The Papworth Team Mission

This kind of Team Ministry is relatively new in the diocese of Ely, though Groups and Teams have been running successfully in other parts of the Church of England for many years. they have often covered a number of urban parishes, or sometimes a whole town (as in the case of the Huntingdon Team Ministry), or a market town with a penumbra of villages around it (as with the Leominster Team Ministry). But our team has no parish that is clearly and obviously larger and stronger than others. All our churches are small churches.

The vision for the team does not diminish the importance of each church being at the heart of its community - we are all clear that this is very much the calling of the parish church, to be the Christian presence in the midst, to serve and to proclaim, to be accessible to all, to offer a welcome in Christ's name.

But the team ministry gives us the opportunity to do what small churches these days so often cannot. To strengthen faith by the opportunities for occasional worship in larger groupings, to encourage work with children, to manage some work with young people, to reach out with the gospel to young and old alike in a variety of ways, to improve our pastoral care.

The Team Council is the body that oversees the wider strategic role of the churches, and at its recent annual meeting decided to focus this coming year on three areas:

·         Fellowship - taking the opportunities to worship and work together was thought to be important in building a sense of a Christian community across a wide area - we noted the need to work ecumenically.

·         Youth - the Team Council continues to be concerned that we have live contact with so few young people.

·         Spiritual Growth - the desire to grow spiritually was evident in the Team Council meeting. New opportunities for prayer and learning will be offered.

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