For the last couple of months in Wythenshawe our local radio station Wythenshawe FM http://www.wfmradio.org.uk has been supporting an amazing project about sustainable living with focus on energy, food, warmth and storytelling called Wythenshawe Forever http://www.w4e.org.uk. St. Marks are involved by doing an energy audit of our building, changing energy suppliers to a company supporting more renewables, by joining a communiy knitting group, creating a food group to buy food together and share meals more regularly as a church in community and we're exploring the possiblity of creating a roof garden - for people or wild grasses & flowers or a combination.I am trying to travel less in my car, buy more local food and we're working with other churches and partners to encourage joint actions together in Wythenshawe which could be fruitful - like an allotments project which has already begun in Woodhouse Park.
These things have come at a time in or church life when we are exploring and dreaming our future together and trying to listen to how we can respond more locally to hopes and dreams of our lives with God. We are 3 months into a process which continues what has already begun - being transformed and transforming the communities we're part of by the love of God in Jesus Christ.
January 2008-Dec. 2012 St. Marks is setting aside to focus on several strands in our community and church life together. There are intentional conversations, listening, going public with the bible, continual building of relationships locally and trying to interpret and discern the Spirit's life within and beyond us. There are several strands at the moment:
- young people in Woodhouse Park - many are what's being called workless and are 16-18 years old and have much to share about their lives in Wythenshawe. Some new friends don't aspire for anything in their lives. They have much to share about their experiences of violence, fear, and wanting celebrity. They are also very creative, energetic and open to building relationships with others.
- older people in Woodhouse Park - many have lived here most of their lives and have much to share about sustainable living, care for the earth and respect for their neighbours
- power to make choices, to make things happen, to affect change for good and to build peace
- emergence of a network of different ways of following Jesus: through Sunday worship, weekend festivals, public meetings of shared interest, life seminars (living with cancer and power are two we are planning for this year), opening our homes and hearts as we have not done before to those we live alongside
- finding ways of sharing hopes for our lives, going against the flow, joining together with other people to do that with the bible's challenges and interpretation amongst us
