Month: May 2013

d-church

The multimedia fresh expression of church started in December 2011 and has grown beyond all expectations. Elaine Lindridge explains more.

d-church offers a monthly, online, 'service' in real time and its members interact with one another via Facebook, Twitter and a blog to explore spirituality and create community in a digital world.

The original idea came from lay worker Chris Stephens of the Sunderland Methodist Circuit and a team of five of us now oversee its work. Our Facebook page has been 'liked' by 320 people and this gives them regular access to the online monthly service. The largest group of people using this are in the 35-44 age range.

An example of the project's outreach comes from one of the online gatherings. During the time of prayer, 18 people contributed something to the prayer wall, 155 accessed the prayers and at least 215 saw them. On occasion the outreach extends to several hundred people at a time. The most popular post was a quote from John Wesley which was used as a blessing; it reached over 2,636 people virally. The team is particularly delighted to have made contact with several people who are on the edge of church or faith.

d-church logod-church has also become a regular 'meeting' place for some Christians for whom gathered worship is not always easily accessible. While it was always intended to be a virtual meeting, the team have now developed this project in the 'real' world with 'd-church@' gatherings.

Questions as to the meaning of the letter 'd' are frequent and our response is deliberately vague. Does it mean digital? disciple? or even ‘de’ (as in those who once were part of church but are no longer)?

However people see it, we seek to encourage an online community gathering that is a safe place to discuss life and faith. It is for those who profess faith, seek faith and who doubt faith. It's for those who love the church and those who struggle with the church. Wherever you are, you are welcome to comment on the items, make prayer requests etc. We leave the contributions online for others to look at and comment on.

We try to follow the d-church 10 commandments:

  1. do put God as number one 

  2. do remember to worship God and God alone 

  3. do blog about others in a way you would have them blog about you

  4. do treat the feelings of others with kindness (no bad language please)

  5. do walk in honesty, it's the best way to be

  6. do express your thoughts and views even if you think they may challenge the views of others

  7. do respect each other's views 

  8. do remember love is patient (especially if uploads fail)

  9. do blog your own ideas (no copying without permission and also acknowledge source)

  10. do have fun

Churches buck the trend to reach young adults

New research, released today, identifies five types of churches which are bucking the trend in reaching and discipling the ‘missing generation’ of people in their 20s and 30s.

Beth Keith, a tutor at Church Army in Sheffield, conducted the qualitative research project on behalf of Church Army and Fresh Expressions. Her report, authentic faith: fresh expressions of church amongst young adults, reflects the wide-ranging ways in which churches are tackling the fact that only 11% of regular churchgoers are between the ages of 25 and 34.

In the past 12 months, Beth has surveyed leaders of parish churches, traditional church plants and fresh expressions of church. The aim was to look at churches based in different contexts reaching young adults from a range of socio-economic and religious backgrounds – rather than simply tracking large student churches.

The five distinct types of young adults' church identified are:

  • church planting hubs;

  • youth church grown up;

  • deconstructed church;

  • church on the margins;

  • context shaped church.

Beth said,

They all have different personalities, are of different sizes, connect with different kinds of young adults and practice faith differently.

The research found that:

  • some larger churches, with young adult congregations gathering for a Sunday service alongside midweek groups, are effectively reaching middle class, well-educated young adults who previously attended church as children;

  • churches managing to reach young adults with no previous church experience – and from a broader socio-economic background – will more often see their young adults meeting around a dining table than in a church building because the getting together for a meal is very important in creating community

Beth added,

The first group of churches act as gathering points, and are highly effective in attracting, retaining and discipling Christian young adults for a vocational life of mission in the world and ministry in the church. These young adults tend to move on to family-based congregations as they grow up.

The second group exhibit very different traits and practices; these are churches where eating together is the new 'Sunday service'. For these small communities, access to communal spaces, such as cafes, large vicarages and community houses, can make a crucial difference to their growth and sustainability. Young adults attending these types of churches may struggle to make the leap to more traditional forms of church as they get older. This suggests the determining factor here is not their age or life stage and that these new forms of church will continue to grow and develop. The recognition of these small sacramental communities as church is vital, both for the sustainability of these fledgling churches and for the building up of the wider church.’

The 36-page report, authentic faith: fresh expressions of church amongst young adults is available to purchase now, both as a booklet and a downloadable PDF.

Side Door – update May13

Elaine Watkinson is on the Mission Team at Gainsborough Methodist Circuit. She was involved in the ministry of the Side Door fresh expression of church in Grimsby for 12 years and continues to volunteer there.

I was Circuit youth coordinator in Grimsby and Cleethorpes, and Side Door came about when people from the nearby Nunsthorpe estate turned up in increasing numbers to find out what was happening there.

When the children from the estate first started to come, we felt very inadequate because they brought many issues with them. Initially we tried to integrate the children into existing churches but they would do things like whistle through prayers or applaud worship songs. So instead we developed church where we were and people started to respond to it, so much so that – in 2005 – we became a recognised Methodist church in our Circuit and in 2010 became managing trustees of the building.

In 2010 the Circuit gave us a year's trial to prove that we were self-sufficient. That went well and we continued. There was a real test last year because the whole heating system broke down and our congregation of 30 members (10 of whom are at university) managed to find most of the £76,000 needed to renew the system and continue our mission on the estate and surrounding area.

It is a very difficult area and it is clear that if Side Door wasn't there, the young people wouldn't come to a traditional church at all. We believe that variety is very good for this sort of community; that's why we do a regular prayer weekend, take them to all sorts of events and also go out as a mission team. The encouragement is that we are reaching new people of all ages with the gospel, not just young people – children, young people, parents and the elderly.

The biggest question we have is, 'Where do we go from here?' We have always had to fight our corner and plead our case but the concern is that Side Door is gradually being moulded back into the framework of what already exists in the Circuit; it feels like putting new wine into old wineskins.

It's important to maintain its recognition as a church but it's difficult and finance is quite an issue. We don't have a collection, for instance, and – by the very nature of the outreach – the people we attract are not financially viable. Also we have not been established long enough to build up reserves or to have had legacies like those a traditional church might have. This is not always taken into account.

The money comes in through tithes and donations but now, because we are recognised, we have to pay our assessment and we have a very large building. There is only a limited amount of money and resources available so to continue to put yet more in is very tough. I believe the problem is that many churches have become money-driven not passion-driven about mission. They think it's all about saving money for a rainy day but it’s pouring down outside.

But it must be said that, on the whole, this work has been – and continues to be – a joy. When things get tough we need to remember that people's lives have been changed forever by the work and outreach of this small church family and it's important to celebrate that.

Quest-ion? Youth Project

Elaine Watkinson is on the Mission Team at Gainsborough Methodist Circuit and, with her caravan, is pioneering the Quest-ion? youth project.

I was Circuit youth coordinator in Grimsby and Cleethorpes and was involved in the ministry of the Side Door fresh expression of church in Grimsby for 12 years. However, I left the Grimsby Circuit because I was sure God wanted me to extend the mission, which wasn't possible within Grimsby at that time in the way he was calling me to do it.

What I wanted to do was to go out and meet the young people wherever they happened to be. That meant going to places like car parks, playing fields, bus stops – all the areas where they just 'hang around' and wait to see what happens.

Quest-ion? youth project - gatheringI and a colleague then moved to the Gainsborough Circuit. We got a caravan – we called it Gabriel – and we'd hitch it up and move it on all over the place for what became The Quest-ion? youth project. Since then we've replaced 'Gabriel' with 'Abraham' – a more modern caravan – but the work to reach those beyond the reach of inherited church remains the same. We've started to build up quite a regular community but I have no idea how that will develop, I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Quest-ion? youth project - skateboardingThe project is not officially recognised as 'church' by all the Circuit, although recognised by individuals who are mission orientated, so we are looking to make it clear that what we are doing is not 'new' or radical or strange; it's exactly what John Wesley did!

I still volunteer at Side Door and the work has been – and continues to be – a joy. When things get tough we need to remember that people's lives have been changed forever and it's important to celebrate that.