Something exciting is happening at Church St Helens. One of the very first to embark upon the Fit for Mission journey back in 2023, two churches have now come together to share their strengths, meet the needs of their congregation and create a more vibrant, sustainable church all working together as one but promoting there unique and individual strengths.
The two churches joining forces for the good of their congregations are St Andrews, a church with a rich history and a primarily mature congregation who possess valuable knowledge, and The Mount, whose church family is mostly made up of more youthful parishioners. The combining of these two churches was a natural decision, given the unique strengths each congregation brings – one being the ideal blend of youth and experience. Now, younger Christians can benefit greatly from the wisdom of their experienced peers.
Their unification marks an exciting chapter in Church St Helens’ journey, helping them to create new opportunities for churches to grow together, adopt new approaches and develop a more diverse and progressive church, all of which play a significant part in making a bigger church with a bigger difference.
The reason this collaboration ultimately came about was due to the condition of both churches. The Mount’s original location became structurally unsafe. They attempted to resolve this as much as they could with the little finances they had by moving into a marquee, however, in the colder winter months, this no longer became sustainable. As a result, The Mount had to relocate to the Citadel Theatre in St Helens, a location that wasn’t necessarily the perfect setting for worship. Although this location was safe and central, due to the financial implications, the Citadel was only able to provide Sunday services, derailing The Mounts social justice and community projects due to the lack of midweek availability. The Mount were in desperate need of a permanent home if they were to continue their good work.
St Andrews is the other church in question. With a strong tradition of community outreach, Over the past few years, their numbers had sadly dwindled and challenges have become tougher. Maintaining their 120-year-old building became a real struggle. The problems continued to escalate, resulting in £500,000 worth of repairs at one point. Despite the setbacks, their congregation remained committed to re-energising their mission and outreach.
This unification also came into existence because of a number of people including Jim at The Mount and Gaynor at St Andrews. The collaboration was first suggested as a possibility however, by Tim, Vicar at The Mount, who initially shared it with Chris, Rector of Church St Helens. The Vision and Growth teams at both churches then had separate discussions before meeting together for further exploration.
The Mount needed a new permanent home and experienced Christians to help guide their primarily young congregation. St Andrews needed a younger and more diverse congregation to support them with fresh ideas and support with their building. With this in mind, their strengths and needs perfectly matched each other.
Furthermore, as St Andrews had also been without a dedicated Vicar, Tim from The Mount agreed to serve both congregations as they united under one roof. This brings the St Andrews community back under the guidance of a Vicar while also strengthening the sense of one community moving forward together. In times of change, a Vicar serves as a steady presence, helping to bring people together. Importantly, this is not about one church losing or another gaining, but two congregations uniting around someone whose purpose is rooted in serving others. Therefore, as two churches become one, the congregation can now worship as one, united under the leadership of a single, unifying voice. This union was officially marked on Sunday 7th September with a day of worship that reflected the richness of both traditions – beginning with a reflective service, followed by a family-focused service with music, and concluding with a Holy Spirit–led evening service.
Both churches always had a passion for being open all week and both already had a number of missional communities. However, the mutual relationship enables them to share in launching more communities and additional social justice projects. And together, they now aim to establish more community engagement projects from a toddler group called Sticky Fingers, to Spear, an initiative that helps to support young people find employment and offer key guidance and advice as they navigate the career world.
This whole initiative wasn’t something that was imposed upon these two churches, it was something Jim and Gaynor both passionately wanted to do to ensure the future of their churches. This was all made possible through the relationships built via Church St Helens, meaning these two churches could come together for the greater good of their congregation.
Thanks to the parishioners at Church St Helens, a new environment has taken root where churches can connect and support one another in far more collaborative ways. Congregations can now identify and respond to one another’s needs more effectively, building stronger bonds of mutual support. The central teams’ help with administration, funding bids, and logistics has also been vital, but what has truly made the difference is the spirit of collaboration.
Both The Mount and St Andrews have flourished on this journey, not by working in isolation, but by moving forward together. Their merger shows that when churches unite – sharing aspirations, pooling their strengths, and supporting one another – they create the foundations for growth, sustainability, and deeper connections with the local community. Now joined as one, the congregation can look ahead with confidence, guided by a passionate Vicar, enriched by shared wisdom, and equipped to meet the community’s needs and expectations for years to come.
