On the last Saturday of each month, a group of people gather in St Godwald’s Church Hall on the edge of Bromsgrove for ‘Pizza and God’, the parish’s café church. This new worshipping community is one of a series of alternative opportunities to come together for worship across Bromsgrove, which take place on different times and days through the week.
The Café Church at St Godwald’s is just over a year old and continues to grow. The group has had up to 39 people attending. The format is very simple with prayers and songs, a short reflection with an activity and tea, coffee, soft drinks, pizza and other snacks available throughout. It is currently led by the Curate, Richard Sandland and ALM Worship Leader, Kerstin MacDonald.
Richard said: “Combining the service with tea and holding it at 5pm seems to work for families. I’m keen that it’s a service where we do what Jesus asked us to – remember him when we gather to break bread (or pizza!). We have some crossover with the Sunday morning congregation, but not much and are really trying to break down the idea that not everything needs to happen in church. We advertise through flyers, social media and word of mouth.”
There are already two other fledgling new worshipping communities happening in Bromsgrove parish with initial plans for two more. Stoke Prior hosts a ’20 is Plenty’ service at the end of the school day once a month with a short time of celebration involving the local school choir, and All Saints in the town has started a monthly ‘Soul and Senses’ reflective prayer station-based act of worship on a Saturday lasting 30-40 minutes and including a simple liturgy and song as well different opportunities for active prayer.
“No one is really sure what the future of our churches will look like, but we know we need to develop new ways in which people can come to worship,” said David Ford, Team Rector of Bromsgrove. “Church buildings are a big turn off for a lot of people, although they’re still important for significant life events, and in a community space we can be more relaxed and informal. We’re expecting that all our churches will need to find alternative ways of gathering and over the next couple of generations, I think that very little will be recognisable from the church that I grew up with.”
Bromsgrove’s emerging plans include establishing a congregation aimed at young people and also establishing worship in a building that hasn’t had a worshipping community for over 20 years.
“It’s not a question of saying that traditional worship has no future, but about working out the right focus for each of our churches,” continued David. “We are keen to make as much space as possible for new worshipping communities and to resource them effectively. The numbers attending might fluctuate, but we need to keep going – it is essential for the long-term future and sustainability of worshipping communities in Bromsgrove.”
At St Godwald’s café church, the feedback is very positive. Vikki and Matt attend with their two daughters, Emily, age 5 and Laura, age 1. They said: “Coming to café church helps us feel like members of the church. It is great that the children are involved and it’s very friendly. Our daughters are always very excited about coming to ‘pizza church’!”
Susan brings her daughter, Lindiwe, who is 21 months. She said: “It is a short and sweet service and a good community where we look forward to coming to meet people. Our daughter gets to walk around freely during the service.”
ALM worship leader, Kerstin Macdonald said: “Café Church offers people who haven’t previously been to church, the chance to explore faith in an open way. It’s much easier for those with children and people don’t have to know anything about church in advance to be part of the service.”
