A new season for St Kat’s, West London, heralded fresh energy, vision and a focus on the church’s priorities. Doing the Grow Course helped the team to make a shift that has allowed the church to flourish, with new leaders being raised up and a new worshipping community - Families Church - planted.
‘My husband Jim was originally the vicar at St Kat’s and we had been at the church for many years,’ explains Lesley Tate, current vicar of St Kat’s. ‘He felt the time was right to resign and move on. Around the same time, we asked the Bishop of Kensington if there was a way of continuing the ministry.’
The conversation led to Lesley, who was also ordained, being appointed as Interim Priest in Charge. ‘My remit was specifically to work towards renewed growth and flourishing at St Kat’s over a three-year period at the end of which I would make a recommendation to the bishop for what might be possible moving forward.’
At a church weekend soon after, their Area Director of Mission, Jonathan Rust, helped Lesley and her team revise their mission action plan and identify four priorities:
Lesley’s thoughts turned to CCX’s Grow Course which the church had done previously. ‘I asked Jonathan for his thoughts on us signing up again,’ says Lesley. ‘He said “Yes, do it!” encouraging us that the course would help us develop the plan further.’
With new energy and motivation, they started the Grow Course in April 2023.
‘It really helped me reflect on our priorities and how to develop them in the life of the church,’ says Lesley. ‘Alongside the content, the Zoom calls from Martin Euden and Katie Lysak from CCX were super-encouraging and helped draw out the links between the course and what was important in our setting.’
‘We decided to begin a monthly Messy Church, reflecting our objective to grow younger and this began to attract 30-40 people each time. Seeing this growth, I took advice from a small group including Jonathan Rust and CCX’s Helen Shannon, Estates Mission Lead.
‘Helen suggested we think about moving to a weekly service following the model of the Families Church which she had started on her local estate. Meeting weekly would allow us not just to meet but to grow disciples, but it would need enough of a team to sustain it.’
‘I thought we were too small to have a leadership pipeline, but when I started thinking I realised, there’s this person, and this person, and this person… Our church administrator was the first person I thought of, and I knew I could work with her. I loved the idea but it felt hard to take this next step. As I was praying about it, I sensed the Holy Spirit say: “just do it!”, and so we did!’
Launched in November 2024, Families church meets on Wednesdays for two hours after school and now draws around 25 children and adults each time. Meeting weekly helps with building relationships and parents are now engaging with faith. Some are doing Alpha and one has asked to be baptised.
A team of four are now involved including Barbara, the church’s administrator, alongside church member Faye, a child psychotherapist. Each service starts with an activity and refreshments then worship and often a video telling part of the gospel story.
‘Everyone loves it, and everyone’s on the journey towards Jesus,’ says Lesley, ‘and the kids are jumping up and down each time with Mums singing and dancing to the tune. I usually summarise the video message, then there is time for questions – which draws the children and parents into conversations about Jesus. The service draws to a close with creative prayer when we open our hands, close our eyes or stand and hold hands – then we talk in our family groups.
‘Then we usually finish with the UK blessing – singing it at the top of our voices over one another, over other families before eating together. We’re all being blessed and we’re growing – we now have 10 families each week coming (25-30 adults and children).’
Starting Families Church has also led to a renewed focus on other elements of St Kat’s vision, of prayer, hospitality and growth especially on growing younger alongside an increased and intentional desire to connect with their community.
Lesley says that doing the Grow Course has been a key part of their journey including helping them prioritise as a church: ‘When the PCC is making decisions, for example, if something isn’t taking us where we need to go, then we drop it. And it’s made us more strategic, asking how are we going to get there?
‘A highlight of the Grow Course was the leadership coaching element: Shelley, our coach, was brilliant and so generous. I felt that sometimes I wasn’t so good at connecting the programme with our reality, but she helped me see things with a new perspective – affirming that the things we were doing in church towards growth and developing leaders were kingdom successes!’
Lesley is keen to keep the leadership pipeline going and the church continues to keep prayer as its number one priority. Looking ahead she says that starting Families Church has helped to ensure that the church has a future.
‘Numbers have risen, and we keep growing,’ she says, ‘I was able to present such an encouraging picture to our annual meeting this year. We’re collaborating with neighbouring churches to reach youth, too, and I believe we’re in a much stronger position to move forward – it’s just wonderful what has happened and how God is continuing to work at St Kat’s.’
Find out more about the CCX Grow Course
