I approached the Mission not quite knowing what to expect. What I found was
exciting. The church looked wonderful every day, the music was both moving and
inspiring and I was eager to return every night to listen to the message. I found it
very challenging and a time to reflect on the true values of the Christian faith. For
me personally it was a great joy to share it with family and friends and also to
meet new people. I really appreciated all the work that was put into the Mission by
many members of the church — so thank you all very much. Elaine Holland
I had been quietly excited about the Mission, praying for its success and that I
would take something from it on a personal level. I was not disappointed. Each
one of the services I attended instilled thought, reaffirming my dedication to
following Jesus and allowing God to be central in my life. I feel I'm being pulled
from the 'periphery of church life' towards being more involved at its core. I
eagerly await the CD of Bishop Jack's talks and am especially looking forward to
listening to the last three, for which I was unable to attend. Melanie Siddy
John and I had recently started attending church and were looking forward to the
Mission. Everyone in the church seemed to be busy in preparation, planning and
visiting local families to invite them to attend. I was wondering what I could do to
help when sadly I had an accident and fractured my leg. After discharge from
hospital I was unable to offer practical help but prayed for the work of the
Mission. Attending the nightly meetings was my first venture out of the house and
greatly helped in my recovery. Sharing this time of fellowship, prayer and
learning under Bishop Jack's ministry brought me closer to God than I have been
for a long time and helped me to get to know other church members better. I feel
very blessed by the support and concern shown to me, particularly during the
Mission time. Janet Daniels
I left the Methodist church at the age of sixteen feeling somewhat disenchanted
with what it seemed to represent. More recently I have become a regular (if
somewhat infrequent) attendee at St Mary's and in many ways I'm still finding
my way around. The Mission was a real eye opener for me; Bishop Jack's eight
part sermon left me with plenty to think about and a very different view of what
the established church is about. Sadly the big 'Mission' push is over, where its
momentum will take me in the future I do not know we will just have to wait and
see. The mission banner may have come down but the mission continues. Peter
Lonsborough
Mission, door knocking, 10 days! Oh dear this is not for me, can I do it, how can I
spare the time? I found that it was for me. I did the door knocking and talked to
those who answered. I only came across two negative people and I found the time.
I am not saying I got everything right but it was well worth the effort. I feel the
church (the congregation not the building) have come closer together as a family
and I pray we will reap the fruits of our efforts as the Lord wills. Alwyne Hill
exciting. The church looked wonderful every day, the music was both moving and
inspiring and I was eager to return every night to listen to the message. I found it
very challenging and a time to reflect on the true values of the Christian faith. For
me personally it was a great joy to share it with family and friends and also to
meet new people. I really appreciated all the work that was put into the Mission by
many members of the church — so thank you all very much. Elaine Holland
I had been quietly excited about the Mission, praying for its success and that I
would take something from it on a personal level. I was not disappointed. Each
one of the services I attended instilled thought, reaffirming my dedication to
following Jesus and allowing God to be central in my life. I feel I'm being pulled
from the 'periphery of church life' towards being more involved at its core. I
eagerly await the CD of Bishop Jack's talks and am especially looking forward to
listening to the last three, for which I was unable to attend. Melanie Siddy
John and I had recently started attending church and were looking forward to the
Mission. Everyone in the church seemed to be busy in preparation, planning and
visiting local families to invite them to attend. I was wondering what I could do to
help when sadly I had an accident and fractured my leg. After discharge from
hospital I was unable to offer practical help but prayed for the work of the
Mission. Attending the nightly meetings was my first venture out of the house and
greatly helped in my recovery. Sharing this time of fellowship, prayer and
learning under Bishop Jack's ministry brought me closer to God than I have been
for a long time and helped me to get to know other church members better. I feel
very blessed by the support and concern shown to me, particularly during the
Mission time. Janet Daniels
I left the Methodist church at the age of sixteen feeling somewhat disenchanted
with what it seemed to represent. More recently I have become a regular (if
somewhat infrequent) attendee at St Mary's and in many ways I'm still finding
my way around. The Mission was a real eye opener for me; Bishop Jack's eight
part sermon left me with plenty to think about and a very different view of what
the established church is about. Sadly the big 'Mission' push is over, where its
momentum will take me in the future I do not know we will just have to wait and
see. The mission banner may have come down but the mission continues. Peter
Lonsborough
Mission, door knocking, 10 days! Oh dear this is not for me, can I do it, how can I
spare the time? I found that it was for me. I did the door knocking and talked to
those who answered. I only came across two negative people and I found the time.
I am not saying I got everything right but it was well worth the effort. I feel the
church (the congregation not the building) have come closer together as a family
and I pray we will reap the fruits of our efforts as the Lord wills. Alwyne Hill
| Jack Nicholls, The Bishop of Sheffield |
| You can use the player above to hear the Covenant Prayer Bishop Jack used during the Mission |
| The Comers Pictured below are the smiling faces of those Mission Team workers who came from outside our Church community to support us throughout the mission. |
Jenny
Mary
Dave
Helen
Keith
Tim
Nel
Roger
Sister Ros
| St Mary's Mission - 2007 Led by Bishop Jack - Bishop of Sheffield |
| Martin the Man behind the camera |
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| Five personal views on the Mission |
| Welcome to St Mary's Parish Church, Ecclesfield |