|TOP|A grant from the Bishop of Lichfield’s Growth Fund is to support the launch a unique mission project in the Black Country later in the year as the Church of England continues to seek ‘new expressions of church’.

The Black Country Urban Industrial Mission is a new and unique mission project that stems from a close collaboration between the Baptist Union Home Missions and Heart of England Baptist Association reports Spotlight on Lichfield.

The Bishop of Lichfield’s Growth Fund has awarded the project a grant of £18,500 to finance the pioneering fresh expressions of church in the Black Country over the next three years beginning in September this year.

The mainstay of the project’s work will take place among the industries of the Black Country Spine Road and the Automotive Component Park under the title ‘Spirit @ Work’.

|AD|The new initiative will be led by BCUIM’s chaplain in Wednesbury, the Rev Dr Mike Coley and will bring together a workplace congregation specially intended for people particularly in the 20 to 40 age bracket who are not currently affiliated to an existing church.

“I am really excited by this new opportunity to develop Christian community in the workplace,” said Dr Coley.

The project will take the form of a cell group with the aim of helping young people integrate faith and working life by encouraging them to participate in ‘quiet times’, prayer groups or Bible study, as well as other outreach initiatives including ‘Workplace Alpha’ and ‘Love Work Live Life’ courses.

Project workers hope that the workplace gatherings will bring young workers to Christ and eventually encourage them to join with other Christians in worshipping as part of a congregation in the Wednesbury area churches or in their own local churches.

Dr Coley said: “God is doing a new thing here and we must first listen carefully to know how we can help Him.

“Mission is always about following His lead – and there is plenty of evidence to suggest that He is already at work in many companies in the Black Country.”

The BCUIM project was awarded the vital funding along with 12 other projects in the third round of Growth Fund grants awarded in January.