November 2015 - Page 2 of 3

The Living Room and Franky’s Pizza – Nov15

Tina Powsey reflects on how The Living Room and Franky's Pizza are developing in Southport.

Summer 2015 was great for the work of fresh expressions in this area and God has really opened some doors for us to have even more impact in 2016. A strong, prayerful foundation has been laid in Southport and we are beginning to watch seeds grow.

We also had a special visitor who travelled a long way to take part in our ministry here. James Ravenscroft, a minister with the United Church of Canada, started a sabbatical at the end of August and spent a month in the UK exploring different fresh expressions. He contacted us to say he loved what we were doing and asked if he could come to pitch in where he could and learn about what has worked (and not).

I wondered how he had heard about us in the first place and he said he had read our story on the Fresh Expressions website!

James helped us with our relaunch of Franky's Pizza at St Francis, on the Kew estate. It now opens on the first and third Friday of the month from 4 to 6pm. Previously, even with the promotion we received on BBC Radio Merseyside's Sunday morning Daybreak programme, we weren't getting people through the doors. Changing the opening times will now help us to reach out to young families on the estate and invite them to join us for an early Friday night meal together.

We hand delivered Franky's Pizza leaflets to 340 homes; James knocked on doors and a number of conversations took place which demonstrated great interest in Franky's. As a result of one of those conversations, a woman joined us with her young granddaughter from the local school and they had a wonderful time. They promised to come again and bring some friends along too.

The vision for Franky's is to create sustainable relationships on the Kew Estate that will develop into living relationships with Jesus Christ. I recognise the 'belonging before belief' mentality and that's exactly what we hope to achieve at Franky's Pizza – fun, food, conversation and God at the centre of it all.

The Living Room, the community which has developed from the ministry of a soup kitchen, has seen great developments too. We had been praying for an expansion of our volunteer team and Elizabeth, our most recent recruit, will now be serving with us twice a month. Hoping to grow this ministry ecumenically, Elizabeth joins us from St Patrick's Catholic Church on Marshside Road and heard about The Living Room when I spoke at a joint churches' prayer meeting. We are still seeing a steady attendance and I've been having progressive conversations with one of our guests who is now seeking baptism. We've got such a strong sense of community there; it's an absolute honour to bring God's Word to them in a way that's accessible so that they can know what Jesus meant when he talked about having life in abundance – and that knowledge makes such a difference to people. I see that displayed in various ways; sometimes their countenance changes, they walk a little taller, display more confidence, welcome in the stranger and have concern for each other.

You really can 'come as you are' at The Living Room and that means we have some very practical solutions to issues in their context! A lot of The Living Room regulars like to smoke so, at 12.20, I call 'last orders for cigarettes' to give them warning that it's ten minutes before our reflection time together. They can then nip outside and have a cigarette before we get underway.

The reflection time has now been extended to half an hour, from 12.30-1pm; we all choose the worship songs together and one of our regulars always insists that we say the grace together. We often start with a question and then see what the Bible has to say about it. For instance, we asked them how they feel God sees them; the answers ranged from 'someone who had messed up an awful lot' to 'a child of God' and 'someone not worth looking at'. I look forward to seeing them every week because you never quite know what's going to happen there.

In another development, we have partnered with the Street Pastors and had a 'business card' made that they can distribute to people – if they feel it's appropriate – when they're out on their rounds. The Street Pastors work on a monthly rota so there was a concern that you might see someone and have a chat with them but it would then be another four weeks before you had the chance to engage with them again. The cards just give very brief details of The Living Room, including the opening times, so there is always an opportunity for people to connect with others.

We also celebrated our second annual SonFest Christian music festival at Southport's Town Hall Gardens. Alongside the five live bands performing a blend of Christian music throughout the day, Messy Ministries was on hand with edible crafts and teaching for the younger visitors. More than 100 children took part in the activities, each hearing the good news of the gospel through a sheep cupcake and a string cheese shepherd!

A number of 'community tables' were set up in the gardens to provide information on a wide range of Christian organisations, including Christians Against Poverty and the Southport Bible Society Action Group. Southport Christian Book Centre donated 200 New Testaments and more than 50 of them were distributed at SonFest.

I'm already in the planning stages for next year's festival as I'm very excited about future-proofing the event. I'm delighted to have secured partnerships and relationships during the last two years with businesses and individuals who are deeply committed to the event's ministry and growth. Our main sponsor, Fill The Gap, shares the vision for reaching hearts through music and is committed to stand behind me each year and grow this work. I'm so very thankful for the missional network that's already been created; it is beginning to pay dividends and I'm keen to explore collaborative, inter-denominational ways forward for 2016 and beyond. I am now in the third year of a three year post and it's so exciting to know that God can work through what we do to bring people into a life of freedom with him that they wouldn't find normally. I am fortunate that we always have a fresh expressions update at every Circuit meeting and it's good to have the space to report back and get support and encouragement.

That sort of encouragement is also leading to something new later this year. A new Costa Coffee recently opened in the centre of town and, in December, we'll be launching Reflection Lounge @ Costa there. This will give an opportunity for Christians and non-Christians to meet and socialise as part of a social action project to help revive our community.

Margins and mainstream

Over 200 people gathered in Southwark Cathedral on Saturday for the first annual National Anglican Fresh Expressions Conference. They were greeted by the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Revd Christopher Chessun and the day was a joint venture between Fresh Expressions and the Diocese of Southwark.

Keynote addresses and a selection of seminars made up the day and the three main addresses are available below.

Session 1: moving from margins to mainstream (Dave Male)

Session 2: prophetic pioneering (Karen Ward)

Session 3: mainstream, whirlpools and watefalls (Paul Bayes)

Steve Harris, Communications Officer for the Diocese of Southwark, said of the day:

Nearly 200 people gathered in Southwark Cathedral for Margins to Mainstream – the 2015 Anglican Fresh Expressions Conference – on Saturday 21st November.

They had come from as far afield as Switzerland to hear inspiring speakers talk about their experiences of working with and in fresh expressions of church and to take part in seminars covering all dimensions of the fresh expressions experience.

The meeting opened with worship and welcomes from the Archbishop of Canterbury who spoke to the conference by video. They were also welcomed, in person, by the Bishop of Southwark – the Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, the Southwark Diocesan Missioner – the Revd Canon Dr Stephen Hance and Revd Canon Phil Potter – Archbishops' Missioner and Fresh Expressions Team Leader.

The first keynote speaker was Revd Dave Male, the Church of England's National Adviser for Pioneer Development, who spoke on the subject of 'Moving from Margins to Mainstream'.

After coffee, which also offered people the chance to visit the marketplace, the next keynote speaker was the Revd Canon Karen Ward. Karen had come over from the USA to speak about Prophetic Pioneering. She is the Vicar of St Andrew and All Souls Episcopal Church, Portland, Oregon, a 'new parish' mission of the Diocese of Oregon, which founded a new church (Portland Abbey) within an old and failing parish congregation.

Lunch brought an opportunity to sample the delights of Borough Market which is next to Southwark Cathedral. Following this it was time to break into groups for the seminars before joining together again at the local church of St George the Martyr, Southwark ('The Borough Church') for the final keynote speech from Bishop Paul Bayes on Mainstreams, Whirlpools and Waterfalls.

Southport vision event

Speakers

Graham Horsley.

Cost

Free, including refreshments, please bring your own lunch.

Programme

Sessions 1-3 feature interactive learning with presentations, interviews, stories, activities and questions.

10.00 Registration and refreshments

10.30 Welcomes and worship

10.45 Session 1:

What is happening and why it is important: How fresh expressions of church are changing the landscape.

11.50 Break

12.05 Session 2

Values and how fresh expressions of church are developing and can develop in your context.

13.00 Lunch

13.45 Local story feature

14.00 Seminars

Choose from a selection of seminars and workshops.

15.15 Session 3

Where next?

16.00 End

Book or contact

For more information or to book:

Tina Powsey

southportfreshexpressions@gmail.com

Discipleship and Mission Workshop

A workshop on missional discipleship run jointly by St George's Church in Deal town centre, a church whose vision is to release communities of disciples on mission and 3dm Europe, an organisation which serves and resources Christian leaders who will call, invest in and release disciples to live out the good news of Jesus.

This is an opportunity to hear some of the principles, learning and stories from those who have been discovering ways to put discipleship and mission back in the hands of ordinary people. The day will include worship, small group discussions, time for questions and prayer.

Who's it for?

This workshop is designed for church leaders and teams, those exploring fresh expressions of church, and those with an interest in growing a discipling culture at the heart of the church.

Cost

£15, including lunch and refreshments.

Further details

For more information or to reserve places, contact Shiela Porter on shiela.porter@stgdeal.org or visit the EventBrite booking page.

Supporting ‘the quiet revolution’

Dave Male shares some of the issues he has come across in his new role supporting pioneers across the country.

It is very exciting that the Church of England has created this new role of National Advisor for Pioneer Development, based in Ministry Division. This illustrates how far fresh expressions and pioneering has developed over the last ten years. I planted the Net Church in Huddersfield in 1999, with a small team. Back then there was not even an agreed vocabulary for what we were doing let alone much support or any sign of a national organisation. It has been incredible how far things have come in a short time. But my appointment was also made because there is a wide recognition across the denominations that there is still much to be done in enabling pioneers and pioneers to fully infuse the life of the Church.

My appointment in that role earlier this year has already provided me with some food for thought:

We need pioneers

The good news is I have found very little dissension about this at a national level across the denominations and it is exciting and encouraging for me to be part of a Ministry Division which is seeking 'to reshape, re-energise and reimagine ministry, a ministry shaped by mission'. I hear lots of talk about the possibilities of innovative, creative and flexible ministries. If we want to connect every community in Britain with Jesus; pioneers and pioneering are going to be vital to the future of the Church in Britain.

But what do we mean by pioneer?

Now this is where it gets trickier. I often hear people saying at regional and local church level, 'Well of course we are all pioneers', or 'are pioneers not simply old-style evangelists?' The danger is we all use the same word but invest it with a myriad of meanings. Ultimately this ends up divesting the word of its integrity.

I would agree that pioneers come in many styles and shapes. But I want to argue pioneers have a distinct vocation and gifting which is the main focus of their ministry. Pioneers have the abilities to work primarily with those outside the church to form new ecclesial communities with these people. Often this is done in places where the Church has minimal presence. So therefore we have to enable and allow them to do what they do best. The Church of England's 2005 Guidelines for Ordained Pioneer Ministers states, 'It is important that they are not pressed into becoming ministers of existing churches but are deployed in pioneering contexts'.

We need to let pioneers 'pioneer'

There are good pioneers who want to pioneer from an established church but many pioneers want to work in, and from, the margins without all the encumbrance of running a traditional church. This is not a bad thing or 'pampering to their arrogance', but a recognition of their distinct vocation. We have to find ways to enable this to happen across the denominations; giving them effective and flexible support, networks and accountability which means they are both free but also rooted. We need to find creative ways of resourcing such posts. But many of these pioneers will to need to understand that their freedom to pioneer will mean they will have to find and develop their own financial resources as part of their pioneering practice.

We need thousands more pioneers

We have started but we are not finished. We need not just hundreds but thousands more pioneers. I would love to see 5,000-10,000 recognised pioneers in the Church of England by 2025 taking the gospel everywhere and letting the good news do its work of forming new contextual communities around Jesus. I know other denominations are forming plans to grow the number of pioneers. Most of these pioneers will be lay people, pioneering in their 'spare time' and we need to create flexible and supportive ways to help them develop their pioneer vocation. There is a quiet revolution happening in churches up and down the country which involves lay people saying, 'There must be another way to do this'. We have to find ways to catalyse this huge energy which is already transforming churches and communities. We have to support the quiet revolution.

Sorted – Nov15

First steps in fresh expressions

How to start out in setting up a fresh expression ministry.

It's simpler than you might think.

A day organised by the New Wine North Leadership Network to explore how to start a fresh expression of church. Come to hear stories and lessons learnt from those in the midst of planting and developing fresh expressions of church.

The day will involve presentations on how to set up a ministry, group discussions and opportunities to share ideas, as well as the chance to ask questions to those leading the sessions.

Sessions will be run by Mark Carey, Linda Maslen, Harry Gwinnett, Brunel James, Cath Binns and Angus MacGregor.

The Revd Linda Maslen says,

The event is to encourage others into stepping out beyond the current constructs of the church – to look for what God is already doing in the community around them and to make one small step to join in with God.

This often seems to be the start of God using His people to initiate something different with people who don't know Him yet.

During the day, stories will be told about fresh expressions of church and fresh expression leaders will teach others how to build one of these ministries and will encourage people to get involved.

Everyone welcome.

Cost

Free but donations welcome, a light lunch will be provided.

Further details

For more information please contact Linda Maslen on linda_maslen@hotmail.com.

Romsey rural vision event

Speakers

Phil Bromiley, Tim Sledge.

Cost

Free, please bring your own lunch.

Programme

Sessions 1-3 feature interactive learning with presentations, interviews, stories, activities and questions.

09.45 Registration and refreshments

10.00 Welcomes and worship

10.15 Session 1:

What is happening and why it is important: How fresh expressions of church are changing the landscape.

11.35 Break

11.50 Session 2

Values and how fresh expressions of church are developing and can develop in your context.

13.00 Lunch

13.45 Local story feature

14.00 Seminars

Choose from a selection of seminars and workshops.

15.15 Session 3

Where next?

16.00 End

Book or contact

For more information or to book:

braishfieldbenefice@gmail.com

Church:Space Project Director

Tollington Parish is a lively Anglican church in Islington. They are setting up an innovative social enterprise to manage their three church sites and hire out the spaces within these to the community. The project will serve the local community and generate income and missional opportunities for the Parish. Their ambition is to expand the project to offer the service to other churches in north London.

They are looking for a Project Director to set up this project, get it running and make a success of it – providing a service which is professional, missional and enterprising. If the Project can achieve financial sustainability within the first 12-18 months their intention is to extend the Project and possibly to expand its services to other churches. The Project Director will manage a small team of staff and volunteers, be accountable to a Project Board and will work collaboratively with them to achieve these outcomes.

The ideal candidate for this role will:

have practical experience of managing properties;

be enterprising and able to market and sell, including through social media;

have a passion for good customer service and high quality service delivery;

be a confident, organised and experienced manager of people and budgets;

share their vision for local churches growing and serving their communities.

This is full-time post, with a salary of £27,000-30,000.

Launch of first ever Centre For Pioneer Mission

In a joint initiative between CMS and Chelmsford Diocese, the Bishop of Chelmsford, Stephen Cottrell, has launched the first ever local Centre for Pioneer Mission at a special commissioning service in Romford.

The St Cedd Centre for Pioneer Mission, which takes its name from St Cedd, a 7th century missionary to the East Saxon people, will act as a focal point for locally based mission pioneers and entrepreneurs seeking to reach out into their local communities.

The Centre will be based at The Church of the Good Shepherd, Collier Row as an overflow of the local mission taking place there. The vision for it has emerged from Chelmsford Diocesan Synod’s decision that every Mission and Ministry Unit should have at least one fresh expression of church.

In a service also attended by the Bishops of Barking and Bradwell, Bishop Stephen commissioned the Rev Vernon Ross, the Rev Canon David Hague, David Harrigan, Julie Clay and the Rev Canon Martin Wood alongside the Rev Johnny Sertin and Debbie James from CMS, to implement this new initiative.

Bishop Stephen said that there was a need to shift more resources towards mission pioneers whose focus was 'the world as it could be' rather than 'the church as it is'. The Centre aims to provide an environment that identifies, equips and supports Christians across the Chelmsford Diocese to serve as pioneer missionaries.

Celebrating the launch of the new centre are (left to right):

Debbie James, CMS Director of Church and Community Mission;

Rt Rev John Wraw, Area Bishop of Bradwell (hidden);

Rev Vernon Ross, Mission and Ministry Adviser for Barking area;

Rev David Hague, vicar of the Church of the Good Shepherd and Area Dean of Havering;

Rt Rev Peter Hill, Area Bishop of Barking;

Rt Rev Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford;

Julie Clay, St Cedd Centre coordinator and integration leader for the Church of the Good Shepherd;

Rev Canon Martin Wood, Mission and Ministry Adviser for Bradwell area;

Rev Johnny Sertin, CMS Pioneering Mission Adviser;

David Harrigan, resident pioneer at the Church of the Good Shepherd and currently on the CMS Pioneer Mission Leadership Training course preparing for ordination.