St Polycarp’s Malin Bridge, Sheffield

Last Updated on Wednesday, 20 October 2010 15:31

Minister: Rev Patrick Coghlan

Location: Junction of Loxley Road and Wisewood Lane

Congregation: A community church from newborns to nineties

Contact: 0114 234 3450

Website: www.stpolycarpchurch.org.uk

History

St Polycarp’s gained its name because one of the church leaders was impressed by this early church martyr. When asked to say, "Caesar is Lord,” he fiercely replied, "For 86 years I have served the Christ and he has done me no wrong.” He was burnt alive over a pile of wood in AD 155.

The church started life in response to new housing in the Hillsborough area. Originally it was a tin hut (1879) and moved to its present building in 1934.

Life

Last year we renewed our vision statement. To know and be known by God, one another and the world in which we live. This has led to a deeper engagement with the scriptures and a desire to have deeper relationships, both in the church and the family. The Marriage Course has helped with the latter. We have become more involved with the church in other parts of the world, hosting two young men from Brazil as volunteer youth workers. As a result two of our members have visited the church on the rubbish dump in Olinda, NE Brazil. This autumn we are to work on becoming more effective in sharing our faith.

St Polycarps has a passion for children and young people. This led us to start Walk through Holy Week. ‘It’s the best thing we’ve ever done!’ That was our churchwarden’s reaction to our first Walk through Holy Week. Over 700 children from four local state Primary Schools had come to share in the story of Jesus’ last week over a 3-year period.