Author: ben-clymo

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.

Shaping vicars: a ‘game of unreality’ (Tim Thornton)

Tim Thornton discusses how we shape vicars.

Anglicans live – and always have lived – with compromise and blurring of boundaries. There is definitely a theological conversation to be had about the place of compromise within the church and the world, especially at a time when individualism is rampant and each person appears to be the centre of their own universe, a place where rights rule and there is little or no talk of responsibilities.

There is no obvious way to mark the 'before' and 'after' of such prevalent ideas or trace where such ways of thinking come from – though it is often the case that several people in varying contexts come up with something very similar almost simultaneously.

But I think we have now reached a demarcation line. We have come to the end of an era – an era when we held a common understanding of the role and nature of the professional clergyperson. For the past century or so, there has been an implicit and tacit agreement that we have understood the nature and role of the profession we call 'clergy' and that the priorities and dominant characteristics were accepted by most people.

So it is that whether training to be stipendiary or self-supporting in the Church of England, in reality we have been shaping vicars. That is what we have understood ourselves to be doing and what the world, in turn, understands and expects us to provide.

But, in what is a long overdue move, I believe it's essential for us to deconstruct the understanding or definition of a vicar. Instead we need to reconstruct and permit new models of being deacons and priests so that they can be made 'real' and gain acceptance in the wider church and world.

At present we all participate in a game of unreality. We go through a process of discernment of vocation which is for the order of deacon and priest but, in fact, everyone really knows we are trying to find people who can be leaders of our churches. We are looking for vicars. If that is not the case then we ought to be honest and say so and challenge the perceptions of those in our churches for whom it does seem to be the case.

The confusion is now even greater than this due to the fact that many dioceses are struggling to create and allow new ways of leading churches and ministering to fresh expressions of church – as well as to inherited models of church. Yet there is no clarity about models of ministry so that theological institutions are left in a dilemma about what they should be doing and how they can best shape and form people for the ministry that lies ahead.

The Anchor – update Apr13

Hayley Matthews, chaplain for MediaCityUK at Salford Quays, has been appointed Rector of Holy Innocents, Fallowfield. She tells of how things have developed during her three years as coordinator of The Anchor, the chaplaincy's on site base.

I'm very much looking forward to serving at Holy Innocents but there's no doubt it will be very different to what I've become accustomed to at MediaCityUK.

At the moment it is unclear as to whether The Anchor will continue in the same way or if it will be time for something new there. I have been very fortunate in starting to form community in this place and I will take with me many happy memories of the people of Salford; the parishioners at St Clement's Church, Ordsall; my small army of volunteers; staff at the Holiday Inn who helped with many a gathering at the hotel; and the countless people I got to know at the BBC North – particularly those at Radio Manchester, Religion and Ethics, and Outreach who I worked very closely with.

The Anchor - lunchA true sense of community has developed around our regular Big Business Breakfasts as people got together to support and encourage each other. We also saw the building up of our community gospel choir and the impact of our Church Urban Fund volunteer programme, which enabled people to gain qualifications, work experience – and most of all confidence to know that MediaCityUK was a place for them, too.

I would have loved a fresh expression of church to develop on site but the role was specifically missional as opposed to proselytising, with the aim of encouraging people into their own local faith communities rather than drawing them away. This has taught me to be more creative about sharing my faith in a way that is hopefully more 'parabolic' i.e. giving food for thought in the longer term rather than fully formed doctrinal answers to questions that haven't yet been asked.

In a way, BBC Radio Manchester and Radio 2's Pause for Thought/Thought for the Day became my 'pulpit' as I took part in their programming on a regular basis. I was in a very privileged position with that but, on the whole, I discovered that it was important to be able to adjust to whatever the context and culture did – or didn't – provide.

I found it encouraging when people began to realise that we didn't need a church building to be church. A lot of non-Christians along the way have asked me, 'But where is your church?' I would say to them that we are all 'bricks' of the church and that we needed to move away from the idea of the one building where everything is in the same place. The Anchor has certainly made me think a lot more about incarnating 'the Church' through people rather than it simply being seen as a place to 'go to'.

The Anchor - groupThere is something about being a chaplain that's like a game of 'tag' because you meet some many people from different networks and situations and, with God's help, reach out to them all in some way that will enable them to pass on God's love and grace, too. Social media was very important for this, some people would want to come to the Daily Prayer or Holy Communion every week but others – due to work patterns or commitments at home – would follow our prayer schedule on Twitter or use my blog as a mini-homily. I've been amazed at the 'secular' community activities that have provoked conversations around faith and spirituality, let alone the meaning of life, that simply being alongside people as a priest has given the opportunity for.

During my time at The Anchor, I have been a spiritual companion to a number of people who would not otherwise have gone to church; others have been with me for a while and then wanted to find a church for themselves. My aim was always to encourage people to be independent in their spirituality; it wasn't my role to make them 'do' or 'be' any one thing – that was to be between them and God. The irony is that this encouraged people to ask more questions and feel more able to explore what they saw in a faith that wasn’t being imposed, just lived out through another ordinary human being experiencing similar everyday issues.

I have really contemplated the parables of the yeast and salt here and there's no doubt that the volunteers offer that salt and light. I believe they have grown in their faith and I think that is something which is a challenge to those in inherited church who can be somewhat parochial. Of course it's important to promote evangelism but I think we can become so intent on preaching the gospel that we forget what it is to be missional.

The Anchor - Hayley MatthewsThere is a profound similarity between chaplaincy and those involved in fresh expressions of church in a sense of being:

  • a Christian presence;

  • pastoral;

  • engaged in social action and healing.

The difference is that in standard chaplaincy we are missing the worshipping, ecclesial community. It can be like working in a desert but isn't that where the water's most needed?

Note: At the time of writing, we do not know about the future of The Anchor which is a Churches Together initiative backed by the Church of England. The chaplain is employed by the Diocese of Manchester.

Exeter’s ‘Heineken’ church – five years on

Exeter Network Church made history in November 2009 when the Church of England’s first ever Bishop's Mission Order officially authorised ENC as a new form of church. Jon Soper, one of ENC's leadership team, says it gives them a 'mandate to be missional'.

Exeter Network Church - balloonIt's generally business as usual but, in saying that, I do feel a little bit different because the BMO does explain us to the rest of the Christian community. We are recognised as being part of the Church of England but not within the parish system; and by not being geographically set in one place, we do have a licence to roam, to experiment.

On the day that we became a BMO, the Bishop of Exeter, Rt Revd Michael Langrish, spoke about us being a Heineken church reaching the parts that the others don't necessarily reach. It's certainly a real bonus to have the weight of something bigger than ourselves mandating what we’re doing.

We celebrate our fifth birthday this year, and it will be a real year of change. One of the biggest of those may be to make use of St Matthew's Anglican church and hall in the city.

Currently we meet in a private girls' school but now some things could possibly operate from more of an established regional centre. The Maynard School is in its own grounds so people don't walk past the building. Previously we met on the quay and we built up strong relationships with people coming in from near and far. We need to get back to making those sorts of connections.

Also our core gathering on the second Sunday of the month at the school can involve up to 250 people so the hall gets pretty full. Some people may question us going into what is recognisably a church building. I would say that as we move forward into different premises, we should hold firm to the mission and vision that God has given us wherever we are. Where we go next will be our third place, but we are going to call it a base or a tent – not a home. Having everyone move from one venue to another means that it will be important to keep focused on what God is doing in Exeter.

Exeter Network Church - origamiWe have to look at making it a really great place without becoming vain about it; being streetwise but also gracious and humble and using the buildings as a tool. There is a small congregation at St Matthew's and they are offering a long lease on the church and hall for us to use as we like though we will keep a small area in the church where the congregation will continue to meet for their own services.

We will develop some new things too. One of the most recent initiatives has seen us partner with Christians Against Poverty to open a CAP Centre in Exeter. We’re already seeing God bring some interested people to our door and we want to see change in people’s lives. We have offices in the town but the work also goes on in people’s houses. There are enormous problems of debt and the stories that we hear are heartbreaking.

ENC has become quite a different thing to what it was even a couple of years ago – changing from one size to another means it changes how people connect with each other and to those around them. In our early days, everybody used to pitch in and do everything together; now it's so big that you can't possibly know everyone.

Exeter Network Church - singingWhatever the size of the ENC and its challenges, it's good to celebrate what God has done. Our fifth birthday will see the whole church, about 250 people, go away for a weekend to Fistral Bay, Newquay at the beginning of March. Revd Mark Bailey from Trinity Cheltenham, is our guest speaker, and we will also have worship, surfing, and a party with a band on the Saturday night.

Networking in all sorts of ways is important to ENC; and we have various groups which meet in venues across the city. Some of the networks are more evangelistic while others are created to build up faith; the networks range from a large group for 18 to 25-year-olds called Essence to social activities with Women of a Certain Age!

Heathfield cafechurch

Plans for a cafechurch came about through Churches Together in Heathfield and District, East Sussex. Follow their journey as they prepare for 'opening night' on Friday 26th April 2013.

It was a coming together of ideas when a Costa Coffee shop opened in Heathfield High Street and cafechurch network advertised a training day in the area.

Members of the 12 churches represented in Churches Together in Heathfield and District wanted to find out more about what might be possible as a result of these two 'coincidental' events. Three people attended the Network's training day last year and were inspired to look at building on what had already been happening in the community.

Five years previously, Churches Together in Heathfield and District had set up a Street Pastors initiative under the auspices of the Ascension Trust which initiated the national Street Pastor movement. The small town does not have late night bars or clubs but it was suffering increased levels of vandalism. Street Pastors started to be available in and around the town's car parks, skate park, playgrounds and streets from early evenings on Fridays. They built up good relationships with the teenagers and young adults they came across and started to ask, 'but what happens next? How can we reach these people we wouldn't normally reach from our own church settings?'

Heathfield cafechurch - teamThe cafechurch is now seen as the next move in these ongoing relationships with individuals – and the wider community.

In November 2012, 130 people attended a Churches Together supper at the Beehive pub, Heathfield, when Sue Mumford – one of the cafechurch planning group – spoke about the vision surrounding its launch. More than 20 people signed up to be involved.

The cafechurch is focusing on attracting 18 to 35-year-olds though all ages will be welcome if they are looking to engage with a new form of church.

Sue Mumford says,

Heathfield is a lovely town but there is very little for teenagers to do here and our churches are sadly lacking in young people. We realised that it was right to try and go to them rather than sit back and hope they would come to us. We have listened to what they have told us and – through prayer – we believe it's right for us to step out in faith in this way. 

We have no idea what will happen but we just have to make a start.

Heathfield cafechurch - signKeith Miller, another of the planning group, adds,

If you have never been involved in church, going into a church building is quite an ordeal. A coffee shop, on the other hand, is a very familiar, very safe, very relaxed environment. This may provide a step towards church – or it may not. It may lead to a new way of doing church or it may fade away. We'll have to wait and see.

We are fortunate to have several, very good independent coffee shops in the town,

comments George Dearsley, Vice-Moderator of Churches Together in Heathfield and District,

but they were a little too small for what was needed to get this off the ground. We have already seen that the teenagers and young adults are accustomed to going to Costa – but, personally, we'll certainly continue to make good use of all of the coffee shops in Heathfield.

Heathfield cafehurch - venueA coordinator provides prayer backing, both in the development of prayer partners in each of the link churches involved and on site. A 'dress rehearsal' for young people from local churches was held last week in order to give the planning group an idea of timings and practicalities.

Friday's session will run from 7pm (for 7.30pm start) until 9pm. Watch this space…