Our Story

About Us

We are ‘One’ in Christ

The Methodist Church is committed to ‘Justice, Dignity and Solidarity’.

We believe that all people are uniquely made in the image of God, and we aim to live this out in the Church and in our communities.

For over 210 years Newquay has been served by various Methodist Churches, most recently by Newquay Claremont, Newquay Wesley and Colan Mountjoy. In recent times numbers attending church have dwindled and this has led to a rethink into the future of the Methodist Church in Newquay. Following much soul searching and discussion within each of the churches a vision for the future was established.

In 2008/09, at their respective Church Councils, the 3 churches made the decision to close and sell their own premises and to unite and develop a new centre for worship, outreach and community use. None of the three buildings was suitable for the purpose that was envisaged for the role of the Methodist Church in the local community in the 21st century. A Project Group was formed, named the “3-2-1 Project” to develop a church and community building in the Newquay area.

Newquay has seen a resurgence in popularity as a tourist destination, and as a result there is a lot of regeneration and redevelopment within the town. Despite this there are still many social problems within the town and many local people have needs that need to be addressed. Unemployment, low incomes, a predominance of purely seasonal work, homelessness, mental health issues, to name but a few are all part of life in the Newquay area.

Newquay Methodist Church was in a period of wilderness, seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our plans for the future and adapting to, and recovering from, disappointments along the way. The Coronavirus pandemic added to the feeling of disconnect but gives us a fresh perspective on the way forward for the church in this place, and an opportunity to be part of a process of recovery for our local community.

Newquay Methodist Church now has its home, within that we are working to cultivate a warm, welcoming and supportive environment. We hold our weekly Sunday worship in the sanctuary and we have set up groups in our community space to support our locals.

About, Vision & Values

We believe in one God, the Father who created all life.
We believe in Jesus Christ, Son of God, who died for us.
We believe in the Holy Spirirt who guides us, and gives us strength.

We believe that we can be forgiven; God loves everyone; and God is present in our lives.

We believe in church as the body of Christ, willing servants united in our diversity; we are the hands and feet of Christ, called to do His will and be an inclusive, welcoming community for all.

Mission and Serving the Community of Newquay

We have given thought to what ‘breaks our heart’ in looking at the communities around us in Newquay, as an indication that this is where God may be calling us to step in and be a force for good. The activities that could be part of our presence here include;

Befriending scheme – we are aware of many people of varied ages who are isolated and lonely.
Actively engage with the local community support organisations, services and charities to promote and assisting their activities as a tangible presence of the church community in supporting those in need. Our members are already active in many groups but there is potential here to link up more and make more of a difference.
Outreach with a mission focus – an active programme of naming and sharing our faith. This could be through adding an element of faith that is assumed but not stated in our activities – for example offering prayer as part of our regular coffee mornings, and also a programme of courses or communications aimed at those outside the church with a desire to explore a nascent faith.
Youth work – in particular LGBT. We feel that the young people in this place are not currently offered a safe, welcoming environment by a church which accepts them as they are. This could extend beyond our buildings to include formal chaplaincy in local schools
Worship overhaul – we do not want to do away with ‘traditional worship’ but recognise that for many a more contemporary worship style would make them feel more energised and spiritually fed, offering varied worship style each week
House groups – we want to expand our spiritual discipleship beyond Sunday worship to include a network of small fellowship groups

The Fellowship at Newquay Methodist Church is committed to sharing with others the love of God through both witness and service. We offer an open door to all and value diversity in all its forms. Building use and activities will be based on continual community consultation and identified needs within the area. We actively seek the input of our local community to inform our activities and adapt as the situation changes.

Making a Difference to People’s Lives

We want to make an active difference to the local community through;

Sharing our faith in a way that grows the Kingdom of God
Building a strong local community

Developing relationships amongst people within the community with the aim of increasing community cohesion

Increasing the confidence and self-esteem of local people and reduce social isolation by;

Providing a peaceful, relaxing area for people to meet
Hosting new groups
Encouraging local people to become involved with the building/community

Upcoming Groups

Inclusion

Following prayerful consideration by the whole Church, in June 2021 the Methodist Conference voted to confirm provisional resolutions on the principles or qualities of good relating, understanding of cohabitation and same sex marriages conducted on Methodist premises or by Methodist office-holders.

The Methodist Conference has decided that no conversion therapy can take place in its name and has called on the UK government to ban the practice without delay.

The Conference also moved to support the ‘Memorandum of Understanding on Conversion Therapy in the UK’ definition of conversion therapy which offers the most significant and widely supported definition, with up to 20 health, counselling and psychotherapy organisations having signed up to it, including the Association of Christian Counsellors.

The Memorandum defines conversion therapy as follows: ‘Conversion therapy’ is an umbrella term for a therapeutic approach, or any model or individual viewpoint that demonstrates an assumption that any sexual orientation or gender identity is inherently preferable to any other, and which attempts to bring about a change of sexual orientation or gender identity, or seeks to suppress an individual’s expression of sexual orientation or gender identity on that basis. It goes on to say the practice of conversion therapy, whether in relation to sexual orientation or gender identity, is unethical and potentially harmful.

The Methodist Church wants every person to know they are valued and yet sometimes we leave people out without noticing. This might include, as examples, people with low or no income, people who do not have children, people who have mental health issues, or people who work shifts.

Our valuing of all people needs to go beyond the legally protected ‘characteristics’ so that we take notice of, listen to and learn from one another across all differences.