“Kings Heath community transformed:
from revelation to revolution”.
The focus of our prayers and our mission is for the estate of Kings Heath, as a response to God’s love for this place and the people in it.
According to the New Testament, when we pray “thy Kingdom come” we are not just asking God to move among his people, those who already acknowledge Jesus as Lord. Of course we do want the church to grow! We want Christians to grow in their knowledge and love of Jesus and to develop godly character and ministry skills. But more than this – we are asking God to establish and expand his good rule in new areas. We believe God wants all people and institutions to come under the influence of the Holy Spirit and begin to change – to become more how God wants them to be.
This means that much of our prayer and mission activity is geared towards helping individuals living on Kings Heath to understand the message of Christ so they become Christians. At the same time as this begins to happen, God has been working in people’s hearts on a wider level than what the church is doing, softening attitudes, prompting changes in behaviour, helping those already committed to serve the community to do their work better. So for example, there might be improvements in local school results, or a reduction in crime figures on the estate, or more cooperation between different service providers. Better parenting, more help for the elderly, improved community cohesion. This happens when God’s people love him and love their world as God does.
So our vision is for a “revolution” – of individuals coming to faith, and for measurable improvements, visible transformation in the community. The basis for this is the local church: our love and commitment to Kings Heath, and the message we have, the revelation of God in the Bible and in the wisdom he gives to his people today.