Calderdale Methodist Circuit : Cross Hills Methodist Church

Rochdale Road, Greetland, HX4 8JG : Bing Maps : Cross Hills website (links open in a new window)

We are a warm and welcoming community of Christians until recently located over two premises each having its own rich history. We formed the current community when the two Methodist Societies at Greetland and at Lindwell came together at Whitsuntide 2002.

We officially became Cross Hills Methodist Church on Monday 8th July 2013. We're grateful for support received from Circuit and from Connexion, from our many friends within the circuit, and funders. Here is a little of our Good News and some of the things we've been up to, and are planning for the future.

The building work is now complete with a few jobs outstanding inside – the work on the external area is continuing. By the New Year we hope to have the outside children's play area, the memorial garden and terrace completed, along with the car park.

Pattern of Church ...

Our pattern of church at Cross Hills on a Sunday is ...

• 10.30am: Morning worship. The first 15 minutes is led by a member of the congregation / worship leader / youth team. All-Age in the Upper room is offered for those who wish to engage with the Bible readings in a different way. It is followed by tea & coffee.
• On the first Sunday of the month (but see plan to be sure) we also have an Early Morning Communion at 9am followed by breakfast.
• On the third Sunday of the Month, we have ABC Worship: breakfast followed by DVD followed by All Age Worship.
• On the last Sunday in the month we explore alternative ways to worship through Liquid Worship at 6pm.

The full week at Cross Hills:

Sunday (weekly)	10.30am	Morning worship	Contact / Email Marilyn Hoyle
Sunday (weekly)	3.30pm	The Youth Worship Team	Meets for worship, music, planning, fellowship, and bible study. Contact / Email Janet Revill
Sunday (weekly)	6.00pm	Youthie meet for fellowship and food!	Contact / Email Geoff Butler
Monday (weekly)	6.00 – 7.30pm	The Beavers meet
Monday (first of each month)	6.00 – 7.30pm	Lively Ladies
Tuesday (weekly)	9.30am – 10.30am	Baby Song @ St Thomas' Church Hall	Contact / Email Marilyn Hoyle
Tuesday (weekly)	11.15am – 1pm	Lunch fellowship	Coffee followed by soup, sandwich and cakes! Contact / Email Jacqui Hall
Wednesday (third in the month)	2.00pm	Worship in nursing homes	2.00pm at Ingwood and 3.00pm at Woodfield Grange. Contact / Email Jacqui Hall
Wednesday (weekly)	7.00pm	Choir Practice in the Upper Room	Contact / Email Marilyn Hoyle
Wednesday (generally last in the month)	7.30pm	Bible study / fellowship	in people's homes
Thursday (weekly)	1.00pm – 2.30pm	Parent and toddlers group	Contact / Email Marilyn Hoyle
Thursday (weekly)	7.30pm	Explorer Scouts
Friday (weekly)	6.00pm	JC's kids club (5-12's)	Contact / Email Janet Revill
Friday (weekly)	7.30pm	Youthie (12-19's)	Contact / Email Geoff Butler
Friday (weekly)	7.30pm	Table Tennis club	Contact / Email Margaret Moore
Saturday (weekly)	9.00am	Prayer fellowship	Contact / Email Janet Revill
Saturday (last of the month)	10.00am – noon	Coffee Morning

The Hopscotch out of school club use our premises every day before and after school; Weight watchers hold their meeting here on a Wednesday evening.

FUND-RAISING: We meet together for a variety of fund-raising events too, wherever and whenever we can get a venue, to keep the coffers topped up!

Mission & Ministry

MISSION

As part of God's mission to the world - Cross hills Methodist Church is a Christian fellowship where the transforming love of Jesus Christ is known and shared. It exists to:

• KNOW – the love of Jesus Christ,
• GROW – in the love of Jesus Christ,
• GO – share the love of Jesus Christ.

MINISTRY

Our specific aims at this time are

• To develop our life of worship and discipleship
• Working with children and young people
• Providing opportunities for members of the community to come together in fellowship (eg. lunch fellowship)

This statement was confirmed by the church council after a series of reviews including “Our Calling&rquo;, the “Mission Shaped Intro course” and group work exploring our key values, strengths and priorities.

Planning for the future of Cross Hills

Our priorities are

• Developing our life of worship and discipleship
• Work with children and young people
• Providing opportunities for members of the community to come together in fellowship

Being a church with the use of a modern up to date facility along with the potential a new facility brings means we had to look at our roles and responsibilities afresh. There were already teams meeting and working, but we needed first to consider, how the work was done and by whom? Then, being aware that, in moving forward, extending our mission and ministry in the community, we couldn’t leave all the work to a small group of people as this would be unsustainable and could lead to burn out!

We explored proposals for the Organization and Management of the Church, the setting up of teams to take our work forward in the way we feel God is nudging us, setting our priorities as part of God's mission and working towards them. We considered

• The way in which the church will operate as a Christian community in accordance with its Mission Statement and CPD
• How the building will be managed so that the facilities are able to be used efficiently and effectively.

It was determined each team would have a lay leader. All church members must associate to a group as a working member or a praying member, adherents are encouraged to do likewise – thus each group should have good working and prayer support. Prayer days for each group could be organised. Each team regularly report back to church through communication networks (website, email, magazines etc) and annually in conversation at the AGM.

The lay leader is then part of leadership team which consists of team leaders and Minister. They encourage and support each other, work through any issues for Church council and arrange to take the lead there if appropriate. This group could also consist of someone with responsibility for communications networks – to facilitate reporting and solve any communication issues.

In its official role as management team, the church council oversees the teams; enables them in their decision making but is there to re-enforce and make any necessary recommendations / decisions. It could take reports from the St Thomas' liaison group; and also be the place where discussions are first held re: new initiatives and fresh expressions.

The Teams

• Bold italic teams meet currently.

Stewards

Responsible for

• Communication with and care of preachers / worship leaders
• Arranging readers / Prayers / Offertory and notices
• Communion and other resources (Lent / Advent)
• Greeting & communicating with all churchgoers
• Keeping up to date with safeguarding matters
• Organising alternative service if appointed preacher doesn't turn up!
• Attending official church meetings
• Preparation of worship space - Chairs etc
• Use of Sound and Vision (See worship team)

Worship

Responsible for

• Music co-ordination
• Communion
• Worship Leaders

Church life

Responsible for

• Cradle Roll
• Reps to meetings
• Linking people

Mission and Ministry

Responsible for following up on our specific priorities

• Developing Worship & Discipleship

• • Creative Worship Team New models of worship / Sound & Vision / First 15 / Call the AA (All Age team)
  • St Thomas Liaison group

• Opportunities to come together in fellowship
• Children and Young People

• • CaYT (Children and Youth Team)

Prayer and Pastoral

Responsible for

• Care of members (pastoral list)
• Safeguarding
• Prayer co-ordination
• Third age care

• • Pastoral group

Property (Operations management) & Finance

Responsible for

• Maintenance of the property
• Caretaking
• Lettings policy (To be agreed by Church Council)
• Agreement of annual budget (ditto)
• Receipt of regular financial reports
• Health and Safety
• Fire Safety
• Risk Assessment

• • Events and fund-raising group

The Greetland Churches Covenant

On Thursday 24th July 2014 at 7.30, a service was held to mark the signing of the Greetland Churches Covenant. For the past few years the two churches have moved significantly closer to each other in terms of worship, fellowship and mission. This service and the covenant itself are a symbol of this continuing and developing work.