The power of simply sticking at it

Will you still be here in 6 months?  A year?  2 years?  5 years?  10 years?  That is a question churches need to ask leaders and congregation as they plant and are planted, especially in less affluent areas.  In many working class and deprived areas people have been let down again and again by those who have promised commitment but then upped sticks and left when things got hard.  Social workers, GP's, teachers, other support and caring professionals are no longer rooted in a community and often move on (fairly frequently in the case of social workers) meaning that support changes, new relationships need to be built and often previous progress and shared history is lost.

The same has been happening with help offered to families from children's centres and the like.  The initial promise looked good but then the funding was cut, the case load piled up, promises were made and broken simply because there was so much to do.  And now many of these centres have shut with nothing realistically in their place within the locality.  Another promise of support that was no more than a promising castle quickly washed away by the tide.

The church must be different.  It must both launch, learn, and relaunch but also anchor itself within such communities and commit for the long term.  It must both change and adapt and yet stay and remain.  We must expect suspicion about how long we will last, we must be careful to promise no more than we can deliver, and we must commit to loving no matter the initial rejection (which so often is just a fear of being let down again when you move on).

Gospel ministry, especially in hard to reach or Yorkshire places, needs stability and that stability starts with the leadership.  Pastors are you called to ministry within that area or just to the ministry?  Will you still be here in 15 years or be off when a bigger church comes calling?  That's a question I would ask all pastors, not just planters.  Elders, are you committed to the area and the people?  Will you move here and commit your family to living in and among this community?  Will you turn down a promotion if it means a move across country away from the church or are you only here until something else comes along (if so I'm not sure how that fits with biblical eldership)?

I wonder if there is also something else we need to think through in terms of planting off the back of this.  If neighbourhood based communities need long term stickability I wonder if they need churches that are planted into permanent buildings rather than rented accommodation.  Rented accommodation does not say commitment and stability it says short term and changeable even if that is not what our plan is.  I wonder if, in those communities, having a building would go some way towards making a statement about commitment and perseverance?  Almost saying I'm all in.

So what does this mean for church planting?  It means we need to plant where we can into buildings. That raises the bar in terms of resourcing church plants if we need to buy a building or it means we ought to look for where existing gospel resources are.  Either revitalising an existing but dying church or entering into a coalition with us that gives us use of the building.  Both of those have their struggles and complexities but they also come with the bricks and mortar that offer opportunities and permanence.

A mistake we might regret

We need to do everything we can to ensure that the church does not lose its buildings.  As I drive round Doncaster I see former churches everywhere, some are glaziers premises, some are carpet show rooms, some are houses, some are derelict.  All of them would be better, as would the area they are in, for a thriving gospel witness in them.  And so that leads me to think that we ought to be looking, and planting, so as to ensure the church does not lose buildings.

This is especially the case as it is predominantly in the less affluent and middle class areas where we are losing them.  I can think of three places off the top of my head in Doncaster, gospel needy places, where churches either have or look like they are in danger of shutting their doors in the next 10 years.  Once that land and those buildings are lost how will we plant into those areas again?  How will we get a permanent foothold and presence in those areas?

As a church we've been looking for premises for a while and it's not easy, there is not much around an the prices, where we are, are astronomical.  We'd love there to be a derelict church building to run things in and use as a base to serve the community.  Yes, there would be draw backs and compromises, but old wooden pews are nothing a quick prayer and a flamethrower couldn't solve.  In too many areas churches are struggling and will close and building and land will be lost, and this seems to disproportionately be the case in the more working class and deprived areas.  And once lost how will we reach those areas and those people.  Location matters more than ever in those sorts of communities because the community and connections are built around neighbourhood not network.

I think all this needs to impact our church planting strategy.  How?  We ought to be asking where are there buildings we could plant into?  Where are the gospel needy areas in our towns and cities where we could run an afternoon service in an existing church building whose congregation meets in a morning?  Where are the areas which we cannot reach from our network churches because they are neighbourhood areas which can only be reached with a neighbourhood church?  Where are the churches that are on their knees, not in prayer, but in despair and in terms of numbers which we can approach about revitalisation or a replant?  What networks can we build so that if the worst happens and a church has to close its doors they approach others who can start a work there so the land and building and gospel witness are not lost?

Not getting on the property ladder

Grace Church has now been actively looking for a permanent building for a little over 6 months now. Those who know the area we are in will know as a former RAF base all the land was sold to Peel Holdings and there is precious little land in the area owned by anyone else.  We've spent the last 6 months enquiring as to the availability and cost of various pieces of land or property.  We have so far drawn a total blank.  Peel have nothing that is suitable for us.  The vacant, for sale, piece of land next to our house, which has been a car park of sorts for 12 years is for sale at offers over £1.2million (slightly beyond our budget)for an acre and a half.  We enquired about properties for rent or sale on the various business parks only to be told that they would not let or sell to a church because the owners want them to be business parks.

More recently we have been in contact with the council about any land available as part of the building of the new airport road (FARRRS).  But have heard this week that they are only compulsory purchasing the land required to build the road and so there will not be any land available to buy or build on.  The former local post office, that would be less than ideal but is vacant is being developed as further office space.  And the area of land, empty and disused, owned by South Yorkshire Housing Association they want to hold on to and will not sell.

It leaves us with few places to go.  We are very blessed in that we have a great working relationship with the school we hire, and there is no pressure from them for us to leave.  However, due to building work at the school we have had to stop our coffee morning and are just meeting there on a Sunday morning.  We are also limited as to what we can offer to serve and meet the community by not having our own building.  We remain convinced that God is good and sovereign and that though his ways are not our ways he will build his kingdom.  We are sure what he has in store for us is better than we can imagine even if we cannot see what that is yet.  And so I'd ask you to pray with us and for us.

Our churches first million pound signing?

Another quick update on our search for a more permanent home for Grace Church.  We've continued praying and pushing doors, though so far all are remaining firmly closed.  Peel Holdings say there is nothing suitable for us in their portfolio of land and properties.  And so last week we contacted an estate agent about the acre and a half of land on the corner of Hayfield Lane and First Avenue to ask if they had any details of the site and a potential guide price.

It's an acre and half which is compose of an old car park and some wild grass land and trees all in an L-shape.  It's much bigger in many ways than we need but would allow us to provide the community with a park and outside play area which it is currently lacking, and provide scope for our youth work as there is no local park to do things at.  It is also one of the few sites available for sale.  Maybe I was being naive but I was utterly shocked by the reply I received.  In terms of guide price we were told that they were looking for offers in excess of a £1,000,000.  That seems to be the going rate for land in and around this area, due in part to the development at the airport and the existing and upcoming airport link roads.

How are we reacting to this?  Well, some people have said that kills any thoughts of pursuing that piece of land, others have said maybe we should start fundraising, our God is sovereign after all.  We need to take some time to stop and pray and think though exactly what it is we want to do and what is feasible.  We are a small church, working in a predominantly not wealthy area, though with new estates rising rapidly, and more proposed for the near future, that is beginning to change.  What is feasible?  What is right?  And what our vision is?  Seem to be key things we need to stop, pray and think through.  As ever we'd value your prayers.

Frustrated and grateful

Anyone who follows this blog or occasionally drops by, or hears of anything, Grace Church related will know that we are currently looking for a permanent home from which we can serve the community and reach out with the gospel more effectively.  Having exhausted current buildings, such as office and retail spaces, as regards a new home and been told 'No' at every stage we had contacted Peel Holdings who own much of the land around Hayfield.  However, last week we heard back from them that they had no suitable spaces available for us to use.  This was immensely frustrating as they pretty much seem to own Hayfield.

So where now?  Firstly, we have contacted our local MP who has written to both Peel and the local authority about our need of premises from which to serve the community.  She has promised to be in contact once she hears back.  We are very grateful to God for her advocacy on our behalf and will continue to pray for her as she serves our community.

Secondly we are going to put some feelers out and enquire about the price of land that is for sale around about us just to gauge prices, though we fear it will be exorbitant due to the airport.  We do all of this grateful to God for the security we enjoy at the school where we meet and aware that we need to seek his will and trust his purposes and timing.  As a church we covet the prayers of God's people for our situation and our future.

The search for a new home

As a church Grace is looking for a new home.  We've been renting the school hall we meet in for a few years and we have a very good relationship with the school, there is certainly no pressure from them for us to move on.  But there are a number of push and pull factors that are propelling us to look for somewhere new; our Sunday school really needs a bigger space, our opportunities to serve the community are limited by hiring space, especially a school where mid week opportunities are curtailed, and we currently have someone in our extended church family who is effectively excluded from church because of the building we use.  All of that has led us for the last few months to be praying for and searching for a new building.

However, the area we are in throws up a number of extra complexities.  There are no other community spaces in Hayfield and renting another school wouldn't solve the problem of a base to serve the community from the rest of the week.  We've contacted various offices that are for let and have been told they would not let or sell us any space as they don't want to go through the change of use process.  So we have been in contact with Peel Holdings who own most of the land round here to ask if there is some land available they could gift or help us build a building on which we could use for the community outreach we want to do.  As of yet we have heard little back and so we keep on praying.  We have asked the local MP to use any contacts or influence she has, and again we keep on praying.

What can you pray for us, here's some pointers:

1. Pray that as a church we stay united and prayerful as we look to God to provide 
2. Pray that we don't take our eyes off our mission of reaching the area with the gospel even while  we wait.
3. Pray that our God would move those at Peel to provide a piece of land or a building
4. Pray that God would provide the finance we need to build that building and that he would be glorified through his people.
5. Pray for us as leaders to keep people not projects the main focus.

When life throws you a curve ball, trusting in the sovereignty of God means we aren't thrown by it

God is sovereign.  That absolute fact matters.  Nothing that I face today will take God by surprise.  Whereas life may, and frequently does, spring surprises on me all the time.  Just when you thought things were settled and you knew what the future looked like along comes a surprise.  That would be unsettling were it not for the sovereignty of God and the conviction that God is working all things for good.

The latest curve ball has come in the shape of issues with the building we meet in.  Hiring a school inevitably means that we have to make compromises, compromise over what and when and how, compromise over what we can and can't do, when and how we meet and so on.  We have been incredibly blessed with the generosity of the school and the incredible support of the headteacher, office and cleaning staff who have repeatedly gone out of their way to make us welcome.

But there have been growing pressures in terms of building use.  The area we have for Sunday school is not ideal, especially with large number of children, and we can only use the facilities as and when they are available which largely rules out the day time.  There is also a new and pressing issue, when a child is excluded from school they are excluded from the premises both during and outside of school hours.  Last week sadly this happened which means effectively we have family who are part of our wider church family who are excluded from church as one of their children is excluded from school.  So suddenly the need to find new premises becomes more urgent.  But what is reassuring is that God new even though I didn't that this issue would present itself last Thursday.  God knows even though where don't where we will meet in the future.

And so this week alongside all the usual sermon preparation, visits, assemblies, bible studies, 1-2-1's, admin and making the church family aware of this issue I'm spending time looking for a new home for Grace Church.  There are no obvious venues, the secondary school don't want to do Sunday lettings, there is no community hall in the area, not even a pub with a function room.  But still God knows and is good.  There are some available office units and commercial premises though they are a bit set apart from the residential community and they are expensive but available to buy or to let.

So whilst the future is once again somewhat uncertain our trust is that God knows and he is with us.  Someone from church text me reminding me of our first memory verse of the year this morning: "Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be frightened, and be not dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."  Again God's timing that one of the verses we have learnt is so relevant at this time.

So we'd value your prayers.  Prayers for quickly finding venue.  Prayers for wisdom as to whether to buy or rent and where to buy or rent.  Prayers for finance whether we buy or rent as realistically our rent needs to be as cheap as it is at the minute and if we buy we need to find external sources of finance.  And lastly prayers for unity within the church family over this issue as we move forward so that others watching on are won for the gospel.

Buildings - time for a rethink?

I've always been a little bit anti-church buildings, not burn them down anti mind you, just I think our priorities as God's people should be people not places.  I would always rather invest money in people rather than in bricks and mortar.  But I have been having a bit of a rethink recently, because whilst there are cons to having a church building there are also pros.  Whilst I think traditional 'churchy' buildings can have negative connotations I think having a base to work from, a location with which people associate you is helpful.  And many of the other spaces we hire can have negative connotations for people too; school for the person who hated it or was badly bullied, and so on...

We as a church have been meeting for nearly 5 years and we have always met in the same school hall.  But there are times when it is painfully apparent that it is a hired space.  There are other times when we have to make compromises in what we do because of when the space is available and so on.  There is also always the hard work of lugging all the equipment (PA, Creche toys, refreshments paraphernalia etc...) to the school every week and then taking it all down and back again.  As well as just teh sheer expense of hiring space.  Those things have never worried me that much, though it can become wearying for people to have to keep on doing that.

It isn't those things that are causing me to have a rethink but rather the sense of never being part of the community.  If you have a building that is yours then you have a permanent presence in the area, people drive past and see you, people come in and out of your doors.  Your toddler groups, D of E groups all use that space, your holiday clubs take place there, your quiz nights and so on.  I think as well people just associate you with an area and having a building provides a sense of permanence and commitment.  If you hire a space then the only time you have a visible presence is for those few hours on a Sunday morning or whenever you meet.

I'm not advocating having a traditional church building which is only open for church activities and only used by church members, but a building the church uses to reach the community.  It may be in a shopping or leisure venue, it may even be a house or pub you convert in a local estate, but a base of operations.

I've always been anti-church buildings and I think in some ways I still am, I guess what I am increasingly for is the church as people meeting in a building it owns but which it uses to love and serve the community as it looks to introduce them to Jesus.