1
Sheffield Diocesan Development Day
Church Growth, Church Planting and Resource Churches Ric Thorpe, Bishop of Islington 2
The Church of England’s attendance represents 1.6% of the general population – and an enormous missionary challenge
1.6% 3
Preface from the Declaration of Assent
The Church of England is part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, worshipping the one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It professes the faith uniquely revealed in the Holy Scriptures and set forth in the catholic Theology creeds, which faith the Church is called upon to proclaim afresh in each generation. Led by the Holy Spirit, it has borne witness to Christian truth in its historic formularies, the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, The Book of Common Prayer and the Ordering of Bishops, Priests and Deacons. 4
Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the Theology very end of the age.’
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ 5
History
St Augustine St Cuthbert 1st Bishop of Islington 6
Church planting • New churches reach more people and revitalisation • New churches reach new people are key ways of • New churches release new leaders growing the church and NB This needs to happen alongside the transforming development of the growth of existing society churches, through evangelism, discipleship and social engagement. There are many types of church plants – all are needed 7 Parish St A Reopening closed building Refreshing with new leadership
Multiple congregations Further Missional Any church can be plants Community
a church-planting Work place gatherings church Church on estates
New development Community space areas meetings
Planting into Into a café a school
Into another church building 8
Nags Head Church
“Café church” Team of 6 Planted from Hope Church Islington Focussed on a community using a shopping centre 9
Kings Cross Church
A “network church” Team of 30 Planted from St Mary’s Bryanston Square Meets in a school 10
Grace Church Highlands
Church in a school Team of 30 Planted from Christchurch Cockfosters • Uses a BMO Meets in a school 11
St Luke’s Millwall
Revitalisation Team of 25 Grafted with original church of 15 Planted from St Paul’s Shadwell Meets in a community centre 12
Gurnell Grove Estate
A “missional community” Team of 7 Planted from St Paul’s Ealing Focussed on an estate There are many types of church plants – all are needed 13 Parish St A Reopening closed building Refreshing with new leadership
Multiple congregations Further Missional Any church can be plants Community
a church-planting Work place gatherings church Church on estates
New development Community space areas meetings
Planting into Into a café a school
Into another church building There are many types of church plants – all are needed 14
Parish St A Parish St B
Multiple congregations If it has sufficient Reopening closed buildings Refreshing with capacity, a church Further Missional new leadership plants Community could also plant into Work place gatherings another parish Church on estates
Into another parish
New development Community space areas meetings
Planting into Into a café a school
Into another church building 15 Church City Centre Church
Encouraged by Plants the bishop, Suburbs church planting – Inner City both revitalising City Centre and starting new churches – grows the church all over the place 16
Parish churches are called to reach their parishes. Some churches are called to look beyond their own parishes. They are called to plant or revitalise other Resource churches. churches And they are called to do this again and again and again. They have come to be called “Resource Churches”. 17
A resource church is invited by the bishop to: send a leader (a “planting curate”) with a strong team of lay members The vocation of and seed funding of the resource church is to plant to revitalise a struggling parish, or plant a new and revitalise church in an area of need churches and to do this again and again. Resource Churches – Oct 2018 18
St George’s Gateshead 35 started
St Paul, The Belfrey, York Yet to plant Ireland Wood St George Leeds St Philip, Salford Holy Trinity Warrington St Swithin’s Lincoln St Helens 22 St Margaret Nottingham St Werburgh, Derby Trinity Nottingham Has Holy Trinity Leicester St Thomas, planted Norwich St Luke, Gas St Market Harborough St Mark, Coventry
12 Greyfriars, St Nicholas Bristol Reading London*
Highfield Church St John, Crawley St Mary Southampton St Peter’s Brighton Harbour Church St Swithun’s Portsmouth Bournemouth St Matthias Plymouth Diocesan commitment to create a resource church 19
All Saints, Newcastle Commitment to Washington, Sunderland create Stockton-upon-Tees
Bradford Preston Minster Leeds* Wath, Barnsley St Mary Wheatley, Doncaster Rotherham 28 Mansfiel St Mary Nottingham d
St Luke’s Thurnby, Leicester West Midlands† St John Clarendon Park, Leicester Ipswich
Swindon Londo Southen n d Holy Trinity Clapham
Portsmouth St Budeaux, Plymouth
St Andrew, Plymouth 20
Just about to appoint 15 new resource churches To revitalise struggling churches in areas needing support Range of traditions London Diocese Options offered: Grow intentionally Plant inside the parish Become a resource church Be revitalised 21
Hopes Embodying values Church growth Audacity Generosity Church planting Humility Unity Resource Tenacity churches Fears Calling – what is your church’s vocation? 22
What is God calling you to do?
Response… What is God calling you to affirm?
What is God calling you to pray for?