An oar-some way to spread the gospel...

Canoeing Christianity is making waves for Mike and Julie Ryder and the team at King’s Church, Warrington

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‘I didn’t know church was like this!” said one member of our community who came to our free canoeing session recently.

As a missional community, we at King’s Church Warrington are very much encouraged and given freedom to shape how we ‘do’ mission.

About a year ago, we gave birth to a crazy idea, offering families free canoeing sessions, on a local canal in Warrington.

Since then we’ve run a forest day, a woodland themed sensory experience at a community fair and we’re now in the process of planning our next big event in a forest. All completely free of charge!

The format is simple, people arrive at an allotted time and they’re greeted with ‘Welcome to King’s Church!’ Then they grab a brew and we have a chat.

Before they get started with a safety brief, there’s a short talk; light touch but evangelistic, so as they climb into their canoe, or head off to explore the woods, the good news of Jesus is ringing in their ears.

I began working as a minister in training at King’s Church Warrington about a year ago and absolutely love being part of a church that has such a huge focus on community and discipleship.