About Us
Download our general information leaflet here. (1.4mb pdf file) |
Great Ashby Community Church started up in 2006 as the Great Ashby Estate came into being. Two existing churches in Stevenage, Bunyan Baptist Church and St Nicholas, decided to work together to establish a church that would be part of the Great Ashby community. A group of people, from both churches agreed to become the first congregation and many of them are still part of the church here. Since then quite a number of people who live in Great Ashby have joined us. We have two ministers at the moment, a full-time Baptist Minister - Sue Hardwidge - who started in April 2008 and is part funded by the Baptist Union Home Mission Fund and a part-time Anglican Curate - Christine Hina - who is supported by St. Albans Diocese for the time she gives to Great Ashby.
We're not a 'mega' church (4,000 people, two tele-evangelists and more money than sense). Nor are we a 'dead' one - (three old ladies, a vicar and rising damp). We are committed to friendship, worship, discipleship and mission. We are not concerned about peoples backgrounds. We are on a journey of faith as followers of 'The Way'. Even though we come from different backgrounds with different life experiences, we have one thing in common: a personal encounter with the God of grace and love. We know that Christianity is not about rules and regulations, but it is about a dynamic relationship with the living God and an exciting journey with Him who loves and cares for us. Oh yes, and as you can see from the ministry team we are quite in favour of women in ministry.
Why a 'Community Church'?
Because as a group of Christians we are absolutely committed to being a part of where we live. Great Ashby is a new estate and Great Ashby Community Church is a new Church. We are still learning what it means to be part of a community that is just starting up. We intend to get involved in any way we can - we already regularly clean up the car park, we get involved in the community centre, the school and local community groups because we believe it's our responsibility to be part of making living in Great Ashby a life affirming experience. We have decided not to have a building of our own but to use our homes and local facilities like the community centre and school.
You're not some sort of weird sect are you?
Given that any church can look a bit strange to people who aren't used to it - NO we're not. The two local churches which went with the original idea are both from mainstream church setups in the UK. The major partner, Bunyan Baptist Church has been established in Stevenage since 1897. It is part of both the Central Baptist Association and the Baptist Union of Great Britain. St Nicholas is an Anglican (Church of England) parish church. All three churches are members of Churches Together in Stevenage. So, if you have any concerns about this - check out the links above.
What's Next?
Have a look at the rest of the site to see what we're up to. We have started the process of becoming an independent church in our own right. At the moment we are kind of a 'project' for the two churches who helped us set up but we hope that by 2011 we will be out on our own as Great Ashby Community Church. This isn't because we don't like Bunyan Baptist Church and St. Nicholas any more but because it was always part of our shared dream that we would be able to stand on our own two feet.
last edited 04/04/2009
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