Our mission strapline is Sharing Life, Loving Leeds. The PCC has developed a comprehensive Strategic Mission Action Plan (enclosed) to guide all our activities and staffing.

Mission & Vision

For more visit:stgs.org.uk

Over the last 12 years St George’s has grown and we now have a healthy 10.30 Service (younger and older families, many of whom are retired, and many internationals) and a healthy and lively 18.30 Service (young professionals, students, and internationals, aiming at the 18 to 30s, but welcoming everyone).

We have a large staff team with 13 Pastoral Staff, 8 Interns and 13 support staff (we have a well-used Church Centre), making a total of about 34. The Crypt (separate charity that ministers to the homeless) operates as a separate team (50+ staff). The Lighthouse is a new Fresh Expression of church for Crypt clients and others from the margins.

In the last 5 years, in partnership with the Diocese and the 2 other large regional churches (the Belfryand St Thomas’), we have developed St Barnabas Theological Centre to train leaders and ordinands. Mark Powley led this project and is now the principal of the Yorkshire Ministry Course, of which St Barnabas is a part.

In 2010 one Associate, James Barnett, went to plant Riverside Church. Our current Associate Rector, Joanna Seabourne, is Priest-in-charge of the next door Parish, and we have formed a Mission Partnership to turn it around. The Lighthouse, led by Jon Swales, started in 2014 and is now set up as a separate charity.

We are also seeking to increase the momentum of Church Planting, sending out teams from St George’s to help with a variety of missional opportunities. For this to work it is key that we partner closely with the Bishop and the Archdeacon and the Diocese, and with other Churches and Parishes. We hope to develop a strategic plan that - over time and with God’s help - will change the spiritual map of Leeds.

So, life here is very exciting and there are lots of opportunities; but we need always to discern what God is doing. Prayer is key. We hope you can get behind this vision and work with the team to grow the whole of St George’s, and to release people from St George’s to grow Christ’s Church across Leeds (and beyond).

St George’s has a strong youth and children's team with a vision to see God’s Kingdom breakthrough in the lives of young people across Leeds.

Current StaffJonathan Clark RectorJoanna Seabourne Associate Rector (& P-i-C St Augustine’s)Mark Harlow Curate (now heading up Children’s Ministry)John Walker Pastoral MinisterDan Tyler Student Pastor & Network LeaderChris Balding Deputy Student PastorLottie Jones Youth PastorChris Sayburn Invitational & Alpha PastorDan Hebden Worship Leader Stuart Roberts Pastoral Assistant for Overseas Mission Janet Gibson Church Administrator, and PA to RectorJacqui Grainge Office Administrator (Maternity Cover)Lisa Woodlock Events Administrator & Women’s Ministry leaderMichael Ridley Graphics & Media Administrator Jenni Merrett Children’s WorkerMaureen Lawrence Church Centre ManagerRobert Burton Deputy Church Centre ManagerPaul Clegg PA to Joanna Pearson Che Seabourne Assistant to Jonathan Clark & Joanna SeabourneAndrew Wyss Technical Manager Paula Devis Finance OfficerSally Warner Finance OfficerBrian Duxbury Caretaker/Buildings ManagerDean Middleton Church Centre CaretakerIlona Janos-Floyd Housekeeper

Worldwide MissionWe support 9 Mission Partners-overseas and in the UK

Grants are given to people doing short or longer term projects

Buildings

Numbers

Church opened 1838Grade II building with seating capacity of 400Re-ordered 25 years ago

Houses St George's Crypt, a Charity for the marginalized and homeless

Church Centre opened in October 2006 - used for mission and as a conference centre

“Adult Worshipping Community” figure for 2014

337

Average Sunday evening attendance:

Adults

c

250+Approximate total who would “call St George’s their church”:

750

Under 16s

Average Sunday Morning Attendance

Adults200 80+

Parish

LinksMember of Evangelical Alliance

People go to Spring Harvest, New Wine and lots of different CYFA camps

Money

Population: c4217It is a City Centre parish with 3 parts:

1. Half of the city centre is a commercial area: offices for legal, accounting and insurance firms etc; the Rail Station, Leeds General Infirmary, the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts, Town Hall and Art Galleries; new apartment blocks

2. Leeds University and Leeds Metropolitan University

3. UPA residential housing outside the inner ring road, some of which is being developed as fringe city centre. The Community Church was planted into the

The budget is vision led; we have a (flexible) 5-year staff plan

Total expenditure for 2014 was £716,000 Parish Share for is £158,000

We encourage tithing

Sharing Life,Loving Leeds

Our aim is to share the life of Jesus Christ and to love the city where God has placed us.

1. We preach and celebrate the gospel2. We make disciples for the whole of life 3. We develop and multiply Networks/Small Groups that are Sharing Life, Loving Leeds4. We demonstrate God's love practically, working in partnerships5. We support global Mission (in the UK and overseas)6. We train leaders for StGs and for the wider church7. We are looking to multiply missional churches across Leeds and the North

Summary Aims & Objectives

- Sunday services that are attractive and welcoming to visitors and seekers.

- Excellent worship and preaching that enables people to engage with God.

- Excellent and imaginative invitational events that use our musical and creative gifts.

- Weddings and funerals that commend the gospel.

- Excellent web site and communication with the city.

- Develop an invitational culture.

- Cultivate gospel connections: - Friends, families, colleagues, and neighbours. - Local people living and working in the Parish and City centre. - Students, universities and colleges, schools.

- Create a clear pathway into life-long discipleship within the Church family - for our children and families, for seekers, new believers and Christians arriving in Leeds. - Run an excellent Alpha course - 2 big courses a year, with a day away.

- Develop the Academy of Life, make it accessible to the whole church family (and the wider church), and intentionally cultivate the values of mature discipleship.

- Whole life discipleship: supporting people in their callings and encouraging one another to live out the gospel in all our relationships: at work, in our communities and in our leisure activities. Teaching and encouraging people so that they are able not only to live in accordance with the values of God’s Kingdom as individuals but so that they are equipped to promote and campaign for those values to be effected in wider society. - We will put on practical seminars and provide resources to help us learn how to live out the gospel in all areas of life (e.g. being an effective Christian at work, marriage courses, relationship courses etc.)

1. We preach and celebrate the gospel

2. We make disciples for the whole of life

- Welcoming/linking people into appropriate Networks. (where they can have a sense of belonging, care for one another, and use their gifts in mission).

- Developing Pastoral Care systems and resources to support people in Small Groups.

- Developing accessible missional Networks for all age groups: - Student Networks, including internationals, remain a key priority - Children’s Networks - Teenagers’ Networks - Families’ Networks - Local Networks - Special Interest Networks, as the Spirit leads (E.g. Extra Time- mainly for active retired people; The Farsi Group, for Iranian people; Dialogue and Reconciliation, for engaging with Jews and Muslims)

3. We develop and multiply Networks/ Small Groups that are Sharing Life, Loving Leeds

Current/recent examples of mission partnership working involving St George’s:

- Serving homeless people through partnership with St George’s Crypt (Ecumenical charity).

- Supporting Lighthouse (meeting in The Crypt on Sunday lunchtimes, and in Church during the week) and giving £20k a year for 3 years to help it set up as an independent charity, with a vision to multiply across Leeds.

- Serving people seeking to break out of the cycle of addiction- through partnership with Spacious Places and by supporting people in going to Re-hab (E.g. Betel centres).

- Welcoming charities and church groups for conferences through St George’s Church Centre.

- Serving asylum seekers/refugees through English classes, Farsi Group & emergency support.

- Supporting mission in the Diocese by paying our Parish Share (£158,000) in full.

- Pray for Leeds- finding ways for all Christians to come together and pray for our city.

- Currently giving c£12k a year to those we work alongside (Spacious Places, Leeds Faith in Schools, Kidz Klub, Leeds Uni & College Christian Unions, Transformations Leeds).

- Club Angels and Street Angels.

- The June Project: Students from several churches doing mission in Hyde Park. - Food Banks: Through volunteers, trustees and the North East Leeds Network.

- Supporting mission in Hawksworth Wood with churches and Christians working together.

- Interns on placements in local churches.

- The Narnia Experience, working with churches and Christians across Leeds.

4. We demonstrate God's love for Leeds practically, working in partnerships

- Encourage everyone to get involved – to have a ‘Global Passion.’

- Support short term mission projects (for learning and to test calling); and ongoing mission projects, such as the annual mission to Hunedoara, Romania.

- Create effective partnerships with those sent on longer term mission (E.g. to France, the Arab World, Japan, Bible Apps for mobiles in Afghanistan, Ethiopia Etc.)

- Holistic development work with TEAR FUND- partnership with Ugandan Pentecostal Assemblies of God in Lale, Soroti District- a programme to train local churches in community development.

- Currently we give c£40k a year to Christian mission partners.

- We encourage Child Sponsorship and personal giving to Christian mission projects.

5. We support global Mission (in the UK and overseas)

- Training and releasing people into their spiritual giftings and spheres of leadership, through our discipleship and leadership training, our ministries and missional Networks.

- Welcoming students- both UK and international- and equipping them to be disciples of Christ for a lifetime, wherever God calls them to serve him

- Running the interns programme- to train people in leadership and to know their gifts/calling

- Working in partnership with St Barnabas Theological Centre, and the Leeds School of Theology, we train ordinands and provide high level theological and leadership training for Christians serving in all areas of life.

6. We train leaders for St George’s and for the wider church

- To send out teams - in various ways - to bring renewal and growth to local churches in Leeds, working with the Diocese.

- Praying for and working with James Barnett and Riverside Church. James was St George’s Team Vicar until 2010, when he became Pioneer minister to the new City Centre housing around the Armouries. A year later this led to the launch of Riverside, which currently meets at Holy Trinity, Boar Lane.

- Supporting St Barnabas Theological Centre in its strategic and pioneering role as part of YMC- encouraging ordinands to stay in Leeds as they train, and finding good placements in Leeds Parishes, including some at StGs.

- Joanna Seabourne is Priest-in-Charge of St Augustine’s Wrangthorn, in Hyde Park, where we have formed a Mission Partnership with their PCC. We are helping each other to grow and achieve our objectives in mission. We sent a team to help grow the morning service in Sept 2013; we sent a team to launch a new evening service in Sept 2015.

- Jon Swales started the Lighthouse Fresh Expression of Church in 2014, while he was curate at St George’s. We are now working together with the Crypt and the Diocese to set it up as an independent charity, with a vision to multiple Lighthouses across Leeds.

- Mark and Kathryn Harlow are hoping to go out with a church revitalisation team in 2017-18.

7. We are looking to multiply missional churches across Leeds and the North

St George’s Church, Great George Street, Leeds, LS1 3BRTel: 0113 243 8498 | reception@stgeorgesleeds.org.uk | www.stgs.org.uk