Peter Carmody-Heaton (Pictured far left) is a pioneer priest who has been working in a new role as a Community Missioner primarily for The Forge Group, to help bring people to faith. Peter is passionate about New Worshipping Communities and is looking to build on his existing work with local schools and a Netherton supported housing scheme to develop these in the near future.
Peter is enjoying the pioneering nature of his ‘Community Missioner’ role 
working across Holy Trinity Old Hill and The Forge Group churches of St Andrews church Netherton, St John’s church Dudley Wood and St Peter’s church in Darby End. He feels his role is about seeing where's God is already at work in the community and building on those opportunities.
With the help of the local Mother’s Union and the Readers (Licensed Lay Minsters) from the renewal project, Peter organised a carol concert in December in the communal lounge at supported housing scheme Netherton Lodge. Twenty people took part and the event received excellent feedback. Peter has been invited to do more with the residents and is now in discussions with staff about creating a ‘renew wellbeing’ space there featuring craft activities, a prayer space and signposting to bereavement and mental health support.
Before Peter started this role, he worked as a Minister for young people and young adults in West Bromwich deanery. As part of this he worked with local schools and feels some of the best opportunities for community engagement come via these connections. The Forge Group are in the process of recruiting a Children and Families Worker so while this post is vacant, Peter is ensuring pre-existing relationships with the Forge Group’s nearest schools continue to be nurtured.
There are five schools in the locality and Peter is now working closely with one secondary school and two primary schools. He is assisting the C of E schools with their RE syllabus and Christian ethos. He has given general and Easter themed school assemblies and supported Holy Trinity Old Hill with their quarterly workshops on the Bible.
Peter has hosted schools at the churches closest to them, and delivered workshops based on ‘Experience Easter’. As part this he laid out a table like it was the last supper and spoke about the significance of Holy Communion and how it is an act of remembrance. This was well received by the schools. Peter is now in discussions with Netherton C of E Primary School, which is positioned next to St Andrews church, about offering an after-school club.
Peter also helps out at Holy Trinity Old Hill’s welcome space on Wednesday afternoons and has recently introduced a format that includes craft activities and discussion topics for those wishing to engage with these. He said:
“It’s still very informal but recently I’ve tried to introduce a weekly theme looking at the Happiness Lab, which is a series exploring all the things that research tells us increases your happiness. So far, we’ve discussed forgiveness, relationships, and different coping strategies.”
Peter is hopeful that in time he might also be able to start a monthly New Worshipping Community (NWC) at Netherton Lodge and that the after schools club he is planning to start may also turn into a NWC similar to ‘Gather’. He is also looking forward to supporting Holy Trinity in their endeavours to start a lively children’s worship NWC.
He said: “Developing different forms of worshipping communities are the reason I was attracted to this job! I’m passionate about NWCs because for me as a pioneer my whole vocation is thinking about how we can develop ways of church that reach out to people who either don't get traditional church because they’ve never been or have become disenfranchised from church for whatever reason. It’s exciting to develop a new form of worship which encourages people to think about their connection to God and the Christian faith in a way that's relevant to them in our context and connects into the Anglican tradition.”
Pictured L-R are: Community Missioner for Forge Group Peter Carmody-Heaton, Mothers’ Union Diocesan President Jill Crofton and Assistant Curate for Forge Group Rev Norman Jevons.
