The Minster in the community

Why does the Minster have mission partners?

The Minster does not exist for itself. We are a parish in the Church of England, and the parish system carries with it a commitment to the people who live within our boundary — Christian, of another faith, or of none — and beyond that boundary, through partnerships, to the wider work of God’s kingdom in the world.

Who are our current Mission Partners?

The list is reviewed periodically by the PCC; current partners are a mixture of local, national and international.

• Jacob’s Well — a Beverley-based international aid and disaster relief charity raising millions each year for medicines, educational materials, wheelchairs, food, blankets and more for nearly twenty countries. The shop, café and garden in Ladygate are open to visitors.
• The Beverley Schools Christian Trust (BSCT) — supports services for young people in Beverley.
• Hope into Action — local people have raised money to buy a house for those at risk of homelessness, and to employ a support worker.
• Mustard Seed — we support a children’s and families’ worker at Holy Nativity Church in Eastfield, Scarborough.
• St Joseph’s Hospital — a hospital providing health care in a remote area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• The Christian Service Unit — the demonstration of God’s love in action towards the poor and the needy.
• The Church Mission Society — we support Andy and Kati Walsh, working with local church partners in Brazil.
• One Mission — nurturing and empowering communities for women.
• Open Doors — welcoming and helping destitute asylum seekers, refugees and migrant workers in Hull.
• Christian Aid — working towards a world where everyone can live a full life, free from poverty.

Each month one of these partners is given a focus in the weekly notice sheet, with an invitation to pray with us for their ministry. There is more about each on the Minster’s mission partners page, and the Minster’s welcome to asylum seekers and refugees is part of the wider Sanctuary project.

What about local life?

Beyond the partner list, the Minster is woven into the daily life of Beverley. Beverley Churches Together brings the Christian congregations of the town into shared work and prayer. The Sponsored Pilgrimage for Christian Aid each May begins at Toll Gavel and visits the churches around Beverley. The Civic Service for Saint John of Beverley in May is the moment in the year when the town’s civic and church lives meet most visibly. The Minster Shop offers a welcome to visitors and a quiet income to support our work; venue hire for community use brings concerts, talks and gatherings into the building. The Friday lunchtime concerts — and the regular evening concerts and recitals — are part of the Minster’s cultural contribution to the town and to the East Riding. The Minster is also a year-round collection point for the East Yorkshire Food Bank. And a great many in the congregation serve the town directly, giving their time to local charities — among them the Community Kitchen, Open Doors in Hull, the Cherry Tree Centre, Jacob’s Well and the Beverley Schools Christian Trust.

Section 19 of 26 in the Companion