One question, four answers

Jane Bower
‘Accept change for the better, even when it hurts’

Thriving is more than existing or growing – for anything to thrive, it needs to be nourished, kept healthy, stimulated, and sparking with imagination, ideas and energy – three things which are self-perpetuating. Consider what makes any group of two or more people thrive: love, care, support, listening, valuing, affirming, holding common goals – and learning to continue this when holding strongly differing opinions….

Jane Bower is an elder of Downing Place URC, Cambridge.

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Ashley Evans
‘Members belong to each other’

A good question indeed! What does a thriving church look like? Full of light, life and hope.

I believe what makes a thriving church is plainly set out in the Lord’s Prayer, in Jesus’ words on the greatest commandment, and in the great commission….

Ashley Evans is Synod Evangelist for the URC’s West Midlands and Yorkshire Synods

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Antony Aris-Osula
‘Let Jesus live in the house’

This is a great question but problematic, because we should be experiencing the fruits of what the answer is and the whole world should know. I don’t think we Christians know to be honest. Is it the number of attendees filling the pews, on- and offline buzz or financial prosperity accumulated post-offering? Or should it be defined by something much deeper?…

Antony Aris-Osula is co-founder of the mentoring company Tribe Redeem and author of Coconut Prince: Memoir of a black sheep

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Woking United Reformed Church
‘Focus on the love of Christ’

This question was put to some of the children, young people and adults of Woking URC. Here’s what they said:

• A church thrives because its members are regularly challenging, encouraging and serving one another in Christ’s name, while also serving and being involved in the local community and in worldwide concerns…

This response comes from the children, young people and adults of Woking URC

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This is an extract from an article published in the May 2024 edition of Reform

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