I got a good 'feeling' about The Good Shepherd, Carshalton Beeches

It has all the 'feel' of a church plant - there's a bright, shiny building, an enthusiasm among the church members and a clear intent to make the church's presence felt locally.

But the Good Shepherd isn't a church plant - the building has been there for 70-odd years, and there was a 'tin hut' for 40 years before that. So it has to be the people and the ethos. Having said that, the building itself is a good place to start this profile.

Built in 1929/30, one of the 'Twenty-five' Southwark churches, it is very distinctive, with a west end that looks like a mission chapel from a Clint Eastwood western (the architect was into Spanish architecture). Sir John Betjeman who had a strong affection for the church, described the design as 'Essoldo moderne in an Hispano-Italian style'. Built of yellow stock bricks, it was to have been finished with 'stucco' - the Spanish influence - but in the end was whitewashed! Under a bright green copper roof is an unusual 'barrel-vaulted' ceiling.

At the eastern end above the altar, there is a huge Italianate rood cross and at the west end a 'minstrel gallery' for choir and organ. To keep cost down the church was built with local labourers and volunteers and came in under budget (œ6,060). Nevertheless, the planned parsonage and Lady Chapel were abandoned, although bricked up openings in the south wall showed where the chapel should have been. Over the years the building had its share of misfortune - bombed in World War 2, damaged by a gale in 1952 and in 1967 by an arson attack. By 1985 major repairs were needed to deal with damp, crumbling brickwork, a leaking roof and cracks in the walls.

But all that just maintained the status quo. Subsequent changes to the building - and much more - are largely due to something which happened in 1987; the Good Shepherd got itself a new Vicar!

Chris Wheaton, then curate at Chelsham, was 'reluctant' when asked to look at the Good Shepherd. "My wife and I knew the church, and we had agreed 'thank God we don't worship in a place like that'," he said. For starters, Chris is an 'evangelical' and the Good Shepherd was 'liberal-catholic'. It also had a large (albeit dwindling) eclectic congregation drawn by the distinctive ministry of the Vicar of the time. It had a big staff team and Chris had no managerial experience. But in the end Bishop Wilfred talked him round.

It wasn't the easiest of beginnings. Chris waited a year before proposing any changes. Then he set out his proposals - an open, welcoming church aimed at the local community, offering them a 'bible-based faith'. It didn't go down well with everyone. Nevertheless he set out on the first stage of the plan "sorting out the gloomy unwelcoming interior". For that £111,000 was needed, which Chris said they would raise in three 'days' - a day of prayer and fasting, a day of fellowship and a day of giving! There were more than a few sceptics - especially when the day of giving raised just over a third of the target. But when the remaining £70k appeared, willed by an elderly parishioner who had died on the day of prayer, the sceptics went silent!

However the changes to a more 'popular' style angered some and the introduction of a mid-week service for toddlers appears to have been the last straw.

There was a concerted but unsuccessful attempt to persuade Bishop Wilfred to move Chris. "a good man in the wrong place". There was a stormy annual church meeting after which several of the leaders, including the parish's assistant clergy, left.

The weekly Tiny Tots service which was 'the last straw' when it began

Said Chris "It was a painful time all round. But thankfully many of the congregation were supportive, so it was much easier to rebuild than it might have been."

In 1990 the church's new leadership voted to enclose the 'dead area' under the 'minstrel's gallery' to provide a reception and coffee area and five years later launched the major project of an extension along the south side, finally completed last year, providing meeting rooms, a church office, an impressive kitchen and the lady chapel envisaged by the original architect. The cost was over £3/4 million - largely raised from among the congregation themselves.

That level of giving might suggest that Carshalton Beeches is a wealthy area - but while there is no-one in obvious need, a typical home is a three bedroom between-the-wars semi, owner-occupied by 'thirty-somethings' with a young family. There's also a council estate now mainly owner-occupied; new homes going up on the old Queen Mary's Hospital site and by contrast an enclave of expensive housing in the south. But there is no obvious centre - no public buildings, shopping centre or village green! Families move there because it is commuter country and has good local schools. They also mainly come with little or no history of churchgoing and that's where the Good Shepherd has found its niche.

Many of the congregation, including most of the current leadership, are relatively new to church having been evangelised through the baptism of their children or by being 'visited' - something in which Chris is a firm believer. "Our mission is to know Christ but also to make him known" said Chris.

So every home in the parish is called on twice a year, promoting the church's Summer or Christmas Fair but also taking the opportunity to establish contact. Many accept the invitation to 'taste and see'. When they do, two things happen.

First they are made welcome. "As so many of our people are themselves new to church, they know how daunting it can be to take that first step. So they set out to make visitors feel at ease" said Chris.

Worship is traditional and middle ground. "We don't attract people with distinct churchmanship, evangelicals or anglo-catholics, there are plenty of other churches around here to suit them," said Chris. If the Sunday I visited was typical (and apparently it was) services are a mix of informality and 'by the book', with a nice balance of 'ancient and modern' music. As a result people new to church feel 'comfortable' and are gently drawn in.

Then comes step two - involvement. "We work on a principle of belong and believe" said Chris. Within a few weeks a new person will be offered a job to do. Few refuse the invitation. As a result there's an army of people who cater, arrange flowers, administer and maintain the building - all volunteers - including a team of thirty plus who keep the church and centre spotlessly clean and open during the week. "We have no problem getting things done" said Chris "even working in the grounds on a wet Saturday!"

After that comes encouragement to growth - Alpha works well in the parish and from it has come several home groups - and with every step the new Christian's commitment and faith builds. People here are faithful and fruitful, says Chris. "They grow and mature. They see great things happening around them - the extension for example - and they are encouraged to believe that with God anything is possible!"

People are also articulate - and with a willingness to speak and lead groups. There are no Readers or SPAs but there's a huge team of home group leaders and no shortage of teachers for children, an important part of parish life. On Sunday mornings in the meeting rooms groups cater for every age from toddlers to teenagers. YOBS, the bible group for older teens, are encouraged to gain leadership experience by helping.

"The nature of the area means that we are always saying goodbye to good people - but our loss is another church's gain" said Chris.

Commitment includes giving. Personal tithing is promoted. TRIO was introduced in 1993 and has been regularly reinforced. Last year income was approaching a quarter of a million so they have no problem meeting the £50k 'quota' and have been able to give over £100k to good causes over the last four years.

They currently give £30,000 a year. Recipients include a Romanian orphanage - to which they also 'send' volunteer helpers - and an ecumenical project putting Christian workers into Sutton schools. When they appealed for the money for the extension, they tithed that too - 10% will be given away - but it will be no surprise that they've raised almost exactly 110% of the building cost!

PCC meetings have also changed. The nitty-gritty of parish management has been devolved to groups so that 'business' lasts 20 minutes and the remaining time is devoted to praying and discovering what God wants of the parish.

While at the start Chris didn't relish running a team - that's what is now happening. Working with him (full time but unpaid) is Peter Turrell, a retired civil servant ordained OLM last year. They have the support of MSE Tim Bryan a police officer currently seconded to the Home Office and two retired clergy, David Jefferson an ex-school chaplain and 88 year old (but still active) Alec Williams.

OLM Peter Turrel and the Vicar, Chris Wheaton

So are there any problems?

Peter Turrell said "It would be easy to get complacent. We need to keep 'looking outwards' to see how we can serve God and our community better." My concern was that so much of the Good Shepherd's 'success' was due to the vision of one man, Chris. Would it all fall apart if he left?

Peter admitted "Yes a lot does focus on Christopher - but when you get a good leader you play to that strength. However Christopher leads from the front and encourages others to do the same. He has built a strong church family - small enough that everyone can know each other but with a breadth of leadership and an all-member ministry which I believe will go on long after we all have left."

The Good Shepherd family photo