Hugh turns to swap shop and 8ft junk angels to help church Get Out More
Last month Church Army evangelist Hugh Boorman was welcomed and commissioned as the new minister of Ladygrove Church Didcot by the Bishop of Reading and the Baptist Regional Minister for Southern Counties - the first time the church has been headed up by a non-ordained minister.
Former police officer Hugh joins Ladygrove from Church Army where as Candidates Secretary he was responsible for helping hundreds of Christians explore their vocation during the seven years he served in the role. Hugh will be supported in his role as minister by his wife Lindsey and their four boys who moved to Didcot from Northampton in August.
Hugh is also a writer, producing materials for Scripture Union's theGRID and studies for Word on the Web Church Army's on-line daily email and web based ministry. Most recently Hugh has produced a six-week group study pack - for churches to use for this year's Church Army Sunday .
In his last role with Church Army, Hugh helped develop new selection criteria grounded in the entrepreneurial characteristics identified by trainer and management guru Bill Bolton, author of The entrepreneur in focus - achieve your potential . Hugh comments: "using some of the techniques and guidelines identified by Bill has improved our ability to encourage and support evangelists who are best suited to meet the challenges and situations in which entrepreneurs and pioneers thrive and give their best. Now, as minister here at Ladygrove it's my opportunity to put into practice some of these characteristics to take the church to the next level."
Boorman is clear about the challenge of building and motivating a team for ministry in his new role: "Clearly some people will be put off by the terms pioneer and entrepreneur, but I think they will be surprised at what they can do. It's my job to help identify and unlock the potential for mission and evangelism that those called to witn ess for the gospel have."
St Paul is a favourite biblical hero of Hugh because; "although he didn't always get things right the first time he was always prepared to have a go and was never afraid of failure." Hugh points to recent inspiration from Brian McLaren's The Church on the other side and The shaping of things to come by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch as helping him take a fresh look at ministry and adds; "We often talk of people having a God shaped hole in their lives, but I believe we are just as important to God and that everyone needs to realise that God's purpose has a me-shaped hole to everybody to fill. I first came to faith when training as a police officer in Hendon and spent four years on the beat in Peckham when it was vital for me to realise that God has His hand on my life and a plan for me."
Hugh was one of Church Army's creative team behind the theme of for Church Army Sunday, and believes that the phrase sums up his approach to ministry; "if we are to remain true to our calling, then we need to spend most of our time outside church buildings, engaging with those who for whatever reason, will not come to church." Plans are already being put in place for a Yahoo housegroup so that those who are too busy to make it to church can explore an extended form of virtual church over the web at school, college, home or in the workplace. A swap shop event is planned for 15th October for the community to exchange unwanted goods and a local junk artist will be creating 8ft angels out of junk which will be paraded down the high street.
Hugh adds; "I aim to be working with those who have little or no meaningful relationship with the church, discovering ways of creating fresh, relevant expressions of Christian community with which they can engage. Confronting change and stepping into the unknown is never easy, but it is something with which we all have to contend with at sometime in our lives. When Lindsey and I were married we chose to end the service with "You'll never walk alone" (not just because my wife is from Liverpool ) to declare that we wanted God to be firmly at the centre of our lives. My experience tells me that it is about trusting in Him wherever He takes me and whatever life throws at me, as I am secure in His promise that He equips me through grace to meet every challenge and situation. I will be going into the community here at Didcot and seeing what God is up to and working with Him. What could be simpler and more exciting than that?"
Hugh Boorman 's group study pack Get OUT More is available FREE from www.churcharmy.org.uk/cas or by phoning Church Army on 020 8309 3519
Enclosure - photograph of Hugh and family by kind permission of Pret-a-Portrait Ltd (0845 456 3494)
