Our Priorities for 2026-27

Our vision is: Cornwall as it is in Heaven. We long to see Jesus Kingdom established in Cornwall and we do this by wholeheartedly following Jesus and serving him in Cornwall and beyond.

If the last 10 years have taught us anything, no one can predict the future. But what we know, is we can firmly put our trust in the one who knows the beginning from the end. Our mode of operation is the same as it has been for the last three years: we are led by the Spirit.

We don’t have a map; we have a guide. This doesn’t mean we are directionless. We look at where he has led us so far, we’re curious about what he has put into our hands, then we seek to listen and act in obedience to what he says. Below is a summary of what we are prioritising in the year ahead.

Ezekiel 47

When we first started the church, one of the reoccurring prophetic words was Ezekiel 47, which has been popping up again. It’s worth a read. It is a beautiful image with three movements which can helpfully frame our life as a church:

Encountering God in the Temple: Everything begins in the temple, with prayer and worship. The water flows from under the threshold. From the very presence of God. It speaks to our life together as a place of encounter.
Jump in the River: As the river flows, we are invited in. First ankle deep, then to our knees, up to the waist, until we are in over our heads. This is discipleship: not standing at a safe distance but being drawn deeper. The invitation is to step deeper into our life with Jesus and community, willing to go further than feels comfortable, even when we cannot stand on our own.
Dynamic Life: Finally, the river it seems then gains momentum and strength. It flows into the Dead Sea, into places of barrenness and everything it touches begins to live. This is the mission of the church: what God gives us is never meant to be contained. It becomes healing; bringing life, restoration, and fruitfulness beyond our community.

Encountering God in the Temple

Last year we wrote: When we gather, we want to be alive in the Spirit, a place of encounter for both us and those spiritually searching. God answered our prayer.
In this last year, we’ve heard story after story of people describing encounters with the Spirit. We do not take the presence of God for granted. And yet we want more and express that hunger through prayer.
Could we encourage you in the next year to make Seek First a priority? Give us yet another space issue! May the hall at St Columb Minor be too small for the number of people who come hungry to seek the Kingdom of God.
After two wonderful prayer rooms we are taking a slight shift in direction with Thy Kingdom Come in May. After the last prayer room, someone had a word about ‘outposts of prayer.’ Rather than coming to one place, over the 10 days leading up to Pentecost we will have prayer gatherings in different locations around different themes. We have one weekly prayer hub in Newquay, maybe new outposts of prayer will develop from this.
On our first birthday, we announced we would make more space by multiplying.
Wonderfully the space we created at the 4pm has been filled. We find ourselves yet again in a situation. Multiplying to a third gathering at present would stretch our volunteer teams too thinly, so we are looking for a new venue.
a) Four separate rooms: As well as a gathering space, we need additional room for kids, youth and Sandy Toes. Young people and families continue to be a priority.
b) On the outer rim of Newquay: We feel called to the outer rim of Newquay. Firstly, our area of mission stretches from St Agnes to Padstow. Newquay is the natural place to gather on a Sunday, but we want to be accessible for those joining from the edges of our deanery.
Secondly, almost all the churches in Newquay, gather in the centre and with large residential areas growing on its edges we don’t believe we should position ourselves in a central location.
c) Space for growth: We need to have space for at least 150 to gather comfortably. We are searching high and low for a place which fits these requirements with the aim of moving in September 2026. Please pray!
Before Anna left London, someone shared a prophetic word about a sound for Cornwall, songs of hope, coming out of St Gregorys. It stood out to Anna because it was a trusted person and music isn’t exactly in her toolkit so it wasn’t something she could manufacture.
In January 2026, from three separate, unconnected people, the same prophetic word resurfaced.
Now some might call giving time to song writing a luxury and “there are more important things we should give our time to”. We could debate this. But to be honest, when God speaks with repetitive insistence, it is our job to obey.
Esther will start to gather those from within our worship team with a desire to write songs, to see what emerges.

Jump in the River

We’ve had communal rhythms as a church since day one: nine habits, three daily, three weekly, and three monthly, which help ground and shape our lives around Jesus.
Some rhythms, like daily Scripture reading through our resource BREAD, have become an embedded part of what we do. We’re intentionally going to expand the resources available to make these rhythms a more accessible and visible part of our life together.
Over the last year, through discussions with a number of people within the church, we’ve reviewed these rhythms and made some adjustments.
For example, Examen is now no longer a separate rhythm but is included as a daily practice within prayer; it has been replaced with witness.
Each day we are witnesses to the resurrection. This is to encourage us all to look for opportunities to share our faith.
Have a look at the website for the full list of our nine rhythms. Which one do you want to explore? How can we resource you in it?
If Sunday gatherings are like Jesus’ 72, then Hubs are the 12. This is where we meet mid-week and form real community. They’re fun, relational spaces that help people get to know one another and invite others into belonging.
They are intentionally diverse in expression, from home Bible studies, to Tuesday morning cold-water sea dips, to pie nights at the pub. Across all of them, the aim is the same: to find belonging, form friendship and fight isolation.
How can I get involved?
Hubs run on a termly rhythm because we know in Cornwall there are things we can do in summer that we can’t in winter.
Head to stgregorys.uk/hubs to see what’s on offer, pick one and sign up. The Hub leader will then be in touch.
As we grow, we would love to see more Hubs. If you have an idea or would like to explore leading one, our Worship and Formation Lead, Esther Wren, would love to chat with you.
Explore our Hubs at stgregorys.uk/hubs
Rhythm Groups are made up of 3–4 people who come together to contend for one another. They are designed to be groups that are safe enough to heal, but dangerous enough to grow.
Like Aaron and Hur holding up Moses’ arms in Exodus 17, we recognise at times we all face battle weariness. In those moments we stand with one another in prayer and practical support.
We all long to be deeply known, which is why we make space in these groups to share our stories and listen to others. And help each other form daily, weekly, and monthly rhythms that shape our loves towards Jesus and his kingdom.
Space is made for confession & prayer. Confession is not about shame, it is about freedom. 1 John 1:9 reminds us that as we confess, we are forgiven and purified. Sin thrives in secrecy, but confession brings it into the light and restores us to community. In Ephesians 5, Paul calls the church to be ‘filled with the Spirit’ and we believe this is an ongoing reality. So in these groups we invite the Holy Spirit to fill each person, and we take time to wait, listen and respond to him together.
How can I get involved?
We host regular online intro sessions (just under an hour) where you can learn how Rhythm Groups work and how to start one. You can email Esther at esther@stgregorys.uk or sign up via the ‘What’s On’ page.
More info is also available at stgregorys.uk/rhythmgroups

Dynamic Life

The growing hunger for people to explore faith has been encouraging and in our two Alpha courses this last year, we’ve seen evidence of that.
But people will not hear about Jesus unless we tell them and they won’t encounter him unless we invite them. Alpha and Scatter Sundays give us a great opportunity to stretch that muscle, being courageously invitational, hosting people in our homes and welcoming them to church.
From day one, young people have been a priority and we do not want to backtrack. Our young people have continued to lead the way in being courageously invitational, asking to run another Youth Alpha. We have so much to learn from their courage and authenticity and we will continue to serve and champion them. One of the ways we’re prioritising is through appointing Maysie Denley (Kids and Families Lead) and Jewel Mackay (Youth Lead).
We are still determined to try new things. Nick Johnson and Dan Sommers have a coffee idea brewing - pun intended! But we are keen for more. If we can support creative ideas, we will do what we can.
After a year of breaking new ground, we’re encouraged by the strong foundations already laid through the Newquay Area Debt Centre.
In this next season, we have an opportunity to deepen the work. A key priority is to continue growing our team of befrienders so we can connect our clients with supportive people who live nearby.
We’re also exploring the chance to run a short Money Course with support from a neighbouring CAP centre. This would equip clients, especially those receiving Debt Relief Orders, with vital budgeting skills to help prevent a return to debt. In time, we hope to run this course ourselves.
St Gregory’s is part of the TABLE network, a family of churches who long to see the church come alive, the world renewed and Jesus glorified.
TABLE has moved towards a regional model, in the South West this includes: St Gregorys (us!), St Basil’s (nr Exeter), Exeter Network Church, New Street (Falmouth). Currently we are focussed on supporting the leaders as these are new relationships and in time this might develop into broader collaboration.
Within our community we have a number of people exploring ordination. And we prayerfully anticipate that one day we will be the ones planting churches, just as KXC launched us. That may be years away, but it starts with prayer, so please join us in that.