Welcome to

York

CONTENTS
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Title
Welcome
Our Leaders
Meet the Team
Prayer
100 Years of Elim
Small Groups
Safe Guarding
Sunday School and Youth
Students & Young Adults
Connect
Scrapbook
Elim Corner / In Touch

Welcome to York Elim

Pentecostal Church
Graham Hutchinson, Pastor
I offer you a really warm welcome to our church.
We are people who can say from experience that
Jesus is real and wants to do us good.
York Elim Pentecostal Church has been in the city since
1934. Over the last 80 years the church has had thousands
of people joining in and they met in a number of different
venues. We now have people from across York of all ages
and backgrounds who serve one another and the city.
A feature of our church is that we are always welcoming
new people. Those moving on are sent out with prayers
and blessing. We meet in Archbishop's Holgate School
every Sunday morning and have activities in our training
rooms, and across the city during the week. Our church
has always existed to help those who attend, to grow in
faith and to bless the communities around them.
WHY WE GATHER TOGETHER AS CHURCH
During the Sunday morning service the worship music, the
preaching, and the childrens programme are all
important, and so is our coffee break. But there is more to
church than that. We are not consumers hoping to get
something out of church like some sort of product we
have chosen.
Church is not a place, it is people. Jesus did not die for
buildings but for people. Church is something we belong
to where we can gather to celebrate lifes milestones, its
joys, sorrows, and victories. We make new memories as
we celebrate life together and as we support one another
in prayer and love. We promote healing, wholeness and
personal development in one another.

them in the breaking of the bread (Luke 24:35). When we

gather, as a community, to take communion, we celebrate
an event of history, the death and resurrection of Jesus
and anticipate his return. But there is more we
remember Jesus life and Kingdom, we choose
reconciliation with God and with our brothers and sisters
in Christ. We remind ourselves of the value we see in each
other, knowing each is precious in his sight and to be
loved.
WE GATHER BECAUSE CHURCH IS THE BODY OF
CHRIST
Jesus is Lord over all things. He is ruling over the whole
planet and beyond. If we want Jesus to be our head, or
leader, we must live as members of his body, the church.
WE GATHER AS CHURCH SO WE CAN BE SENT OUT
When we gather in the presence of Christ, we are reequipped by worship, prayer and teaching to carry the
presence of Christ out to where God has placed us, to our
families, workplaces, etc. We are sent out to be agents of
his transformation.
Is this the sort of church for you? As you join us for
worship, hear Gods word preached, and allow the Holy
Spirit to lead you, you may want to make York Elim your
spiritual home. It will be an adventure as Jesus shapes you
and the Holy Spirit works through you.

WE GATHER TO BE IN THE PRESENCE OF JESUS

We believe that Jesus lives within us by his Spirit, but
there is something special about meeting with other
believers and inviting Jesus to be the centre of that
gathering. Two of the disciples said Jesus was revealed to

Our Leaders
We offer visitors to our church a warm welcome. We cater for people of all
ages and have loads of opportunities for you to get involved with our Sunday
service. Please introduce yourself to one of our team if you would like to get
involved.

I enjoy being part of a dynamic and healthy church

that empowers members to have an impact upon
friends, family, colleagues and those around them.
Graham has been the pastor at York Elim since 1999.
Now he combines the role with the duties of being the
co-chair of One Voice York which the citywide network
for leaders of churches and Christian ministries. He sits
on a number of national boards and is Council member
of the Evangelical Alliance. Graham enjoys running and
most Sunday afternoons a group of runners from the
church go for a short run (all abilities welcome).
Courses and lectures: From time to time Graham offers
spiritual and / or practical courses which are open to
anyone. Course topics include: Preaching, The Old
Testament, Money Management and Relationships.
We also have open lectures planned throughout the
academic year. Topics include Creation and Evolution
and Politics amongst others. These are fantastic
opportunities to invite your friends to find out more
about what Christians believe.

Its great to be involved in a church that is so active

and involved in the community.
Grahams wife, Penny, has been actively involved in
many of our churchs ministry over the years and still is.
She has been instrumental in establishing our Child
Protection and Safeguarding policies. Penny is a
facilitator for a local charity, Family Matters York. She
regularly helps to deliver parenting courses at schools
and churches across York.
Our church has had the
privilege of supporting a
young member of the
congregation who founded
an orphanage called
Biojemmss in Uganda.
Penny is part of the UK
Management Committee.
For more information visit:

www.

.com
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Meet the Team

Over the years Ive been able to welcome many people into membership
at our church. Its been great to see so many people grow spiritually and
to be alongside them in their journey.
John has been a member of our church for over 30 years. He is married to
Mary and they have three older children, and two grandchildren. The
grandchildren can regularly be seen helping serve communion in the
church. In addition to being an elder, John is responsible for the church
finances. He also leads the Old Testament and Understanding your Bible
Courses.

I especially enjoy the bring and share lunches which usually happen on
the first Sunday of every month; they are a great opportunity to talk, to
meet new members and to socialise.
Angela is the Railway Chaplain for the area but still makes time to be part
of the team. She developed our welcome and prayer teams. She
encourages people within the church to fulfil their potential and to use the
gifts that God has given them. Angela has a passion for prayer and the
gifts of the Holy Spirit. These fundamental building blocks of faith form
part of the heartbeat of our church.

Our church is a community that takes seriously the call to be

ambassadors of Christ in this world. We want to be salt and light in our
work places, colleges, schools and daily lives.
Rob enjoys a variety of sports including hockey and football (he supports
Barnet). He joined our church as a student whilst studying at York
University. Rob is an incredibly gifted speaker and has a heart for seeing
people grow to fulfil their potential in Christ. Rob is involved in a variety of
activities for all ages from kids to youth and students, home groups and
social activities.

York Elim is simply a great community to be a part of. Im excited about

what God has in store for us.
Neil coordinates the churchs worship team. He is sensitive to the Holy
Spirit and when leading worship he facilitates the church to enter into the
presence of a truly awesome God. Neil is a professional guitarist and
guitar tutor, he has played for a number of West End shows and local
bands including the York based band Project 33. Members of the church
regularly attend his gigs. Just ask Neil for details if youre interested in
coming along too.

Youth and Childrens Worker

I love working with children and young people and am passionate about
sharing faith with them. Im so excited to see how God uses our kids in
church and meets with them through our ministry, knowing that God has
something great in store for every child and young person at York Elim.
Rachel is employed full-time by the church and works alongside the Sunday
School team to lead the youth and childrens work. The team teaches the
children about living out a Christian faith for themselves through Sunday
School classes, Livewires, and child friendly prayer events. Rachel ensures
that all ages are supported both in church and in the community through her
work in local schools and community events, as well as running one-to-one
mentoring, Youth Alpha courses and planning trips to large events such as
Soul Survivor.

Ways that you can get involved.

Role

Description

Church set up /
pack down
Cleaning

We need helpers to set-up and pack-down everything we use on a Sunday

morning.
We need helpers to clean Elim Corner which is the churchs office in York town
centre.
We take communion every week and are always keen to have extra people to
help preparing or serving.
Livewires starts after the worship and lasts for just ten minutes. It is a chance
for children and young people to burn off a bit of energy before Sunday school
starts. Helpers are needed to supervise activities.
Mentoring is one to one support through a purposeful relationship which
encourages someone to take steps to go further with God. If you are looking
to be a mentor or be mentored yourself please speak to Rob.
The PA team ensures that all the techy stuff is set up and sounds great every
week. Wed like to hear from you if you can help with the PA or the laptop.
Our prayer team is available every Sunday to pray with people. They also
organise regular and one-off prayer events.
We need Sunday school leaders and helpers for all age groups. We also offer
opportunities for people to share short testimonies with the children.
Being part of the welcome team is a great way to get to know people in the
church.
If you are passionate about worship and can play an instrument or sing in tune
then why not ask about getting involved in the worship team.
We have a range of opportunities for you to get involved or help with youth
activities.

Communion
Livewires

Mentoring

PA team
Prayer
Sunday school
Welcome team
Worship
Youth work

More
Information
Rachel
John
Graham
Rachel

Rob

Rob / Neil
Angela
Rachel or
Penny
Angela
Neil
Rachel

Prayer

Facilitating opportunities for you to petition God in prayer is

fundamental to the life of our Church. We believe in the power of prayer!
We dont underestimate the
power of prayer and theres
nothing that is impossible to
God. He wants to do us good
and can heal sickness and
work out situations in our lives
that seem to overwhelm us.

Speak to any of the leadership

team if you would like
someone to pray with you.
Our prayer team organise
some great prayer events
which are advertised in the
weekly newssheet.

If you would like to receive

prayer, we have a dedicated
prayer team who are available
every Sunday and would love
the opportunity to pray with
you.

We also have a Saturday

morning prayer meeting
which is at Elim Corner.

If you have any prayer

requests please either
introduce yourself to
one of our leadership
team or complete the
form at the end of this
leaflet.

If you want to experience Christian community during the week

then why not join one of our fantastic small groups.
.

Our small groups meet on a variety of evenings and right across

the city. To find a group in your area please see our newssheet
which is available from the Welcome Team. Details of how to get
the newssheet via email are included on the back page.

Safeguarding Children and

Vulnerable Adults
York Elim recognises its duty of
care towards children, young
people, and vulnerable adults.
In line with Elim's national
guidelines, we have a
Safeguarding Policy which
outlines how to identify abuse, and
what to do if abuse is suspected.
All who work with children, young
people and vulnerable adults in
the church go through our
recruitment procedure, receive
relevant training and undergo a
DBS check.
A copy of the Safeguarding Policy
may be seen at the church office.
The Safeguarding Co-ordinators
are Heather Heeley and Penny
Hutchinson.

York Elim is registered with the Churches Child Protection Advisory Service
(CCPAS).
All our childrens workers are DBS checked.
Each volunteer receives an interview to check their suitability
Childrens workers receive regular child protection training
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Sunday School
and Youth
The safety and protection of young children
and vulnerable adults is of utmost importance.
We have long established safeguarding
policies and practices.
Children and young people will
experience a safe and fun space where
they can be a part of our church
community, welcomed to be part of
everything we do. York Elim is
committed to ensuring children are
valued and encouraged to build a
relationship with God.
We have various spaces for different
age groups that run during the
teaching part of our Sunday meetings.
Whilst children are looked after in the
Sunday school we ask that
parents/carers take responsibility for
their own children while they
are in the church.

For Babies and Toddlers

We have a crche and play area, we
also have baby change facilities which
are located in the disabled toilets near
the school entrance.

Livewires (ages 3-14)

At the end of the worship and before
the preaching starts, children and
young people can go to Livewires
which is a chance to run around and
burn off a bit of energy. After
Livewires, the children go to their
respective Sunday School groups.

Our Sunday School Groups

We have a number of Sunday School
groups in the church covering all ages.
Please speak to a member of the team
if youd like to know any further
information.

We are a

stickyfaith
Church

Bubbles (ages 3-5)

Xstream (ages 8-11)

Children aged 5 and under are bubbling

with life; everything is new, exciting
and just waiting to be discovered. The
fact is that children at this age are
learning more than at any other time
and, crucially, when their brains
establish learning pathways. They are
receptive to God, to hearing his voice
and to having the sort of faith that
Jesus wants us all to have. Our Bubbles
group uses play, story and fun activities
to help children develop a personal
relationship with God.

Children aged 8 to 11 like to have fun!

They like to be with their friends and
are growing increasingly independent.
Most like the opportunity to play
games and to be creative, but they will
shy away from anything that feels too
babyish. Their capacity to learn is
enormous. Xstream feeds their
imaginations and allows them space to
ask questions about the things that
younger children take for granted.
Xstream encourages 8 to 11s to live
their daily lives for God with a pick n
mix approach. It involves a variety of
activities that help them apply what
they learn to their daily lives.

Splash! (ages 5-8)

Children aged 5 to 8 love to play
together, be creative, they are full of
energy, love to explore new ideas and
enjoy old favourites. They have a great
capacity for friendship and empathy for
each other. They can have a depth of
spirituality which can be both matter of
fact and breathtaking. Splash!
encourages 5 to 8s in their daily lives
with God. The group provides a space
for our young people whilst enabling,
equipping and releasing them to be
young men and women of God.

Sunday Youth (ages 11-18)

11 to 18s can be one of the most
difficult ages to communicate
effectively with. One minute you can
be having an in-depth conversation
about the nature of God and the next
they want to chat about something
completely off topic! They can be so
grown-up at times but still occasionally
show flashes of the child within. We
always have a great time together
strengthening a sophisticated
relationship with God, building
friendships and talking about some of
those big questions and topics that
allow them to grow in a safe and loving
environment. Look out for social
events and weekly meet ups in the
church calendar too.

Students and Young

Adults
We really enjoy having students and young adults as part of our church.
We offer plenty of opportunities for you to get stuck into our church,
connect with Christians of all ages and take advantage of opportunities
provided by the church to grow in faith.
Whether this is a new adventure
for you or youve been in York for
a while already, wed love to tell
you how you can be part of the
York Elim community.
As a church situated very near to
the university, we welcome
many new students each year to
our church! We aim to serve
students well so we invite you to
be grounded in our church.
We aim to help students become
biblically literate by providing
high content Bible teaching on
Sunday mornings as well as
giving opportunities to
experience the power of the Holy
Spirit in a context that avoids the
fake or bizarre.
We frequently host courses to
equip students to grow in faith
and develop the gifts and
abilities God has placed in them.
We actively encourage students
to get involved in our fellowship,
serving God alongside us by
joining a team.

We want to see your faith grow

through the Sunday morning
teaching but also through
mentoring which is offered both
in a one-to-one style and in small
groups serving and fellowship.

These opportunities include

serving on a team, undertaking
courses, such as our preaching
course, volunteering with a
Beesom project - an opportunity
for community outreach, or
joining a home group.

Our Student Reps are around most

Sunday mornings, their role is to
support you and help you settle into
our church.

Lydia and Heather

Student Reps!
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Connect

Stay connected all week by joining our

social media groups:

students@yorkelim
(group for current and former students in the church)

York Elim
(open church group)

Tweets from the church are @yorkelim

For Biojemmss updates follow @biojemmss
You can follow Graham on Twitter @Ps139tmf

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corner
Most of our midweek meetings
are held at our office which
is known as Elim Corner.
The address of Elim Corner is:
York Elim Pentecostal Church
First Floor 47 Lawrence St
York
YO10 3BU

Keep in touch
We want you to feel welcome and to be involved in the life of our church.
So that we can keep you informed with the latest information, please
give us your contact details. Completed forms can be given to a member
of the welcome team.
Name

_________________________________

Surname

_________________________________

I would like further information on the following (please

tick):
Joining a small group

Would you like to receive our newssheet via email?

Yes

No

If yes, please provide your email address:

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

Prayer meetings
Mentoring
Volunteering
Gift aid / tithing
Youth
Courses and lectures
Other (give details)

Purpose of visit (please tick)

___________________________
___________________________

Visiting York
With friend or family
Looking for a church
Student / studies

I would like someone to pray for the following:

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

Other

If you would like a pen, please ask

a member of the welcome team for
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one. (and yes you can keep it!)