NEWS FROM THE COUNCIL FOR WORLD MISSION
Mission in Mind
Being mayor of Southam (Warks) for a year gave Rev Wayne Hawkins an ideal opportunity to do what's closest to his heart.
Congregational minister Rev Wayne Hawkins became a Christian when he saw something different about the young people at a church youth group in Sunderland where he grew up.
"There was something about those people that I recognised was attractive, something that was lacking in my life. I think it was the way in which they were a community together, the way in which they served their local community, the way they were seeking to share their faith because they felt they had something worth sharing. I realised that there was some point at which I had to say yes, I wanted to be in with this lot, throw my towel in with this Christian group."
Since becoming a minister, he has focused on drawing people to church through inviting them to see the faith in action.
The Congregational Federation church he serves in Southam is jointly responsible for the local
community centre (the Graham Adams Centre) which hosts different community groups including the church's Parent and Toddler Group. This group is linked to a monthly parent and toddler service called Paintpot and around fifteen under 5s have become part of the congregation as a result.
He is a Southam town councillor and served as mayor last year, providing him the chance to demonstrate Christian life. "You are not able to use that position to be an aggressive Christian but you are able to support good causes," he says. "For example, I supported Traidcraft as one of my charities, and was able to say why: that it was about injustice and poverty. So it gave good opportunities to share some Christian insights."
He led worship at the CWM Europe Window on the World conference in August and was encouraged by keynote speaker Prof Steve de Gruchy in his community-focused approach to mission. "As a Christian community we have something distinctive to offer in terms of God's vision for community and well-being, God's vision of shalom and of a renewed heaven and earth where peace and justice