Over the last few years, we have embarked on a journey, where we hope to evolve from a traditional church that mainly held Sunday services, to what we want to become, an integrated, dynamic, seven-day-a-week community, embodying God's love in all that we do. The current programme of activities and initiatives have started us on this exciting path, but we know that this journey of transformation is ongoing and we have a way to go as we respond to God's call and guidance.
Hinckley Baptist Church is an active, friendly community that welcomes everyone who enters our facilities. Our vision is to create a sanctuary for all in Hinckley, where people can find a safe and secure space to experience God’s presence. To enable this, our mission is to show everyone in Hinckley and the surrounding area to feel that they can Be Loved, Belong, and Believe.
We hold regular Sunday services at 10:45 AM which typically last between 1¼ to 1½ hours, bringing together people of all ages for worship and community. Every month there is either a parade service or an All-ageFamily service both of which attract families connected to HBC, and often this operates as “Cafe Church”.
We run a number of mid-week life groups that gather at different times and which adopt varying styles. These groups are aimed at helping members grow in their Christian faith and are supplemented by regularly hosted Alpha courses as a way to share and discuss our beliefs with others.
As a church we have both traditional and contemporary prayer groups that meet weekly at the Pathways Centre, along with a daily prayer session that kicks off our Pathways ministries and family activities.
Our range of activities has helped us build a solid connection with approximately 90 families within Hinckley and the surrounding area. This bond has deepened since the pandemic, encouraging us to prioritise a ministry to support for the entire family. We do this through the following groups:
· Brigades. We have both vibrant Girls and Boys brigade company’s that help over 100 young people to learn Christian Life skills through engaging games and activities.
· S.A.L.T. (Sharing and Learning Together), runs on each 1st Sunday and allows our children to be taught in age related groups as part of our Sunday worship.
· Messy Church. Each month we operate a Sunday afternoon “Messy Church” which involves activities including, crafts, games, prayers, Bible stories, songs, as well as a time to eat & share together.
· Events. Family orientated social evenings and other events such as Christianity and Life explored courses.
Pathways ministries refer to the Reach out community-focussed activities that take place on weekdays at our Pathways Centre. The aim of these activities is to assist individuals who come to our centre, helping them along their life journey as they “join the journey.”
The journey well activities aim to provide companionship and assistance to individuals facing challenges related to dementia or mental health and include:
· The Singing Café which is a gathering for individuals with dementia and their carers.
· Take-A-Break; a supportive lunch and social gathering designed for individuals in the early to mid-stages of dementia.
· Cornerstone Lunch Club for individuals who might feel lonely or isolated.
· The Friendship Café is a community for individuals facing mental health challenges.
In addition to our journey well activities we also operate:
· Community Café. This serves as a valuable resource for our community and for those attending our various groups. It opens its doors once a week, offering delicious cooked meals and light lunches.
· Friendly Brunch This is aimed at encouraging people to come together and engage in conversation while fostering a safe and comfortable atmosphere whilst offering free drinks and snacks.
· Foodbank. As well as supporting the Foodbank in the Pathways centre, members are also involved in other foodbanks in Hinckley and in the Fairshare and Neighbourly schemes.
As well as running these activities, we also support a number of outside organisations, such as Turning Point, Love to Move, a computer club and The Prince’s Trust as well as hosting a local Drama Academy. As a church we also run a number of other groups including one that supports Ukrainian refugees in and around Hinckley.
Our leadership is structured as a team, with a minister overseeing the church's overall direction, while each deacon (trustee) leads a specific ministry area and these are advised and supported by a number of members (elders). We have been without a minister for over six years, but during this time we have been fortunate to have outside preachers and members of our congregation lead our services, which has helped us continue to grow as a church community. In addition to a Church Secretary and Treasurer, we have deacons covering the Pastoral, Reach Out and Families ministries we are currently looking for ones to lead the Worship, Discipleship and Facilities development streams.
Within each ministry there are numerous teams made up of members and non-members who work diligently to support all the work of the church on a voluntary basis, and are key to the work that we do. There are however a number of roles where we have employed part time staff, these include a Pathways Ministries Coordinator, a Church Administrator, two trained dementia support staff, a cook and two cleaners. We are currently examining how the Pathways Ministries Coordinator role could be re-aligned to better integrate with our church leadership.