Big things happening in the heart of the wood
The wood in question is Walsall Wood, and the heart is St John’s Parish Church.
Under the guidance of Rev Lisa Mitchell, St John’s is working to establish itself as a community hub for all people to use and be proud of.
It is doing this specifically by focussing on entertainment, staging a cross-section of events to delight and attract all tastes. For events read shows ranging from stand-up comedy nights, to an array of music concerts and poetry specials.
And this is just the start.
Following the appointment of an events fundraising co-ordinator last Christmas, St John’s has held at least one event a month. The emphasis has been on providing quality performers and, to date, the events have been successful and future line ups look set to enhance that success.
Rev Lisa said: “St John’s is finding new and imaginative ways of sharing God’s love through entertainment, a way of bringing Church and Community together in one place.
“So far, people have been really receptive to what we are doing, which is very encouraging. We hope going forward to build on these initial steps.”
For the record, in the coming months, St John’s plays host to a big swing band, The Doorknobs, and the renowned Americana experts Chuck Micallef, Dave Luke and Alex Valentine, but the biggest draw should be the New Year’s Eve concert, which will feature musical duo The One Hit Wonder Show alongside ever popular stand-up comics Jack Kelly and TV’s Jo Enright.
“Getting Jo to perform at St John’s is a bit of a coup for us and demonstrates the high standards of our entertainment ambitions,” said events co-ordinator Richard Green.
Funds raised from the events are being channelled into the St John’s heating and roof repair projects.
A church source said: “To get the events off the ground and established they have been generously funded by an independent but publicity shy benefactor, who believes in the community hub vision.”
