You can plant a church
An article by Bob Hyatt, written to an american audience but worth a read. Full article on www.allelon.org

All this has left me at a place where I really want to encourage those who are at the end of their rope, banging their head against the institutional wall, feeling like those they really love and want to see introduced to Christ are beyond the reach of modernistic, institutional churches.

You can do this.

It’s not rocket science.

Through my experience in church planting I have learned that there’s a hard way to do this and an easy way. The hard way involves plans and proposals, hundreds of thousands in seed money, denominational strings and a host of headaches. “Start with a bang!” they will tell you. “Mailers to every home in three zip codes!” they will advise you. A full band! Complete children’s ministry! Advertising!!!!

Don’t listen.

Start small. Raise some support, trust God for the rest and get a job at Starbucks if need be. Let your community be what it will be. Refuse to do for the people who come the ministry that they should do for themselves. Concentrate on laying a foundation of community and common core values and let your church grow organically without superimposing a grand “vision” on it.

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Changing Communities through small church

Changing Communities by Jeanne Hinton & Peter Price.

(From the cover) How can the churches in Britain and Ireland flourish in the face of rapid change, cultural variety, non-traditional spirituality, social division and secular assumptions? Many say the answer is a `new way of being church`. But what does this mean in practical terms? In Changing Communities Jeanne Hinton and Peter B. Price offer hands-on advice. Hinton and Price have worked together for over ten years as part of New Way of Being Church, a team that is involved in creating processes for change in church and society. Changing Communities combines their experience and knowledge and provides examples of vitality and growth from small Christian communities across the world.

Peter B. Price is the Anglican Bishop of Bath and Wells and has thirty years experience of ministry. Jeanne Hinton has spent many years living with and writing about different kinds of Christian community. She facilitates workshops on storytelling and community development.

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3six5 dispersed church
3six5 is a small missional group in Chessington. Born from a desire to see a balance between 'dispersed' and 'gathered' mode retored to church life, here's a bit of their story;

In 3six5 we have raised the importance of the ‘dispersed’ mode and kept our ‘gathered’ mode to a minimum.

This has freed us to spend more time with family and friends, especially with those who don’t yet know Jesus. We encourage and support each other to live out our Christian lives in our various communities and, as far as possible, to play an active part in them. To this end we tend not to put on events, but instead, if events are happening in the community we join in with them. When we first began we discovered that years of being active and busy in our traditional church settings had deskilled us and we had to learn afresh how to ‘behave’ and what to do in what we used to know as the secular society. Now we are much more comfortable and most of us have seen old friendships deepen and new ones begin. It has been very exciting, but we are aware that we have committed ourselves to a long-term missional existence in our communities.

To read the full story check out the link on the 'stories' page.

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How can the EMC and the Established church co-exist?

This question of the relationship between the existing and new continues to be critical. Here are a few thoughts from Andrew Hamilton, a church planter in Oz.

How can the EMC and the Established church co-exist?

Actually a prelim question actually relates to what we see the EMC as being. There is so much divergence on this one issue that to answer the original question might be tricky.

Anyway here are my thoughts as to how we can work together:

* Recognise we are all kicking the ball the same direction - we are actually on the same team... this is critical if we are to see any kind of synergy.

* Accept that everyone will not see the world way we do and that does not make them an 'inferior' being or someone who lacks an understanding of scripture. This cuts both ways. Emergent folk can be pretty harsh on est church people and est church people can be very dismissive of EMCers. Lets not judge each other simply because we have different opinions of scripture. Who’s to say my/your opinion is the right one?...

* There has to be more open dialogue. In a sense the EMC are those without power ie. they lack resources, numbers, identity etc. However EMC folks actually hold an incredibly powerful position in this whole scenario because they are the new 'cool' (whether they like it or not) and in our world ‘cool’ always trumps ‘established’... Unless we talk and keep good lines of communication I can see us in danger of wielding our respective powers to smack each other around a bit. That'd be very sad.

* I believe the Est church needs to seek to resource the EMC and set leaders free to experiment with new projects. This will mean $$$ and risk. But investing in the R&D folks will send a very strong message that there is some level of belief in both the project and them. In return the EMCers will need to adjust unneccessarily adversarial rhetoric, not to compromise their own beliefs, but to accept that there is a place for some of the est church.

Andrew blogs about life and church planting here.

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fueling a church planting movement
On Wednesday took part in a day with Steve Addison from Church Resource Ministries which is basically a mission organisation aimed at raising up, equipping and revitalising pionneer leaders, with the goal of seeing church planting movements initiated. They provide a range of resources, training and coaching for different settings and will work with any denomination or group. Steve, an aussie (we'll forgive him that) spent some time studying movements in church history and from that has put together a resource called 'Fueling a church planting movement'. The key factors he has identified as common to almost all these movements include:

- White hot faith
- Commitment to a cause
- Contagious relationships
- Rapid mobilisation
- Adaptive methods

He's a passionate guy and it was great stuff. I would have loved to have seen someone next to him who could report firsthand from the midst of a current CPM, it might have made it even more real and tangible. But it was good nonetheless.

It was also great to meet and connect with a number of people whose names I knew but hadn't previously met face to face. Paul Weaver, Dan Yarnell... A useful day building the vision step by step towards seeing a potential church planting movement initiated here in the UK. Come on Lord.

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Authority & Leadership in the new part 2
Here's the second post on this subject of authority & leadership in the new context. They are taken from a series of Q's & A's given to Tony Dale, a link to the full article is below.

1. How do other house churches deal with the issue of being under authority?

[Tony] This varies widely between house churches. Most that we find ourselves associated with recognize who the people were who helped them come into being. As Paul stated to the Corinthians: "For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. So I ask you to follow my example and do as I do" (1 Cor 4:15-16). Clearly Paul expected, like any parent, that his children would recognize him, not because of some office that he held, but because of the relationships that had been built.

3. Is authority that big of an issue (with denominations it certainly is)?

[Tony] Another great question. My answer would be a resounding, "No." It really is not a big issue. It is the natural outflow of relationship. If authority is not based on relationship, but on postition, then we have moved into that which Jesus forbid! See Matthew 20:24-27.

If we are to continue as an independent house church, we have considered the following:

1. We believe in multiple leadership -- having at least two leaders for each house church.

2. Setting up an advisory/accountability board. This would be a group of godly men we would be accountable to.

[Tony] I think that you are probably still thinking in rather traditional ways. Leadership in churches is always a plurality, but this is probably expressed best within a network of churches, say in a region or town. Most house churches are more like family. You know who the parents are in a family. You don't have to delegate this type of relationship. For example, in the network of home churches around here there is usually a couple or a couple of singles who will take responsibilty to help facilitate the group. But the authority here is not that of being the "leader" but rather of the parent who is helping by serving the group. Between the local network of house churches, the "leaders" or facilitators would together constitute a team leadership of the network. But even there we keep things very fluid, and encourage anyone that they are welcome to come to any of the "leadership" times that they want to come to. We also encourage input from outside from apostolic and prophetic folk (see Eph. 2:20) that we love and respect. But that does not give those people "authority over" us, but rather lets us draw on their wisdom and respond to their maturity.

Here's the full article.

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Authority & Leadership in the new
Have been coming across some great thoughts and conversations on the topic of authority and leadership in the new paradigm in contrast to the inherited models.

Firstly from Andrew Jones who I feel gives a really good handle on the new and how it functions and what happens when the older models seek to encroach on the new. Here are some quotes and a link to the full post;

Can emerging churches survive traditional top-down systems of governing?

What do you think about this? Emergent systems have a self-regulatory, mutual accountability system that enables everyone to participate and keep the system healthy. Which is why no one is insisting that someone organize and govern the internet - better to have the whole system work it out than hand it to one group, or one government.

The emergent dynamics of the new churches have a decentralized, non-hierachical leadership system that seems to work. But because it doesn't look like anyone is in charge, the older organizations sometimes insist that their old leadership forms be adopted. And then what was previously working explodes or implodes.

If it is true that we cannot mix old leadership styles with new emergent churches, then we really need a whole new way of training, evaluating, and communicating backwards so that the older churches can understand and allow the new wineskins to grow.

Here's the full post with people's response.

I think Andrew taps into a very key issue for us in the UK. And for me demonstrates a healthy way to foster positive communication and dialogue between inherited and new forms of church on this sensitive issue.

Tomorrow I shall post a recent article by Tony Dale on some of the practical outworking of this new model. If you have any thoughts from your own experience then add them as a comment.

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a church planting movement?
Mulling over my meetings in Sheffield on Wednesday; I was particularly encouraged by the shared commitment amongst all 5 people, from different circles, to the concept of multiplication and movement. There seems to be an underlying agreement that to see the task of 'discipling our nation' fulfilled there is going to have to be a releasing of the church, a freeing of the people, an empowering, a permission giving which allows the church to flow outwards freely rather than constantly ring-fencing it, the consequence of which would be self reproducing churches. Church planting in itself is not going to accomplish this. I think we're all agreed on that. It is a church planting movement which is needed. The question is whether or not this can be initiated within some of the existing denominational structures and whether or not this is at all feasible in our culture even outside the denominational structures.

As always when you start asking questions it produces more questions than answers!

posted by alexander @ 10:22 AM    2 comments

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YOU’RE IN, OR YOU’RE OUT
Rick Cruse, March 2005

One grey, rainy morning, a sick and crippled woman found a treasure. Actually, the treasure found her, but that’s another story. Holding the treasure closely, she felt new strength coursing through her broken body. She was not fully healed, but that no longer mattered. Now, in some inexplicable way, she had hope. Walking home, she understood that the hope which the treasure had given was not for her alone. You see, she lived in a land where all were crippled or broken in some way. So, with great excitement, she began to share the treasure with her friends and family. Despite the visible changes in the old woman’s life, some scoffed at the idea of the treasure. But others came to see it; many found new strength and new hope. Soon, a good-sized group had centred their lives on the treasure and on bringing others to it. Great was their joy and wonder as their lives were being changed!

After many months, one small group of the treasure-finders realized that some used very different language when they spoke about the treasure. Then, they realized that others acted differently, too differently, when in the presence of the treasure. A few even began to dress differently. The small group’s concern over these differences quickly turned to anxiety when they discovered that some treasure-finders were even spending time with those who scoffed at the treasure. Their anxiety turned to action.

Early the very next day, when some treasure seekers and treasure finders arrived, they discovered a gated fence around the treasure. Hanging above the gate was a sign listing rules and regulations regarding those who came to see the treasure: what they should say, what they should do, what they should wear, with whom they could spend time. At the bottom of the sign was written in bold letters: “Treasure inside; all are welcome.”

As they passed through the gate, they started talking with the fence builders, sign painters and self-appointed gate keepers. Some disagreed with the sign; others did not understand it. Eventually, a great fuss arose and the fence builders, sign painters, and gate keepers drove away any who disagreed, even the old lady who had first found the treasure.

Those who were pushed out stood some distance outside the fence, gazing on the treasure. This bothered the fence builders, sign painters and gate keepers. Only those who believed, spoke, and acted as they did should be able to see the treasure. So, they built a high wall, creating a veritable fortress, cutting off everyone else’s view of the treasure. The sign, however, remained very visible: “Treasure inside; all are welcome.”

Many months later, there was a knock at the gate. At first no one heard it, because they all were in an important meeting. A suggestion had been made to paint the wall to make it more attractive. Someone else had recommended putting a spotlight on the sign to make it more visible in the darkness. A very lively, and sometimes heated, debate had followed. Eventually someone heard the persistent knocking, went to the gate, and pulled it open just enough to hear this request: “I have come from a far place seeking the treasure. May I come in and look at it?” “Wait outside,” came the reply. The treasure seeker waited and waited and waited. Eventually, someone appeared and said, “Sorry, we can’t seem to find it right now. Come back later, after our important meeting.”

One grey, rainy morning, a poor, broken man found a treasure. Actually, the treasure found him, but that’s another story….

(rickcruse@oci.org)

By  Rick Cruse, at 9:41 AM  

Thanks Rick, that's got to be one of the longest comments I've ever had! Thank God He went 'outside the walls' in order to find us. Long may the walls & fences be destroyed.

By  alexander, at 11:49 AM  

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day trip to Sheffield
Long but very profitable day yesterday up in Sheffield meeting with several key people.

First up was Steve Timmis of the Crowded House, an interdependant network of several household churches. I'm hoping that Steve or one of his colleagues will write a full summary of their story which I can post up here in due course.

In the meantime: they began in 1996 with an intentional gospel/mission focus to pionneer home based congregations, seeing these as the most effective way of reaching their community. This has now grown into a network of 5 household churches (one of which is presently 40 people, and is therefore due to reproduce!) plus a number of other church plants including a larger congregation which meets in a church building on Sundays (Steve was approached 18 months ago by a dwindling congregation of 15 to rebuild it. It has since grown to around 90 and the aim is to transition it gradually towards household congregations), also a number of couples and teams have been trained and sent to other parts of Sheffield, France and Africa.

With help from the Crowded House (TCH) other similar works have been started in Loughborough and Liverpool and Steve seems to be spending increasing time teaching & training further afield. At the heart of their ethos lies the Gospel and people are left in no doubt about this from the outset when they join TCH. Core to this is intentional discipling which happens in the context of the community. There are no passengers in this set up, so there has to be a strong level of buy in to the Gospel vision. The age profile tends to be below 30, they work in an area full of students, and the majority would be previously unchurched. Some arrive having become disillusioned with 'big' church and others are 'sent' from existing churches because they share the missional vision. Their strapline is

"Mission through community and community through mission."

They see both these elements as fundamental to what they are doing. They have a strong commitment to training and releasing leaders who will plant more churches and long term their vision is to see a church planting movement established. I could write much more but in the meantime you can visit their web site HERE: www.thecrowdedhouse.org

Next I dropped in to the Church Army's Sheffield centre to see George Lings one of the key members of the working group responsible for the Church of England's Mission-shaped Church report. George and his team carry out research and publish a quarterly magazine entitled Encounters on the edge. We were also joined by Steve Hollinghurst, who is responsible for researching evangelism to our post-christian culture.

We had a wide and far reaching conversation and they helped paint some more of the bigger picture for me in terms of what is currently happening in this period of reshaping. One thing that is becoming clearer though as I speak with more people on a national level is that infact no one really seems to know fully what IS happening on the ground! Not so helpful in one sense but does show the crucial need for this research project!

I came away with some excellent contacts and leads to follow up. Again I could write much more about what we discussed but will leave some of those thoughts for later.

Final meeting was with Bob & Mary Hopkins who, based at the St Thomas's, Philadelphia campus head up the Anglican Church Planting Initiative. This began life back in the 80's I think, as an informal network of Anglicans interested in church planting which included George Carey. Once he became Archbishop the network not surprisingly became more visible and influential. Bob was able to give me some good understanding of what happened during the decade of evangelism and Challenge 2000 as they were part of the founding group who were behind this. They are also closely involved with a regional church planting strategy in Lincolnshire called "The Humber to the Wash" which has significant implications for the rest of the nation. Again we had lots of wide ranging conversation and I came away with some more great leads to follow up.

All in all it was an inspiring and extrememly encouraging day, full of thoughts and issues which will take some time to chew on.

posted by alexander @ 5:27 AM    0 comments

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House Churches to the rescue! Ralph Winter


Interesting reflections on small/home church from Ralph D. Winter in his editorial from Mission Frontiers. Here are some snippets:

"Actually, the trend to house churches is a phenomenon which runs counter to the long and slow drift of American churches away from extended families. The American church today is strikingly more and more a place for family fragments, and even seeks to replace natural families!
The New Testament “church” was a worshipping household like that of Cornelius, Lydia, or Crispus, and was called an eklesia, a word that does not mean what we understand “church” to mean.

What happened to us (slowly)?
Modern age-stratifi ed, highly specialized society has become Satan’s Weapon of Mass Destruction of the family—precisely where worship and accountability are supposed to be primary! The church has mindlessly followed the world’s pattern: a family driving up to a church door is instantly chopped into pieces.

Unfortunately, many congregations today have the idea that getting people into small groups is all that is necessary. However, extended families can be small groups, but small groups cannot readily become extended families.

But it is clearly better – as well as more important – to make every real family a small group than to try to make small groups into artificial families.

Yes, House Churches to the Rescue!
All over the world it is gradually becoming clear that you can build a big church out of small groups, but big churches without families remaining intact aren’t worth much.

The house church phenomenon could be revolutionary. It just may be that the most valuable gift missions can give back to the American church is a renewed sense of the family as God intended it to be.

To read full article and other interesting articles on home/house church go here.

posted by alexander @ 10:07 AM    0 comments

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2nd Report from DAWN conference
Well it's now time to catch up with how the research is going. I have a lot to post onto the site over the next week or so. Let's rewind to the DAWN Europe conference last month. Here's another report from their web site which is worth looking at.

DAWN in Western Europe is not only alive and well, it is changing a lot: a younger team, representing different giftings and areas, is trying to motivate towards a Saturation Church Planting process in every country.

"At this year`s DEN conference in (historic) Hotel CREDO in Wilderswil, Switzerland, about 35 leaders and strategists from 22 countries gathered to discuss systematic church planting processes for their nations and regions and to learn together and from each other. Besides much prayer and work, there was much time of fun as well - for example for a 5 km downhill sledge ride on a georgeous winter day in the alps; many of the participants had not used a sledge for years or even in their lives...

Writes Alexander Campbell, Simple Church coordinator from Bath /GB: "It was probably the most enjoyable, useful and inspiring conference I have ever been a part of. And I have been to a few. It was a real priveledge to be with and hear from such a group of servant-hearted men and women who are all passionate to see the nations discipled without losing sight of the call to live out their faith in their own homes and families and communities"







The DAWN International Network leadership team, from left:

Reinhold Scharnowski (European director)
Ngwiza Mkandla (CEO / president)
Berna Salcedo (International Ministry coordinator)
Ted Olsen (Unreached People groups / communication)
Amaury Braga (Prayer coordinator)
Danie Vermeulen (Africa Director)
Mike Steele (North America Director)
Missing: Jun Vencer (Asia Director)

Strategic Church planting is on the rise again, although in many different forms. The fact that most people in European nations are without any contact to a church, as well as the increasing number of "post-churchers" and a emerging postmodern generation calls for manifold, creative and non-religious expressions of church. The DAWN European network is committed to researching and encouraging such forms as well as helping the whole body of Christ to look at the great task of expressing God`s grace in our societies."

To read more go here.

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feedburner & bloglines subscribers
I am still working on ironing out all the little bugs and broken links etc that have occurred as a result of having to move the site to new servers twice in the last week. Particular apologies to those subscribed via either Bloglines or Feedburner, I think I have resolved the Bloglines issue but Feedburner still seems to be pulling down an old xml feed. I have updated it and tried to ping feedburner to speed things up but so far it doesn't seem to have updated. I will leave it for a few hours and see if it makes it through then play some more if nothing has changed.

Thanks again for your patience.

For those who don't have a clue what I'm on about, don't worry, just humour me!

Update Sunday 6th morning. Finally got so frustrated with feedburner that I have pulled it. The support forum answers were not really helping and it was eating time up, so apologies those who were using that feed service. There's still and atom/xml feed that you can pick up.

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When this post appears...
...that should finally signify the site has been moved to the new server and the end of all the hassle at my end will be over!

Update Friday 4pm: Hurrah! It's here at last. I will now be able to begin posting again onto this page.

Thanks to those who have recently added a pin to the guest map and also those who have subscribed for updates.

Right now I can finally get back to some real work!

3pm. Update. Yay, looks as though the changes have now filtered through to Feedburner too, though when you hit their Bloglines subscribe button it is still throwing up an old url. In the meantime if you want to subscribe via Bloglines use the button on the website below the Feedburner one.

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