What is the Achor Community?
“I will make the Valley of Achor a Door of Hope”
Hosea 2.15
The Achor Community are a group of committed volunteers from the King’s Church Durham congregation who form an intentional Christian community, living and serving on the Sherburn Road estate in Gilesgate.
Achor was established in the summer of 2013 with five members and two houses. There are now over ten volunteers living across five houses praying and serving alongside one another. The aim of the community is to contribute to Christian mission by being a positive social influence in the area, contributing towards community cohesion and building a flourishing community. By living on the ground in the Sherburn Road area, we are able to understand local needs better and so focus resources more effectively and provide greater continuity in our community engagement.
At the heart of Achor is intentional Christian community, focussing on the importance of doing life together and sharing God’s love in practical ways with the local community.
The Achor Community have a regular rhythm of life which includes praying together regularly, sharing a weekly meal together, and serving in the local community. Members also give a proportion of their income for the costs of the community and its activities.
Get Involved!
Built around the Achor Community are a variety of different community outreach activities in the Sherburn Road area. These are steadily developing as we identify local needs and build relationships within the community. Activities they are currently involved with include:
- Lunch Club: Thursdays, 12–1:45pm at the Laurel Avenue Community Centre. Lunch Club for elderly and isolated people in the community, run in partnership with Laurel Avenue Community Association.
- Sherburn Road Friends & Neighbours: A befriending scheme providing companionship to lonely and socially isolated elderly and housebound members of the community.
- Garden Befriending: Practical gardening support combined with befriending for lonely and socially isolated elderly and housebound members of the community.
- Women’s Breakfast: Friday mornings, (currently once per half-term). Breakfast, Bible Study and prayer for women from the estate and the wider area, mainly aimed at those with little or no experience of the Christian faith and the Bible.
- Sports and Games: Thursday afternoon, after-school group to engage kids on the estate in playing sports and exploring life and faith together.
- Festival Church: Events once or twice a term linked to seasonal celebrations (e.g. Christmas, Easter) to invite local people to hear the gospel.
Achor Prayer
The Achor Community meet together three times a week to pray. Get in touch to find out when and where we are meeting.
Cell Groups
Many members of the Achor Community are part of one of two church small groups that meet in the area, established specifically to support the growing faith of those that live there.
There are many other ways that people from the congregation can get involved in the Achor Community, including praying for us and giving financial support for some of the activities we run. Please get in touch with Leonie Klapper, the Achor Volunteer Co-Ordinator, for more details.
Join the Achor Community
We are always on the lookout for potential new members, both those who are already part of King’s Church Durham as well as those new to the area or to the church. Please contact Leonie Klapper (leonie.klapper@kcd.org.uk) to find out more about what life in Achor looks like and how you could join the community. We ask those who join the Achor Community to commit to living in the area for two or more years.