Following the bi-centenary of the Baptist Missionary Society in 1992, Rev. John Bayes, then minister of Watnall Road Baptist Church, spent time reading the biography of William Carey, from which came a suggestion that the Church should embark on a seven year project known as the Carey Project. Groups based on the acronym C.A.R.E.Y. would be established to be concerned with specific areas of Church outreach. These were:

C - Commend the gospel.
A - Acquaint with the Bible.
R - Restore the Church.
E - Engage in community activity.
Y - Yield to training.

The 'E' of the acronym clearly gives the aim of the Engage Group and has remained in existence ever since.

In the early days time was spent in correspondence with both national and local politicians on housing, prescription charges, educational budgets and planning matters where these impinged on either Christian principles or the local community. This is still done where the need arises.

By 1994 it was clear that any projects established by Engage should, whenever possible, involve all the Churches of the district, and proposals were put forward for other Churches to offer volunteers. However, it was not until 1998 that Engage became a formally accepted part of Churches Together in Hucknall, Linby and Papplewick.

Currently Engage is involved in the following main projects:

  • Under One Roof Project.
  • Engage Gifts.
  • Food Distribution Project.
  • Furniture Project.

The future depends on the social conscience of new members coming into the Churches. Many of the projects referred to are now self administering with their own management structures, but there are still many social issues with which the Churches need to be involved.

Engage