About Us - News - Worship - Pilots - Scouts - Rambling Club - Map
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About Us - News - Worship - Pilots - Scouts - Rambling Club - Map |
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Heath Today
Heath is a flourishing church with a warm atmosphere, a very mixed age range and something to appeal to everyone. We have 86 members and 35 adherents at present. We feel we are a traditional congregation but are responsive to new ideas and are forward looking.
Many of our members are very committed to the church and work tirelessly in all areas of church life. Elders have responsibilities for each area but are ably supported by others who help with visiting the elderly, organising our social groups and functions, helping with our large Junior Church and running the Parent & Toddler group.
During the latest vacancy we have developed a very effective worship group to plan services several times per year. We try to show prayerful concern for anyone in need and in 1998 started a telephone based prayer tree to give prayer support quickly when needed. We started running Alpha groups in 1999 and have found these very beneficial in awakening interest and bringing new members. We now also run follow up sessions and are exploring house groups as a way of continuing our spiritual development.
We have no financial reserves but ran a TRIO (The Responsibility Is Ours) course last year and now find we can meet our needs more easily.
We have six youth organisations including Pilots, catering for nearly 100 children. We welcome children in Communion, particularly on special occasions. Every Sunday we have at least one hymn which the children accompany on percussion instruments and twice a month the children return to the main service to share a short presentation of what they have done in their groups. We have 5 parade services and the Pilots lead our worship on one Sunday in the year. Our young people largely come to church with their parents which gives us a good spread of young couples. We are concerned about keeping these youngsters, many of whom are now approaching teenage years, and our ever growing Junior Church, and feel this presents a real challenge to us all.
For the last two years we have had a very talented young organist who has raised the standard of music in the church and is working with us towards further development in the future.
We feel we are a welcoming church and try to look out for newcomers or members in need. We have two thriving ladies groups and also a Rambling Club and a 20+ Group, both of which are open to all members of the Group.
The Future
Over the last few years we have brought in new members at Heath some of whom have already taken office and are working for the Church and we hope that soon others will feel able to help also. As with most Churches we suffer from lack of leaders and some posts have not been filled as quickly as we would have liked. We have great hopes for our future based on our Worship, our Children our Care and Alpha which all show our commitment and faith in God.
Further Details
Heath Church was opened in 1890 in a predominantly middle class area of town. The Infirmary opposite is now closed down and the future use of the site is as yet unknown but may well be more housing. Some 30 years ago the interior of the sanctuary was gutted and fully modernised. We try constantly to improve the building and have added new chairs, carpets, wall hangings, a loop system for the deaf and a ramp for wheel chair access.
Local Churches
Within a one mile radius there are two Methodist and two Anglican Churches, a Community Church and two Catholic Churches. Each Easter, Heath acts as one of the host Churches supporting a Walk of Witness through the King Cross area of the town on Easter Saturday.