Stir Up Church in Hanley Castle

Stir Up Church is a New Worshipping Community which takes place at St Mary’s Church in Hanley Castle on the third Sunday of every month.

Based around the verse from 2 Timothy – ‘Stir up the gift of God which is in you’, the service aims to be interactive and family friendly, encouraging those present to get involved through bible readings and discussion. It is usually led by ALM Worship Leader, Helen Owens.

Helen said: “Each session follows a similar pattern with familiar songs and simple prayers which can be led by different people. We are outside when possible and when in church we sit around tables with tea and coffee so that we can discuss the ideas together. We use traditional forms of worship in new ways to stir us up to be involved in worshipping God through our interests and gifts, and sometimes we are led by our young people who stir up our thoughts and challenge us all with what matters to them.”

The group has recently had a couple of sessions on fruits – first thinking about harvest fruits with a quiz to think about where different fruit in a fruit cocktail comes from and then the fruits of the spirit, learning about love and making bunting for the altar. There is also an annual pet service which regularly features a tortoise and a horse as well as many dogs! Robin brings a keyboard outside to accompany a mix of both newer and traditional hymns and the tambourines often come out, which are enjoyed by both the older and younger members of the congregation.

The Revd Sue Adeney also leads services on occasions. She said: “We get about 20 people on average and the families who come really enjoy it. It is a very relaxed service. The children can move around, and it helps them to feel at home in the church. They never mind taking part in the service and afterwards they often play games in the church, in a very respectful way. It’s definitely not a children’s service though – we work hard to ensure it is as intergenerational as possible.”

Lewis and Karolina got married at St Mary’s Church in 2019 and had their daughter baptised there. They said: “It is a lovely family service, and we enjoy getting together to catch up with friends and meet new ones. It is also good for our daughter to meet people from older generations.”

Kate lives in Hanley Castle and was also married in St Mary’s Church. She said: “I enjoy the experience of Stir Up Church. It is presented through the lens of things which are really relatable. I particularly enjoyed the patchwork stories theme recently, which was something everyone could contribute to.”

Jacquie is a member of Welland Church but comes to Stir Up Church in Hanley Castle when there isn’t a service there. She said: “I really like the informality of Stir Up Church. It still includes hymns and prayers but often using a simpler language which helps people feel more involved. St Mary’s is also a lovely church to come to!”

Following the success of Stir Up Church, in the summer, Helen also organised a Pizza and Praise event on a Sunday afternoon. She said: “We know that some people can’t make a Sunday morning due to children’s sports clubs, so this was a way of offering something different. We led parachute games and made dens in the trees as well as having a short service. We’re now thinking about whether we might do something similar just after Christmas when families are looking for things to do.”

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