Welcome to St. Oswald's Church!
We are a friendly community church in Bidston Village in the Wirral. We really believe that at St. Oswald’s there is something for everyone!
At St. Oswald’s church, we recognise that everything we do is influenced by who we are — and to better understand this, we sat down together to hear from our church community; not only about who we are, but also what we want others to notice about us and what our core values are.
We believe that in order to make an impact in our community, we need to continue to be welcoming, love and respect others, encourage families, and be supportive and available.
That’s why we truly believe that St. Oswald’s is the light on the hill for everyone — and we would love you to come and experience this for yourself!
For more than 500 years, St. Oswald’s Church has stood as a faithful pillar of its local community. We have stood by generations of families through both the good times and the tough ones. Whether it’s been baptisms, weddings, funerals, or even during big world events such as coronations, world wars, economic struggles, and pandemics — we have always been here for you.
As we move forward, we want to continue being there for you, no matter what life brings. We know that today, people connect with the Church in different ways. Some of you may have been coming to church and following Jesus your whole lives, making worship a regular part of your week. For others, the Church might only come into focus for special occasions like Christmas, christenings, or weddings. And for some, the Church might not have been a part of your life, yet…
Our world is diverse, and so are people’s needs. St Oswald’s Church should reflect that too. Within our community, you will find some who enjoy more contemporary ‘charismatic’ worship and others who prefer a symbolic ‘traditional’ approach. And that’s something we celebrate! Over the past two years, we have been working hard to create a new vision for our church community. We want to be a church that is open and relevant to everyone. But we also know that being part of this community means making an effort — not just with our finances, but with our hearts. It means caring for each other so that everyone can grow spiritually and experience the “fullness of life.”
With this in mind, we have identified five key areas of ministry that will be crucial for the future of our church and its parish. These areas will help us decide how to use our time, resources, and assets to bless both our church and locality, and to stay true to Jesus’ mission of bringing the “Kingdom of God” to earth.
Simply put, St Oswald’s Church is here to be “The Light on the Hill for Everyone.” We believe that God’s love has something to offer every single person, and it is a love worth sharing. Below are the five areas we have focused on through prayer and discernment with the Holy Spirit. We hope to be faithful and carry out God’s will — to see His Kingdom grow right here in Bidston. Amen.
Children & Families
We are a church that is committed to welcoming all young families and children within the life of our worshipping community. We aim to “break down” the barriers of entry for modern-day families and provide a space that is both welcoming, warm, and accessible. We will do our best to help all young persons engage with the Christian faith in a manner that is both intriguing and life giving for the soul. Children and young people will never be a ‘hindrance’ or ‘disturbance’ to our worship! The Kingdom of God must be received “like a child,” and we recognise and celebrate the tremendous beauty of God’s heart for all of his children within our community.
Pastoral Care
We understand that our pastoral care and love for one another cannot exist just on Sunday’s… We will commit to journeying with our Christian brothers and sisters throughout all of life’s events — both good and bad! Our care for one another will extend to home visiting, praying for the sick, creating space in midweek events for hospitality, and the genuine love and comfort of feeling able to “reach out” during times of hardship. Each one of us will do this together — it is an essential part of our DNA at St Oswald’s Church.
Social Gatherings
Do you remember Jesus’ first miracle? He was at a wedding party and tuned water into wine! God loves social gatherings. He loves to see communities come together to celebrate (and pour out joy) into one another’s hearts. We understand that in order for our church family to further bond, develop relationships, and grow, we definitely need to party from time to time! This could be anything from church quiz nights, nature walks, picnics in the park, bring and share lunches, and even the occasional parish weekend away. We also recognise the importance of social gatherings to become an ‘access point’ for anyone in our community who might not be ready to come to our Sunday services (just yet). Life together at church should be exciting and life giving for everyone and we wish to make space for all.
Listening to God (Prayer)
Prayer is the absolute life-blood of everything that we do at St Oswald’s Church. Without prayer we can no longer faithfully follow the will of our Heavenly Father, without prayer we can no longer operate as a ‘church’… Each week, we will provide ample opportunity for prayer in the life of our worshipping community. This can be anything from morning prayer in the church building itself; prayer in our home groups; prayer via our WhatsApp ‘survival’ groups and Zoom; and the grace to meet with one another at any time to pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit (the comforter).
We recognise that prayer can be lively and charismatic, but also incredibly still in the silence of God’s essence. Whether you would like to pray out loud, or simply light a candle, we will always welcome your prayers.
Intergenerational Worship
Every week, our church will commit to creating a space of Holy worship that is both accessible and meaningful for all ages, traditions, and cultures. Understandably, within this remit, there is no magic wand we could ever wave to give ‘everybody’ everything they would like 100% of the time! We will commit therefore to extending God’s wonderful gift of grace… Some weeks may involve more ‘traditional’ forms of worship, whilst others may follow a more ‘contemporary’ feel. On most Sunday’s, however, we will aim to give everyone a little bit of ‘everything’. Some songs may be led on the organ, whilst others on the keyboard/guitar; sometimes the service leader may wear robes, and other times perhaps a more causal attire; we will create space for children and the ‘unchurched’, and we will also create space for well-seasoned worshippers. We will aim to love one another in spite of our differences — in fact, we can do better than that: We will love one another because of our differences! No matter your age or church experience, St Oswald’s Church, is a place where you will be loved and you can call home. We are a church for everyone!
… This is why you must encourage and help each other, just as you are already doing.
Encourage anyone who feels left out, help all who are weak, and be patient with everyone. Don’t be ungenerous to people, just because they are ungenerous to you. Rather, be good to each other and to everyone else.
Always be joyful and never stop praying. Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:11, 14b-18
At St. Oswald’s, you will always be greeted with a warm smile and a cup of tea or coffee! Whether you need an ear to listen, a community to be a part of, or even just fancy a gab, we want you to feel like you belong. Because that’s what community is: being there for each other.
If you are thinking of visiting us, please do not hesitate to get in touch and we would be more than happy to chat with you!
Joe Smith, Vicar
Images taken from pixabay: heart image by Karolina Grabowska; colourful hands by jarmoluk; watercolour by Stefan Schweihofer
St. Oswald’s Church
Bidston Village Road,
Prenton, Merseyside
CH43 7QT
0151 201 0377
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Welcome to St. Oswald's Church! 