In Birmingham

We'd like to try something new for Unlock in Birmingham.

We have partnered with Truth be Told and are seeking a church or churches which would like to work with both Unlock and TbT together.

We are looking for a church or group of churches with:-

• A heart for the most marginalised of local people.
• An interest in setting the Gospel free within their local community
• A passion for the development of an intergenerational community
• A commitment to overcoming exclusion
• A Desire for stronger connections within their local community
• Some community engagement and social action already in place that they wish to grow, particularly in missional terms
• A desire to grow the church family; spiritually at least as much as numerically
• Capacity to build a small team of support (not necessarily hands-on helpers) within the church & community
• Ability to gather together a small group of families and older people (not necessarily running a playgroup or in contact with a care home)
• A capacity and willingness to commit £3k per annum for two years
• Leadership that is expected to remain stable for the next 2-3 years
• An urban area that can easily be identified with locally recognised boundaries.

If you think this could be you thne please have a look at Unlock's Information Page and Truth be Told and contact us to explore how it could work.

Unlock also works through volunteers in Partnership with The Queen's Foundation and the Saltley Trust. Through this partnership we have an annual oportity to introduce Ministry students at Queen's to Unlock's accessible and open approach to Bible enagement with oral learners in poor urban communities through an annual Unlock Training event which takes place in Birmingham each December.
Unlock DIY in Birmingham December 2022 >>
Details of the next event will be posted here around the beginning of October each year.

Former Unlock Birmingham Workers

Tim Coleman developed Unlock work in Redditch during 2014
Tim now ministers in Runcorn, Cheshire.

Ruth Childs worked for Unlock Birmingham in 2012/13
Profile of Ruth Childs >>
Ruth developed some Unlock work using contemporary film clips with a local youth group and with a group of adults in Sandwell. See resources below.
The Veronica Sessions >> Youth (16-19) resource.
Popcorn and Nachos >> Adult resource.

Jon (now Joy) Everingham worked for Unlock Birmingham in 2013
Profile of Jon Everingham >>
Joy is now ministering in Nottingham.

Steve Sowerby was an Unlock worker in Birmingham in 2011/12.
Profile of Steve Sowerby >>
What Now? >>
Steve is now working in Norfolk.

Debbie Marsh was our Discipleship Development worker for Unlock Birmingham in 2010 and 2011. Debbie has been working with a local MIND group using themes brought by the partcipants. Debbie has since moved on to develop her ordained Ministry in the Methodist Church, first in Barnsley and then in Cornwall, taking her Unlock experience with her. Debbie also served for a time as a member of the Unlock National Council.

Out of six MIND people who Debbie worked with in 2010/11, five are still actively engaged in church activities. When she first met them the group felt rejected by the church, where they had been told they could no longer hold their meetings.

Profile Debbie Marsh >>

MIND Over Matter >>

Unlock Birmingham was launched in July 2009, led by Unlock Discipleship Development workers, Pete and Sam Taylor. Pete and Sam have delivered Unlock Training at Queens College and are working with a small group in Bloomsbury. They are in contact with the Education for Discipleship group in the Regional Training Partnership and with Urban Expression locally and presented Unlock's work at shared resource day for the Methodist Birmingham & Wolverhampton & Shrewsbury Districts as well as providing Unlock training in the Birmingham area through Unlock DIY. Pete and Sam have been posted to Methodist Distrcts in South Wales in the summer of 2010. We wish them well in their new ministries.

Profile of Pete and Sam >>
Pete and Sam are now ministering in Nottinghamshire.

Unlock DIY training events have been held annually (pandemic permitting!) in Birmingham since 2011.

Unlock DIY>> 2021 update.