Following discussion amongst the membership, formally and informally, we have considered the nature of our mission in Lynton and we have the created the following five year plan. We will evaluate the progress of this plan on a yearly basis. 

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VISION: 

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Our vision is for Living Waters Lynton URC to become a relevant, growing, spiritual presence in the community, reaching out to spread the Good News of Christ to all.

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MISSION:

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We will be a community church for non-conformists and visitors in the Exmoor area. In the short-term we will organise the church on congregational principles, with all members and associates making a contribution to the day to day running of the church, its services and its activities, with shared decision making at its heart. In the longer term, as our ministry grows and thrives, we will consider looking for local church leaders to take a more definitive role in running the church.

 

We will provide a spiritual and social hub for the twin towns and surrounding areas, through hospitality, and reaching out to the local community to offer support and friendship. We aim to be inclusive and welcoming to people of all backgrounds and circumstances. Hospitality is a core Christian gift and has characterised the Lynton church in the past. In aiming for a hospitality mission we will be restoring something valuable that has somehow been lost in recent years.

 

We will lead God's people to be more like Christ in their daily lives and to help build God's Kingdom through our ministries and other activities. At all times we will ask ourselves, ‘Where is God in this?’

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GOALS:

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In summary, the following are the goals we will focus on to achieve our mission:

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• Sharing the Word of God through our services and meetings.

• Developing and growing our contribution to the community, thus raising our profile locally. 

• Increasing and retaining membership.

• Establishing an effective communication system.

• Increasing church revenues.

• Maintaining and upgrading our buildings and grounds.

 

OBJECTIVES:

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In achieving our goals we will need to think about our attitudes and how they impact on our actions. We will need to be flexible, adaptable to change, able to communicate with each other and those outside the church, accepting, inclusive and generous. It will take time, energy and money to progress; we will need to be active in the local community, use our initiative in responding to need, and be realistic about the world we live in and how far we can go towards influencing it.

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We will need to be prepared to demonstrate the benefits of being a Christian, and set a good example of Christian behaviour in all we say and do.

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In order to achieve these objectives, we will need to:

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1. always act with integrity and for the greater good, reflecting at all times our love of God, our neighbours and ourselves, and be prepared to spread the Good News of the Gospel in everything we do and say.

2. be prepared to listen to each other, and to external feedback, in order to consider, with respect, how to embrace and accommodate the views and opinions of others, whilst being mindful of the constraints under which other people sometimes live;

3. be prepared to make our own individual contribution to the life of the church, through giving our time, our talents and our money to its causes, as well as being part of a wider decision-making group;

4. keep our finger on the pulse of village life, so that we can step up and address the needs of those who live around us;

5. be aware of the physical world, both local and global, of which we are the stewards, and consider at all times how we can contribute to improving the environment, thereby making the world a better place to live for future generations.

 

ACTIONS:

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The following actions have been identified as contributing to our overall mission. These will undoubtedly evolve over time and a willingness to try will be essential.

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1. The Church building will continue as a place of worship, with the hall and gardens available for social events/meetings. We will return to worship in the church as soon as is practically possible, but we will also be mindful of what we have learned during the Coronavirus epidemic, and continue to communicate through a range of media.

2. To this end, we will develop an effective system of communication which meets the needs of all those associated with us, and with the local community.

3. We will observe the sacraments, particularly Communion, on a regular basis, and mark the feasts and festivals of the Church year.

4. We will continue letting the premises and be open to making a community partnership with the council or other local organisations.

5. We will apply for grants to maintain the fabric of the church as much as possible.

6. We will use the church premises, to maximise their potential both inside and out, for community events, as follows:​

   • Breakfasts

   • Coffee mornings

   • Afternoon teas

   • Fundraising activities, eg jumble sales, bazaars

   • Concerts and performances

   • Other activities which individuals wish to re/introduce, eg scrabble club, craft mornings etc.

   • Lunches, such as Soup & Sweet

7. We will work as a collective, where the functions of the church are shared between all of us within the congregation.

8. We will contribute to ecumenical local initiatives such as Love Lyn Valley and Sing for Joy, as well as be prepared to contribute to local activities and groups, both religious and secular.

 

Further Thoughts:

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1. We will need to be realistic about how much we can do and the timescale within which we can achieve our goals. We have allowed five years to build our mission and we will review progress on a yearly basis at Church Meetings. 

2. Activities must be based on skills and gifts which we are sure are within our capacity. Ideas must therefore come with a workable plan regarding frequency, staffing, resources, viability and contingencies, in other words SMART targets (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-based). 

 

22nd March 2021