About our Parish
The Parish of Madeley, Sutton Hill and Woodside is in the Deanery of Telford Severn Gorge in the Diocese of Hereford. Just north of Ironbridge, part of our parish is in the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site. Churches of other denominations in Madeley include Fletcher Methodist Church, Madeley Baptist Church, St. Mary's Catholic Church and Springfield Fellowship. We as the Anglican Churches in this area have good working relations with all the neighbouring churches, and we seek to encourage each other to bring the light of Jesus Christ to this fine part of Shropshire.
Madeley is situated in the south of the East Shropshire new town of Telford, approximately forty miles west of Birmingham.
Originally a thriving market and industrial town, Madeley (pop. approx 8,000) is positioned between the surrounding new town developments of Sutton Hill and Woodside, which have been developed since the late 1960's. The total population of the parish is around 27,000.
The many wooded pit mounds around the town are a reminder of its former importance as a mining town. The town still contains a number of historic buildings including the Blists Hill Museum, part of the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site.
Many local people are employed on the nearby industrial estates at Halesfield and Tweedale, which are home to a wide range of both British and foreign employers engaged in many different trades, especially engineering and electronics. Madeley is part of the area governed by Telford & Wrekin Council (Telford pop. 153,000), a new unitary authority established in April 1998.
Church Family
Members of our congregations come from a wide spread of churchmanship and traditions. The average age of the the population of Telford is lower than in other parts of the United Kingdom and this is reflected in our church membership. We are fortunate to have a good mix of people of all ages.
Worship
The worship has its own distinctive style in each of the three churches and is predominantly low church in style with Bible based preaching as the foundation. Although our worship is not openly charismatic we acknowledge the benefits that have come from the renewal movement. The ministry of healing forms a regular part of worship in each church.
Mission
- The thrust of our work in the three churches is to bring the light of Jesus to the communities that we serve. Collaboration between the three churches is pivotal in this process, and the clergy team members and wider staff team all work equally across all three churches in the parish.
- A significant part of our work is with the younger aged group of families and children. We are developing links and contacts with the two secondary schools and eight primary schools in the parish. Team members take collective worship, some lessons, and serve as governors. We are developing an after-school club team to work in the primary schools.
- Parents wishing to have their child baptised in any of the three churches are encouraged to come to church on a Sunday morning to join in the worship. They are invited to a regular monthly evening of Baptism Preparation which enables parents to understand the meaning of the step they are taking, and can then receive an application form. A Service of Thanksgiving is also offered to the family if that is considered preferable. A date is then set for the service, usually on the first Sunday of the month.
- Work among the older members of the community and in residential care homes is developing. Regular services are arranged in these places for the residents. This is complemented by the regular meeting of 'Fellowship' for the more senior members of the community, with an interesting and varied programme of speakers and events.
- Outreach to the wider community takes place in a number of ways. ZAKS is a church based group who perform a music and visual presentation in Telford Town Centre at various times during the year - focusing on an issue of interest and relevance and presenting a Christian perspective in a sensitive, appropriate and professional way.