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

Theology

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 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

Theology

Matthew 28:19-20Therefore 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 very end of the age.’

Acts 1:8But 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 1st Bishop of Islington

St Cuthbert

6

Church planting and revitalisation are key ways of growing the church and transforming society

• New churches reach more people• New churches reach new people• New churches release new leaders

NB This needs to happen alongside the development of the growth of existing churches, through evangelism, discipleship and social engagement.

7

Any church can be a church-planting church

Planting into a school

Into another church building

Into a café

Parish St A

There are many types of church plants – all are needed

Reopening closed buildingRefreshing with new leadership

Multiple congregations

New development areas

Church on estates

Work place gatherings

Community space meetings

Missional Community

Further plants

8

Nags Head Church

“Café church”Team of 6Planted from Hope Church IslingtonFocussed on a community using a shopping centre

9

Kings Cross Church

A “network church”Team of 30Planted from St Mary’s Bryanston SquareMeets in a school

10

Grace Church Highlands

Church in a schoolTeam of 30Planted from Christchurch CockfostersMeets in a school

• Uses a BMO

11

St Luke’s Millwall

Revitalisation Team of 25 Grafted with original church of 15Planted from St Paul’s ShadwellMeets in a community centre

12

Gurnell Grove Estate

A “missional community”Team of 7Planted from St Paul’s EalingFocussed on an estate

13

Any church can be a church-planting church

Planting into a school

Into another church building

Into a café

Parish St A

There are many types of church plants – all are needed

Reopening closed buildingRefreshing with new leadership

Multiple congregations

New development areas

Church on estates

Work place gatherings

Community space meetings

Missional Community

Further plants

14

If it has sufficient capacity, a church could also plant into another parish

Into another parish

There are many types of church plants – all are needed

Planting into a school

Into another church building

Into a café

Parish St A

Reopening closed buildingsRefreshing with new leadership

Multiple congregations

New development areas

Church on estates

Work place gatherings

Community space meetings

Parish St B

Missional Community

Further plants

1515

Encouraged by the bishop, church planting –both revitalising and starting new churches – grows the church all over the place

Suburbs

Inner City

Plants

Church

City Centre Church

City Centre

16

Resource churches

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

churches.And they are called to do this again and again

and again. They have come to be called “Resource

Churches”.

17

The vocation of of the resource church is to plant and revitalise churches

A resource church is invited by the bishop to: send a leader (a “planting curate”)with a strong team of lay membersand seed funding

to revitalise a struggling parish, or plant a new church in an area of need

and to do this again and again.

18Resource Churches – Oct 2018

Has planted

Yet to plant

St George’s Gateshead

St Paul, Ireland Wood

St George LeedsSt Philip, Salford

Trinity NottinghamSt Werburgh, DerbySt Thomas,

Norwich

St John, Crawley

St Peter’s BrightonHarbour Church

PortsmouthSt Swithun’sBournemouth

St Matthias Plymouth

St Luke, Gas StSt Mark, Coventry

Holy Trinity Leicester

12

22

The Belfrey, York

St Swithin’s Lincoln

Market Harborough

Greyfriars, Reading

35 started

Holy Trinity WarringtonSt Helens

St Nicholas Bristol

St Mary SouthamptonHighfield Church

St Margaret Nottingham

London*

19Diocesan commitment to create a resource church

All Saints, Newcastle

Leeds*Preston Minster

West Midlands†

Swindon

St Budeaux, Plymouth

St Andrew, Plymouth

St Luke’s Thurnby, LeicesterSt John Clarendon Park,

Leicester

Bradford

Rotherham

Wath, Barnsley

Washington, Sunderland

Southend

Stockton-upon-Tees

Holy Trinity Clapham

St Mary Wheatley, Doncaster28

Commitment to create

MansfieldSt Mary Nottingham

Portsmouth

London

Ipswich

20

London Diocese

Just about to appoint 15 new resource churches To revitalise struggling churches in areas

needing supportRange of traditionsOptions offered:

Grow intentionallyPlant inside the parishBecome a resource churchBe revitalised

21

Church growth

Church planting

Resource churches

HopesEmbodying values

AudacityGenerosityHumilityUnity Tenacity

FearsCalling – what is your church’s vocation?

22

Response…

What is God calling you to do?

What is God calling you to affirm?

What is God calling you to pray for?