Curate on the Hill November 2022

As we see the Autumn colours and a different kind of beauty all around, my thoughts turn to a desire to hibernate. Not in the sense of bears but rather the Danish concept of “Hugge” which is roughly described as the feeling of Cosiness. The feeling of being warm, comfortable, and safe. I am very aware that for many this feeling is worryingly far away from their view for this winter. You will have seen in the ‘what’s on the hill’ and other places the winter warmer events the church is planning in the village hall. This is intended to be a place where all can come and connect with others and share in food, warmth, and community.

During such times of hugge, I have been thinking about the role of the church in the village. There are so many community and supportive networks which makes the idea of ‘Mission’ of the church less obvious. I have always believed that church is not about a building or even those who attend services but rather a community of those who are looking to help others. With this in mind, I have created my vision for the church in this place which is in the diagram below: 

The purpose of this is to share my understanding of what we are doing and to also share the language that I tend to use. It is clear that words like Mission and Evangelism are scary to the whole church, including those who don’t come to services. I would love to hear any feedback on this or if there are any concerns or people for whom you would like us to help and pray.