THE CHURCH IN SPARKBROOK –

Christ Church Sparkbrook Reflections on Eighteen Years in a Multi-faith, Inner-City Parish in Birmingham, UK

By Revd. Simon Holloway

1984-2002

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Introduction. Each one of us is special and has a unique calling and purpose in God’s overall plan to build His church and extend His kingdom. There are many strands in the preparation and formation of a person whom God can use and every stage in life can been seen as a preparation and part of the overall plan of God for a life of faith. In my own case, I can now see, on reflection, many such strands which God has weaved together to make the ministry in Sparkbrook possible and sustainable. I have outlined some of these strands of activity in the following pages, but not explained the background or vision behind them. My upbringing in Bristol within a loving and secure merchant family has provided a sense of security and identity at the start of life. There were many opportunities to explore, travel, pioneer, have adventures, participate in sport and artistic endeavours as well as develop skills in human relationships, writing, analysing, organising etc. through school and especially through the scout movement. I am thankful to God for such a background. However, there was a missing dimension – the purpose and reason for it all. In effect, the spiritual dimension was missing. Where do we come from, what are we doing here, how should we live and where are we going? Such questions invaded my life during my late teens and especially once at University. After pursuing many false trails, I found the answer in a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the missing dynamic for living in the fulness of the Holy Spirit, while at Sussex University studying Mathematics with Statistics. My life took a different direction from then on. Instead of heading for big business with BP, with whom I had a student apprenticeship, I offered for VSO in Sierra Leone, West Africa and while there was called to full-time Christian service. I returned to UK to study for the Church of England ministry at Trinity College Bristol and met my wife Pauline half way through my studies there. We married at the end of my 2nd Year. Through a CPAS Ordinands conference at Herne Bay, we were guided to offer for a ‘Missionary’ ministry in a UPA parish in Wolverhampton but were also challenged by the growing needs in Multi-cultural parishes through the testimony of David Bronnert from Southall. Eventually we came to the Midlands in September 1979, first to Wolverhampton and then to Stafford in 1981, before being appointed to Sparkbrook in 1984. Two word pictures (or prophecies) were given to us at strategic stages of our ministry: You will be a BRIDGE, helping the people of God to be united in ministry and prayer together and also making a bridge into new cultures and areas. You will be a PLOUGH, breaking up the hard, resistant ground ready for the sowing of the seed of the Word of God. By God’s grace, we sought to be obedient to the heavenly vision. On the eve of our Induction in Sparkbrook, a letter arrived from a friend in Nottingham with whom we had studied in Bristol – he shared with us the Prayer of JABEZ, which has now become so popular. But this was in January 1984. Pain and Enlargement. So it has been. These reflections are selective and other stories could be told by the many whom God has called from the ends of the earth to join us in Sparkbrook. It is a developing story and the kingdom advances, despite many setbacks and troubles along the way. To God be the glory!

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Beginnings On Wednesday 25th January 1984, a fire was relit in Sparkbrook which has not yet gone out. Indeed, on this day, Bishop Hugh Montefiore inducted me to be Priest-inCharge of Christ Church Sparkbrook. This date in the church calendar is a reminder of the Conversion of St.Paul on the road to Damascus, when he had a vision of Jesus in a blinding light which caused him to be blind for 3 days. It was snowing that night and our young family was settled into the snug warm vicarage but there was a fire lit in the derelict houses opposite the church and vicarage and the Fire Brigade and Police were called that night, during the service. A few months later, there was another fire when the Embassy Sportsdrome on Walford Road was burnt down and several months later there was another fire in the derelict Baptist Church in Palmerston Road! We held a Bonfire in our church grounds that summer, as part of a Holiday Club and our Area Dean in Small Heath saw the smoke, and thought we had burnt down the church. But no, it was the Embassy Sportsdrome on that same night! Indeed a FIRE was lit when we came to Sparkbrook and the flame continues to burn brighter to this day! The Context of the church in Sparkbrook in January 1984 when I came to serve was one of uncertainty about its survival as a church placed in an increasingly Islamic community in inner-city Birmingham. However, there was a praying core of people in the local congregation and a fulltime ministry team of 5 people who had time and some energy to give to the work of mission and ministry. None of the other four were ‘licensed’ but two were church wardens, one was PCC secretary and the fourth was a local missionary amongst Asian women. They were the praying core, with a few others, and the church had held on through 4 interregna in 10 years, as there were a succession of ministers serving the church during the 1970s and early 1980s. There was faith, prayer and

commitment from a persevering core of people and a good foundation upon which to build. In the early months, we had a Mission to aim for which helped to mobilise the church into prayerful action. Billy Graham was coming to Villa Park in June 1984, as part of MISSION ENGLAND. On my second day in post, I took the two church wardens to the NEC to a preparation meeting with Dr. Graham who outlined the vision for Mission England. As a consequence, our church took up the challenge and booked a double-decker bus to transport people from Sparkbrook EVERY night. We were the FIRST church in the Midlands to do so and received a prime place in the car park. We also trained and mobilised a team of people 15 church members of all ages out of 35 attendees - to visit people in our parish with invitations and eventually we took 400 people from Sparkbrook to hear Dr.Graham at Villa Park. Some of our church members trained as counsellors, choir members and prepared for follow-up groups also. Dr. Christopher Lamb1, then working in Birmingham as Adviser in Muslim-Christian relations, visited with us and came with us to Villa Park to interpret for some Muslim guests who also came to hear Dr. Graham. I remember well sitting next to Mr. Mohammed Noor and a couple of his friends, who nevertheless took time out at Villa Park to conduct their evening prayers of Salat, for 15 mins, during the initial congregational singing. As a result of this Mission England, 40 people made some response and joined nurture groups for 6 weeks following the mission and many became church members, while others moved on after a few months or years to other churches. FOCUS ON MISSION This FOCUS ON MISSION has been a key part of the genetic code of Christ Church Sparkbrook, but did not start with 1

A former CMS mission partner in Pakistan, who was fluent in Urdu.

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Mission England. Reading the history of the church by a notable former Incumbent2, I learnt that Christ Church had sent around 100 people into the Mission field, either at home or overseas, during its first 50 years of life. Obedience to the Great Commission3 has been part of the heartbeat of this church from its foundation. With the changing and challenging mission context over the years, the church has sought to adapt its style and facilities to meet the new challenges of succeeding generations. In the 1940s, the church almost closed, as it was damaged during the blitz of Birmingham in 1940 as the BSA armaments factory nearby was severely bombed. Many of the congregation dispersed to the suburbs and fed into other churches, but a faithful remnant stood by the church and were committed to its restoration and rebuilding after the war. Several significant ministries of both clergy and lay people kept the vision alive during the reconstruction period after the Second World War. The church building was repaired, the spire removed as it had been damaged and the rock garden seen today contains the stones from this former spire. A new East Window was inserted to replace one destroyed by enemy action in 1940. In the 1950s and 1960s, several former CMS missionaries from East Africa served as Incumbents of Christ Church and they were well equipped to welcome the Black Christians from the New Commonwealth4 who came to live in Birmingham, many in Sparkbrook, during these years. Despite indifference from some in the 2

Canon N. Treddennick Vicar of Christ Church Sparkbrook 1889-1941, GOLDEN JUBILEE History of the first 60 years. 1867-1927 3 Jesus’ final words in Matthew’s Gospel “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” Matt.28:19,20 4 Black Christians came especially from Jamaica, Barbados, St.Kitts & Nevis and a variety of other Islands. More recently some have come from Montserrat, following the Volcano eruption in 1997.

congregation, born more out of fear and ignorance than hatred, many Black people joined the church, especially the choir and there were MANY weddings in the church during the thriving 1960s, sometimes 4 or 5 every Saturday during the summer period.5 Congregations in the 1960s had a regular attendance figure of 150+ and for special occasions there were 400+. However, there were still many more seats than that, as the church was originally built with pews to seat 800 people and in the early years, most were taken. There used to be two Sunday Schools meeting before 11am Worship – one at Christ Church School, then located on the Stratford Road, and another at Montgomery School in White Road. After a 50minute class, the children were then trooped off to church in a crocodile file, seating in the North and South Aisles of the church, while the adults sat in the main Nave seating! Re-Pitching the Tent6 But when we came, the church building was inappropriate for the mission and mission to which we were called. The Memorial Hall had been compulsorily purchased by the City Council in the 1960s to make way for the Sparkbrook Family Centre and the Health Centre. As a result, the church had some capital tucked away but during the 70s and early 80s they had not agreed on any of the 4 plans drawn up to provide a Hall, either inside or alongside the church. But with the help of an able church warden, we agreed to re-order the church to provide a hall, extra meeting rooms, loos and kitchen space in the West End of the church. In effect we divided the church building in half, reducing the pew seating from 800 to 400 and reordering some of the furniture. It was completed by autumn 1985 and has provided a most useful and flexible space for a variety of uses over the years. For example, we have hosted Holidays Clubs, Musicals, our 125th Anniversary Party with seating for 125 5

As evidence see the Wedding Registers 1954current, located in the Church Safe! 6 Title of a book by Richard Giles “Re-pitching the Tent” Canterbury Press, 1996

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people, Line Dancing, Harvest suppers, Christmas Bazaars, Sparkalive Celebrations, Wedding Receptions, Youth Services and Celebrations, Sudanese Refugees meeting with their Bishop and regular Shared Sunday lunches and even table tennis competitions. Free carpet from hotels or the Classic Car Show at the NEC have added a warm touch and a new hotair blower gas heating system has made it comfortably warm to be there. Comfortable chairs from Trinity Centre, which closed in 2000, and from Social Services, have also added some good touches. However, we have never been totally happy with our church building and have ‘made do’ over many years. We have spent around 10 years considering major changes to the building, with two feasibility studies completed (with grants from Church Urban Fund and the Digbeth Trust) considering 7 different options in the first study and making a detailed plan for a completely new Church Centre in the second. At the time of writing, the future of the church building is still uncertain, though the congregation has indicated a preference for a re-build of a more flexible and simple building. Unity in Diversity Another Key to the Growth of the Church has been Unity in Diversity, helping people to find their unity in Christ rather than in their cultural identity. This has been most important in the challenging years of the 1960s up to date, as the character of Sparkbrook has changed again, with a majority of the community now made up of people who have their origins in countries with an Islamic or Hindu majority. In the 1960s and following, the following major ethnic groups have relocated to Sparkbrook7 and many other parts of Inner-City Birmingham : Pakistani, Mirupuri, Kashmiri, Pathan, Punjabi, Yemeni, Syllhetti Bengali, East African Asians and

Indians from a variety of castes and language groups. There was also a small group from South East Asia, especially Vietnam and some from China. In more recent years, the community has received refugees from Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Bosnia, Kosovo and a variety of other nations, as a result of ethnic conflicts or persecution for political or religious reasons. Recently8, it was counted that our congregation had members representing 21 different nationalities or language groups, covering 4 out of 5 continents! Equipping and releasing every member for ministry has been another key dimension to the growth and confidence of the church over many generations. This has been built into the life of the church from the beginning, as many members received their call to full-time ministry and mission after some experience of such work in the life of the church. Lay visiting, Sunday School teaching, Bible Classes for men and women, Housegroup leadership, Holiday Clubs for children, Camps for Youth, Youth Clubs, Prayer ministry, Worship Team, and choirs… all of these and others have provided a place for nurture of a ministry of every believer in the life of the church9. Such equipping and releasing into ministry has been developed throughout the years of the church’s life to date. Our church has sent a number of people into mission and ministry, both at home and abroad. Several have gone on for further training at Bible Colleges, on Counselling Courses, Theological Training, Missionary training and ended up as vicars, pastors, missionaries, or as committed lay members exercising a ministry in their place of work. We have often sent out 20% of our membership in one year to serve God in other places, but God has then brought new people in to

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Figures taken from Census 1991. We are still awaiting the results from the 2001 Census.

Count taken in June 2001 Evidence can be seen in the Annual Reports of the Church to date. 9

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take their place. ‘In giving you receive and in dying you are born to eternal life’10 A Clear Biblical Foundation and Vision has been another key dimension for Church Growth. Biblical preaching and teaching has been foundational in the life of the church at every stage and this has not only been from the Leadership of the Incumbent. It has also come from a variety of Assistant Ministers, Lay Pastors, Missionaries and others who have come to identify with the life and witness of the church in Sparkbrook. Biblical expositions and preaching on Sundays, have been complemented by small group bible studies and prayer taking place at a variety of times during the week. The church has experimented with a variety of times and locations for such in depth application of the teaching of God’s word. In the early years, the church building itself was used but in recent years, homes have been a more appropriate (and warmer) place for such ministry. However, several groups do currently use the church for weekly or fortnightly meetings, which not only focus on biblical teaching, but also include fun, fellowship, food, worship and friendship11. The current mission statement of the church has the following STRAPLINE Vision: “Making Sparkbrook Sparkle for the Kingdom of God” The deeper Vision Statement includes the following: 1. EXALT God – through our worship, prayer and obedience 2. EDIFY Believers – through discipleship, biblical nurture and training

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A line from the Song “Make my a channel of your peace” Songs of Fellowship 381, The Prayer of St.Francis 11 Lunch Club for seniors has around 16 people meeting every two weeks for lunch, exercise, worship and a speaker or bible study and prayer. Also a recently-formed Children’s Choir has also around 16 people aged 7-12yrs with a few parents, older siblings and a gran also.

3. EVANGELISE the Lost – through obedient, loving and sensitive witness 4. EXTEND Christ’s Compassion to the Needy – through loving service These Vision Statements have been reviewed regularly and printed in our Church Directory each year12 Developing a Loving Community has taken time but has not only been a question of meetings but of sharing life, hospitality, suffering together, serving together and growing in friendship and trust, especially as we have prayed together. After a few months in Sparkbrook, we saw the need for some of the core leadership team to have time out away from Sparkbrook and so we booked for Spring Harvest at Pontins in Rhyl and later on went regularly to Butlins in Minehead. It was good to be together on holiday but also receiving spiritual refreshment from these Bible Week/Celebrations around Easter. Later on, we discovered a superb Fruit Farm near Ledbury, which we have booked annually for the last 15 years, with a few exceptions, for an annual Parish Weekend in the country. The value of such times has been in building up our relationships as a Church family of all ages in a nonthreatening and relaxing environment, away from the stresses of inner-city, mainly Islamic Sparkbrook. Another development, originally suggested by one of our daughters, was to have a monthly Family Lunch in church. So, for the last 15 years, the first Sunday of each month has been a time when church members have brought and shared lunch together. Visitors have been immediately made welcome and even some unaccompanied children have been served, overseen by their ‘adopted parents’ while at church. As in many churches of our size, there is a great sense of belonging and family and this has kept us during the hard times. However, the challenge has also been to continually be open to newcomers and to their credit, the 12

Church Directory Nov.2001 p. 15

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congregation has risen to the challenge, especially since we have sent out so many people also over the years. We do need to continually look outwards or we will die! Welcoming the Ministry of the Holy Spirit has been another Key to Growth. Since the early 1980s, the renewal movement within the historic denominations, pioneered by the Fountain Trust and taken up by Anglican Renewal Movement and locally by the Diocesan Renewal Group, has deeply affected the life of the church. The prayer life, public and private worship ministry, the ministry of healing and use of other gifts of the Spirit have been quietly exercised by the members of the fellowship, but not in such a way as to alienate or divide the congregation. One of the significant dimensions of the Spirit’s ministry has been in giving direction and insight into potential problems and conflict situations, as Sparkbrook remains a most demanding area in which to live, on many levels. Many have observed that they feel a ‘spiritual oppression’ over the area and that both prayer and witness are hard work. The ministry of the Holy Spirit has given us perseverance, joy and liberty in our spirits to keep on with our worship and ministry in this area, despite many disappointments and discouragement. Saints Alive13 and the Alpha Course have been two key ways in which the ministry of the Holy Spirit has been introduced to new believers or enquirers. The fullness or baptism of the Holy Spirit has been encouraged as part of the initiation of new believers, with a belief that some signs will follow such ministry, that will give power to serve God more effectively. However, on-going renewal and refreshment in the Holy Spirit has also been encouraged as we all run dry at times. So, regular ministry to receive fresh fillings of the Holy Spirit have also been encouraged both locally and at other

places.14 We have learnt to worship God in Spirit and in Truth, with an emphasis on listening to God, being faithful to His Word and exercising the gifts of the Spirit as they are given, all for the mutual benefit of believers and for the glory of God. God has looked after us in the area of Worship development, so often an area of tension and conflict in churches experiencing renewal. We inherited three excellent and committed organists/pianists at Christ Church. The church had already moved to a more informal worship style and gladly adopted Mission Praise at the time of Mission England as the main church song book. This was supplemented by a second volume a few years later. But in the early 1990s, with money left in a bequest, we purchased Songs of Fellowship and became members of the Christian Copyright License organisation, so that we could legally photocopy and project on acetate, both the words and later the music from their material. One notable Organist served Christ Church for 46 years continuously. John and Dora Thomas came in the late 1950s, led several robed choirs in the 1960s and 1970s, but also adapted well to the new music in the 1980s and 1990s. However, John has taken up a new post in Billesley and continues to go from strength to strength. Helen Collins has served well alongside John as Deputy Organist for many years, but has found a new lease of life in her music ministry since John has moved on. She has been ably supported by a worship team of singers and musicians, included a couple of other younger pianists and keyboard players. Though tempted at times to provide different services for different musical tastes, we have so valued our unity in diversity that we have learned to love each other and love the Lord. We have put aside our own preferences in musical style for the greater vision of unity in worship and praise to God.

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Saints Alive, by John Finney and Felicity Lawson, ARM 1987 & The Alpha Course, developed by Nicky Gumbel, Holy Trinity Brompton, 1991f.

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New Wine Conferences, Spring Harvest, Diocesan Renewal Meetings, Soul Survivor for youth etc.

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Our partnership with other local churches has also been significant in this and many other aspects of ministry and mission in our area. The Unity of the Churches in a Common Vision has been another key to Growth. The Sparkalive Movement has developed over the last 15 years, born out of the prayers of two ladies from the Elim Church. They agreed together to ask God for Him to send godly, spirit-filled ministers to all the church in the area. With very few exceptions, God has done this! United Prayer and a Unity of the Churches, especially at the leadership level, has been a vital key to the growth and sustenance of ALL the congregations in the ONE church in our area15 When I came in 1984, there was an existing “Joint Churches Action Committee”, with participation by a few church only in some aspects of join mission, but mainly on the social justice agenda. A joint Christmas Card, Carol Singing in the Bingo Hall or streets, an Easter Day march, co-ordinated Christian Aid collections and a quarterly newsletter was the limit of the activities. Two lay and one clerical rep met quarterly to plan but never to pray. However, there was also a covenant drawn up between around 6 churches to always consult with each other before taking any major initiatives in mission. Though limited to the historic churches16 in the area, it did not fully represent the church in Sparkbrook and Sparkhill and after a few years, we started a monthly Saturday morning prayer meeting to seek God’s way forward. Several reps from other churches came along and this monthly prayer meeting continues to this day, involving at its peak around 40 people. United prayer from united leaders and churches has been 15

There are currently 18 congregations in the Sparkalive Area, with a regular participation by 10 of them in united worship, witness and prayer in our area. See further “The Sparkalive Vision” by S. Holloway 1997 16 Four local Anglican churches, one Methodist and one Baptist.

highlighted as a KEY component for Social Transformation in desperate situations all around the world.17 Parallel to the Sparkalive Leaders’ Fraternal, however, there has been an ongoing “Women’s World Day of Prayer” group meeting in our area for many years and their commitment to partnership in prayer has been heartening. So, in the late 1980s, the JCAC folded but the Sparkalive Fraternal and Prayers expanded to embrace nearly all of the congregations in the area. The only ones not participating either had another theological position or were seeking to serve a city-wide or even national membership. The locally-based and spiritfilled, biblically founded congregations and leaders shared a common vision, though worked out in a variety of styles and dimensions to their ministry and mission. Several areas of joint mission and ministry have included the following: Jesus Video Outreach – pioneered with the help of Agape first of all in Sparkhill and then with a visiting American team in Sparkbrook, five local congregations18 have taken part in the Millennium Project to personally deliver a copy of the Jesus Video to households in our area. Over an 18 month period, around 3000 houses were visited and around 800 videos given away free of charge by teams from the various churches. This has been an important seed-sowing work, providing Videos of the Life of Jesus from Luke’s Gospel in many languages. We have been able to purchase the videos at £1 each and have seen this as a valuable part of our mission to our area. Most receptive were the areas where we had regular contacts 17

“Transformations I & II” . Video produced by the Sentinel Group. 18 Christ Church Sparkbrook, Sparkbrook Christian Centre (Elim), English Martyrs (RC), Ladypool Road Congregational Church and Assemblies of the First Born. See Christ Church Sparkbrook Annual Report 2001

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because of our schools work or other aspects of ministry and service. Sparkalive Schools Team. This ministry has developed out of the vision of just two church leaders in the late 1980s. Alex Temple and Simon Holloway, serving the local Baptist and Anglican Churches in Sparkbrook, teamed up to start presenting a special assembly once per term around the theme of the major festivals – Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. They started in 4 local primary schools and presented their first special Christmas Assembly in December 1987 on the theme “The Shepherd’s View of Christmas” by two Shepherds. Since then, the team has expanded to ten people and we now cover up to 15 local schools, including Infant up to Senior, and also visiting a Special School regularly. Still we visit each school once per term, but take a similar presentation over a two week roadshow period to the schools. There has always been a combination of DRAMA, Visual Talk, Interview, Song, Prayer/silence for reflection around a theme. We have often written our own scripts 19and developed our own talks, but have also borrowed and adapted ideas from elsewhere. We have often been joined by visiting mission teams and have benefited from the support and encouragement of younger people who have come to serve in Sparkbrook at various times.20 Teachers are invited to evaluate our presentations each time and we have had some most positive feedback although we have also received criticism and encountered conflict at times, usually from those who have a different theological perspective.21

experimented with a variety of ways of witness over the years and have developed the following regular pattern. •

Christmas Open Air Carol singing – an hour or more of singing a mixture of traditional carols and contemporary worship songs22. We have experimented with a number of venues but have usually been in a busy shopping centre. At the same time, a team of church workers has been available to talk to local people, offer invitations to special Christmas services or give some suitable Christian literature in a variety of local languages.



Good Friday March and United Service – With the regular support of the Sparkhill Corp of the Salvation Army in the planning stages, the Sparkalive Churches have regularly followed a variety of routes each year to stage a Good Friday March of Witness through the streets of Sparkbrook and Sparkhill. In the earlier years, we had police escort and led off with music from a mobile PA system attached to a car, but in the last few years, we have provided our own Stewards and First Aiders and conducted a Silent March, between the Stations, usually other local churches en route. At these Stations, we have raised the wooden Cross which we have carried along the route, sang a song, had a Bible Reading, brief talk and prayer, before moving on. From 10.30am to 12noon we have marched and from 12noon to 12.45pm had a United Service, followed by refreshments. Twelve churches were represented in 2002 and around 150 people were on the March, with others joining us at the Service.



Summer Open Air Services – One of our local churches, St.John’s Sparkhill,

Open Air Ministry has been most selective in our area but we have 19

Sparkalive Schools Team Dramas and Talks. 1987-2002 Simon Holloway. (in preparation) 20 For example – Frontline Teams in 1994/5 and 1995/6; Pastoral Assistants 1989-1998, Youth Worker 1999/00 21 Most criticism has come from ‘Liberal Christians’ who embrace a Universalist or Inclusivist position towards other faiths. Secular or Muslim staff have been always most appreciative!

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For example using Graham Kendrick’s “Make Way for Christmas” Make Way Music 1994 and the Bethlehem Carol Sheet.

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has taken the lead in organising Open Air Services in the Summer Holidays in Sparkhill Park, outside their church school, without any need for obtaining permission or electricity as we were using church school land! Again, this has provided another opportunity to demonstrate Unity in Mission. Often visiting Christian leaders from around the world, linked to the Church Mission Society (CMS) or other missions have taken part. In summer 2001, we had a Romanian Orthodox Priest, Indian Christian Leader and Brazilian Church Leader involved. We take seriously the vision to ‘Think Globally and Act Locally.’23 •

On the Move. For the year 2000, a group of churches in our area combined forces for a 10 day mission. This was planned as a Cluster Mission from three local Anglican Churches – St.Edmund’s Tyseley, St.John’s Sparkhill and Christ Church Sparkbrook. In 1998, we booked a team of 20 students from Trinity College, Bristol to come and join us for this mission at the end of June 2000. We then discovered that a new mission organisation called ‘On the Move’ had been invited to lead Open Air missions throughout Birmingham during the SAME week, combining Open Air worship on the streets with a Free Barbecue in a local park. In the end we had 6 local churches involved in the Mission, serving hallal and veggie burgers in Sparkhill Park for 3 days and then in Farm Park on Saturday 24th June, which combined with the official Opening of Farm Park. We worshipped and fed around 1,000 people in Farm Park that day and the Park was blessed by a visiting Kenyan Bishop. People are still talking about that day.

Strategic Partnerships in Mission Another Key Dimension to help with the Growth of the Christian Community in our area has been Partnership in Mission, both between the local churches of different denominations, but also with various Mission Agencies. Some of this partnership is of a confidential nature because of the sensitive areas of our mission engagement. However, we have provided a regular cross-cultural training location for several mission agencies. Navigators were the first such ministry to make use of our services, with several imaginative training weeks for Graduates and Undergraduates spending a week in the Baptist Church ‘Hotel’, and working alongside several local churches in schools, youth, children’s and homevisiting work. There has been established a regular cell of Navs in our area and several relocated to live in the area also, in response to these missions. Operation Mobilisation also sent us a team on several occasions as part of their ‘Love Europe’ mission programme and Sparkhill has continued this longer than in Sparkbrook, but mainly taking students from the US. Agape24, have based their A.I.T. (Agape International Training) Course for 3 months in Sparkbrook and Sparkhill, to help their mission partners and others prepare to serve God in other countries and cultures. After some time in our community, such trainees have gone to serve God in such diverse countries as Tibet, Russia, Hungary and Nigeria. Also, there has been a most fruitful partnership with CMS, especially for Christ Church Sparkbrook and St.John’s Sparkhill, but now increasingly also with St.Christopher’s Springfield. Since the CMS Training College relocated to Selly Oak from North London in the late 1960s, there has been a regular flow of personnel between Selly Oak and our area. Staff from Crowther Hall, the CMS Training College, have often preached in our churches, 24

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Vision Statement from Church Mission Society (CMS), Partnership House, 157 Waterloo Road, London SE17 8UU.

Formerly called ‘Campus Crusade for Christ’ and founded by Dr.Bill Bright in the US, but now with a variety of names in different countries. In UK, their H.Q. is based in Tyseley, Birmingham.

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students have spent time here for 312months on placement and overseas study bursars have been placed with us also. As a result, the churches here have been enriched by our contacts with Christian leaders from around the world, especially Africa and South Asia, but CMS partners have also been sent out from here to other mission bases around the world. For 8 years, an imaginative project called “Emmanuel House” the A.R.T. Programme, was led by Varghese and Rachel Kattapuram, experienced Indian Mission Partners who had served God in 4 continents, from the Mar Thoma Church of South India. Many CMS mission partners were trained in Sparkbrook for 6months or so, in this Action Reflection Training (A.R.T.) programme. Our links with the overseas church have been strengthened and we have kept a World Vision before us regularly. As well as support from these mission agencies, one unique Bible College – Birmingham Bible Institute – has also kept up a steady flow of student placements to our church, which has kept us fresh, provided many of our Pastoral Assistants25 and given us some excellent preachers from time to time. However, this college has now relocated from Edgbaston to Selly Oak and no longer has the convenient student accommodation on an easy bus route to our church. There is also a change in name to Birmingham Christian College, though the vision stays mainly the same. Deanery and Diocese of the Anglican Church As an Anglican church, we have also been part of a Deanery and Diocese, which has brought us both blessings and challenges over the years. In 1991, I was appointed Dean of Bordesley and also made up to Vicar of Christ Church Sparkbrook, having served as Priest-in-Charge for 7 years. It 25

Steve & Catriona Foster, Phil Slater, Peter Smith, Chris & Margaret Pickford, Stewart Mills, Alan & Joanne Parkinson, Michael Axellson, Rajesh & Anne-Marie David (All BBI trained and linked to Christ Church Sparkbrook)

was a measure of confidence in the Diocese that our church had a long-term future when the Incumbency was restored after many years of threat and pastoral reorganisation. During my time in post, I have seen the closure of several churches in our Deanery – St.Andrew’s Bordesley (already closed but then demolished), St.Gregory’s and St.Oswald’s in Small Heath, Emmanuel in Sparkbrook and St.Bede’s in Greet. However, in two cases, black-led churches have bought the buildings and continued a Christian ministry. In one case a Christian housing association redeveloped the building and in another a Muslim independent Primary School took over. We have also seen recently the closure of the Trinity Centre, a night shelter located in our parish and it is currently up for sale. In our increasingly multi-faith community in the majority of our Deanery, the number of viable parish plants was declining and yet the need for ministry and mission of all kinds was increasing. The Anglican Church in Small Heath eventually rationalised from 3 down to 1 church plant and from 4 clergy & assistants down to 2 clergy. However, a valuable Stepping Stones (Family Support) and Gilgal (Women’s Refuge) project was established in partnership with Spurgeon’s Child Care between several churches in Small Heath. The re-ordering of St.Aidan’s (now called All Saints, Small Heath) to include a Place of Welcome and a new Vicarage has also prepared the church to face the new mission challenges of that community, especially amongst the Refugee and Asylum seekers who now abound in our city. Two long periods of Diocesan Consultation have been called for over the last 8 years – Together in Ministry and Mission (1994-1996) and Called to a New Kingdom (2001-2002) – in order to assess the new Mission Map and our available resources. At the time of writing, the latter Consultation is still on-going. However, with fewer people regularly attending

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Anglican (and other) churches, there is a need for more creative ways of reaching new people, a challenge to train and release more lay people into ministry and reduce the number of full-time clergy. Our church has also been considering this throughout this time and experimenting with a variety of styles, times and ways of outreach, worship and discipleship. In March 2002, the new Deanery of Yardley and Bordesley was officially launched after a 2 year engagement, as the Deanery of Bordesley had reduced to just 6 parishes and 8 clergy. However, we were serving a very large population of around 60,000 people and now the combined new Deanery has 17 parishes with 130,000 people to serve! It is the most populated deanery in the Diocese and with the largest numbers of those of other faiths, predominantly Muslims. Our former Deanery and our current Deanery both embrace a variety of churchmanships but mainly either AngloCatholic or Evangelical, with hardly any other ‘brands’. The most helpful aspects of our Deanery connections towards the growth of the church locally have been a) The appointment of a Deanery Youth Support Worker to assist with our youth work b) The networking and sharing of ideas and resources with parishes serving a similar context, especially in the former Bordesley Deanery, as we all shared an Islamic context. c) The development of a Cluster of churches to provide clergy support and prayer. On the Diocesan level, it has also been a mixture of support and challenge. The best support from the Diocese in terms of growth of the church locally, in my opinion, has been the provision of lay training course material – especially the 3D course, for Developing Disciples over a 30 week study course, locally led by me for a group of 9 people. The Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship and Diocesan

Renewal Group have, over the years, provided some excellent one-off day conferences, celebrations and clergy support but they have not been regular enough to really make much difference. The local Sparkalive Fraternal has been more help because it has been regular and local. In addition to this strategic partnership with Mission Agencies and involvement with other Anglican Churches, there has also been a valuable link with other churches in similar situations around the City and indeed around the nation. To share common concerns and link up for mutual support, prayer and sharing vision, has been vital to maintain the vision and direction of the church over the years. Two Networks have been especially valuable in this respect. One has been mainly at the Leadership Level and the other for the Church Workers and Mission Personnel linked to our church. Together for Birmingham Even before the advent of Together for Birmingham, there was a meeting to pray for revival in our city led by Revd. Bob Dunnett at Birmingham Bible Institute. He had been the Regional Prayer Co-ordinator for Mission England in 1984 and yet every 3rd Friday night had already been fixed as a prayer night for Revival at BBI for years before that. Bob invited ministers to join him for prayer and breakfast in his home monthly on Tuesday morning for years at 7am. Such respect for this man of God from Christian leaders of all denominations brought many along. For a while Alan Redpath joined in, during his latter years of retirement before his exodus to glory. Out of this prayer group and other meetings grew Prayer for Birmingham (PfB) and this opened out into Prayer for Revival (PfR), a network of Intercessors for the City and for the Nation. In the late 1980s, Graham Kendrick’s Musicals on the streets – Make Way, Make Way for the Cross, Make Way for Christmas – were developed and performed on the streets of Birmingham. On one occasion we circled

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the whole of Birmingham along the Outer Ring Road on the number 11 bus route; on other occasions we came into the City Centre along the main artery roads and on yet other occasions we sang round the City Centre and praised God in the main squares – Victoria, Chamberlain, Centenary Square. God was on the move and we brought a Carnival of Praise to the streets and parks of Birmingham over many years. It was good also for the Body of Christ to discover each other through this means. In 1996, an even larger body of Christians from all over UK descended on Birmingham City Centre during the time of the G8 summit at the International Convention Centre. Around 70,000 people encircled the ICC for the Jubilee Campaign to Drop the Debt. This massive show of public support to reduce or cancel the debt of the world’s poorest countries received also Governmental approval and has brought many countries nearer to the stage of being able to afford a decent health and education system, rather than be crippled by Debt. So, eventually in 1992 Together for Birminghamn (TfB) was launched as the vision of Nick and Lois Cuthbert, leaders of the fairly newly founded Riverside Church in south Birmingham. They had come to the city of Birmingham in the mid 1970s, been involved in the Jesus Centre and then in 1984 founded Riverside, flowing out of Moseley Alive and several other initiatives. They had great support in the early years from Tom Walker at St.John’s Harborne and David MacInnes, then the Birmingham Diocesan Missioner and one of the City’s most prominent Renewal leaders. Nick and Lois brought together a dozen leaders of churches across the city to pray and share in depth with each other and out of this group developed a regular quarterly meeting of Christian leaders, from the charismatic and evangelical wing of the church in the City. Bob Dunnett, former Vice Principal of BBI and Bryan Pullinger, founder of Solihull Christian Fellowship, have been two other key allies in this ministry, which

has also had overlaps in Pray for Birmingham and Prayer for Revival. The parallel tracks of Leaders’ meetings and Intercessors’ meetings have been vital for the progress of developing a vision for the whole City of Birmingham. Ed Silvoso, an Argentinean Mission Leader from Harvest Vision,26 was invited to visit the city on two occasions to conduct Pastors’ Seminars on “Reaching an Entire City for Christ”27 In addition, the Challenge 2000 Conference was held in Birmingham in 1992, with Dr.Peter Wagner as the main speaker, sharing the DAWN28 vision to the nation and teaching on Strategic Level Intercession, Church Planting and Church Growth principles. The twin aspects of the Vision Statement of Together for Birmingham have been “There is only one church but many congregations. We are together so that every person in Birmingham may have an opportunity to hear and respond to the good news of Jesus Christ.”29 This vision has been translated also into our local area and many other areas and districts around Birmingham. However, TfB decided to fold as an organisation in March 2001, after 7 productive years and the vision has now been taken up more at the local level. In preparation for the year 2000, there was a leaders’ prayer meeting in Committee Room 2 of the Council House for 3.5 year meeting at 6.30am every Friday morning. A city-wide, ward by ward Prayer Guide was produced and prayers were offered for the city in the heart of the city leading up to the Millennium. Many would see some answers to prayer in the appointment of a Christian Chief of Police and a succession of Lord Mayors. Also we have seen the 26

Author of “That None Should Perish”, Ed Silvoso 27 National Cities for God Conference Nov.1994 28 DAWN = Discipline A Whole Nation. A Church Growth strategy of Church Planting developed originally in the Philippines by Jim Montgomery. See Jim Montgomery,’ DAWN 2000: 7 million churches to go’. Highland, 1990 British Edition. 29 Agreed Vision Statement from TfB Conference January 1994

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agreement to erect the Flame of Hope permanent statue in Centenary Square, officially launched by Sir Cliff Richard on 31st December 1999, when the Flame was lit by laser. Underneath the Flame, there is written “Jesus Christ – the Light of the World” a gift from the Churches of Birmingham for the Millennium. During the Millennium Year, there was also a wonderful Pentecost Celebration in Canon Hill Park, with the Web Page Jesus4Brum.com. On that day, so many churches and missions were gathered together in this City Centre Park, opposite the Edgbaston Cricket Ground and it kept dry throughout! Christian bands from around the city, established and experimental, entertained the crowds from the bandstand and the main stage. Stalls were set up by a host of local churches and Christian agencies. It was a wonderful party to celebrate the Birthday of the Church. This event ‘laid the ghost’ of the earlier fiasco during the visit of Bp.Desmond Tutu in 1988. On that occasion too many events and locations were booked, too few people attended and there was a huge deficit in the budget of around £50,000. This amount was eventually underwritten largely by the Church of England, as a former Bishop of Aston was the chair of the planning committee, but this Bishop consequently resigned and took up a parish post in another part of the country. For the Christian Workers, the network which has helped us most has been the support from the Alliance of Asian Christians and a variety of other mission agencies which have worked together to sponsor a succession of Conferences30, training days31, prayer events and other means of support. Some of this is confidential in nature but we are thankful 30

For Example: The Rainbow Conference, summer 1999 31 For Example: Faith to Faith, based at Carrs Lane Church Centre, who also sponsor “Faith and Society”, a network of Muslim and Christian leaders who meet regularly to consider issues of faith in our Western Society

to God for the unity in mission and vision which such contacts have brought us. Both national Christians from a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds as well as returned Mission Partners who have served overseas in various countries have contributed to the rich network of Christians working in Sparkbrook and Sparkhill in this wonderful cross-cultural community. In helping to develop ministry amongst Youth and Children in Sparkbrook, again we have had the benefit from two major city-wide initiatives, in which our youth have participated at various levels. Act One Youth Camp Ministry In response to the Faith in the City Report32, many projects were set up at the local or city-wide level to address the issues of poverty and lack of opportunity which faced people of all ages in the innercity of Birmingham. Two city-wide projects have specifically helped the youth of Sparkbrook. First of all, a Diocesan Youth Camps project33 was set up, at the inspiration of the Diocesan Youth Officer and his team, to provide a week-long activity camp in the summer vacation for youths aged 11-14yrs, with a leadership team drawn as well as the ‘campers’ from the Inner City churches. Over the last 11 years, since it started, this has developed into a wonderful community of leaders across the city from black and white-led churches, Anglican and other churches also with a regular 60 youths and 20 leaders serving and learning and growing in faith together. It has provided a wonderful place for the faith to be ‘caught’ as well as taught. There has been an amazing unity and sense of belonging amongst the youths 32

Archbishop of Canterbury’s Report “Faith in the City” – A Call for Action by Church and Nation , 1985 Church House Publishing. 33 Initially called BEACON BREAK as the first camps were located near the Beacon. It then changed to ACT ONE and ACT TWO , camps for 11-14s and training for 14-18s. It has now changed its name again to INSOULS and TRAINERS (reflecting the same age-focus of 11-14s and 1418s)

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and their leaders from the Inner City areas of Birmingham, including some from Outer Estate housing. There has been great partnership between Black, Asian and White leaders from a variety of Anglican and other churches. It has been a spiritual oasis for some, a turning point for others, a place for spiritual growth and opportunity to learn to lead for others. Above all, it has been a place for HOPE in the city and something that so many youth have looked forward to. At the peak, we sent 18 young people and leaders on the Act One youth camp, though we now send fewer to Act One or its replacement and have been sending more to CPAS34 Falcon camps instead. Malachi Community Trust Another city-wide Project which had some initial support from the Faith in the City fund (called the Church Urban Fund) which was set up to help Urban Mission projects is the Malachi Community Trust. In the early days, it also had the name “Christian Arts Project”, but the earlier name of Malachi Community Trust was already in existence as a small committed group of musicians, dancers and actors met regularly to explore how to present the Christian faith into our contemporary culture through the medium of the Contemporary Arts. Gordon and Lyn Lee are the founders of this ministry which has now grown to employ a dozen or more workers, full or part-time and spawned other ministries including Malachi Theatre Services and Malachi Music. The core vision of this trust and the name comes from the very last verse of the Old Testament: “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” Malachi 4:6 34

CPAS is Church Pastoral Aid Society, based in Warwick. The Falcon Camps are a sponsored national programme for Inner City children and youths from aged 8-17yrs. It started as an Anglican home mission to support Urban Mission in the 19th Century.

Family reconciliation ministry is at the heart of the vision of Malachi Trust35. Having trained with Roger Jones36 in the 1980s, Gordon developed his own vision and style of Musicals for use in schools to communicate biblical family values and seek to address some of the deepest concerns and causes of family breakdown, truancy, teenage rebellion, youth crimes, drug addiction and emotional crises. Children from schools in Sparkbrook, and especially from Christ Church School, have taken part in many of the musical which have grown out of this ministry. Several times large numbers have gathered at the National Indoor Arena for presentations of the musicals “Days of our Childhood” 1996 and “Led by The Star” 1999. After Premieres in the Town Hall until it closed and then in the Symphony Hall, the musicals have been taken to local venues in community centres, schools and churches all around the Midlands and on one occasion to London. In September 2000, the Malachi Trust Choir was chosen to represent Birmingham at their Day at the Millennium Dome, sponsored by Cadbury’s and Macdonald’s and performed a part of ‘The Promise’– looking at the Parable of the Good Samaritan through the eyes of youths who experience Peer Pressure.! Other musicals that have developed are “The Journey” – an updated version of the Prodigal Son and their most recent musical is called “A Friend Like You” – a ‘toybox’ musical addressing citizenship issues. And they have recently re-launched ‘Days of our Childhood’37 with a fresh recording on CD and updated dramas. 35

This is the shortened title. They can be contacted at Crossover, 619 Bordesley Green, Bordesley Green, Birmingham B9 5ZX Tel.0121-772-4503 E.mail: [email protected] 36 Roger Jones of Christian Music Ministries, who has developed musicals for use in schools and churches over the last 25 years. This ministry has extended around UK and to other countries also, especially Israel. CMM 325 Bromford Road, Hodge Hill, Birmingham B36 8ET tel.0121-7833291 37 I was involved in giving the vision for this musical when I shared with Gordon and Lyn Lee a diagram from a book by Josh McDowell & Dick

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One of the great values of this ministry has been the bridge-building nature of their work in schools and communities all around Birmingham. Teachers, parents and faith leaders of all persuasions have endorsed and valued this ministry. It is rooted in the world of young people, sensitive to their culture, able to express through drama, music and dance their hopes and fears and yet at the same time faithful to the biblical vision of the Kingdom of God. One musician in our church commented to me “Malachi Trust are 5 years ahead of the trends in our culture”. Indeed they are communicating now to Generation Y and Z, the Millennium and post Millennium children, the majority of whom are born into broken homes. Children from Sparkbrook have taken part in both Malachi Musicals and the Act One youth camp programmes. These have given them a place to develop their talents, build their self-esteem, form positive relationships with Christian adults in a supportive environment and explore issues of faith and discipleship in the context of a loving community. Much seed has been sown over the last 12 years or so, since these projects have been established and we wait to see how these children develop in the years ahead. Ongoing prayer, friendship, encouragement and support will be needed to see that these young people go on to reach their full potential. However, some signs have been good, as children from Christ Church School, who took part in these musical as children, have gone on to develop a positive self-esteem and have made a good contribution at Secondary schools. For example, Ezekiel38 took part as the Angel Gabriel in ‘Led by the Star’ at the Symphony Hall and NIA. Although he has special educational needs and suffered from learning difficulties, his participation in Malachi Trust musicals AND Act One youth camps, has given him confidence in his own abilities and he Day called “How to be a Hero to Your Kids”, Word Publishing 1991 p.26 38 Name has been changed to protect his identity.

obtained 8 GCSEs and is now at college training in Music Management.

Community Ministry

Involvement

and

The life of the local church must never be divorced from the context in which it is based and throughout the time that I have served as Incumbent of Christ Church Sparkbrook, I have also sought to build bridges and find ways to serve the local community. Sparkbrook was once a wellto-do area, as can be traced from the historical record and even the size of some of the existing houses. Long-standing residents can remember the days when there were servants in the 3-story houses in Braithwaite and Gladstone Roads. However, due to its close proximity to the BSA factory, which produced armaments during the Second World War, the area was heavily bombed and many of the more affluent residents moved out to the suburbs – for example to Shirley, Dorridge, Solihull, Sheldon and Knowle. As a result much of the housing stock was poor and run-down after the war, but available at a cheap price for enterprising people. Some whole streets had to be knocked down and even during our time in Sparkbrook, we have seen massive improvement in the housing stock as Housing Associations have rebuilt or re-ordered many houses, sometimes twice during our 18 years. Urban Renewal has provided grants for some while SRB39 has done the same in recent years. However, in the 1960s, there was much unrest in Sparkbrook and a famous sociological study40 was done by Professors Rex and Moore, commenting on the causes of some of these tensions. Overcrowding and unemployment were two of the causes. In response to these problems, the Sparkbrook Association was founded through the inspiration of two local professionals and others. Dr.Molly Barrow, a local GP and Revd. Jack Reed, 39

Single Regeneration Budget, replacing a number of smaller grants like Inner City Partnership Fund etc. 40 Rex and Moore, ‘Race, Community and Conflict’, OUP 1967

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the Vicar of Christ Church Sparkbrook gave the leadership needed then to see the building of the Sparkbrook Family Centre and the founding of the Sparkbrook Association. In its early days, there was an Advice Centre and a full-time Social Worker employed by the Association. Birmingham Friendship Housing Association had its beginning as part of the Association, before branching out into Braithwaite Road. There was a thriving social club, discos, sports clubs, carnivals (the first in Birmingham) and early regeneration of Farm Park, which had been left to the people of Sparkbrook by the Lloyd Family. This famous banking family once lived in Lloyd House, the Georgian manor house in Farm Park, which had been their garden! When I came to Sparkbrook in January 1984, I spent several months taking stock of the situation in the community, as well as in the church but did nothing much in the community until the ministry in the church had been developed and some goals set for development and growth. However, in the autumn of that year, I was elected as Chair of the Management Committee of the Sparkbrook Association and soon discovered that the current Warden was embezzling the funds of the Centre, had an alcohol problem due to uncertain health and after a short investigation was dismissed. For several months, I was left ‘holding the baby’ but with the support and advice of City Council officers, the committee appointed a new Warden, Graham Lowther who served for a couple of years and then as his successor Fiona Waddell, both of whom were committed Christians. However, with a lack of sufficient time to do all that was necessary, I stood down as Chair and became ViceChair of the Association. We also discovered an Insurance Salesman from Moseley who was willing to serve in a voluntary capacity as Treasurer, with a local Muslim Community Worker as Chair of the Association. This team has worked well up to the present time, but the Centre changed hands in the mid 1990s as the cost

of repairs to the building to make it safe and warm were beyond our scope to deal with. The City Council took over the running of the Centre and the Management Committee became an Advisory body instead. Sir Richard Knowles, the leader of the Council for many years, was one of the Sparkbrook Ward Councillors and a committed Christian himself, so we had an ally in high places. He helped us to see through the budget for the repairs and refurbishment of the Centre, which now also houses the Sparkbrook Area Office for the Department of Leisure and Culture. Sparkbrook Neighbourhood Forum Devolving government down to the local level has been very much part of the vision of the national Government, especially since Labour came to power, and the development of Neighbourhood Forums has been a part of that process in our City. So, in 1996 a pressure group was started to ‘Make Sparkbrook Better’. We had a series of Public Meetings over a 12 month period to find out what the people of Sparkbrook thought would make it better. Then we had another series of meeting looking at specific themes – Making Sparkbrook Healthier, Safer, Cleaner, Working, Schools better etc. – with invited guests from the various disciplines and local councillors too. Out of this eventually was formed the Sparkbrook Neighbourhood Forum, with three joint chairs to start with – Asian, AfroCaribbean and White European. This coincided with the success in obtaining a £23million grant to Regenerate the community of Sparkbrook, Sparkhill and Tyseley over a 7 year period, to be matched with Business and City funds. For our area, the major foci were to improve the Barber Trust housing and regenerate Farm Park. The smell of money attracted many people, however, and we found ourselves challenged for the control of the Forum after a short while. A slate of all South Asian Muslim men took over control of the Forum after its first full year but there was a fight and chair-throwing a year later and the Forum disintegrated into a

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slanging match. After another year, however, the Forum became once more representative of the whole community, with Management Committee members representing all sections of the community and both genders. Currently, the Forum has an excellent Asian lady as its chair and there are Afro-Caribbean, White , Asian Muslim, Hindu and Arab Muslims on the Committee. Once again, the Forum has responsibility for increasing sums of Regeneration money and is about to employ Street Wardens and Development and Administrative officers to serve from a dedicated Forum Base in the heart of Sparkbrook. After being ousted in a Coup, I was invited back onto the Forum as a Vice Chair and was Acting Chair for a period before the current Management Committee was elected. I have served mainly in the role of Chair of the Friends of Farm Park, a subgroup of the Forum. This group has consulted with the Council Planning, Architects and Parks Department over the refurbishment of Farm Park, providing a Farm Watch brief and also helped to plan various Events in and around the Park, especially during the Millennium Year. Children from local Primary Schools played a big part in the design of the Park with the helpful partnership of the Community Education workers who brought along the children from three of the four local Primary schools. Sparkbrook Community Minibus Project Another Project which has brought blessing and encouragement to many in the Sparkbrook Area and beyond has been the development of the Sparkbrook Community Minibus Project. The vision for this came from Keith Straker, who was the City Council Play Leader at the Farm Park Play Centre when I first came to Sparkbrook. Through his work, a building was erected in Farm Park to which children came after school for play activities and parents were happy to send them there, where they could be seen. In the day time, Save the Children held a

Playgroup in this Centre, visited on one occasion by the Princess Royal. However, Keith could never get hold of the City minibuses to take children on outings or visits to other centres. So, we set about fund raising for our own community Minibus in 1986 and by 1987 we had raised £1,500 through a combination of donations and a sale of furniture. Seven local community groups combined to form the Sparkbrook Community Minibus Project – 2 local churches, 1 school, 2 Play Centres, the Sparkbrook Association and the Area Youth Office. The headteacher from Christ Church School, Mr. Warburton, applied on our behalf to BRMB Walkathon for a new minibus and in 1988 we received one of the 13 minibuses which they donated that year from the proceeds of the 1987 Walkathon. This annual fund-raising charity walk has brought together thousands of people in Birmingham to walk the 26.2 miles around the Outer Circle, No. 11 bus route. After a break for a few years, the Walkathon continues to this day. Around 15 schools, churches, community groups etc. have made regular use of the 13-seater Sherpa LDV Minibus which we obtained in 1988. In 1996, we were donated a refurbished Ford Transit 17-seater Minibus, again with the help and support of the Headteacher of Christ Church School, Ms. Hyde, from the Trustees of the Dr.Molly Barrow Trust, a former GP in Sparkbrook. However, at the time of writing, both minibuses are off the road in need of repairs and we are considering scrapping the Sherpa but repairing the Transit but applying again to the Walkathon for a new minibus. Sparkbrook Toy Fayre One other little Project which has shown God’s love and care to local people has been an annual Toy Fayre in Sparkbrook for the last 15 years. Different from other projects which have made direct donations of toys to needy families, this project has sought to provide BRAND NEW or good quality second-hand toys for purchase by the people of Sparkbrook. In September, we send out letters to schools and churches

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with whom we have links around the Diocese of Birmingham, inviting them to consider making donations of Toys or money for the purchase of new toys. In early December, usually after a Toy service in churches, we collect or receive the Second-hand toys. They are sorted, cleaned or discarded and then stored in Christ Church, ready for the Toy Fayre. Invitations are sent out to families in need, referred by local Playgroups, Nurseries, Schools, Churches, Social Services or Advice Centres. A team of local workers from these same groups – Schools, Churches, Community Centres etc. – work as volunteers to sort the toys and serve at the Toy Fayre. Tickets are given to each family to purchase 1 or 2 NEW toys @ £1 or 50p each, and usually unlimited numbers of Second-hand toys : 10p or 20p. Books, CDs, Cassettes, Videos, Soft toys and a few children’s clothes may also be included. We often have suitable Christmas music and refreshments available at the same time and even a bookstall of Christian books on sale or return from Birmingham City Mission. The money raised goes into the fund for the next year’s Toy Fayre, after all of the expenses have been taken out. Sometimes local toy wholesalers will make some donations of toys, and thank you letters are sent out to all of the donors. Sparkbrook Christian Election Forums The community involvement of the churches has also included taking the initiative in each of the General Elections by setting up a Christian Election Forum for the Constituency of Sparkbrook, which has included the Wards of Sparkhill, Sparkbrook and Fox Hollies and more recently also Small Heath. Roy Hattersley and then Roger Godsiff have served as the MPs for our area in a safe Labour seat. However, each time we have fielded questions to the candidates from the major parties at these Election Forums held at Sparkhill Methodist Church. Our questions have focussed on specific moral matters such as Abortion law, Euthanasia, but also included more wide-ranging questions about Immigration, Law and

Order, Urban Regeneration, Education, Third World Debt and other issues facing the local community. We have received support in preparation from the Evangelical Alliance and Care Trust with their Election Forum Packs. For many years also, we ran a ‘Keep Sunday Special’ campaign in Sparkbrook, with support from the Jubilee Campaign in Cambridge. I was the co-ordinator for this Campaign for a number of years locally. Despite the excellent support of the local Muslim community, the power of big business and commercial interests eventually prevailed and in 1995, the law was changed to deregularise Sunday as a special day set aside for rest, for family and for worship. In our opinion, this action has only continued to put more pressure on the family as a unit in our society and produced more stress for workers. When we ignore the Maker’s instructions, then we suffer the consequences as a society. Muslim-Christian Consultations Since 1980, there has been a regular monthly consultation of Muslim and Christian leaders at the Sparkbrook Islamic Centre in Anderton Road, to meet each other, discuss areas of mutual concern and interest and to learn from each other’s faith. I have been part of this group since 1984, when Revd. Edward Williams, the local Baptist Minister and one of the cofounders of this group, introduced me. I have co-chaired the group with Mr.Mohammed Afzal, the Centre Warden and also Chair of the UK Islamic Mission. A group of 8-12 people meet each time, a brief paper on a topic of interest is presented and then responded to by those present. We are given excellent hospitality by our hosts and guests often bring some fruit or juice. Recent topics we have discussed have been: “Life after Death – the message of Easter” by Revd. Dr. Andrew Kirk “Pilgrimage – the message of Haj” by Mr. Kurram Bashir

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“Current Issues in Education” by Mr. Peter Courts, Conway Primary School and “Education in Islam” We have recently also been visited by a team of seven leaders from Wiesbaden in Germany, who came to Birmingham to learn from our experience of partnership between the cultures and faiths in our city. In this group, we have formed deep and lasting friendships of trust and so have been able to discuss and debate many of the thorny issues of doctrine and belief which separate the Muslim and Christian faiths. We have also been able to air our concerns over world events, where our two faith communities have been in conflict. But also, we have found a measure of agreement in our concern over the increasing secularisation of Western Society, with the effect that this has on all of our members and especially our young people. On a number of moral and ethical matters there has been complete agreement – the sanctity of life, family cohesion, environmental and genetic concerns, for example. However, the challenge exists now to bring this level of trust and friendship to a new generation of younger Christian and Muslim leaders. Many younger Muslim leaders will have the advantage of being more confident and fluent in the English language and also more familiar with Western culture and education. In an increasingly Post-modern world, both Muslim and Christian faiths are being challenged. Both faith therefore need to find ways to positively engage with those who have been discipled by Western secular humanism and communicate their faith in a way that can be understood and appropriated those who are seeking God for themselves. In conclusion, what has made such a difference over all of these years and with the many strands of ministry and mission in Sparkrook has been the commitment and love of a supportive family, without whom none of the above could have been

possible. It has sometimes been a struggle to keep the right balance between personal, family, church and community commitments. I have often been overstretched but God has been faithful and kept me going during the hard and dry times and stressful times. There has been and still is a great sense of love and friendship in the community of Sparkbrook amongst people of all faiths and none. Many people have problems, but then we all have some burdens and stresses to bear. It is just ‘different strokes for different folks’. Because we all share in the common challenges of living in Sparkbrook, we come together on the basis of our common humanity first and see the divine spark in each person, as everyone is made in the image of God and is a beautiful, special person. In Christ, however, we can become NEW people, members of God’s own family, children of a heavenly father and empowered by His Spirit to be children of a New Kingdom, which cannot be shaken and which does last forever. It is my conviction and prayer that in the years ahead we shall see Sparkbrook Sparkle even more for the Kingdom of God!

Simon Holloway Christ Church Sparkbrook May 2002 E.mail: [email protected]