Ali Mansfield’s pioneering adventure started seven years ago when she was offered a position as Community Outreach in Horrabridge in the South West Peninsula District where the local Methodist Church had been vacated and left empty for several years after the local congregation dwindled. It is now derelict and cannot be used.
A sign from God, that it was meant to be, was when her best friend Emma and her husband John bought a house in Horrabridge. Ali leads the outreach activities with the help of a team of volunteers (Emma, Nathan, Neil, Tom, John and Joan, to name but a few), notably from the private pub Emma and John built in their back garden.
Ali spent her first year going around all the different community groups, getting to know them and their needs. “A lot of these conversations were spent reassuring people that it wasn't the church coming in to do something to them, it was the church coming in to work with them and asking what they want to do in the community to make it a better place?” explains Ali.
“One thing we soon discovered was that the one thing that puts a lot of people off from going to church is going to church. People were afraid they would be preached on,” adds Emma. “We decided to tell people about the love of Jesus and show them what it means in a relaxed and inclusive environment.”
Horrabridge’s hidden needs
Like many places in Great Britain, the community in Horrabridge has a lot of needs below the surface. Ali started working with community groups and, little by little, more outreach activities started. A parenting group, Alpha, a Homegroup and a radio show in the pub. The table talk in the pub led to no less than 13 outreach groups such as Repair Café and Cycle group.
Ali asked, “What do you want in the village? Well, let's do it together. We have a Dungeons and Dragons group, a pop-up café, a Dinner Church, Teens Hangouts, a Food Hub, a Summer camp, games night, a Christmas Grotto and a Sunday lunch. We listen to the community, seek their advice and each of those groups is now led by people from the village.”
Started in 2022, Dinner Church is the occasion for about 45 to 50 people to get together every month, enjoy good food and talk about Jesus. People come with their families and there are activities adapted to children.
“The main part of it along with eating as a church community are the faith talks. We bring a question to the table where people of faith, no faith, seeking, church and unchurched wrestle with discussions about God, Faith, Life and the Bible. We love to hear everyone’s thoughts and allow the Holy Spirit to minister to each of us. Four of our attendees now have a tee-shirt “Jesus loves me”,” adds Emma, who is one of Dinner Church’s leaders, overseeing the kitchen food and feeding those who come through the door.
Whilst the majority of the people attending engage with the community spirit and spiritual discussion, some also join to have a warm meal and a cheerful evening after a stressful week. Emma wishes for people to be able to, “Relax, be comfortable and make the space their own.”
Dinner Church led Ali to start a lunchtime Lego club at the primary school. Ali does not preach the gospel in those events but a few children who are already attending Dinner Church are encouraging their friends to come too and have a great time with them.
Methodism’s future in Horrabridge
Not having a church building has pushed Ali to be creative and find new ways to reach out to people. However, after seven years – including five as a pioneer – the new congregation needs a space where they can carry on and expand their activities. Currently, all resources are kept at Ali’s house.
“It was we have the building and no people. God's flipped it on its head for us. He also gave us a vision of a safe space for meetings, for a gym, for a kitchen and outdoor activities. We can’t keep going the way we are,” adds Emma.
The building is damaged by time, emptiness and vandalism and would need a substantial amount of money to be restored and used. Despite being abandoned for so long, Horrabridge Methodist Church is still in the heart of the village – physically and sentimentally, many people remember weddings, baptisms and funerals that happened within its walls.
The community has planning permission but no money to start the restoration. Because it's been left for so long, it's going to cost them about a million pounds for the full project. They are trying to sell the manse but without luck so far. They would need 80,000 pounds to start applying for grants.
“This building is sitting there, rotting and decaying. We need to push through and pray for it. We're trusting Him for His provision, for His timing and His guidance through the Holy Spirit, and funding applications,” concludes Ali.