality for weary pilgrims on the journey of life.

c) Some will stumble into this place lost or in need of healing, battered and wounded. They will
usually stay much longer for the safety and healing that the church on the road can offer. This place
is like a haven to storm ridden ships. Here like the monasteries of old inner wounds can be tended,
as the battered ones turn to God for help and find. or re-find, their faith and start to see that Jesus
travels with them on their journey. Here they will receive the “map” of faith and learn how to read it;
here they will regain their inner strength and become part of the community of the faithful for a
while. Here they will find healing in the Eucharist, the bread and wine of Christ, and grow in
strength with teaching and friendship and when the time comes for them to leave we will wave
them off with our blessings and prayers as they travel on, now lit up with the light of Christ within
them. We are a place of healing and teaching of the faith to help those who journey find their way.

d) There are those who have always been here, part of the community and those who are called to
join us and work with us to keep the church on the road as a place for others to come – people of
faith, on the edges of faith and of no faith at all. These are the cleaners, coffee makers, welcomers,
book keepers, those who sit and wait with the doors open, those who pray, teach and preach,those
who are stewards of the Baptism and Eucharist. All of us who try to be gracious and generous to all
who come to this place of hospitality and openness to keep it as a safe place to be with God. It
can be hard at times – being there for others, but for those who are called this church on the road is
our journey, living as a holy community, worshipping God and engaging in the mission of God in
this place – open to all who come – like the monasteries of old but living and working in the world as
well.
We (the people) keep this safe place (the building) to be with God so that anybody may
come, some to visit, some to stay and get help, some who are called by God to stay in the
service of this the church on the road.