Haslemere Methodist Church

MISSION STATEMENT

Methodists have gathered together in Haslemere since the mid-1880’s, meeting in a variety of venues.   At various stages of its life, the Methodist Society has renewed its vision as well as its premises.

In WORSHIP, we seek to continue to provide regular, accessible, and dignified worship which brings glory to God. Whilst appreciating our traditions, we remain open to new developments both in extending the ways in which worship is presented and experienced and also in increasing worshippers’ involvement in its preparation and presentation. The proposed modifications to the worship space are intended to improve the experience of worship, offering a wider range of media, more flexibility in arrangement of the space and an enhanced visual impact within the sanctuary.

To become a dedicated LEARNING Church community, we seek to develop our own concept of ourselves as a learning community, both to enhance our own knowledge and understanding of the scriptures, our Christian heritage and the challenges of the Kingdom for our present age, and to prepare ourselves for mission and evangelism. To this end we seek to include a learning element into each of our activities and to maintain the variety of occasional courses which are already part of our programme. We wish to continue the CARING nature of our people and premises through our pastoral visiting and the Open Door policy and practice of our Church. We will continue to welcome the stranger, provide hospitality to a wide range of individuals and groups and to provide quiet space as well as occasional community entertainment. The redevelopment of the community areas of the premises will make this easier to manage, more accessible, more environmentally friendly and a more relaxing and pleasant place to be.

We will continue our SERVICE and mission to the local community by using our premises as a place for people to meet, especially those who are vulnerable and in need of mutual support. We will continue to provide a home for the Haslemere Food Bank and, through the Open Door café, welcome all who wish to come in, including those from the neighbouring care homes. Through contacts made here, e.g. through Carers’ Support, we hope to extend our mission to the town.

By developing this exercise in mission, we will also deepen our commitment to EVANGELISM. This will be enhanced by our willingness to learn more about our faith and its implications and the ways in which it can be communicated to others. Some of this learning will involve sharing experience with others and being open to new ways of thinking about ourselves as the Church in Haslemere.

In all of the above, we recognise that we are also partners with the other Churches in the town in the Methodist Circuit and of the World Church, to which groups we have things to contribute and within which groups we have things to learn, to receive and to share.

HMC Developing Holiness, focused on Mission, open to the Community

The church sanctuary