In Depth:  church planting

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Revitalising a dying church: what's the secret?

Revitalising a dying church: what's the secret?

David Robertson
David Robertson

Of making many strategies there is no end, and many training sessions weary the body.

As I have re-entered the Presbyterian ministry in a small church, Scots Kirk in Newcastle, New South Wales, I have been reflecting on my two previous ministries and on answering the question: how do you revitalise a traditional church, which is nearing the end of its life? It’s a situation I have faced before.

Four new churches on the same day

Four new churches on the same day

Nicola Laver
Nicola Laver

Four new church plants were launched on a single Sunday, three within the growing International Presbyterian Church (IPC) - bringing the total to 20 churches.

On 1 September, Grace Church Coventry, Christ Church, Headington and All Saints, Exeter were launched. The IPC denomination has, under its ‘2030 vision’, an ambition for 20 new churches by 2030. Jonty Rhodes, elder at Christ Church Derby and chair of the denomination’s church-planting committee said: ‘It’s been an encouraging few years.’ Also on 1 September, a new AMiE (Anglican Mission in England) congregation, Christ Church Hessle, held its commissioning service.

Three churches unite to launch new plant in Kidderminster

Three churches unite to launch new plant in Kidderminster

Milla Ling-Davies
Milla Ling-Davies

In a display of unity, three churches in Worcestershire have overcome stylistic and theological differences to form a new church plant, recognised by the FIEC (Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches).

Set to officially launch in January 2025, the formation of the new Grace Church Kidderminster occurred after two churches in the Wyre Forest each approached the lead pastor of nearby Woodgreen Church, Richard Lacey, for help. With small and aging congregations, both Kidderminster Evangelical Church (KEC) and Christ Church Wyre Forest, (CCWF) had recognised a need for external assistance – they contacted Lacey within weeks of each other.

Wise church planting: is the problem you?

Wise church planting: is the problem you?

Dan Steel
Dan Steel

In this series of articles on church planting, the plan is to learn the lessons from church planters who have struggled. Not the usual suspects. Not the successful all-singing all-dancing ‘super-heroes’ with book deals and big budgets but the (often) unknown heroes who have planted around the world and it didn’t go as planned.

How quick will we be to listen to them? In each article we’ll consider one strand of why they struggled, and - what we’ll find, is it’s not really so much about church planting, more just the complexity of living ‘under the sun’.

Wise church planting: Are we quick to listen?

Wise church planting: Are we quick to listen?

Dan Steel
Dan Steel

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, (James 1v19).

In a world saturated with social media that’s way too often characterised by being slow to listen, quick to speak and quick to become angry, James’ challenge for us in the 21st Century is timely in all kinds of ways.

Ukraine: 1,000 new churches coming?

Ukraine: 1,000 new churches coming?

Milla Ling-Davies
Milla Ling-Davies

Hundreds of men and women from churches across Ukraine have gathered in Kyiv for a church-planting summit, where they heard about an exciting vision to plant 1,000 new churches in the country within the next 12 years.

The conference, run by the All Ukrainian Union of Evangelical Christian-Baptists, was held in the Baptist house of prayer ‘Temple of Peace’. Those gathered considered the theme ‘Invincible Church’ through times of congregational worship and teaching, breakout seminars, testimonies, and presentations from various organisations.

Edinburgh church set to plant for the fifth time

Edinburgh church set to plant for the fifth time

Luke Randall
Luke Randall

The Free Church of Scotland is set to plant Hope Church, Leith in Edinburgh. Rev Derek Lamont will lead the church-planting work, moving on from 23 years of ministry at St Columba’s Free Church.

Hope Church Leith will be the fifth church to have been planted from St Columba’s and will see Derek become the leader of a church-plant for the first time. Alongside his wife Catriona, they will begin the work with some funding to buy a manse, as well as the Leith Memorial Church building already there (following it's recent closure), albeit needing renovations. But they know they will need the Lord’s provision to help raise further funds, as they look to start building up the congregation.

The answer to an 11-year prayer: new church opens

The answer to an 11-year prayer: new church opens

Milla Ling-Davies
Milla Ling-Davies

On Saturday 6 January 2024, Dan James had an encouraging answer to the prayer he’d been praying for 11 years: a church was planted on his council estate in South Leicester.

In 2013, primary school teacher Dan and his wife Jamie moved into Eyres Monsell council estate and their hearts were gripped by both its physical and spiritual needs – there was no gospel church there. ‘Convinced that God’s primary mission strategy is a healthy local church, we started praying for one to begin,’ Dan shared with en. Just over a decade on from those first prayers, after plans, bold initiatives and setbacks, 100 people gathered on the estate this January to commission Eyres Monsell Community Church and Dan as its pastor.

Bible sticker leads to church plant

Bible sticker leads to church plant

Iain Taylor
Iain Taylor

A car bumper sticker can change your life. Ask Matt Viljoen. Born in South Africa where he trained as a vet, Matt moved to Broadstairs in Kent with his wife and two young children in 1999. But on his way to work one morning, he saw a bumper sticker with the name and frequency of Christian radio station TWR.

Matt was intrigued. Having grown up regularly attending church, he and his wife had already committed themselves to that way of life, as ‘cultural Christians’. But shortly after they arrived in the UK, the Viljoens met another South African couple, one also a vet, who had come to faith in Christ. Their new friends led them to Christ.

Moscow via the US to Wales...

Moscow via the US to Wales...

Dave Gobbett

Dave Gobbett, Lead Pastor, Highfields Church Cardiff, writes: It is a great thrill to report the launch of a new gospel congregation in South Wales.

November 5th will be the date to remember as the first meeting of Penarth Evangelical Church (penarthchurch.org.uk), planted by Highfields Church, Cardiff. With a core team of around 30 led by three elders, between 70 and 80 people, young and old, mature believers and interested enquirers, are now gathering together each week, committed to Bible-believing, cross-preaching, soul-reaching, and community-creating life together.

Wales: aim of 100  new churches

Wales: aim of 100 new churches

Milla Ling-Davies
Milla Ling-Davies

A new initiative called Cant i Gymru has the ambitious aim of seeing 100 healthy churches planted in Wales within the next decade.

Cant i Gymru (meaning ‘100 for Wales’ in English) is ‘a collective of gospel friends’ from across the world and Wales. According to their website, they are ‘believing God for a fresh wave of missional planting in Cymru’, and aim to do this by providing pastoral support, uniting in prayer, and equipping and sending out church planters.

AMiE: plants and plans

AMiE: plants and plans

AMiE

The Anglican Mission in England (AMiE) is a growing diocese. From its very first days, church planting has been a key aspect of what AMiE has sought to do – hardly surprising given its name. In recent months, AMiE have launched their 10:20 Planting Plan in which they hope to plant ten new churches by 2025 and a further twenty by 2030.

New church plants may come in many different shapes and sizes and Grace Community Church in Bury is just one example of what an AMiE church plant could look like.

Three new churches for poorest Scottish communities

Three new churches for poorest Scottish communities

20 Schemes

Three new churches are being planted this year in working-class communities in the West of Scotland.

The initiative is being led by the organisation 20schemes, which is committed to planting and revitalising churches in Scotland’s poorest areas, known locally as ‘schemes’.

Church planter and Bible student wins ‘Miss Germany’

Church planter and Bible student wins ‘Miss Germany’

Iain Taylor
Iain Taylor

The new Miss Germany, Kira Geiss, is a committed Christian. She has won a title that, according to the organisers, is no longer about beauty alone, but also about social engagement and the ability to empower other people.

‘I think it is time to not only take care of the healthy maintenance of our planet, but also to actively engage in allowing people to heal and grow internally’, she says on the Miss Germany website, where she is described as a ‘theology student, aspiring religious and community educator, and visual merchandiser’.

Inverness church plant is planning for new town growth

Inverness church plant is planning for new town growth

Sarah Robinson

A church plant has launched in the new community of Tornagrain, near Inverness.

Tornagrain Community Church is being led by Innes Macsween (see photo with his wife Anna and their two children), who is the Assistant Minister at Smithton Free Church in Inverness. He is supported by a launch team of around 25 adults and 12 children.

Letter

Setting up new churches

Date posted: 1 Jan 2023

Dear Editor,

I’m a bit behind with reading Christian papers and have just read David Shepherd’s thought-provoking article on Synod 2027. As someone who lives in a rural area and has no FIEC or similar church in the vicinity, what I feel would be of significant help is if FIEC or en could produce an online leaflet that states what is required when setting up an independent fellowship – insurance for meeting in a home or a hired hall, what licence is required to play music and use projected lyrics, how we set up to receive the benefit of gift aid (including a downloadable template perhaps?), how we might arrange spiritual oversight through FIEC, etc.

Church plants spurred on by Irish mission initiative

Church plants spurred on by Irish mission initiative

Mark Loughridge

At least two new churches have been planted in Ireland in tandem with the recent ‘What’s the Story?’ (WTS) outreach initiative in Ireland.

Christ City Church in central Dublin (some members pictured) had been looking to plant a church in the more residential area in the south of the city to reach the people there.

The church that  grew – from two!

The church that grew – from two!

Nicola Laver
Nicola Laver

From two to more than 120 people in nine years – a London church plant which began with a couple meeting individuals in the first year before launching as a living-room Bible study, is now planning to send its very first convert to start a new church in West London.

Malcolm Riley and his wife moved to London in 2013 with a desire to reach the next generation from the city centre. They came with literally nothing, having just left St Ebbe’s Oxford; with no staff team, no core group, no salary, no vicarage and no church building. ‘But we had two Bibles,’ said Malcolm.

Dream prompts seven new Chad churches

Iain Taylor
Iain Taylor

In the lowlands of Chad, the Lord is moving among the unreached Bua people, a nomadic group that currently follows a blend of Islam and animism. Islam is the majority religion in Chad, although about 10% of the population are evangelical Christians.

A local leader named Abdu*, has been ministering to the Bua for several years and sharing the gospel with them. During that time, he has discipled new believers and planted three house churches. But a few months ago, Abdu had to flee the area because of intense persecution. He continues to share the gospel among Muslims in a neighbouring country.

Three new churches are launched in London

Three new churches are launched in London

Co-Mission

Co-Mission says it is ‘thrilled’ about three new church plants that, ‘in God’s kindness’, have just launched in London.

Redeemer Queen’s Park in north-west London launched on Saturday 25 September at 4 p.m. in Salusbury (sic) Primary School. Over the last year, God has graciously assembled a core team of 25 adults with a few kids to boot. Amazingly, 65 adults and 13 kids turned up for their launch, and even more the second week! Most arrived through personal relationships with the core team. Others connected with Redeemer through flyering or social media. The church’s university outreach and its children’s work are big draws.

New Chester church begins

New Chester church begins

Trinity Church Chester

A new church in Chester is getting under way.

On Sunday 5 September, Trinity Church Chester held its first Sunday service, meeting in the Welsh Presbyterian Church building in Chester city centre. There was a congregation of 27, including two passers-by who caught the final five minutes of the sermon, and the service was taken by the Revd Deiniol Williams (see photo).

Multiple baptisms at new church plant

Multiple baptisms at new church plant

Association of Grace Baptist Churches (SE)

Thirty people have gathered to witness the constitution of Grace Church Walthamstow in North East London, and the induction of ’Wale Akinrogunde as the pastor.

Formerly known as Church Hill Baptist Church, the original church was founded in 1633 and stood as the oldest Reformed Baptist Church in London, but sadly closed down in 2014. It was agreed that efforts should be made to replant a church in the same building.

Ukraine: 24 churches planted, Christian bakery set up

Ukraine: 24 churches planted, Christian bakery set up

www.sga.org.uk

For seven long years East Ukraine has been embroiled in a war which has brought devastation, displacement and death to many. Millions have been affected, losing homes, livelihoods, and life itself. The current pandemic has heaped more misery on this war-torn region and its people. How is the cause of the gospel and the state of evangelical church life in all of this?

The answer is – prospering and advancing! Pastor Igor, a Ukrainian national church leader likened the situation to that of Paul’s imprisonment at Rome from where he writes to the Philippian church and assures them that what has happened ‘has really served to advance the gospel’ (Phil.1:12). Despite not only the fallout from the war, but the discrimination, harassment and persecution of evangelical believers, including the burning and destruction of church buildings, Christ is faithfully building His church, and bringing hope and joy to many.

Glasgow: three new churches are planned

20 Schemes

A pioneering Scottish church planting initiative is hoping to establish three new congregations.

Ben Hansen of 20Schemes writes: ‘Almost one third of Glasgow’s population resides within the top 10% of Scotland’s most deprived areas.

Church planting: is the old method best?

Church planting: is the old method best?

Deiniol Williams

Church planting can sometimes seem like a relatively new phenomenon, but whether it is or not depends on what you mean by church planting. 

A good friend and mentor of mine – who has planted two churches in France – believes that when Paul instructed Timothy to ‘do the work of an evangelist’ (2 Tim. 4:5), he was instructing him to plant churches. To evangelise – to make disciples of all nations (Mat 28:19) – is to see churches started. Church planting, in this sense of the term, is as old as the early church.

Norway: five new churches

Norway: five new churches

Evangelical Focus / en

By the end of 2021, five new church buildings known as prayer houses (bedehus) will have been constructed or expanded along the coast of Norway.

At least 10 million euros – around 100 million Norwegian kroner – are being spent in order to ensure there are larger and modern facilities where low church Lutherans can meet for fellowship.

Scots Free Church 
 planting push

Scots Free Church planting push

Freechurch.org

With the aim of planting 30 churches by 2023, a Church Planting Director has been announced by the Free Church of Scotland.

The Revd Neil MacMillan said: ‘Planting new churches is a vital part of our mission in secular Scotland. As we sustain and nourish existing congregations, the gospel also drives us outwards to new places and new people. The most important element of this challenge is prayer, so pray for a movement of God’s Spirit in our nation so that we can do all this and much more.’

John Parker’s story: Mermaids, leaving the C of E and now a church plant

John Parker’s story: Mermaids, leaving the C of E and now a church plant

John Parker

The minister at the centre of a transgender storm speaks to en

‘You are all now honorary Mermaids, whether you want to be or not.’ That was what the trainer said, and I did not want to be. Why not?

Three new church plants go forward in  Beckenham, Folkestone and Hull

Three new church plants go forward in Beckenham, Folkestone and Hull

EN

Three evangelical church plants in differing networks have taken their first steps forward across the UK.

Grace Church Beckenham

Pastor of the new Grace Church Beckenham, Matt Dew-Jones, says people in this new congregation are passionate about both Beckenham itself, and God’s grace. ‘God is a giver (in so many ways), and ultimately at the cross. As we see a world marked by taking …we love that [God] gives forgiveness and the power to change.’ In statements on their website, the church is clear it wants to ‘become generous like Jesus. We want our lives, our time, energy and money to be used to serve Jesus and His world’ and they want to be a place where ‘people like me love people who are not like me in a committed church family’.

Scottish seaside church plant takes off

Scottish seaside church plant takes off

Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC)

In 2014, Graham and Tineke Wintour moved to Balmedie, some eight miles north of Aberdeen in Scotland.

Balmedie is a seaside village, home to 2,500 people, and is well-known for the local golf course which is owned by US President Donald Trump.