An off beat expression of church in the West Midlands

Not long now until the next gathering which is themed around “A Love Supreme”.

We look forward to welcoming Dr. Anthony Reddie and exploring a different format as we join together in worship.

The address for Shirley Methodist Church is:

257 Stratford Road
Shirley
Solihull
B90 3AL

See you there on Sunday at 7pm!

On Sunday 17th October we held the official launch of Jazz Church (the one in June being technically a trial run). The service was led by Adam Sanders and entitled ‘Time Out’. Of course people had some idea of what to expect by now as many had attended the June event but even so there was and air of ‘wondering’ as people arrived. This was perhaps partly due to our having asked people to each bring a clock along to the service as our focus was to be on time. The clocks were placed all around the worship area and created a dramatic effect as there were so many of them. And to add to the drama we watched a very compelling Rob Bell video during which we engaged in complete silence for several minutes with only he words on the screen to guide our thinking.

During the early part of the service, the congregation sang Be Still for the Presence of the Lord, a fabulous arrangement with a jazz feel which set the scene for what was to come.

Adams message on time was compelling and served as a metaphor for getting us to think out of our normal limited and ordinary patterns of thought and response. Using 4/4 time in music as the metaphor for the ’ordinary’ he demonstrated how transformational a shift from the ordinary can be by exploring other time frames. Hence the title for the ‘Take Five’

Particularly inspiring was the story of Dave Bruebeck who struggled to be taken seriously in his studies as a musician because he could not read music. His sense of rhythm and timing was such however that even now he is considered to be amongst the great of jazz musicians. In his Time Out album he pushes the boundaries of the ordinary to engage the listener in a transforming experience of.

So often we think that the limits of our linear time is all that we have available, forgetting that Gods time, eternal time, encompasses all that we are in the here and now. This understanding of different time frames opens up endless possibilities and opportunities for creativity and transformation and for achieving what is apparently unachievable when viewed through narrow limits of the ordinary. It was really good to hear a live performance of Take Five, which really served to consolidate the message and then to really bring it all to life we sang “Sing of the Lords Goodness’ to Take Five.

The band more than lived up to (if not excelled) the expectation they had set at the first event, which was nothing short of outstanding. And it was particularly good to have a new member (new to Jazz Church at least) in the form of Saxophonist Dan. During the prayers we listened to Blue Rondo A La Turk and an especially moving item was the musical reading of Psalm 90:1-4, really beautiful! Also in fine form was the Gospel Choir who sang ‘I wish I knew how it would feel to be free’ a perfect choice for the theme and really well sung.

For me, primarily as a member of the congregation this time rather than leading any of the service, it was a fabulous act or worship. Different, fresh, transforming and accessible! Of course I would say that being a great fan of Jazz but you only have to listen to the feedback of so many others who were there to know that I was amongst the majority in my enjoyment of the service.

If you want to continue to explore this theme of time then why not join the Take Five group meeting, which continues the themes of the ‘Time Out’ event by exploring ways of stepping outside of ordinary time. The meeting is held at 7.30pm every first Thursday at Shirley MC (note though that the December meeting will be at Earlswood MC).

Jayne Webb

Having been a member of this church for many years and now being one of its senior “citizens”, I have taken part in many of its activities. Consequently I have dug myself several different ruts in which I am happy and contented. One of these ruts is Sunday evening service. I love the peace and tranquillity, the formality of the devotional atmosphere and the comfort zone I experience there. Then, to my amazement, I learnt that once a quarter, in place of the usual Sunday evening service, something called Jazz Church was going to take its place. I was horrified! Jazz on a Sunday evening! Surely that couldn’t be right? However, I had to find out more about it before I finally judged – so I attended the Jazz Church evening – and I am so glad that I did, because I thought it was WONDERFUL! I was truly blessed by the whole service.

As I walked into church that evening, I felt the whole atmosphere was alive. The way the church was arranged was so good. Everyone could see the two large screens. The music, the soft swing to the hymns, the prayers, the message and the super Gospel choir, all combined to make a glorious act of worship. I felt exhilarated and alive, and very blessed. I came away converted to Jazz Church – and waiting for the next one. I realize that a lot of thought and hard work made the evening possible, but I can assure all those who were involved that it was very worthwhile – and I thank everyone for all their efforts.

If you have any doubts about Jazz Church, do come along to the next one. It’s not just for the young people – it is for everyone. Come and find out for yourselves before you make any judgement. I had a wonderful spiritual experience, perhaps you would too.

So let us thank God for the enthusiasm, inspiration and devotion of those who bring us new ideas and forward thinking in our worship to our God.

Jean – A regular worshipper at Shirley Methodist Church.

The next Jazz Church Gathering is on Sunday 17th October, 7pm at Shirley Methodist Church. The theme for the service is “Time Out” and is inspired by the Dave Brubeck album with the same name. We will be looking at how to understand and engage with time from a Biblical perspective. Shirley Community Gospel Choir will be back along with the Jazz Church band.

We will be advertising the dates for future gatherings over the next year and other events that are connected with Jazz Church.

Live recordings from the first Jazz Church gathering are now available on the website!

Unfortunately it has taken longer than expected but you can now listen to some of the songs and hymns from the service using the media in the top right-hand corner of the site, or by navigating to the audio page of the site.

If you are having problems listening to the music then do get in contact.

Hopefully have some videos soon!

The first Jazz Church Gathering took place on Sunday 20th June 2010 at Shirley Methodist Church. It was well attended, and the congregation responded well to a mixture of traditional hymns and modern choruses arranged in a jazz style supported by the Jazz Church band with Laura and Themba on vocals, Adam on keys and Steph on drums.

Using speech and live music, Adam and Jayne unpicked the jazz factor metaphor for living the Christian life in light of the vision of the Kingdom encouraging people to have that same Biblical vision of a just world, or new creation, as they think about their own mission and ministry.

The buzz after the service in the coffee shop and all round the church was exciting as people were looking forward to the next one!

Only a few days left until the first Jazz Church gathering! Adam Sanders and Jayne Webb will be sharing a message about vision using a jazz metaphor, and the Jazz Church band will be leading us in worship with the support of the Shirley Community Gospel Choir. Light refreshments will be available after the service as the congregation is encouraged to discuss the message and content of the service.

The gathering starts at 7pm in Shirley Methodist Church. For directions click here.

Hope to see you there!

Jazz Church is pleased to announce that Shirley Community Gospel Choir will be singing at Jazz Church on 20th June 2010 to help in leading the worship, and also to share some other musical items.

For more information on The Shirley Community Gospel Choir visit the Jazz Church artists page or their own website at www.shirleycommunitygospelchoir.co.uk.