An oar-some way to spread the gospel...

Canoeing Christianity is making waves for Mike and Julie Ryder and the team at King’s Church, Warrington

‘I didn’t know church was like this!” said one member of our community who came to our free canoeing session recently.

As a missional community, we at King’s Church Warrington are very much encouraged and given freedom to shape how we ‘do’ mission.

About a year ago, we gave birth to a crazy idea, offering families free canoeing sessions, on a local canal in Warrington.

Since then we’ve run a forest day, a woodland themed sensory experience at a community fair and we’re now in the process of planning our next big event in a forest. All completely free of charge!

The format is simple, people arrive at an allotted time and they’re greeted with ‘Welcome to King’s Church!’ Then they grab a brew and we have a chat.

Before they get started with a safety brief, there’s a short talk; light touch but evangelistic, so as they climb into their canoe, or head off to explore the woods, the good news of Jesus is ringing in their ears.

I began working as a minister in training at King’s Church Warrington about a year ago and absolutely love being part of a church that has such a huge focus on community and discipleship.