Discover, Believe, Belong
Discover – we believe our worship and service of Jesus Christ is always evolving and changing and growing. We see this as a progression of discovery, both individually and together as we interact with each other, and with God and as we discover more about the teachings of Jesus, and how our faith impacts and changes our daily living.
Believe – we accept everyone has a different path to belief. For some it is a sudden moment, for others it is a gradual experience. For most of us it is a journey which shifts and changes throughout our lifetime. Wherever our participants are on the belief journey they are welcome and included in an Avenues experience.
Belong – we welcome and embrace anyone who wants to belong to Avenues. The choice is entirely up to the individual. Belonging to us means saying ‘this is my place and these are my people.’
Discovery Worship
Our 'traditional' Avenues style involves meeting around tables and sharing a meal together. We’ve called this style, Discovery Worship.
The programme is 'table menu based' with an overall leader of the event moving the programme along. Pairs or groups work together at their tables through a series of interactive activities with an overriding theme. There is no front as such, although often a screen is used to show video & music clips to enhance the theme. Different people are prearranged to introduce or lead the different components of the menu as it progresses.
The theme is explored thoroughly with plenty of opportunity for everyone present to be involved at whatever involvement they choose; whether it be sitting passively drinking coffee, or actively engaging in dialogue, discussion and hands-on activities. It's a great event for all ages with each activity in short time frames allowing for a fast-paced choice for those who move quickly from one thing to another. For those who prefer to reflect more slowly, there is also room to adapt the programme at their own table to meet the different demands of those at each table.
The flexibility of the table menu allows families or grandparents with young children to be involved at a deep and meaningful level engaging and interacting about faith in a way that works for both the adults and children in the family. However, Breakfast Avenues isn't just for families. Adults or teenagers coming on their own can join other singles or couples and find meaning and an opportunity to engage at their own stage of both faith and life.
This is about the closest Avenues comes to a structured church service and each event the format follows fairly much the same sequence with a programme typically including a Call to Worship, Setting the Scene Activity, Drawing on Tables, Interactive Bible Reading, Storytime in the Big Chair, Discovery Activities, Video Clips, Interactive Prayer Activities, Response Activity, Communion and a Benediction.
You don't need to have any previous experience of attending a church service before coming to one of these events. Just turn up and enjoy! Check out our facebook page for up to date notices of our next Discovery Worship.
Avenues People
Caroline and Andrew Gamman are the pastors and leaders of Avenues Church. They have worked together over many years in a variety of ministry settings. They’ve also written a large range of creative resources together for use in their own churches and for wider use amongst Christian organisations and churches of a variety of denominations and in 2013 started Kereru Publishing as a vehicle to publish some of their own resources so that others can use them in their own settings. Both give their time to Avenues in an unpaid capacity and see their ministry in Avenues being a model for future generations of the Church.
Avenues History
Avenues began as a fledgling attempt as a post-modern, alternative worship, emergent congregation as part of an established church in 2001. Since then it has flexed, evolved, changed and developed to become what it is today, an independent church in its own right.
We began with a handful of people and we remain a small group. Our model is relational and something like an extended family gathering together regularly to support each other and to learn from each other and to encourage each other in our faith.
Our events all try to capture something of 'The Big Story' we find ourselves in as we live out our Christian faith in our daily journey.
Our focus has always been on a multi-sensory experiential approach and this continues to the present day. Our regular Avenues events involve tactile and multi-sensory approaches for every aspect from Call to Worship, Prayers, Bible Reading and interactive activities instead of preaching. Our Breakfast Avenues uses many of these concepts in a regular way throughout the year.
Over the years we’ve also developed some unique experiential stand-alone events which we repeat on an annual or regular basis.
Discover – we believe our worship and service of Jesus Christ is always evolving and changing and growing. We see this as a progression of discovery, both individually and together as we interact with each other, and with God and as we discover more about the teachings of Jesus, and how our faith impacts and changes our daily living.
Believe – we accept everyone has a different path to belief. For some it is a sudden moment, for others it is a gradual experience. For most of us it is a journey which shifts and changes throughout our lifetime. Wherever our participants are on the belief journey they are welcome and included in an Avenues experience.
Belong – we welcome and embrace anyone who wants to belong to Avenues. The choice is entirely up to the individual. Belonging to us means saying ‘this is my place and these are my people.’
Discovery Worship
Our 'traditional' Avenues style involves meeting around tables and sharing a meal together. We’ve called this style, Discovery Worship.
The programme is 'table menu based' with an overall leader of the event moving the programme along. Pairs or groups work together at their tables through a series of interactive activities with an overriding theme. There is no front as such, although often a screen is used to show video & music clips to enhance the theme. Different people are prearranged to introduce or lead the different components of the menu as it progresses.
The theme is explored thoroughly with plenty of opportunity for everyone present to be involved at whatever involvement they choose; whether it be sitting passively drinking coffee, or actively engaging in dialogue, discussion and hands-on activities. It's a great event for all ages with each activity in short time frames allowing for a fast-paced choice for those who move quickly from one thing to another. For those who prefer to reflect more slowly, there is also room to adapt the programme at their own table to meet the different demands of those at each table.
The flexibility of the table menu allows families or grandparents with young children to be involved at a deep and meaningful level engaging and interacting about faith in a way that works for both the adults and children in the family. However, Breakfast Avenues isn't just for families. Adults or teenagers coming on their own can join other singles or couples and find meaning and an opportunity to engage at their own stage of both faith and life.
This is about the closest Avenues comes to a structured church service and each event the format follows fairly much the same sequence with a programme typically including a Call to Worship, Setting the Scene Activity, Drawing on Tables, Interactive Bible Reading, Storytime in the Big Chair, Discovery Activities, Video Clips, Interactive Prayer Activities, Response Activity, Communion and a Benediction.
You don't need to have any previous experience of attending a church service before coming to one of these events. Just turn up and enjoy! Check out our facebook page for up to date notices of our next Discovery Worship.
Avenues People
Caroline and Andrew Gamman are the pastors and leaders of Avenues Church. They have worked together over many years in a variety of ministry settings. They’ve also written a large range of creative resources together for use in their own churches and for wider use amongst Christian organisations and churches of a variety of denominations and in 2013 started Kereru Publishing as a vehicle to publish some of their own resources so that others can use them in their own settings. Both give their time to Avenues in an unpaid capacity and see their ministry in Avenues being a model for future generations of the Church.
Avenues History
Avenues began as a fledgling attempt as a post-modern, alternative worship, emergent congregation as part of an established church in 2001. Since then it has flexed, evolved, changed and developed to become what it is today, an independent church in its own right.
We began with a handful of people and we remain a small group. Our model is relational and something like an extended family gathering together regularly to support each other and to learn from each other and to encourage each other in our faith.
Our events all try to capture something of 'The Big Story' we find ourselves in as we live out our Christian faith in our daily journey.
Our focus has always been on a multi-sensory experiential approach and this continues to the present day. Our regular Avenues events involve tactile and multi-sensory approaches for every aspect from Call to Worship, Prayers, Bible Reading and interactive activities instead of preaching. Our Breakfast Avenues uses many of these concepts in a regular way throughout the year.
Over the years we’ve also developed some unique experiential stand-alone events which we repeat on an annual or regular basis.