Emmanuel God with Us

Vision and Values



See video Emmanuel ChurchVision 2024

A growing church
Though the Church of England is in decline, we believe that Jesus wishes to grow his church, and make his name known in Cheadle Hulme. When Emmanuel Church was planted, it was done under a vision of being a beacon of the light of Christ for our community. Churches grow in three ways: spiritual, physical and financial. Prioritising spiritual growth fosters physical and financial growth. For just over a year since I arrived as your minister, our committee have been discerning a vision for Emmanuel church. We have identified our core values, which has led to our purpose statement as a church.

Core values as a church
  1. Being faithful. to Jesus in his word
  2. Showing Jesus’ love.
  3. Sharing Jesus’ hope.
These core values have come from conversations about what makes our church, our church. Faith, hope and love are often used in the New Testament as core church values.

Faith
As evangelical Anglicans, we hold the Bible to be the final source of authority. We ascribe to the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion. Our services and midweek groups meet to grow in faith.
Love
Our Triune God has revealed himself to us as Father, Son and Spirit. God is love; a love that is other-person centred and self-giving. We are called to love one another in Christ, and show that love to our community. Truth and love go hand in hand. We want to continue offering a warm welcome, and a safe space to be real with one another.
Hope
Finally, our hope is in Christ. The gospel of grace and the forgiveness of sins is the best news in the universe, and so we long to share that message with our community. This message of present peace and future hope is needed in a world full of lost souls. There are 15,000 people in our parish who will go to bed tonight not knowing Jesus as the Saviour and Lord, let alone 1.4 million across the diocese of Chester!

Core priorities for the next five years
  • Deepen our discipleship
  • Grow our work with families, children and youth
  • Establish intentional outreach initiatives for evangelism.
  • Increase our finances to retain a full-time minister of Emmanuel

What part do I play?
This vision is impossible without the input of the church family. We are a body; different parts with one common goal: the glory of God, and the good of all.
By knowing his truth, showing his love and sharing his gospel hope, we as a team are doing God’s work in our parish.
So we ask that, if Emmanuel is your church, to do two things with and for us.

PRAY
None of these initiatives are possible without prayer. We are dependent on God for everything. We rest confident and secure in his sovereignty, and we bring our needs to him in prayer. That is what he wants us to do. So please, in your own time at home and in church services and prayer fellowship, be praying for this vision.

PLEDGE
This is not a financial thing, though we are constantly grateful for the sacrificial ways our church family gives. This is a pledge to serve. To help us enact this vision.
We are pulling together teams who can focus on enacting each core value. We will be asking church members to consider what gifts they may have to offer.
Perhaps you are wanting to explore word ministry – team faith will love to hear from you!
Perhaps you have a heart for visiting people, or keeping our buildings in good order, then team love is for you!
Or do you have a heart to share hope with our community, or help us support those in the mission field around the world? If so, join team hope!
Please engage with this vision process. Our church is brilliant but is part of the general picture of decline. We can’t do any of this without you