Designed By St Chad's Church
Bristol
Project Type: Single Church
Project Area: North
Project Address:
172 Rodway Road
Patchway
BRISTOL
Postcode: BS34 5ED
Website: http://www.stchad.org.uk
Project History & Affiliations:
St Chad's Church has been ministering to the people of Patchway since the last years of the
19th century, moving to the present site, to serve the pre-war housing expansion, in 1939. In
1965 St Chad's merged to form a single congregation with the former Methodist church.
St Chad’s still has a majority elderly congregation but since 2003 has been working in part-
nership with SWYM to develop outreach work among children and young people both in
several local schools and through our own programmes.
Structure & Vision of the Project:
Over many years the Patchway churches have enjoyed good relationships with local primary schools. In the last two years a new opening has come at the (secondary) Community College. St Chad's has a small Sunday morning work and a much larger mid-week outreach.
Our vision in inviting a student youth-worker into our team is to create a "human bridge"
between schools and church, to enable children and young people from unchurched homes
to hear about God's love and see it being practised. Our long-term goal is for children and
young people to come to faith in Christ and to play their own role in outreach among their
peers.
About the location of the Project:
Patchway parish, situated on the northern fringe of the Bristol conurbation but politically in
South Gloucestershire, currently has about 4600 dwellings (rising to 6800) and a population
of around of 11000. The larger area, to the west of the dual-carriageway A38 and including
the church building, has at it's core housing built for aircraft workers in the 1930s, but was
added to by large "outer estate" developments in the 1960s and 70s. A smaller 1960s private
estate of mainly dormer bungalows lies to the east of the A38. The close proximity of the
Cribbs Causeway regional shopping centre, and neighbouring trading estates, while making
for high levels of employment, has had a damaging effect on small local businesses.
About the youth work of the Project:
Please give a brief description of the youth work that your church/project is involved in and any plans for development you may have. (Please include any partnerships you may be involved in):
Sunday morning creche and "Kidzone" (ages 5 - 11) for children attending church
Monthly Sunday morning all-age worship with some attendance by uniformed organisations
Thursday evening "Bible Bunch" open club for 7 - 11 year olds
Thursday evening "Pathfinders" open club for 11 - 14 year olds
Wednesday after school "STOMP" dance club (7 - 14 year olds) run by current youth worker
Lesson support in secondary and 3 primary schools by current youth worker
Christian Union in secondary school jointly run with Baptist youth worker
Primary assemblies led by Vicar and Methodist Minister as part of ecumenical team
We are looking for the right opportunity to start a Sunday study type programme for secondary age young people.