And so it was put to the church: a ‘relaunch’ as Enfield Evangelical Free Church became Enfield Town Community Church. There would be new signage, a new website and a timely excuse for a big invitation to all their community.

The church logo

The church had been aware of the plans to change names for some time, as it had been put to the church members a year or so beforehand. Enfield Town Community Church is a simpler, more accessible way to describe who they are.

It pretty much says it on the tin: based in Enfield Town; a church; and ‘community’ speaks about what the church exists to be (a godly and distinctive community of believers) and who the church exist to benefit (everyone in the local community).

In addition to this, the church has been a sending church for four church plants in the last decade and the new name fits better with the names of these young partner churches.

Gather, Grow, Go

This is the new strapline which sits alongside the relaunched name, and the three words were helpful to the church ahead of the big launch weekend.

• Gather. The church came together in several gatherings additional to the regular Sunday and midweek services, for extra fellowship. Often these included food, fun, information or brainstorming, but they always included prayer and a challenge from the leadership to have a ‘mission mindset’ and a renewed devotion to Christ and to one another, as a family of believers.

• Grow. The church received helpful teaching and training to equip it in this whole area of living life on mission in an everyday sense, and to practice evangelism on one another! The church was challenged to grow in prayer life too – a helpful ‘60 days of prayer’ booklet with daily prompts to aid prayer in the run up to the launch was produced.

• Go. In the countdown to the launch, the church was urged to ‘go’ as the Spirit led, not just to wait until the dedicated launch weekend!

Our launch weekend

A market stall in the main town square on Thursday to Saturday helped engage pass-ers-by in conversation, using a questionnaire which was designed to open up a chance to share the gospel. Literature about the church was also handed out, an evangelistic tract, and invitations to a community festival on the Saturday and a special visitors’ service on the Sunday.

The community was invited into the building with the aim of putting something of church life and the gospel on display. This began with a drop-in festival on the Saturday, and a ‘Come to Church’ visitors’ service on the Sunday.

The Saturday included a heritage trail detailing the 121 years of church history, complete with photos from the archives and a ‘ration book’ children’s quiz. A video story and Christian music were playing too.

Elsewhere there were craft stations, soft-play, toys, outdoor games, singing and, of course, tea, coffee and cake. 300 ice lollies were given away. The following day, some extra guests joined the Sunday services.

In the preaching, Nathan urged all to get to know Jesus better – from 2 Peter 3.18: ‘grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.’

Many new contacts were made through the launch, not to mention the blessed unity of fellowship afresh as the church experienced the power of ‘standing firm together in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel’ (Philippians 1.27).

So Enfield Town Community Church is praising God for his goodness and continues to pray for his saving work in the community, asking him to fuel the church to live life on mission every day!