Parish Profile

Redcliffe & Temple Secondary is Voluntary Aided) and, unsurprisingly, our links within these two
schools are robust. The Associate Vicar works closely with both these schools and with the part-time
Chaplain at the secondary school. We are also linked in with community groups, local resident
associations and the Redcliffe Early Years Centre.
Along with our Methodist partners we jointly manage the FaithSpace Centre on Prewett Street. Until
a few years ago it was home to Redcliffe Methodist Church but since that closed it has been run as a
community facility for the benefit of the local area, seeking to raise enough funds to make ends
meet. It is used daily by the Early Years Centre for a wide range of provision, from Professional
Development to Contact Centre.
There are serious conversations between a local Neighbourhood Forum and the City Council, which
the vicar is heavily involved with, about the prospect of re-shaping the local area: doing away with
the dual carriageway and the roundabout and building a new ‘urban village’ to the north of the
church. As part of these potential developments, SMR is also preparing for a major development of
its own to make us fit for purpose as a thriving Christian community, a welcoming heritage
destination and an effective parish church meeting some of the needs of some of the people who
live in the area.
More widely, because of the diversity of people who call SMR ‘their church’, we are linked into
significant opportunities for mission right across the city and particularly to the business community
on our doorstep. Relationships with local businesses are good and getting better.
Mission
Locally, our concern for older people is provided by Redcliffe Care which is a long standing part of
SMR. There are services in church and a weekly lunch club in the centre. Hospitality on site is
provided in the Arc Cafe by the Addiction Recovery Association, which is not only offering good food
but is run mainly by recovering addicts. We are now beginning to wonder what we can offer next to
those who are ready to move on.
Our Welcome Group is trying to tie both faith and heritage information into a digital and print based
offering. The World War One Group is linking with local schools to mark the passage of the
centenary of the conflict by providing one large poppy panel for each year.
Work on St John’s Chapel now means we are able to offer, for the first time, a quiet place for prayer
and / or conversation which has level access from the street. We have an Education Officer who
works with local school to enhance the school’s RE curriculum with visits to the church that address
specific curriculum requirements.
The PCC took Archbishop Justin’s call to put Wonga out of business very seriously. Given the people
that make up the SMR community we have the capacity to take up that kind of summons. We are
currently exploring how we might be more involved with work experience programmes and with
Bristol Credit Union.
Buildings
The Church