As part of the Year of Engagement, the Greater Whitbourne churches, led by Revd Dawn Hyett in the Bromyard Deanery, have developed several community-focused projects, supported by Mustard Seed grant funding from Hereford Diocese.
The parish is staging a scratch production of "Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at the Conquest Theatre in Bromyard on the final Friday of October half-term (31st Oct).
The production showcases the value of ecumenical cooperation, with St Joseph's Catholic Church Bromyard generously funding the theatre hire, while Bromyard Choral Society will provide musical backing for the community volunteers who join the cast. The invitation has been extended across the deanery, welcoming participation in all aspects of the production – from front of house and backstage work to on-stage performances.
"We do have some exciting initiatives ahead of us," explains Revd Dawn Hyett, Rural Dean for Bromyard. The theatrical venture will be reflected in a special Year of Engagement service on November 23rd, in St Peter’s Bromyard, led by Bishop Richard, where music from the production will be incorporated into worship. The deanery-wide service will be followed by a bring-and-share lunch, which the team hopes will strengthen relationships.
Beyond the arts, the deanery has been working together on youth engagement, which will shortly be supported through a dedicated youth and young people's worker on a 50% contract for five years. This appointment builds on earlier foundations of the children's services held in the Parish of Greater Whitbourne.
The children’s work has evolved significantly since the pandemic, progressing from parish-level activities to half-termly holiday clubs now operating across the entire deanery, learning from the work of Youth Hubs in Leominster and Bishops Castle that building a team is the key to unlocking this ministry. These popular holiday clubs move between different halls and churches, with all ministers from the Deanery contributing to their success. The most recent three-day holiday club took place at Bromyard St Peter's Church at the beginning of the summer holidays.
As Dawn explains: “All this work demonstrates how important team building is. It has inspired a creative approach to mission and enabled community building. Even with the small sums of strategic funding from the diocese and elsewhere, we are seeing rural churches reaching beyond their traditional parish boundaries and connecting with younger people.”
When applying for funding, it’s important to keep tangible results front-of-mind, and have a plan for replacing the funding when it ends. Mustard Seed grants are time-limited funding, intended as a catalyst, to ‘pump prime’ a project which increases missional energy, and generates self-sustaining funding – whether that is through increased giving or finding other funding sources.
ENDS