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The Churches co-operate together under the umbrella of Churches Together in Heald Green, which is itself part of Greater Manchester Churches Together.
Over the recent past the Churches have shared a desire to work more closely with the wider community by providing a resource that provides for all sections and ages of the community of Heald Green. Over the past few weeks that has crystallised into the idea of renting a shop premises in Heald Green to provide a coffee shop and Internet Café. This would minister to the whole community of Heald Green and provide a friendly and welcoming place to shopper and student, young and old, single and attached.
It would operate as a part of Churches Together and be operated on Christian principles, reflecting fairness, good value, a welcoming atmosphere and a glimpse of what it means to be a follower of Christ. In essence, it would be the church operating within and responding to the needs of the market place.
In the words of John Atherton “Since the Church is no longer the centre of life, particularly in western societies, its vocation is not to respond by retreating into inward-looking congregationally based churches, but it about taking part with others, in promoting better localities”.
This paper addresses that issue in as practical a way as possible and lays out the possibilities and processes of the churches of Heald Green turning vision into reality.
The Churches have the vision to create a base in the centre of Heald Green. That base would be in a rented shop premises and be centred on an Internet Café and Coffee Shop model. The premises would be open for business over five days a week, operating from 1000 to 2200. This would provide a facility for shoppers during the day and young people, etc., during the evening.
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