Stepwise – Faith-Filled Worship

To you worshipful people of the South West Synod – a message!

I am planning to run Stepwise’s Worship Stream (or ‘course’ in other language) on Zoom for any who are interested. This will be for anyone in the Synod considering playing a part in worship leading…

Stepwise has been running in the Synod since 2020. It has replaced Training for Learning and Serving as the church wide programme to better equip us as Christians – only this programme is more focussed on how we function as Christ’s followers rather than focussed on what we know.

As many (but not all) church goers have been coming out of their lockdown cupboards to worship together, the world seems to look the same-but different.

What now are the spiritual needs of our congregations and their surrounding communities and how do we speak to those needs? What of the online communications a lot of us have been using? Do we keep using them and if so, how do we deploy them?

Heavens, one or two churches have even reported new worshippers attending services! How do we speak to them about why our faith matters to us? Might we want to refresh our faith life – especially but not only those of us who are Elders and who carry responsibility for the leadership of our congregations?

As well as other resources, Stepwise can assist in such reflections.  It focusses on reconnecting us with our own faith stories, helps us to find our own faith voice and connect with our communities.

It has different ‘Streams’ with essentially 6 sessions for each Stream focused in different areas of the church’s life. About 30 from this synod had engaged with it by October 2021.

The initial stream, Faith Filled Life, has been undertaken by about 24 people. Just over two thirds of them are based in and around Bridgwater. They have been engaged in two consecutive groups run by Rachel Leach.

Meanwhile Roy Lowes (the Synod’s Stepwise Advocate) has been running a small group which has been entirely on Zoom and includes people from right across the Synod.

As you know the United Reformed Church and this Synod are committed to the United Reformed Church’s, ‘Walking the Way of Jesus together’, initiative.

‘Walking the Way’ is a means by which churches and members can better intentionally strengthen their discipleship.

Stepwise is the Walking the Way programme designed to fit us to develop our discipleship more deeply.

So you know:

• the programme doesn’t cost anything, beyond an initial booking fee of between £5-£30 on a pay what you can basis
• if it’s done on Zoom you don’t have to travel anywhere,
• it takes anything up to nine or ten meetings (or in some circumstances it could be more using Zoom), probably spread over six to seven months
• there’s quite a bit of thought, preparation and reflection by the participants….
• that is supported by online resources that help you to prepare for sessions, reflect after sessions and
• through text, video, literature and other resources stimulate your thinking and growing as a Christians
• as well as the interactions in our facilitated meetings
• you can join it as an individual or a group from a church could join together….

We might not be Wizards but we seek to be wise in God’s Way and like all things that are worth doing, it’s worth equipping ourselves for the task…..

The video to which this is a link, by the United Reformed Church Education and Learning Committee gives you a further introduction..

Contact Roy Lowes as you need to, to find out more, discuss options or join a group that will be running this winter.  And above all be…

Roy Lowes
Synod Stepwise Advocate
Roy.avril@btinternet.com
07712 654968