Chris Tufnell has been on an incredible journey over the last few years. From becoming a church leader, to moving out to Oughtibridge, it’s been a time of great change for him and his family. Taking on the leadership of a new community comes with a host of blessings, and some challenges. We chatted with him about the Oughtibridge Parish Church graft.

Tell us a little about the church graft in Oughtibridge Parish.

My wife and I attended Christ Church Fulwood while we were at uni in Sheffield, and I started my ministry training there. After three years of theological college in London, I returned to Fulwood to become a curate. Then, last year I moved from Fulwood to Oughtibridge – with about 30 others – as part of a church graft.

The important thing to know about church grafts is that they are not the same as church plants. A church plant sets up a brand new church; there was already a small church in Oughtibridge. Christ Church Fulwood has a large church community, so they’ve established a system where every couple of years, they’ll send groups of people out, either to plant their own churches, or to help boost smaller churches. So when it was announced in 2019 that Oughtibridge’s vicar was going to step down, coming here became an exciting possibility for us.

How has the church graft been received so far?

Very well I think. On the Fulwood side, before we knew where the next church plant was going to be, there were already people saying to me, ‘Even if we’re not sure where the next one will be, we’d like to come with you.’ So we started meeting and praying as a group, even before we had a location.

At the same time, the clergy team at Fulwood agreed to take on responsibility for the services at Oughtibridge before my appointment as vicar. So I was over there for about 8 months before the rest of the group from Fulwood joined us, which was really helpful. When a group of 30-ish people all at once join a congregation of 20-25, it changes the feel of a church, but the graft has been really well received by the original congregation here at Oughtibridge.

There’s been a great deal of warmth, love and unity, and that’s a real joy to see.

We also started live-streaming at Oughtibridge Parish Church (OPC), which has been really helpful in connecting with people who don’t normally attend church. In a way, it reminds me of the story of Zacchaeus in the Bible. When Zaccheus climbed up a sycamore tree, he intended to see Jesus, but not necessarily to engage with him. Of course, Jesus saw and spoke to Zaccheus, and Zaccheus was transformed by his unexpected encounter.

My hope is that our live-streamed services can reach those digital Zaccheuses: people can observe even if they aren’t sure that they’re ready to have an encounter with Jesus in church, and sometimes they get a lot more than they bargained for. Already, we’ve had quite a lot of people join us at church, after watching our live-stream.

What has the experience taught you, as a church leader?

Well it’s an ongoing process for me. It’s not as simple as saying ‘I learned this on that day’ or anything like that. One thing I’ve learnt is that church leadership is all about people. Quite a bit of my time and energy is put into preparing, restructuring, replanning, but all with a view to serving people. So as a Christian minister, I’ve learnt that I need to prioritise people. When someone’s in trouble, I’ve got to be looking out for them.

But also – and this is something I’ve learned being a vicar here – when people view you in a certain way, you can begin to view yourself in that same way. Since many people locally view me as ‘the vicar’, I think at times I’ve allowed myself to lose sight of the fact that first and foremost I am not a ‘shepherd’, but a ‘sheep’. That is:

My most defining feature isn’t my role in the church, but that I am a Christian myself, someone who loves – and is seeking to follow – Jesus. Jesus is my shepherd; I need his help every day.

Have there been any stories from your congregation that have stuck with you?

We’ve seen a handful of people come to faith over the last year. There’s a local guy who came to faith with very little human involvement actually. I baptised him a few months ago, and then married him to his fiancé, and they have started coming to church and reading the Bible together, really becoming a part of the church community.

We also invited the whole of the Year One class from the local primary school, showing them around the church in the morning, and told them about our Sunday schools. And one of the girls went home to her mum and asked her if she could go. They came the following Sunday, and have been here most Sundays since, and it’s been amazing to see God’s work in their life.

There’s another woman who recently came to faith at OPC, and the great thing about her story is, you hear it and think, ‘Who led her to faith?’ And it would be far too simplistic to just say ‘That talk she was at.’ For me, I’d say it was 30-40 people who knew her – her community – that brought her to faith.

What are your hopes for the church going forward?

Just last month, it was announced after six months of consultation that we will also merge with Oughtibridge Chapel, so they’ll be joining us from mid-October onwards. So in 14 months, OPC has grown from a congregation of 20-25 people, to over 100.

My hopes, my prayers, are that we would be a community of Christians whose lives are turned upside-down by the words of the Gospel, instinctively sharing our faith with those around us, living as a compelling and attractive community of which other people want to be a part.

Do you have any tips or advice for others who are trying to share their faith?

A little tip I got that I loved was about taking ‘the next step of boldness in sharing your faith’. I think prayerfully asking yourself what the next step of boldness looks like for you is a great way to grow in faith. And I think a lot of it is about forming friendships and relationships with others where there’s an openness to talk about big things. We need to be willing to share in the difficult times, both our own hard times and other peoples’.

Another thing I find helpful is being willing to speak of the difference being a Christian makes in our lives. It’s as Peter says: ‘Always be prepared to give a reason for the hope you have.’ That doesn’t necessarily mean having all the answers to all the questions people might throw at you, but living a different and distinctive enough life that people know that you aren’t just living for this world alone, and you’re not living for yourself: that you know you belong to God.

How can others get involved with Oughtibridge Parish Church?

If people would like to get involved, they’re welcome to just pop in on a Sunday to say hi, or get in touch through our website: www.opc.org.uk

What has been bringing you closer to Jesus recently.

The regular things I do – that I’ve done for years – are reading my Bible and praying. But recently, one way I’ve tried to be closer is just, once a month, block out a whole day where I just pray. I go somewhere where I know no-one is listening, and I pray aloud – I prefer to pray aloud – and I’ve found that really helpful for me. I have no other appointments, no other meetings, because I’m having an appointment with Someone else, and that’s more important than anything else.

Building Bridges in Oughtibridge