It goes to show that you shouldn't try to put parishes into convenient 'slots'.

The plan was to profile an 'evangelical' parish and Christ Church, Purley, was an obvious choice. But Vicar, Charles Trefusis, assured me that was only half the story - and a Sunday visit proved him right.

Let's start with a look at the parish itself. Purley is mainly 'middle-class suburbia' - tree-lined Avenues and Drives, commuters and older people who moved into the area because of easy access to the City, and stayed after retirement. But Christ Church, oldest and largest of the four Purley parishes, is in the town centre where fortunes are more mixed - many larger houses have been divided into flats, some are pretty run down, and there is a b&b with asylum seekers just a hundred yards from the church. Also near the church is Purley's declining shopping centre which terminates abruptly at the busy A23 junction, Purley Cross. With Croydon town centre a short bus-ride away, most of the shops - with the exception of a superstore at the Cross - are 'convenience' stores with a generous proportion of charity shops and fast-food restaurants.

The church is fairly typical Victorian Gothic, built in 1877, but the architect might feel a bit disorientated if he were able to pay a visit today. Around 20 years ago the focus of the worship space was turned 90o - the altar was taken out of the west-end chancel; the pews were removed from the nave and an 'amphitheatre' of comfortable chairs was created, facing a new dais and altar built in the south aisle. It makes very effective use of a traditional three aisle building and even with the original columns still in place, there's a sense of space and 'togetherness'.

Within the grounds there is a church hall, in pretty intensive use throughout the week. In recent years a lounge has been built across what was an open space between the church and the hall, which is clearly past its prime and with many small rooms and connecting corridors, the whole complex has a rabbit-warren feel.

I'd been advised that to get a balanced picture of worship at Christ Church, I'd need to be there for the three Sunday services - the 9am and 10.30 morning services and the evening 'Sunday @ Seven' - and although I only managed the first two I can understand the reason for the suggestion.

The two morning services were so contrasting, it was hard to remember it was the same church. The 9am Holy Communion, was to be truthful a bit 'staid' for even my middle of the road tastes - but it clearly suits a constituency in the parish as the numbers are growing steadily, albeit predominantly among older church members. As the service ended, the 10.30 crowd began to arrive and if the first 'shift' had arrived and now left in a reverent hush, the second congregation poured in like a river of noise, chatting, greeting, swapping diary dates, catching up with the weeks events - older people, young families, teenagers, babies in push chairs. It was well stewarded and with the numbers - over 250 people and standing room only by the time the service started - it clearly needs to be.

Contrasting with the earlier service the 10.30 worship was mostly loud and lively - with choruses led by a music group and traditional hymns accompanied by an organist and robed choir. Prayer - including specific prayer for individuals - played a big part in the proceedings. There was also plenty of enthusiastic congregation-participation. Fairly early in the service the younger generation went off to their own activities - there are more than 70-plus youngsters at church every Sunday and they divide into seven age-based groups ranging from a crèche to the 'Madhouse' for teenagers. After the service there seemed to be a reluctance to leave, as people gathered in the hall for coffee and more chatting, swapping diary dates and catching up while in the church others were gathering for prayer ministry. Yes, the worship at 10.30 was more 'evangelical' than at 9am - but on the Sunday I visited the worship had a recognisably Anglican form and structure and seems to 'scratch' where a lot of Purley parishioners 'itch'! I was told that the evening was different again - less formal and more 'free-flowing' - and while I admit that 'Vineyard' and the like aren't my style, experience of the 9am and 10.30 services suggested that whatever Christ Church does on 'Sunday @ Seven' it would be done well and I'm sorry to have missed it.

Not surprisingly Christ Church has a big team - both upfront and in the back office. There's the Vicar, Charles Trefusis; a full-time curate, John Birchall; five Readers and a SPA (and one in training); an OLM in training; a Youth Co-ordinator and a parish administrator to look after the paperwork. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. As just one example, there are more than 70 people on the rota to lead children's and young people's church, and a vast army of volunteers doing everything from photocopying to flower arranging and church cleaning.

Charles Trefusis

There's some very talented people in the pews - as evidenced by the very professional 'Christ Church Calling' Easter magazine which was distributed throughout the parish by members of the church.

And it's a very active church. There are sixteen house groups meeting; there's a developing prayer ministry; a high priority on mission and outreach, Alpha, baptism follow up, a Tuesday mums/carers and toddlers group, different uniformed organisations and a 'special link' with Christ Church Primary School. The youth ministry has been re-established currently with a part-time coordinator, Peter Pickett, an Education Welfare Officer whose wife Kathy coordinates Children's Church - they are hoping to appoint a full-time youth pastor in time. There's a RAW foyer project for homeless young people run in conjunction with Oasis Trust which has been a heavy commitment financially and every Summer there's a week-long children and youth event - Boomerang - again run with the cooperation of other Purley churches but hosted by Christ Church. There will be around 850 children and again the demand for a vast number of volunteers.

All that needs effective structures if it is to work well.

Charles Trefusis said "We have been looking carefully at a number of areas where we believe we can do better and as part of that we have reviewed our leadership structures. We have a church of great diversity with many talented people and many different activities. We need to make sure that each area of ministry makes the best use of the talents available and that each area of ministry is encouraged to grow. We are a welcoming church - but we could do better. We need to further develop our pastoral work both among our own members and in the community. There is a great sense of fellowship but it could be built on to bring more people into our church."

Since Charles arrived six years ago his emphasis has been on children's and youth work; encouraging a greater emphasis on spiritual renewal and prayer and leading the church into greater community involvement - currently they are helping the community to respond to the proposed closure of the local Sainsbury's.

"If we are to reach out and be involved in the community we must respond to its needs. Sainsbury's and the other local shops serve people without cars, especially local elderly people, and if Sainsbury's closes others will follow. How does the community respond? We believe the church has a role in that response". The pastoral development plan also includes counselling and bereavement support groups and a team of parish visitors to work in the community.

It's not a wealthy church but somehow it is able to support the church overseas to the tune of over 25% of income in recent years - around £30,000. They are now moving towards setting a fixed amount, but it's unlikely to be less than current levels. They also have a parish share of £60,000 to find every year, leaving just £30k for parish expenses.

For that reason income - from hall lettings for example - is important. But, the church hall is getting past its sell-by date and the church itself is in need of some heavy spending. The parish estimates it needs to spend over £1 million in the next ten years on the present structure. So after four years' discussion and prayer there is now a decision in principle to investigate redevelopment - and that could mean not just the hall but the whole site. "We have a vision to grow" said Charles "and to proclaim the Gospel and serve the community better. We want to build on existing church-based activities and for example, to develop the existing nursery school with other activities for youngsters. This is frankly almost impossible with the present buildings."

Just recently a group of parishioners researched twenty and visited six different churches across the country to get ideas and other people's experience as part of the investigations - they don't do anything by halves!

Impressions? Evangelical - yes, if by that you mean 'enthusiastic', 'energetic' and committed to evangelising and spiritual renewal. They've avoided the danger of becoming 'exclusive' - the contrasting Sunday services show that Christ Church tries to meet people where they are. The tag 'eclectic' could be applied - something like 75% of the congregation come from outside the parish but boundaries mean little in the suburbs.

There's an acceptance that things could be improved - both in terms of plant and organisation. A lot currently revolves around the Vicar and the Curate. On Sunday morning people almost queued to talk to them and getting a diary slot to meet proved tough. But the new leadership structures hopefully will give them more space to 'preach, pastor, lead and enable' as Charles saw his role.

There is a very tangible and visible sense of excitement about their faith and the future among both the clergy and the laity. But then as Charles Trefusis said "If you can't be excited about Jesus, you might as well pack your bags and go!"