Pippa Worth

The Parish Evangelisation Team (PET) is an enthusiastic group who have been inspired by Jesus’ command to ‘proclaim the Good News’.

The team meet on the first Tuesday of the month at 8 pm, to pray, share and plan outreach opportunities (eg ‘Open Church’ events) and to plan the ‘Coffee, Croissants and Conversation’ events, which take place on the first Saturday of the month, within the parish.

As the Church exists to evangelise, we encourage sharing our faith and seek to make our church more invitational. Recent outreach events include the Crib Fest at Epiphany and ‘A Light to Remember’ (usually between Holy Souls’ Day and Remembrance Day) where we invite people into our church to light a candle, and to engage in conversation as well as prayer, if they wish. Faith conversations occur, with thanks to the Holy Spirit, both inside and outside the parish; we find that through these encounters, our faith grows too. This year we are hoping for significant participation in the well-loved Wimborne Folk Festival in June as we recognise the value of engaging with our local community.

We learn on the job, so think of our mission as an apprenticeship. We learn to listen to others and meet them where they are or, we may just witness and sow seeds. If someone is curious about our faith, we are happy to answer and be used as instruments in our daily lives. We just try to be ready!

During meetings (which start with time in front of the Blessed Sacrament), we share encounters, encourage the use of practical skills learned from the Plymouth Diocese’s ‘Mission Made Possible’ course (endorsed by our previous Bishop, Mark O’Toole, whose aim was to have a PET in every parish). Everyone is welcome: ‘Come and See’!