GROSVENOR MINISTRY 2024 UPDATE

EVERYTHING WE DO TOGETHER IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THOSE OF YOU WHO PRAY, SERVE AND GIVE

Thank you

As a Church, we are committed to playing our part in becoming disciple-makers of Jesus who are Naturally Supernatural and Always ready to tell others about the hope we have in God.

Here’s a short update on what we’ve been able to do this year together as a church, thanks to all your support.

Social Transformation through Community Outreach

  • We provide good quality baby clothes and equipment for babies and children 0-5 years, regardless of income, background or faith. We are grateful for the grants from local bodies which helped us purchase baby supplies.

    Torrington Children's Centre, Borough Road, Great Torrington, Torrington EX38 7NU, UK. Friday mornings 11.30am-1pm 07769 815340 or 07883 864934

  • Christmas is a season for kindness. A time to offer a fresh message of hope to those in need. Through Community Christmas, we can connect with our community, bring comfort as we reach out and share gifts of kindness with those around us. We aim to inspire a contagious culture of kindness. And let people know that we are with them and they are not alone.

    In 2023 this included

    hosting a Community Christmas Day Lunch with help from other church’s volunteers and local businesses and organisations.

    Community gifts and Toy Bank to needy families at the women’s refuge and local primary schools. North Devon Against Domestic Abuse’s aim is to help keep families safe. They provide temporary refuge to women and children who have suffered domestic abuse. Local Primary Schools identified families in need and Grosvenor anonymously provided them gifts.

    North Devon Hospice Light up a Life Carol Service. This gives you an opportunity to remember someone special this Christmas. They do not have to have been cared for by the hospice for you to make a dedication in their honour.

  • Neighbourhood Chaplains helps tackle loneliness through befriending, and offer practical help towards meeting our neighbour’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs.

    Grosvenor is reliant on volunteers and offers training and support to help equip you to get involved. Grosvenor is one of many Neighbourhood Chaplain partner churches throughout the UK, and two of our volunteers work for Counties to equip local churches across the UK

  • Every year, Grosvenor signposts those in crisis to Housing Support, Mental Health Support, Domestic Abuse support, Bereavement support, Disability support and Modern Day Slavery

  • Since its start, Grosvenor volunteers have signed up for Northern Devon’s Foodbank to support hundreds of individuals and families alongside partner churches and other charities.

  • Christians Against Poverty Barnstaple Debt Centre is based at Holy Trinity Barnstaple and offers a free debt advice service that will support you all the way through to becoming debt free. In the last year, Grosvenor continues to serve as volunteers.

  • Barnstaple Street Pastors have been patrolling since October 2009. In that time we have seen the Lord Jesus prove his faithfulness week after week in response to his call on our lives and the prayers of his people.

    We regard Street Pastors primarily as a prayer ministry with the blue uniforms on the street serving as the eyes and ears (as well as the hands and feet) of the local church, passing needs back to the prayer team where the real work is done.

  • They are a Christian charity outworking the vision to help those who are marginalised and socially excluded, demonstrating the heart and love of God in our community.

    They operate an open access Day Centre and supported housing accommodation in Barnstaple.

Investing in Children, Youth and Families

  • We provide children’s ministry at two services each Sunday including a fully supervised free-play creche for pre-school children, with Bible stories, prayer time, linked activities, toys, songs, snacks and drinks in Barnstaple.

    For pre-school aged children, Noah’s Ark is a popular and well attended parent and toddler group at Barnstaple and Torrington. In Barnstaple, Ark Babies, is just for mums and babies up to one year old. A time for mums to get together, relax and let their babies get to know one another too.

    For Dads and under 5s (and Grandads!). Toys for the Children to play with. Tea, Coffee and great food. Meet other Dads. We are delighted this was launched in Torrington in 2023.

    A large Christmas event was a great way to invite families connected to Grosvenor to hear the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.

  • Grosvenor’s youth and young adults team are passionate about engaging young people to live life in all its fullness, knowing and loving God, and seeing change in our world. In Barnstaple, Sunday sessions including Flame (11-14) Elevate (13-35), midweek sessions A2J (14-20), gatherings to encourage creativity, prayer and mental health issues, and a quarterly United Generation event with other churches where we see young people express commitments to follow Jesus.

Gathering Community

  • We run two Sunday services across our two sites in person on Sundays with over 350 people joining us in person. In-person attendance is at its the highest since the start of the pandemic.

    A large teaching event was held with Paul & Liz Lynch to equip us.

  • Since 2022, Grosvenor hosted Alpha courses on-site and we are delighted that Great Torrington commenced Alpha in 2023

  • There are over 10 groups meeting online and in person across our two sites in North Devon, where you can experience a sense of belonging and spiritual growth that comes from pastoral care within the church. Our team supports groups with resources, leadership training, and pastoral support for leaders.

    Since 2022 we aim to disciple the congregations with small groups and last year completed Talking Jesus course, The Prayer course and have commenced the Romans course in 2024.

    Larger events like MOD enable us to gather together to be inspired and equipped.

    Small groups also go out on the High Street regularly to declare the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.

  • We run over nine prayer meetings across our two sites. Sunday prayer meetings, midweek prayer meetings and monthly prayer meetings. Our dedicated Prayer Room is a space for the Grosvenor Community Church family to radically pursue God in prayer and fasting. We’re always looking for worshipful musicians and vocalists to come join the team and we are delighted that Amy Symons commenced as Worship and Social Media Coordinator in 2024.

Action to make disciples across North Devon and Globally

  • Great Torrington and Barnstaple continue as one church, with one charitable trust and one financial operation.

    From April 2024, as income decreased by 5% in Torrington, Barnstaple will solely bear all of Great Torrington’s monthly ministry expenditure, including school hire and evangelism.

    Missionary giving through GAT is now covered solely by Barnstaple. Torrington is not able to give at present.

    Looking into 2025, Torrington is unlikely to become self-sufficient.

  • During 2022, Grosvenor Bideford begun the process of setting up their own charitable trust ‘Central church Bideford’ and we worked with them to enable them do so financially.

    In 2022-2023 to enable Bideford to be set up Barnstaple took on monthly costs that were previously shared.

    Missionary giving through GAT is now covered solely by Barnstaple. Central will give to its own missionaries.

    Bideford became a separate charitable trust and Grosvenor transferred two employees and assets to them in March 2023. Central will contribute to Graham’s salary until his employment finishes in July 2024.

  • Grosvenor Barnstaple Global Action Team (GAT) continued to support our mission partners by making a monthly gift to them, in addition to the gifts made by individuals in the congregations.

    Overall, Barnstaple gave 20% of its expenditure to mission.

    The top three recipients of Barnstaple support were

    Mark & Dorcas Nicholson: Children and Youth Zimbabwe £12k

    Pastoral and Teaching work; Ministry among Burmese migrants and refugees. Adam & Nunu Bolton £6k

    Dovers: Poverty, Physical Health, Children and Young People Nepal £4k

    More partners with Grosvenor:

    Alison Giblett: Spiritual and Material care to those in Ukraine

    Evangelism and training development, Circuit Riders USA: Dan & Kim Hayes

    Evangelism and training development, Circuit Riders USA: Dan Jones

    Prayer Ministry and training development NDHOP: Jonny  & Sherece Moles

    Training Development and media work YWAM South Africa: James & Kailia Binmore

    Evangelism training counties North Devon Counties evangelism UK: Alex & Beth Symons

    Evangelism and training development North Devon Counties evangelism UK: Dave & Katie Symons

    Evangelism and training development North Devon Counties UK: Steve Ellacott

    During 2023, we held a gift day to raise funds to help with short term trip funding. We are delighted to say we also supported new trainees in Mission.

Thank you so much for your generosity.

Everything that happens at Grosvenor is made possible by all of us investing together. To set up regular giving to Grosvenor, follow the link below.

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Questions about giving? Contact finance@grosvenorchurch.org.uk