Ecclesia Plymouth

DWELL London this summer

2010-03-08T18:07:00.002Z

Total Church Conference 19-20 Feb 10

2010-01-26T17:18:00.003Z

Here’s the draft programme for The Total Church Conference.

Total Church Conference
Friday 19 – Saturday 20 February 2010

Day One: Everyday Gospel
Loving God, loving other (Steve Timmis)
A theology of washing up (Tim Chester)
Everyday pastoral care (Tim Chester)

Day Two: Everyday Mission
Church under the radar (Steve Timmis)
Everyday evangelism (Tim Chester)
Mission by being a good neighbour – church planting without trying (Steve Timmis)

Plus a variety of break out sessions.

The cost is £60 (waged) and £40 (unwaged) with a 15% discount for group bookings over five people. If you have any questions or want to book then please contact Becs Wells – rebecca.wells@thecrowdedhouse.org or 0114 267 6704.

You can also find more information and book online here.

Group bookings must be made with Becs.

Exam Movie

2009-12-03T20:20:00.003Z

I know its not about church planting or being missional but when a friend directs a great movie you just want to shout about it. Stu Hazeldine has directed a movie called EXAM which comes out on general release 8th Jan 10, which I would wholeheartedly recommend if you fancy something dark, edgey and different. Here's the movie poster:

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?nid=26368

Total Church Conference February 2010

2009-11-30T15:55:00.002Z

Friday 19 - Saturday 20 February 2010
Time: Fri 19 - Sat 20 February 2010, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Venue: 215 Sharrow Vale Road, Sheffield, S11 8ZB

Ever wondered if there was more to church than holding committee meetings, writing budgets and overseeing programmes?
Are you starting to think that perhaps church is more about the people than the building, the staff team and even the weekly event?Are you in a church with the desire to change but not really sure where or how to start?You’ve read the book and like the ideas. You share a passion for the gospel, the local church and the glory of God. You buy into the vision of Total Church but the fact is you are not sure how your local church would go about turning the vision into a reality. Perhaps you're wondering how your church can become a community in mission rather than a weekly meeting.

This conference aims to offer practical advice and support for those wanting to make this transition. The book Total Church has generated a number of conferences in different parts of the world, and this is the second UK-based conference arising out of Total Church, co-authored by Tim Chester & Steve Timmis. Both these authors will be speaking at the conference.

The two days will consist of plenary sessions and breakout sessions addressing subjects such as:

How do you turn the ideal into reality?
Now what?Church planting?
Gospel communities?
Nuts and bolts of change?

Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Unfortunately, there are no facilities for children.

The closing date for booking onto the conference is Friday 12th February.

For enquiries:rebecca.bridge@thecrowdedhouse.org
0114 2676704

For Bookings go to Total Church Conference Booking

Raised with Christ: How the Resurrection Changes Everything

2009-11-19T13:08:00.009Z

This is my first book review on this blog, and maybe something I should do more often.

Adrian Warnock has written a book about the Resurrection, which on its own is not surprising from a committed reformed Christian. What makes Adrian's book both challenging and a unique contribution to the evangelical community, is that it wrestles with what this actually means to us as we live out our daily lives. So often doctrine, what Christians believe, is divorced from what we do; resulting in individuals and communities that offer little to themselves and the outside world.

Adrian clearly shows in this book that the reality of the resurrection does really change things for us today. That realising through Jesus' death and resurrection we are in effect something different, something new, means that we can live out God glorifying, people blessing and possibly generation changing lives. He shows that the resurrection is not just an event but it is grounded in our experience.

Most encouragingly, the book does this in lucid everyday English and emphasises that this is not just for clergy, ministers or full time pastors but for each and every ordinary Christian whatever their background or place in society, even submariners like myself. As his first book, I look forward to more to come. For more on this:

http://raisedwithchrist.net/

Summer is Approaching

2009-07-15T10:58:00.002+01:00

It's all go in Amherst Road, although our great plans to have a street party this week maybe undermined by the £1000 required by the council to shut the road! We are thinking about a sob story in our local rag (Evening herald) with pictures of sad children to shame the local authorities into doing it.

Clare is off to a hen night on saturday, and some of the local lads might just coalesce around my Xbox360 with some beer that evening!

As for r and r, we are looking forward to 2 weeks camping in Perranporth 10-24th August, so if you are in Cornwall then please come and join in the fun. Or if you are in the South West come for coffee or join us 1100 in our front room on a sunday morning for our gathering (plus lunch if we know you are coming). We might repeat our road camping trip (4 families from the Amherst massive) in September if everybody survives the summer - we had so much fun 3 weeks ago from Friday to Sunday.

As I prepare for my staff course, we are praying for more people to come and join this mission opportunity in Plymouth. If you think that you might be needing a reason to come here and get stuck into Ecclesia Plymouth, I can think of 250,000 of them in a ludicrously under-churched part of the country. Oh yes and the beaches/moors/countryside are lovely too.

No wonder people don't understand

2009-06-18T19:14:00.002+01:00

When you talk to non-Christians talk about church (ecclesia) they think about a building. When you talk to Christians about church they think about a meeting or event.

We need a better word for ecclesia in the English language, how about gospel community?

Big Church Little Church

2009-05-22T09:59:00.001+01:00

Big church and liitle church, both are needed really; a bit like Big Cook and Little Cook need each other in their surreal kitchen.

Sunday Morning Teaching

2009-05-17T16:06:00.008+01:00

It has struck me as I have spoken and engaged with people in various contexts, that most poeple have a relatively poor understanding of how the Bible fits together. Therefore they miss the broad theme of God's rescue story starting with creation and fall, and culminating in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

This morning we took time out of Luke's Gospel at our gathering and looked at the Bible and the Gospel in overview. We blue tacked up some lining paper on the wall and sketched out a timeline of the last 5000 years and some of the major events from the fall through to about 90AD. We then got everyone to put up post it notes with some key charcters and chatted about why they were important. Finally we did the same with the books of the bible. It was a very useful time, that helped deepen our understanding of why Jesus had to come and sort everything out and fill out some facts about the bible. The fruits of our labours now adorn the dining room wall:

I hope you like the Charlie and Lola decorations left over from Ruby's party.

More Puritan Wisdom

2009-05-14T19:02:00.003+01:00

'Godliness consists not in a heart which intends to do the will of God, but in a heart which does it.'

Good old Jonathen Edwards; this really should be a theme of a the Christian life. That we see others to bless and we take the leap to actually bless them. There is a gospel intentionality (to rob a friend's expression) in stopping for the Samaritan even at great personal cost. Not that the gospel works we do gets us any closer to God, or that we should encourage the pagans to do the same as us; but these acts of kindness bring Jesus glory through sacrificing for others and making a way for the spoken gospel to be received.

Help Wanted

2009-03-31T19:52:00.004+01:00

Fancy a change of scene or direction how about a gospel centred missional church planting adventure in the South West of England?

Hours: flexible

Location: Home/work/college/pub/crowded houses

Package: External benefits, great community, food and coffee (occasionally fine wine)

We are looking for people to share our values centred around gospel communities to bless the city of Plymouth. Maybe required to listen, learn, send, bless, thank and eat; but not necessarily in that order. We are particularly keen for leaders to shape and lead indivdual communities throughout the city.

Please send CV in triplicate or alternatively just ring Jason on 07725501511 / email jason@eponline.co.uk.

Why I like Gospel Communities

2009-03-22T07:20:00.006Z

I like seeing Church as network of gospel communities because:

It allows the Gospel to become the focus of all our lives and activities not just a line to cross at the beginning of our Christian story.

It allows us to present the church as a network of relationships, not necessarily a meeting or building we attend. Therefore first contact with the world is where we should be strongest and most beautiful, in relationship and sacrificial living.

It allows the home to be an opportunity for church without the trappings, allow us not to confuse a particular location with church. It also encourages an authenticity in faith because there's no where to hide.

It allows the home to lead to family, and a gospel community centred on the home means that the gospel can be used to resolve conflict, face challenges, go through suffering together and not as individuals.

It allows a space that is welcoming and non threatening: the home, family, food and friendship offers a seedbed for the gospel that is hard to replicate in any other context.

It allows on a micro scale for the church to bless the city around them, through little initiatives and targeted resources totally focused on individuals, families and groups that really need it. It also through lower overheads allows it encourages those with broader skills to bless the city with them.

It allows new congregations to be started really quickly where the need for the gospel is greatest.

It encourages the community to see prayer as a missionary activity, weaved through the life of the congregation.

It breaks down the distinction between leadership and laity viewing every member as a missionary. It should also help focus the missional activities of the community on that which someone has skills for.

It encourages to us see the Bible and Bible teaching or preaching not as end in itself but as God's truth which shapes our lives and mission together.

I wouldn't say this is the only way to 'do' church but it certainly what I feel called to.

Acts 29 Church Planting Conference in London

2009-03-22T07:00:00.002Z

News of an Acts 29 conference in London …

Tuesday 9 - Wednesday 10 June 2009

Time: 10:00am - 4:00pm, Tuesday and Wednesday

Venue: St James Clerkenwell, Clerkenwell Close, London, EC1R 0EA

About: Acts 29 is a global network of leaders whose dream is to help others called by God plant new churches and replant declining churches. If you have a dream to plant or replant, they will help you assess your fitness to pursue that dream. If you are a good fit with the network, they will strive to assist you with friendship, coaching, and resources and so help you serve Jesus, his church and his world. What it comes down to is that we love Jesus. If he has called you to serve him in church planting, they would love to serve you and work with you in the outworking of that calling.

Speakers at the conference include:
- David Fairchild, Kaleo, San Diego.
- Scott Thomas, Acts 29 Network.
- Steve Timmis, The Porterbrook Network, Sheffield.
- Jeff Vanderstelt, Soma Communities, Tacoma.

For any further details and information, please contact Becs Bridge on 0114 267 6704 or atbecs.bridge@theporterbrooknetwork.org.

For bookings click here.

This is the cutest

2009-02-28T13:52:00.004Z

Yes I know I'm biased, but for those who like to know how the kids are getting along this is a little video of Ruby and Jude...

What place experience

2009-02-23T20:41:00.003Z

Edwards, addressing what could be a worrying trend...

"But then may persons be said to live on their experiences, when they make a righteousness of them, and instead of keeping their eye on God's glory and Christ's excellency, they turn their eyes onto themselves, to entertain their minds by viewing their own attainments and high experiences, and the great things they have met with, and are bright and beautiful in their own eyes. They are rich and increased with goods in their own apprehensions, and think that God has as admiring an esteem of them, on the same account, as they have of themselves: this is living on experiences, and not on Christ, and is more abominable in the sight of God than the gross immoralities of those who make no pretences to religion." Jonathan Edwards The Relgious Affections P109

Coming from a strong charismatic background, the thrill of the Holy Spirit and awesome group worship can easily become an end in itself, the reason for gathering. However we must remember the primary mission while we are here - that is 'to go and make disciples', not to have a good time. I think also we fail to realise that the primary reason for our salvation is not our benefit but for Christ's glory, because its all by His grace. Accordingly our lives should be marked by a purpose to give Jesus the honour and glory in all things because it not about us at the end of the day, but about Him.

Unfortunately though, I think we pursue the wrong things in church, corporately and individually, for the wrong motives, and we fail 'to throw off everything that contaminates body and soul, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.' Thus we pay a team and a church to provide a great show and bring the best preaching but we do it for ourselves not for Jesus.

Any thoughts?

Happy Birthday Caleb

2009-02-19T14:33:00.003Z

I can't believe that Caleb James Reid is eight years old today!

Happy Birthday brilliant boy.

Mega Church Money

2009-02-11T09:53:00.003Z

This was a interesting snippet from a 2008 report on Megachurches for the Leadership Network:

I couldn't find the actual turnover in dollars, but imagine the impact if 75% of the churches resources were mission and programmes; and just 25% was salaries and infrastructure.

Acts 29

2009-02-06T11:05:00.001Z

Honest I'm not a groupie, but check out Steve Timmis' chats with Scott Thonas, who heads up Acts 29 (the Mars Hill Church Planting Network) at:

http://www.acts29network.org/

Enjoy grace

Timmis and Chester on the tinternet

2009-01-17T11:49:00.004Z

Steve Timmis is currently having an extended conversation on the internet with the guys from 9Marks (yeh I know, I'm not sure where it comes from either). However despite the names it's a stimulating and challenging conversation, which it usually is with Steve. Following the link below for the first two installments:

http://blog.9marks.org/

And for those of you who follow the output from Resurgence, Mark Driscol's misisonal theological resource centre, Steve and Tim have prepraed a series of posts which will come out soon. Certainly worth looking out for, I hope you enjoy them. For those of you still in the theological dark ages, who haven't stumbled across resurgence follow the link below:

http://www.theresurgence.com/

Happy Birthday Isaac

2009-01-08T16:47:00.002Z

PS: I won a Flip videon in the Wardroom Christmas Raffle which I picked up today...

Backdrop on Plymouth

2008-12-30T19:34:00.002Z

Just in case you were thinking about coming on a missional adventure in Plymouth, this video may just swing the balance of selling up and heading for the West Country...

Have a grace filled and blessed New Year

A Very EP Christmas

2008-12-21T11:27:00.006Z

Hello one and all, just a short post to wish you a very Merry Christmas. We had a good time this morning enacting our version of the Christmas story, written and directed very ably by Charlotte Reid whilst Isaac managed to play all three wise men at once.

It is our prayer that God would bless anyone who reads this blog with abundant grace and mercy and that you would turn that around into blessing others with the gospel of Jesus Christ, wherever in the world you are.

Enjoy Grace

3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 3-7

Naughty naughty

2008-12-13T20:01:00.001Z

Contentious but interesting...

Is reducing your carbon footprint just another legalism?

Work and Grace

2008-11-28T07:48:00.005Z

As those who are close to me may know, I have been working on a major piece of work lately, relating to strategic moves afoot in the RN. Yesterday I had the initial feedback on my draft report into the matter. Now that feedback was not as positive as I would have liked, in fact I hadn't followed some of my own basic rules and hadn't paid as close attention to detail as I should. This work has brought quite a bit of profile and to be honest I was gutted at such negative responses. I felt a bit rubbish and hated the thought that others wouldn’t think me the clever Dick after all.

Then I prayed, and I realised that I had committed a sin that I’m quite prone to. That is, finding my worth and value in what I do, not what I am in Christ. I repented and not surprisingly felt better as a heavenly perspective returned. I have to keep remembering to fear God; not what I produce, nor the standard of my work, or what others think of me. Also I must remember to pursue righteousness at work for the glory of Christ not necessarily successful project outcomes.

Isaiah 17v 7-8 In that day men will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made.

Doctrine isn't dull, this is what we believe

2008-11-10T19:40:00.004Z

We are a people longing eagerly for the future
We are waiting the arrival of a new heaven and earth, which God will bring about through his transforming power. A day is coming when Christ will come again to establish his reign of justice and freedom. He will create the home of righteousness which his people crave, banishing forever sin, Satan and death.

In renewed bodies in a renewed creation, we will live as God’s people in unbroken relationship with God and each other. At the centre of everything will be the one God, eternally self-existent as God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the creator and sustainer of all that is. His character is constant and his purposes unchanging. He will be all our glory. This will be life as it was meant to be lived – life in all its glorious and satisfying fulness.

We are a people formed decisively in the past
From before the creation of the world, God the Father chose us and blessed us in his Son, Jesus. We depend entirely upon the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, our King and Rescuer. Jesus is God-in-the-flesh, who shares our humanity, having been born of Mary. She conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit while she was still a virgin.

As the Son of God, Jesus came to make God known. As the Servant of God, Jesus came to undo the corruption of humanity and the divine curse on creation caused by the first man, Adam. He came to liberate us from our devastating self-love and to rescue us from the consequences of our ongoing wilful refusal to love God and others. Jesus fulfilled the promises made by God to Israel and realized all that Israel was called, but failed, to be. He gave us a glimpse of the world to come, calling the people of God to follow him and to demonstrate the goodness of his rule by their shared lives.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus lived the life Adam and the rest of humanity could not live. And through the Holy Spirit, Jesus died the death that Adam and the rest of humanity deserve to die. On the cross he endured and exhausted God’s righteous anger against our rebellion, paying its penalty in full. Jesus rose physically from the dead, proving the effectiveness of his death. The resurrection is the promise and beginning of God’s new world.

Jesus then returned to his Father in heaven, from where he now rules over all creation. He sent his Spirit to apply all that he achieved on the cross. The Spirit equips us as God’s people to live for Christ and speak of him so that others might submit to his gracious reign. In this way Jesus sovereignly gathers his church as he rescues those the Father has given him.

We are a people living joyfully in the present
God has given his Spirit and word to his people to equip us to serve him in the world and to bring us to his future.

God the Holy Spirit is the giver of life, the one who convicts of sin and the creator of saving faith. He is the one who opens our eyes to see the beauty of Christ so that through the Spirit we succumb willingly to irresistible grace. He is the one who gives us new hearts to turn to Christ and trust him. The Spirit sets us apart for Christ and makes us more like him through the word of God.

The Holy Spirit is the author and interpreter of the Bible, which is God’s word to his world concerning his Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible reflects the characters and circumstances of people who wrote it, but the Holy Spirit guided the entire process. So in the Bible God reliably reveals his character and plans as he tells the story of his grace in rescuing sinners for his glory. Because it is the word of God, the Bible is the final authority in matters of conduct, questions of life and issues of truth.

We live together in union with Christ as his church. God is littering the world with local expressions of this church. We celebrate our cultural diversity while enjoying unity in Christ. These churches are a means of grace to a needy and dying world. God has given us the task of making the good news of Jesus known to those without God and without hope. Our community life points ahead to what God has in store for his world. So, by word and life, we model and offer reconciliation to those alienated from God by their wilful rejection of him. We call people to turn from despising God and urge them to trust in Christ. Without Christ, people face only the judgment of being forever cut off from God and all that is good. It is by grace that we live in the present as forgiven sinners. We never earn the right to be called children of God. The gift of faith hears the ‘not guilty’ verdict that God will proclaim for his people on the coming day of judgment and enables us to live in the light of it now.

As those welcomed, forgiven and accepted, we become a community of those who welcome, forgive and accept. We respond to the gospel in baptism, expressing that we have become part of the people of God. The Lord’s Supper is the meal we regularly share together to celebrate the work of Christ and express that we continue to be part of the people of God together. Our shared life proclaims the Lord’s death until he returns to make good the invitation to his eternal banquet.

A Primer on the Missional Church

2008-11-07T10:04:00.002Z

Life has been super hectic lately and God is unpacking some things relating to me, my family and our small but beautifully church. So I haven't had much chance to post anything. However for those interested this link is fantastic resource to a number of mission related documents:

http://jrwoodward.net/2008/11/a-primer-on-todays-missional-church/

We're off to friends this weekend and I'm wetting the baby's head with a few of the lads from the road tonight.

Enjoy Grace

Bespoke Church

2008-10-22T13:10:00.002+01:00

Tim Chester is currently posting some insightful missives on his blog on the subject of being rather than doing church. As this is a subject close to my heart I would recommend giving it the time of day.

Hard core church planting training

2008-10-17T16:23:00.001+01:00

Joey's just loosening up for some full preaching of the gospel in Geneva...

Total Church USA

2008-10-16T06:34:00.003+01:00

Audio from the Total Church conference in the USA is avaialable here.

Well worth a listen, hopefully it will stir you about church is really about.

Enjoy Grace

Gospel Wisdom

2008-09-24T08:33:00.003+01:00

MLJ on Romans 13:

'The Gospel is not only to be believed, it is to be practised, and if we fail to carry it out then there is no point in any amount of intellectual understanding.'

So, how then do we carry out the Gospel?

What does your church look like?

2008-09-22T09:46:00.004+01:00

To really understand what we are up to, you would really have to hang around with us for some time. But how does EP look you ask? Well for starters, we have our practices that we try and center the life of our little church around:

Listening to God and others.

Learning about God's word.

Sending each other out into the world.

Blessing those around us.

Thanking God for every blessing.

Eating food together.

If you'd like more information on these practices, click on this link.

When we gather on Sunday, it's very simple:

We welcome everyone (grown ups and kids stay together throughout) and open in prayer around 1100, but we delayed slightly yesterday, so I could look at my neighbours faulty tap next door.

Then we recap over the scripture we have been studying, at the moment we are looking at Genesis 1-11 (Where it all went wrong) . We reached Noah part II (more grace and a promise) this week, and took the time to read bits of Genesis 8 and 9 from several different translations of the bible. We unpacked God's promise, how he's at work in creation everyday, how we don't need to fear calamity(global warming, nuclear war) but God himself, the promise of future salvation in Jesus and that God's judgement involves death (and how our future is secure in Jesus' death and resurrection).

This is followed by creative prayer, where we all involve ourselves in a practical activity that leads to a time of prayer. Sometimes at this point we'll watch a funny or relevant video snippet on the computer (usually providing through the wonder of U tube).

This is followed by singing some worship songs on CD (no one is an accomplished musician in my house). We then close in prayer, and this takes about 1 hour and 10 mins. We then sit down to lunch around our big kitchen table, which was a BBQ yesterday.

Church life then continued whilst I attempted to fix Ray's tap for an hour, but was foiled by an incorrect spare part, but he was grateful for the time. Clare was due to to go out with some girls to watch The Duchess, however that is now postponed.

This week, I'll call a meeting for HR sub committee for the charity I'm involved with and develop a leadership training stream at work. I also want to get to watch some American football with Kev across the road. Additionally, I really must get round to writing the letter to the local council about parking in our road. Clare will be meeting up with a number of local mums and braving music makers and a couple of toddler groups. The kids will be in the mission field that is Keyham Barton primary and Devonport High School for boys. That's it, Church rumbles on for Jesus' glory.

A great Jonah moment

2008-09-15T13:57:00.002+01:00

Long hot summer

2008-09-09T19:22:00.006+01:00

I mean't to post something about the summer a while back but it has been hectic here in the Reid house and EP since we got back.

First we had a fantastic holiday, 2 weeks sunning it in the wonderful Vendee in Western France.
I reread David Well's book Above all Earthly Powers whilst I was there, and drank red wine and ate crossaints.

It was so important just to hang out as a family without anyone else around. I'm beginning to wonder whether I really am an introvert. Still I fill out my Miers Briggs evaluation form tomorrow so I'll find out in a couple of weeks.

We also were in a caravan that I towed through France from my in-laws in Broadstairs. You know you're old when you have a towbar and judge an engine by its ability to pull a small house at 65mph without slowing for hills.

Still standards were acheived for the vacation, but it seems a long way away now.

On the negative Maureen, Clare's mum had a double mastecomy whilst we were away. The operation went well, but unfortunately there are traces of cancer that have spread further than hoped. Thus Maureen must now live with the spectre that cancer could crop anywhere in her

body. Also please pray for her as her recovery has been hampered by the vagaries of the NHS after care system, and she is currently receiving antibioctics for a infection in her wound.

Another recent blow was to learn of the death of an old friend Shirley Hardy, who was also taken by cancer last week. Anna her daughter, Mike her husband and Jonathan and Rachel could do with your prayers as they greive her loss.

My boiler exploding and serial instances of white goods breaking down just doesn't seem so bad right now. My work is good. I'll blog about the Church plant and other things soon.

Enjoy grace

Isa 43v2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze

Irenaeus Had it Right

2008-08-27T13:21:00.002+01:00

The apostles were sent to find those who were lost, and to bring sight to those who did not see, and healing to the sick, so they did not speak to them in accordance with their previous opinions but by manifestation of the truth. For no men of any kind would be acting rightly if they told blind men who were already beginning to fall over the precipice to continue in their dangerous way, as if it were a sound one and as if they come through all right. What doctor, when wishing to cure a sick man, would act in accordance with the desires of the patient, and not in accordance with the requirements of medicine?... How then, are the sick to be made strong? And how are sinners to repent? Is it by preserving the way they are? Or on the contrary, by undergoing a great change and reversal of their previous behaviour, by which they have brought themselves serious illness, and many sins? Ignorance, the mother of these things, is driven out by knowing the truth. Therefore the Lord imparted knowledge of the truth to his disciples, by which he cured those who were suffering, and restrained sinners from sin. So he did not speak to them in accordance with their previous ideas, nor answer in accordance with the presumption of the inquirers, but in accordance with sound teaching, without any pretence or respect of persons.>Iranaeus, “Against Heresies”

A new Keswick

2008-08-27T13:16:00.002+01:00

"Pelagianism is the natural heresy of zealous Christians who are not interested in theology."

J I Packer, "Keswick" and the Reformed Doctrine of Sanctification.

This struck a chord with me, I don't know about you...

Summer Leave

2008-08-01T15:15:00.004+01:00

My Summer leave started today, Plymouth is just the best place to plant a church...

And there's great golf...

And there's action...

The roof leaked in the bay window today...

2008-07-31T15:39:00.003+01:00

But we shouldn't moan about the weather, even at the end of July:

"Truly, then, God governs inanimate matter. Earth and air, fire and water, hail and snow, stormy winds and angry seas, all perform the word of His power and fulfil His sovereign pleasure. Therefore, when we complain about the weather, we are, in reality, murmuring against God."
A W Pink The Sovereignty of God.

Vision Meal Update

2008-07-22T15:14:00.000+01:00

Vision Meal Update

Thanks for your prayers and especially for last week. I had two major events that we needed prayer for:

Churches Together In Plymouth. I was so warmly received last Wednesday morning by the group. I shared for about 10 mins then I fielded questions for about another 20 mins or so. In fact we had to stop to move onto prayer before we ran out of time. I stopped for breakfast afterwards and sensed a real warmth and encouragement to what we are doing. One fellow leader remarked 'its just church from first principles.' And in a sense, he is spot on.

Vision Meal. We had our first vision meal last Thursday and apologies for not updating sooner but I have been distracted by preparation for my project management qualification (APMP). However, Clare did a marvellous job getting everything ready and the house was spotless, food cooked (chilli and vegetable curry) and the kids squared away to bed. We didn't know how many would come as nobody had responded. Still come 7.30pm we prayed that Jesus would send the right people, and if no one was suitable at this stage no one would come. At 7.45pm, the door bell rang and young Oli came to join us. So we had one guest and had a very pleasant meal and chats about mission, resources, Jesus and films. I sense Oli is not going to come and join us, but he knows some people who might be very interested. We really liked the format and will do this again in the Autumn.

Of course, I would have liked more people, in fact I would like us to be a group larger than just my family by now. But I have to remember that this is God's 'train set' and not mine. He is the one to be feared and not the numbers. Actually we need specific people with specific values at present. I do waiver occasionally about whether we are doing the 'right thing' but when I do, Jesus quickly reminds us that we are in the right place. We were called and led by the Holy Spirit to bring glory to God here. We function as a small church, preaching the word, administering sacraments and exercising discipline.

So we are enjoying the sunshine and I'm off to surf school tomorrow...

Enjoy grace

Phil came to play...

2008-07-22T14:42:00.003+01:00

Phil Ford a great old friend from Scotland and Hope Church Glasgow came to stay.

Phil came with me to Dwell, Grace for the City, a conference about urban church planting, where we got to listen to Mark Driscoll and Steve Timmis, representing the Porterbrook Network.

After that we retreated to the West Country, as you can see. This is him and the kids on the approach to the Hoe from the city centre.

Please Pray

2008-07-15T18:31:00.003+01:00

Please pray for 2 important things this week:

CHURCHES TOGETHER PLYMOUTH. I am sharing about EP and our vision tomorrow morning 0700 - 0800 with Churches Together in Plymouth. Please pray that I will, with all humility, share and challenge others with the call to missional church.
VISION MEAL. On Thursday evening we are having our first vision meal where we are inviting friends and others to come and unpack our vision and values. We are starting around 7.30pm at our house with dinner followed by a talk by me and then questions and prayer afterwards. anyone in the Plymouth area and beyond is welcome to come. Please pray that God stirs the right people to come and join us.

Many thanks guys...

The White Horse Inn

2008-07-04T11:56:00.002+01:00

No I'm not asking you to the pub!

This is a great resource, which I was directed to by Nathan Fisher of Devonport Baptist Church, which he planted some 10 years ago.

The White Horse Inn is about understanding what you believe, and the podcast is very good (on my itunes list already), reformed and informed. All you have to do is put up with the Americanisms. Follow the link below:

http://whitehorseinn.org/

Ecclesia Plymouth - A Vision Meal

2008-07-01T16:59:00.005+01:00

We are having a vision meal on 17 Jul 08, 7.30pm at our house 62 Amherst Road Plymouth PL3 4HJ.

'What's that?' you ask; well we will share a meal together and I will talk about the vision and values of Ecclesia Plymouth, our church planting adventure. I'll also talk about the Crowded House network, an international missional church initiative. Please come along and find out about what we are up to and ask any questions you might have.

If you are local and just want want to support us in prayer, this event is without commitment except that you wish to be better informed about us. The food will be great, as will the wine and coffee.

If you have any queries email me on jason@eponline.co.uk or ring me on 07725501511.

Mike and Sara came to stay

2008-06-30T22:03:00.004+01:00

Mike and Sara came to play in Plymouth and we had great fun. Mike used to live with us when we last lived in Plymouth and is just like one of the family. When he married Sara it was just like adding someone else to the gang. Anyway, we ate lots, chatted, gathered for church and of course went to Wembury beach and enjoyed a Reid favorite hot chicken pittas (yum, yum). Mike and Sara now live in Canterbury, Kent and are adding loads of value to The City Church Canterbury, one of New Frontier's best churches (actually I would say the best - but that might get me in trouble). We miss them, but really enjoyed the weekend together.

Just while I remember, the boys and I rescued a real live adder on the beach a few weeks back. Here's proof via the wonders of mobile phone technology.

Jesus is the answer...

2008-06-23T15:24:00.002+01:00

More Friends

2008-06-21T17:19:00.006+01:00

We just had lunch with some old friends from Canterbury, Simon and Carrie. They are on their way for a weeks holiday in St Ives Cornwall. It was great to catch up, especially since Carrie is 5 months pregnant and looking forward to a beautiful baby girl. Please pray they have peaceful contented baby and a gentle introduction to parenthood.

I also mentioned the joys of missional household church (don't worry Tom they're staying in Canterbury). In fact I became pretty excited over all the things God is already doing through us here. Some times I think people think were doing this just to 'bunk off' real church - they couldn't be further from the truth.

I'm well chuffed with this image because I bluetoothed it from my phone, as I think Clare took her flash one with her to Broadstairs. I'm also wallowing in the glory of posting a video to the blog in my last post.

You gotta love Reggie

2008-06-21T12:42:00.006+01:00

This was posted on Alan Hirsch's site at his Forgotten Ways blog. Mr Hirsch is a legend, and has much to offer the modern church, if you haven't already please read his book.

Anyway this video was just too good not to share, if only for Reggis dry sense of humour. It really emphasises what we feel God is calling us to.

Enjoy - I would love your feedback, especially over whether beef will be the meat of heaven.

Clare's Away

2008-06-20T13:25:00.004+01:00

Clare, my beautiful wife is away for the weekend, visiting her mum (just finished chemo) and her sisters (Stella, Helen and Lydia). Funny, I miss her already and she's only been gone a little while. So that's me with sole charge of the children, and guess what; we are all off to that temple of capitalism, MacDonald's, after school today. I'm sure I'll squeeze something education and physically demanding, in between cbeebies and WII playing.

Anyway its time to crack out the boy DVDs. I'm hoping to watch 300 and Infernal Affairs II (before Joey beats my door down for it) at some stage - anyone got any other suggestions for movies to watch?

Twelve's Company

2008-06-18T19:20:00.004+01:00

Yesterday I had the privilege of mixing in a new circle and made some new friends. I have been invited to become a trustee of charity called Twelve's Company and attended a strategy day with the other board members. They are doing some very difficult work in assisting victims of sexual abuse, primarily today through counselling and soon through creation of a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in conjunction with the Police, Home Office, local health and the Community Safety Partnership. This will help victims immediately after a crime come forward into a non-institutional environment. This is so important in a part of the country that has the lowest conviction rates for such crimes. Please pray for funding and favour with local statutory authorities for this worthwhile endeavour.

For my part, I hope to contribute my proven abilities in organisational change, strategic HR and project management. I feel encouraged that these abilities will be used not only for the RN, but also as a blessing to the city. This especially when I need a completely different and mostly untested set of abilities for the church plant. I found the experience of the day most interesting especially as the other trustees come from a variety of backgrounds in the City: Two police officers, a family legal expert, a senior vicar, a CEO for a substance abuse charity and our most senior judge. From the discussions I learnt from real stories of the deep hurting of my city, in so many ways, and the chronic needs of the population. Our problems here run deep, with homelessness, drugs, domestic violence and crime prevelent.

As I left I felt exhausted, drained and really moved that the only answers for a real future lie in the Gospel. Only Jesus can provide lasting and definite change. And we as the Church really have a commission to go out and bring gospel change to those around us. Whether we do this under the banner of a christian organisation or not, matters not. What matters is that we send each other out, to bless others and make disciples of Jesus or those we meet.

Prayer Letter

2008-06-12T08:51:00.003+01:00

Here's the text from our latest prayer letter, just in case you weren't on the dist. If you would like to be on the list please let me know:

For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Isaiah 41:13

Update and Prayer

Well it has been a long time since we last put out a prayer letter, so this will be longer than usual. I trust that Jesus is looking after you and yours and I thank you so much for including us in your petitions. Well you guys must have been busy in prayer because we have felt really blessed and we have continued to settle well into the city. The kids are still having a great time at school and Isaac passed his 11+ to get into the local grammar despite the upheavals of moving. We are really getting to know our neighbours and friends from work, through a couple of parties we have thrown and just chatting and blessing those around us. A better summary of what we've been up to can be found on the blog. As a church, and in answer to our prayer for strategic partnering, we are now a Crowded House Network, an international grouping of like-minded church networks.
This is very exciting as they have been a great encouragement to us and a positive influence. In fact Steve Timmis, the founder of TCH is speaking with Mark Driscoll and Scott Thomas at the Dwell Conference this July. Mark Moore and other friends within Acts 29, are really with us, and in particular Mark is serving as my church planting ‘coach,’ which is a very constructive and challenging process through coachnet. It has been so good to hear of other church planting strategies around the world, and I sense that God has allowed us to settle down and really pray and consider what we are doing here in Plymouth. It has also allowed us to embark on a process of being a family together on mission. This is really exciting as so many of the words that we received before we left Canterbury (Roger – don’t forget the Flintstones) were about this and we are seeing fruit across the family. So, now we know what we are doing, its seems right to double our efforts in finding like minded people to share our values and get on mission as a community to Plymouth. I have appended our values and practices below.

Please pray for:

Talks. I am sharing the vision of Ecclesia Plymouth at Churches Together In Plymouth 16 Jul 08. Please pray for a warm reception and some challenging of hearts. If you are in the area please come along to support me that morning (0700 at ODILS in Greenbank), it would be so good to see some friendly faces. Please pray for similar opportunities to share to a broader audience.

Vision Meals. We plan to hold vision meals at our house 7.30pm Thurs 17 Jul 08 and Tues 16 Sep 08 . Our intention is invite people who might be interested in hearing about the plan for EP, have a meal and then explain the vision and allow people to ask any questions they might have. Please pray that these would be fun and constructive times with the Holy Spirit leading the right people to us. Again if you are Plymouth, feel free to come, share and lend support through just being there, if only to better understand what we are up to and pray for us.

Sunday Gatherings. We are now inviting anyone who would wish to join us to come for exploring the bible, prayer and informal worship each Sunday morning at 1100 in our house (62 Amherst Road), followed by a shared meal. Please pray for the right people to join us.

Mission. I have been invited to become a trustee for a local charity dealing with issues around sexual assault, pray that I can bless the city through this. Also, this is providing some contacts with some very senior figures in the city, so please pray these develop. We are getting to know our neighbours, and are leading an initiative to get residents parking in the road, please pray for success and favour with the local council. Clare is getting to know some mums in the playground and a local toddler playgroup, please pray for friendships to blossom. I am getting to know the school’s deputy head, and have good discussions relating to the nature of faith, please pray this continues. I am now leading a Heritage initiative at work, to communicate Royal Navy history, core values and ethos to trainees and the public, please pray for this worthwhile venture. Jesus. Please pray the Jesus would be glorified in the hearts and minds of many in this City. Pray for us to see this beautiful city through Jesus’ eyes to have compassion on others and bring the strength of the Gospel to bear here. Please pray that EP would demonstrate some of the glory of the City of God and really challenge this City that there is another way.

Partners. We have been welcomed by Churches Together in Plymouth and we are getting know the Peninsular Gospel Partnership, Grace Community Church and have contact with Tim Searle from Mutley Baptist Church. Please pray for these and other good relationships with churches in and around the city. Please for more people to join in praying for this exciting gospel adventure.

What we are...
What are we doing, what does EP look like? Well firstly, EP shares the values of The Crowded House Network, which are:

1. The priority of the Gospel. We are committed to taking the gospel both to our neighbours and to the ends of the earth. We will challenge one another to be sacrificial, risk-taking and flexible because the gospel has priority over our comfort, security and traditions. We want to have a global gospel vision and to this end be generous with our resources. We will not let Christian activity be just one part of our lives.
2. Mission through community. We are committed to communicating the gospel message in the context of a gospel community. We want people to experience church as a network of relationships rather than a meeting you attend or a place you enter. We will not put on evangelistic missions outside the context of a Christian community.
3. Home as the location and ethos of the church. We are committed to homes as a context for all or most of church life. We want home to define the ethos of church and believe it facilitates effective evangelism, especially among the unchurched. When congregations use other buildings, those buildings will not be viewed as sacred or the main focus of mission.
4. Living as extended family. We are committed to caring for one another, discipling one another, investing in relationships and resolving conflict. We will expect one another to make decisions with regard to the implications for the church and to make significant decisions in consultation with the church. We will not view church as a meeting you attend. We will not let conflict continue unresolved.
5. Being an inclusive family. We are committed to making church accessible to unbelievers and welcoming to the socially marginalised. We want all who come to have a sense of belonging. We will not let our welcome be dependent on adherence to any cultural norms when these are not demanded by the gospel. We will not do that which might make unbelievers feel left out.
6. Growing churches by planting churches. We are committed to starting new congregations - both in areas where no church exists and through subdividing growing congregations. We will not develop into a single, large congregation.
7. Church without the trappings. We are committed to freedom and simplicity in church life. We are committed to Bible teaching; loving community; the breaking of bread and prayer (Acts 2:42). Apart from these things we want to be flexible and relevant for the sake of the gospel. We will not regard as necessary for church life such things as accomplished music, constitutions, monologues, officers or anything that might hinder the core activities of the church and its mission.
8. Everyone exercising gospel ministry. We are committed to everyone in the church exercising gospel ministry. For some this will be expressed in their employment. We believe leadership is important and see leaders as facilitators of gospel ministry rather than those who exercise control. We will not make distinctions between full-time and nonfull-time ministers.
9. Shaping our activities around people’s gifts. We want the activities of a church to reflect its context. We will shape activities around the opportunities we have with unbelievers, and the gifts and passions of church members. We expect one another to see ourselves as servants of Jesus even when that means operating outside our comfort zones. We will not give people roles simply to maintain programmes.
10. Good Bible teaching and learning. We want to shape our lives and our life together in obedience to the Bible which we believe to be the reliable, authoritative and sufficient word of God. To this end we are committed to good Bible teaching and learning. We will not act on the basis of tradition, habit or pragmatism without reflection on the Bible. We will not see Bible teaching as an end in itself, but as that which must shape our thinking and action.

Practices
How then does our missional community live? How does it challenge the City of Man? Our strengths so far lie in eating with others, praying and listening, working through the bible together making friends, blessing others and trying to remember to thank God for everything. How are our values expressed to the world, in Plymouth a straight forward, relatively poor, grey yet arty city that likes to party and surf? Well we can say what we are committed to doing, rather than saying we must do so many things so many times a day or week. Acts 2v42, the early church was dedicated to a number of things, teaching, prayer, fellowship and breaking bread in homes (some commentaries see this as mission expressed).

Acts 2v42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

What are we committed to; well if we see life as a cycle of things we could express it like this: Learning Listening Sending Blessing Thanking Eating

What do these commitments mean? By committed we mean it is a regular focus and priority for every member of the community. This in turn then places a demand on the nature of membership of the community and what is expected from members.

Learning. We are committed to learning about God through shared study of God’s word and expository teaching. We are committed to personal study of scripture and exploration of good doctrine to influence positively how we live today. Rom 10v17

Listening. We are committed to listening to God in prayer, scripture and prophecy (spectacular and mundane) to establish where he is prompting and leading us. We are committed to listening to each others and the world’s stories, hurts, joys and needs. Mar 11v24

Sending. We are committed to sending and encouraging each other into the city of Plymouth as every ‘member is a missionary’; thus seeing every work place, school, university, toddler group and home as a mission field. This is characterised by the sense of living the gospel out seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. Mat 28v19

Blessing. We are committed to blessing everyone we engage with, whether Christian or not. We seek to serve the city sacrificially for Jesus’ glory wherever we find ourselves. This has a heavy emphasis on growing and developing friendships with those around us, to understand their needs and desires, and working as a community to serve these. Zac 10v1, Eph 2v10

Thanking. We are committed to thanking God for everything, and pursuing a lifestyle characterised by joy, enjoying creation, hope in the future and fearing God not our circumstances. This is expressed in joyful charismatic worship, regular shared parties and pursuits such as sport and recreation. This accompanying an attitude of facing and overcoming all problems with the Gospel. Rom 12v12, 1Thes 5v16, Psa 27v13

Eating. We are committed to regular shared meals and breaking bread whenever the community gathers. We are committed to having our homes as the focus for welcoming others into the community through meals, coffee and tea. Rom 2v42; Rom 12v13

Growth
These commitments then establish a replicable pattern of life for a missional community. As the community grows everyone understands the pattern of life together, such that growth into a number of missional communities should be natural and not fractured; as small group multiplication often is in traditional church settings. Growth should also be seen in the quality of the community’s life over time. Impetus for community growth in size and life along with leadership for new communities will come through an intentional pattern of discipleship (more to follow)…

Enjoy God's Grace

Jason
'So I will watch over them to build and plant declares the Lord.' Jer 31:28b

This is Plymouth

2008-06-12T08:36:00.002+01:00

Here's a really insightful and short blogpost about our very own Plymouth based terrorist:

http://covenantrenewal.blogspot.com/2008/06/blowing-my-cover.html

Tim the author, is an anglican vicar round the corner from where we live.

I have no beard

2008-06-03T11:08:00.000+01:00

Picture to follow...

Yes I did it!

2008-05-29T18:41:00.003+01:00

I ran the Plymouth Half marathon in 2 hours 20 mins last sunday, which was great considering that the doctor only gave the all clear on my broken foot 20 days before. I want to shave 15mins off that time next one I do. I know its cliched but running the race was alot like starting this gospel community, just keep moving and plodding on. Still I made it and look I got a medal.

Funny

2008-05-21T13:11:00.001+01:00

Grace for the City - Dwell London

2008-05-21T09:08:00.003+01:00

This should be good, I've booked my ticket already, so I hope to see you there:

Wondering what Driscoll is up between TOAM and Sunday at Adrian Warnock's church well now you know:

A one-day conference for anyone involved in, or thinking of church planting
St Pauls Robert Adam St12th July 9.30-4.45

Join us to get equipped and motivated for a church planting strategy that springs from a passion for the gospel of grace, not from mechanical methods.

Speakers:Mark Driscoll (Mars Hill Church, Seattle)
Scott Thomas (Acts 29 network)
Steve Timmis (The Porterbrook Network)

Programme:
Session 1: Gospel of grace vs Religion of Works
Session 2: Preaching Jesus
Session 3: The church planter as a minister of grace
Session 4: Planting communities of graceSession 5: Am I a church planter?

Cost for the day is £20 including lunch and refreshments.
Book through The Good Book Company: www.thegoodbook.co.uk/ (£1 booking fee)
Or call 0845-225-0880 (£2 booking fee)

This day conference is organised byActs 29 – a network of pastors from around the nation and world whose dream is to help qualified leaders called by God plant new churches and replant declining churches. http://www.acts29network.org/

The Porterbrook Network – The Porterbrook Network is a developing initiative aimed at contributing to a wider church planting movement by equipping individuals and churches to rediscover mission as their DNA through training, resourcing and consultancy. http://www.theporterbrooknetwork.org/

The Good Book Company - www.thegoodbook.co.uk/bookings/dwelluk

Also ::Driscoll Unleashed on the UK:
Friday 11th July 8.00pm St James Clerkenwell
Join us for a special evening with Mark Driscoll
Admission free (free-will offering)

Simple church, wrestling with the Gospel

2008-05-12T10:19:00.004+01:00

We gathered as a family and church again on Sunday morning, before we had friends around for roast lunch. We had a good time starting in the garden, and then retiring to the kitchen for worship. The piece of scripture we looked at through reading several different translations was Eph 2v4-10:

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. [ESV]

Approaching a piece of Paul’s writing like this with 5 kids and 2 grown ups can be difficult. But building on the headlines from our study of Mark’s gospel, that Jesus’ death and resurrection allows us to repent, believe and follow; we struggled on. It was really good to look at the sheer enormity of grace that means we can offer nothing to our salvation. Interestingly the kids found it challenging that the good works that we do, get us no closer to God. It then led us back to Adam and Eve and the first fall, and about how only God can sort things out between God and man. Once we talked about this, we all learnt about the bridge to life picture in our time of creative prayer, which produced some amazingly colourful results (although Ruby (5), just did a picture of some balloons from her party).

Isaac then led worship, by choosing 3 songs to focus our praises, Great big God, Nirvana's rendition of They Hung Him on a Cross and Happy Day. The words seemed to sink in as Caleb (7) was singing 'They hung him on a cross for me' as he set up for lunch afterwards.

It was no Florida revival (I wish), but the bible was taught and we all grew some by letting the Holy Spirit work in us.

Gospel Centred Living

2008-05-07T07:52:00.001+01:00

Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you. Hosea 10v12

Plymouth isn't small

2008-04-30T10:37:00.004+01:00

Did you know that Plymouth is the 15th largest city in England? It is larger than Southampton, Newcastle, Reading, Derby, York and Portsmouth (Source 2001 census) and feeds both the counties of Devon and Cornwall.

We believe that EP is here to bless this huge city, starting in some small ways. So this weekend we are having a BBQ (whatever the weather) for people in our road, some naval guys and some other friends. Hopefully there'll be 70 odd grown ups plus their children to feed. Please pray that everyone enjoys themselves and relationships are forged over sausages, chicken, salad and booze shared together.

Rom 12v12-13 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

The excuse for the BBQ is my birthday (38 years, only 5 to go to the big 43!).

Just keep blogging...

2008-04-22T12:56:00.004+01:00

So I've been making posts here for just over 7 months. What an amazing anniversary you exclaim, quick lets have a whip round for a gold watch (I'd prefer an Ipod). But before you let loose in mild ecstasy, I've been engaged in preparing this Church plant for over a year now. This time last year we put an offer on a house in Plymouth and placed our home in Canterbury on the market. We had politely been turned down by our friends in New Frontiers as candidates for planting a Church in the area. Since then we sold our house, bought one (just) and then transplanted to the South West. As I think back though, it has been the influence of a good friend that has encouraged and shaped me most. That friend is a guy called Mark Moore, he initially welcomed me as a prospective Acts 29 church planter and we have both been on a journey over the last 12 months. I have much to thank Mark for:

- He introduced me to the work of Tim Keller, firstly through his church planting manual. Also you should pick his series on preaching from the heart.

- Next he introduced me to The Crowded House, Steve Timmis, their vision for household church, and the book Total Church.

- Then I had my ecclesiology further challenged through reading Exiles and Forgotten Ways; which in turn led me to the works of Newbigin and Bosch.

- He serves often as a mentor and encouragement to me in the rather isolated place of being a lone missional church planter in Plymouth.

- He has also introduced me to some excellent counselling and pastoral resources. But I suppose Mark has been most effective as a friend with whom I share some important values about how we should go about expressing church in the 21st Century.

In these months and through Mark's encouragement, I have found that we have moved from trying to start a large attraction church in Plymouth to start a large network of missional communities relating together through the values I had blogged about before. I now feel that I understand the course we are on and the implication that that entails. I have always been wary of doing something different, but that seems to be the course that Jesus has set us on. I pray now that God would raise others to join us in this exciting adventure.

Just to prove that we are all alive

2008-04-12T10:05:00.004+01:00

Here's the Ecclesia Plymouth power team:

Yes its us at Wembury Beach again. Well it's surprising how missional you can be at a National Trust property. The picture was taken by Elisabeth, our friend from Norway who's down for the weekend. Elisabeth has been in Serbia and Georgia this year, developing work for her PHd, looking at democracy in nations with serious ethnic tensions (I hope that's right). Here's a little piccie (I'll put a better higher res one up when I get one):

Hello Again

2008-04-09T12:40:00.002+01:00

Just a quick post just to say Clare, the kids and I have not been run over by a bus. We continue to enjoy exploring what it means to be a family on mission. This has really meant alot of entertaining and getting to know our community. So the Sunday lunch spot and a number of evenings have been filled with a variety of guests, which has been fun. I sacrificially have had to go to the pub a number of times and additionally go and watch Plymouth Argyle play (actually they were rubbish and Charlton deserved the win). Incidentally home park is only a 7 min walk away. As you might guess my foot is getting better, and we are starting to do things as a family again, not helped by crazy school holidays this year.

Please pray for Plymouth, its a city that needs the message of Jesus Christ. We had one of the elders from Mutley baptist and his wife (Tim and Debs) around for dinner and I became especially encouraged that we all have a role to play in blessing this city, from the large established church through to a fledgling gospel community like ours.

We continue to pray for others to join us at EP, please pray for some folks that would share a similar vision to us to take part in this adventure. If you want to know what our values look like it's something like this:

In obedience to Christ and for his glory, we are committed to:
1. The priority of the gospel ('community in mission')2. Mission through community3. Home as the location and ethos of church4. Living as an extended family5. Being an inclusive community6. Growing churches by planting churches7. Church without the trappings8. Everyone exercising gospel ministry9. Shaping our activities around people's gifts10. Good Bible teaching and learningAll coloured by a Charismatic expression of faith.

You might notice that these values are a restatement of those that I wrote about in an earlier post, building on the experience of the The Crowded House network. In fact the links go to the TCH website. Cheers Steve and Tim.

Exiles on Mission

2008-03-13T14:58:00.005Z

I have just started Reading Michael Frost's book Exiles again. When I read it early last year I found it somewhat of a polemic, however my thinking on church has changed over the previous 18 months. I have a different vision for how we should be going about our business and I welcome what Michael has to say with less defences up. Suffice to say, Mr Frost is describing a massive shake up of the whole fabric of the church mission and identity which is not complimentary of traditional and contemporary church forms.

Now I wouldn't say there isn't a place for big old church; but for us church planting EP, there is a sense that Frost is right and we should be behaving more like exiles in Plymouth, not part of the traditional fabric of society. As such he recommends to more incarnationaly represent Jesus, our witness should look more like this:

Taking active participation in the life of Plymouth, understanding its needs, desires and frustrations with the mind of Christ.
Using language and thought forms intelligeable to those in this City. Certainly not using theological terms or religious jargon.
Going to people not expecting them to come to us.
Having the confidence that the gospel may be communicated through a variety of ordinary means, with deeds leading to the communication of words.

Michael Frost says one further thing that hit home in describing those who might pursue this agenda 'They have been marginalised by their other Christian friends who thought their ideas and lifestyle too radical or too unsafe to accommodate. (Exiles, P56).'

I couldn't find a suitable picture but here's some of the Gidney Family who popped in recently:

What is missional church?

2008-03-10T11:23:00.001Z

What do you think of these?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=77ndCFSv47g

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_YaXbkD1sgs&feature=related

Ciao

Missionaries Needed

2008-03-10T09:27:00.006Z

As you may or may not be aware, we are on the look out for like minded people who share similar values to come and join us in planting this church EP.

So do you wish to become a missionary to the South West? Do you want to do church differently, exposing the world to radical sacrificial community? This in contrast to the standard church model centred around meetings and ministries. Are you up to moving to central Plymouth, the city serving the needs of Devon and Cornwall, and living out the message of Jesus Christ. We so often talk mission and church planting, but this is an opportunity to contextualise (make understood) the gospel through the way you live in community with other Christians.

Think about it, do you say often, I would like to go 'on mission' but just perpetuate the humdrum of your current life? Are you frustrated because you know that God is calling you on but haven't found your 12 foot high neon sign? Pray about Plymouth and a missional church planting adventure through a network of household congregations in the South West's premier city. Oh yes and there are 62 beaches within 50 miles, very reasonable house prices and great sailing.

Is Running Dangerous?

2008-03-04T09:49:00.003Z

I have sport's injury! David Beckham eat your heart out, sorry England squad I won't make it for a while. I have fractured my fifth metatarsal in my left foot aftre an altercation with a kerb whilst running (4miles into a 5mile run). Funny what God will do to make you slow down isn't it.

I should still make the Plymouth half marathon at the end of May if Clare will let me.

Friends from Canada and Essex

2008-03-04T09:42:00.005Z

Steve MacAlpine is not the only one with Canadian friends...

We had Jay (on the left) and his beautiful fiancée Sarah to stay weekend before last. They plan to marry summer 2009 in Essex (there are nice bits apparently) and have booked a titan of a speaker for the address. They do also have a marvellous sense of humour to boot.

On Fidel's Departure

2008-02-27T20:27:00.003Z

We had a great Canadian friend and his girlfriend to stay last weekend. More of them later - but guess what: within 7 days of his stepping down as El Commandante, through their kindness, I am now the proud owner of a Cuban cigar which is the same brand as Fidel Castro smokes! I feel like a part of history.

It's in deep storage for an appropriate occasion.

EP Values

2008-02-22T10:23:00.004Z

What value is there in a written set of values? I think they can provide strategic direction to an endeavour, ensuring that whatever is done contributes to a set outcome. So what should the set of values for a fledgling church plant into Plymouth that aspires to instigate a network of missional gospel communities to represent the City of God to the City of Man? Well lets start with scripture and apply those wonderful truths to our context. Unfortunately Paul was very clear on the characteristics of an elder, but was surprisingly vague on the shape and feel of the churches. Luke I sense is very sensitive to remove much of the Jewish context from his record, and as such there's not too much to work with. Working with what there is, I feel the following comes out:

They were obsessed by the message they had to deliver, risking prison and punishment to continue with it.
Churches have Apostles, prophets, elders and deacons (appointed for specific tasks). Therefore there is distinct leadership which isn't necessarily democratic.
There is no formal ceremony, as their meetings took place outside the temple and synagogues.
Everyone was involved, sharing both resources and the gospel.
It was didactic with a focus on the teachings of the Apostles and the Hebrew scriptures.
People listened and acted on fresh revelation from the prophets after praying about it.
It was based in peoples homes, although other venues were used for apologetics and preaching, and these were very public.
The church was seen as a distinct community and many were won over to 'the way' through the quality of that community and its diversity.
Membership of the church community was something that cost an awful lot in reputation, resource and possible persecution.
The church spread as people where dispered from Jerusalem throughout the Empire, and they replicated this pattern of church life and worship.

So we ought to plant a church that:

Is Gospel obsessed.
Has clear leadership where capable people are used to perform specific tasks.
Doesn't get hung up on ceremonies and traditions.
Involves everyone.
Has lucid, contextualized bible teaching and learning.
Values prophecy and God's continuing revelation, but handles it in submission to scripture.
Is based primarily in shared homes and families but has an occasional public presence.
Mission is centred in the home and the activities of the community, which can be seen to be distinct in value and lifestyles.
Has a diversity stretching across class, ethnicity, cultural and national boundaries.
Sets the bar of christian life and membership high, but sets the bar for the mechanics of church life low.
Seeks to replicate this pattern of church life throughout the city of Plymouth.

Please note any convergences with the TCH values are purely scriptual.

It's Grim Up North

2008-02-20T08:19:00.004Z

Well, no it isn't really and I must admit I loved living in Scotland, especially the village of Rhu near Helensburgh, which is proper north, none of this Manchester and Leeds nonsense.

Sorry back to missional musings - I had great chats with Matthew Spriggs from the Crowded House in Loughborough (TCHL) last night, unpacking their story of planting a household congregation in their city. They (Matt and JonnyWoodrow) seemed to move from renegade CU to (un)conventional church to a household congregation. Matt seemed convinced that their turning point was when they transferred from a community hall to a home. I asked what was the most difficult value they found to communicate to those who where new to TCHL. He replied ‘getting people to understand that the gospel and apologetic was to be expressed through community not just some meetings.’ They also have found that using an agreed list of values has helped shape and direct their activities - very useful to avoid being distracted or going off piste as we say in the Navy.

TCHL are currently looking for ways to get into those needy communities around them – I’m praying that God will provide them with a few men of peace who they can share hospitality and the gospel with.

I would find a picture of Loughborough, but Plymouth is much prettier:

The Reid Creed

2008-02-18T10:55:00.005Z

I post this whilst in my office committing the sin of avoiding doing a difficult piece of work, well struggling through an impasse really. I am currently writing up a study into the establishment of a Heritage site in HMS RALEIGH and I’m at the putting the words, arguments, vision and thoughts into a cogent yet manageable paper stage.

Now when I have been quizzing my children during our weekly church gatherings, I have found them surprisingly muddled on the basics of their faith. This got me thinking about how I would better serve my kids and feed their nascent belief. A creed I thought, adapted so my children could remember and recite it, possibly enhanced and developed with a short catechism. Now if anyone has something I could develop that would be useful. When I've finished I'll post it up here.

Now back to the Maritime Heritage Strategy...

The picture's Admiral Lord Nelson struck down on the deck of HMS Victory at Trafalgar

What are you Jason?

2008-02-13T09:41:00.002Z

Good Party

2008-02-09T10:26:00.001Z

We had a good party last night. People from work, people from the road we've just moved into and us. Plenty of kids, nibbles and booze; we had a really good chance to get to know our neighbours. And I managed to pace myself - hoorah for righteousness.

Genuine Dilemna

2008-02-08T08:45:00.000Z

Last night the 2100 choice was real:

Ashes to Ashes or Never Mind the Buzzcocks

But Gene Hunt is back in his glorious misogynistic way so Ashes had to win. I loved it so much I didn’t want the episode to finish. ‘I’m not nervous just cautious.’ However the mix up of eighties music was a bit annoying, although I don't think tab was available until later in the eighties.

Still BBC Iplayer will let me watch Buzzcocks later.

Paradigm Shift

2008-01-28T11:47:00.000Z

What does that mean? Sounds very clever, and even when someone says it’s like the model of the way we do church that needs to change. Somehow you still think, yer but what does that mean? How should things change? Should they change? Do we like our paradigms? Sounds a bit Doctor Who doesn’t it.

I must admit, I love and loathe the way we do church; my background is New Frontiers from the point of salvation (18 years ago). So as a firm charismatic ‘nut job,’ there’s nothing better for me than a great band leading a youthful congregation in Spirit filled, tongues aplenty, prophetic worship. This should be followed by a sound reformed, exhortation message inspiring me to get off my butt and preach Jesus to the lost. This should be sprinkled lightly with a small group meeting once a week, focussed on 4 W’s and inviting one young couple round for dinner on Friday night.

But is that church? Yes and no, I sense the killer statement is ‘there’s nothing better for me’ but 'what’s better for Jesus'? Yes the Church should gather large for worship and hear preaching (proclamation of the Gospel). Yes, it should gather small, to break bread and fellowship. But what’s better for Jesus? Don’t start at Acts 2, go back to Acts 1, ‘go make disciples.’ The Church is 24/7, because it is our lives, what’s best for Jesus is that the church is out there being the alternative place, voice and presence to a decaying and fallen world. We are not called to feed our needs; we are called to sacrifice for Jesus and his message. The Gospel is not a gateway to salvation; it is the foundation of our every waking moment.

So as I think about what to do with our lttle church plant, I keep thinking we need to be church first. this is very frustrating to a task obsessed engineer, but I sense this is the direction we need to take from the outset.

Don’t get me wrong, I love New Frontiers and how its message of grace and servant leadership has shaped me over the years. Terry Virgo is a spiritual titan, and NF remains a force for change in this generation. But I sense there’s more to church than meets the eye…

Getting about in Plymouth

2008-01-23T13:49:00.000Z

Yesterday, I had the privilege of meeting up with a number of guys each in a diffrent place on the 'church' journey.

Firstly there's Tim Buckley, who's a local Church Of England Vicar, a great guy with a theological outlook similar to mine. He has the challenging task of leading 2 congregations into a new expression of church, but is aided by both church buildings being redeveloped in something 'warmer.' He has real passion for this area and this city, which is most encouraging.

Next I was honoured to meet up with 4 others in Cafe Rouge, with a similar desire to see church done differently. I was certainly the most junior (in wisdom and years) present, but I was struck by a group of guys, all ex full time pastors from a variety of backgrounds, with a deep dissatisfaction of previous models of church. In fact some talked of having to be 'dechurched' or 'detoxed' from their notions of what church should be. We had a fascinating couple of hours over coffees and a white wine spritzer (me having a girly drink moment) chatting through issues at the heart of ecclesiology.

Ep Gathers

2008-01-13T19:20:00.000Z

EP has gathered again, here's the proof:

What sort of Church?

2008-01-06T16:22:00.000Z

I was reading Tim Keller's church planting manual (available from their website) again after our family had a short word and worship gathering this morning. It reminded me that we are planting a church to bless Plymouth not necessarily the Church we would like to build. This is timely reminder as I seek God for the next steps. I must admit to feeling daunted and nervous about the tasks ahead.

New Year, New City, New Church

2008-01-03T08:30:00.000Z

Well another post, after what seems an age, but we have been industrious and much has happened.

Home. Firstly, we now live in Plymouth!! This is a Christmas Day picture, beautiful Clare is behind the lens of the Camera (brought by Santa) as she's always reluctant for her piccie to be seen. Moving was a whole heap of opportunities to fear God and not our circumstances, including all the money going missing on the day of completion, a solicitor sending it to the wrong sort code. It also didn't help that we were buying from 'ejits are us', but we pray God blesses them in their new home. The house is huge and feels like home already, and we have bought a guest futon for anyone who wants to come and stay.

Hard bits. Clare's mum was diagnosed with breast cancer just before we moved. It's serious and has spread to both her breasts and lymph glands, but no further. She is planning on a course of chemo followed by surgery, and hopefully will avoid a double mastectomy. Clare's devastated that we've gone from being 20 miles away to 300 miles and cannot support and love her Mum and Dad in the way should she would want. But she knows God is in charge and is learning to trust him when she cannot be there. Please pray for Barry and Maureen as they face this challenge and as they also lead a church plant into Broadstairs in Kent.

School. The kids have settled amazingly well into their new school, which is such an answer to prayer. It is a Catholic school, and I'm sure Baxter, Edwards, Spurgeon et al are all turning in their graves. But I would rather deal with issues on sacramental theology and marianism than with secular humanism. And we've only had one Mary medal back home so far.

Church. So in the three and bit weeks we have been here EP has met once, in our front room, with seven gathering for a short Christmas celebration. Just a minute doesn't that equal the size of your family? Oh yes it does, but it is church nevertheless. Otherwise I have purposely done nothing but get the family settled. However for our anniversary (10 fantastic years) Clare bought me a soft leather 'man bag', so I'm ready to commence on the path to pastorhood. I suppose though to become a reformed emergent missional minster, I probably need a Macbook, wouldn't you say?

'Make it the business of life to prepare for heaven.' Esther Burr 1745

Strategy. Seriously in the short term, I will now concentrate on following some wisdom from a couple of guys I met last year. Firstly from Steve Timmis at The Crowded House. Steve advised me to get the values right with a small core from the start, as he learned this to his cost in Sheffield. Next is a guy in Tacoma USA called Jeff, planter and leader of Soma Communities, when he started it was just him and his wife much like us moving back to a city that they loved. He waited until he had two other couples with the same heart and vision to be church rather than attend church.

What Next? So I am now on the look out for a small gang of people with a similar heart of mine to be church, the Kingdom of God in Plymouth, not just attending some sort of gathering, with a view to creating a form of missional community. I sense this might take some time, but I want to get it right and it is worth being patient for(this is a four letter word to me) . It's not flash, its not a parachute of 30 people into a city supported by a denomination with gathering days etc; its just following what I consider God is calling me, my family and I sense many others across the world to, in a new generation to show God's manifold glory to a fallen world.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Eph 3v20-21

PS: As a favour I would appreciate if you could link our website to yours and help push us up the google listings. Cheers and enjoy grace.

Church Planting Update

2007-11-26T15:50:00.000Z

Just to let you know what we are up to in advance of a prayer letter that should be out this week.

We finally move to Plymouth next Friday 7 Dec 07 and the kids start just before the Christmas break 10 Dec 07. This is great news - and we will now spend some time making sure we are settled as a family before we focus on the church.

We have had a tough year illness wise, with Clare suffering from a cancer scare earlier in the year. And now we have recently learnt that Clare’s mum is suffering from some fairly advanced breast cancer. The treatment is yet undecided but undoubtedly will involve kemo and surgery, but the extent is yet to be established. We pray for a miracle. But this comes as we leave them for the other side of the country.

1Cor10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

In all this it is good to remember that God is in charge and he is bigger than our circumstances. It is right that we fear him as we suffer and seek his glory in all things, humbly submitting each day to Jesus that His kingdom would come, not ours; and that his will would be done, not ours. We seek that everything we do is for the glory of God even how we endure pain and hurt. In fact, in the midst of these trials is where the Holy Spirit does his best business with us, preparing us for heaven and pouring the sweet tasting cover of his righteousness over us.

2Cor7:1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Foolishness to the Greeks

2007-09-28T08:33:00.000+01:00

I have just finished a very interesting book, Foolishness to the Greeks by Lesslie Newbigin. It was one of those oft quoted missives in the standard texts on mission. It was hard work in places but it is simply excellent and I would recommend it to anyone who wishes to understand the collision of the modern and orthodox Christian world views.

He just puts things so well, and a useful addition to anyone's apologetic armoury:

P81 'It is absurd to posit as the ultimate framework of explanation a machine constructed by nobody for no purpose.'

There are so many more.

I sense that mission and apologetics are 2 edges of one of our spiritual swords. As we engage in mission, the practical presentation of gospel community, coupled with a powerful defence of why we do things differently, we will certainly win over even the hardest to Christ. One of the things we often forget to do, as Schaeffer explains, in our lust to present our message: we don’t bother to ask what people think and unpack the fault lines of that first. Additionally we leave this as a purely academic/conversational exercise and don’t bother to get involved in other aspects of peoples lives.

Prayers urgently needed

2007-09-24T08:36:00.000+01:00

My friend Mark Moore posted this about a fellow church planter facing intimidation and violence in India, please pray for them:

http://mooreblog.typepad.com/mark_moores_blog/2007/09/persecution-in-.html

Offer on house

2007-09-17T13:19:00.000+01:00

We accepted a good offer on our house in canterbury today!!

God be praised - we are feeling the day of his favour.

Psalm 126
When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed.
Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations,

"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negev.
Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.
He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.

Schaeffer Wisdom and walking on grass

2007-08-30T12:11:00.000+01:00

'In the same way, if man has been kicked up by chance out of what is only impersonal, then those things that make him man - hope of purpose and significance, love, notions of morality and rationality, beauty and verbal communication - are ultimately unfulfillable and are thus meaningless. In such a situation is man higher or lower? He would then be the lowest creature on the scale. The green moss on the rock is higher than he, for it can be fulfilled in the universe which exists. But if the world is what these men say it is, then man (not only individually but as a race), being unfulfilled, is dead. In this situation man should not walk on the grass, but respect it - for it is higher than he!' Trilogy P95.

I think Schaeffer was a man writing 30 years ahead of his time. Please take the time to read his Trilogy, it will help you understand where much 'modern' theological thinking is grounded.

Good stuff from Mr Keller

2007-08-24T10:46:00.000+01:00

http://theresurgence.com/tim_keller_2004_preaching_in_a_post-modern_city_part_1

A great little article.

Seek God, He's worth it, its worth it...

2007-07-31T10:46:00.000+01:00

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
Jerimiah 29:13-14

Church the subversive

2007-07-12T09:12:00.000+01:00

As someone who thinks the Church should be a dangerous subversive thing, I really like these quotes from Transforming Mission by David Bosh:

P47 'The early Christian mission was political, indeed revolutionary. Ersnt Bloch, the Marxist philosopher, once said it was difficult to wage a revolution without the Bible.'

P47 The Christian movement of the first centuries was a radically revolutionary movement "and ought to be that today also" but, adds Ehrhardt [political metaphysicist (what's that? Ed)], we should then keep in mind that revolutions are not to be evaluated in terms of the terror they spread, nor of the destruction they cause, but rather in terms of the alternatives they are able to offer.

Bosh's book (missiology textbook) is hard work but there are some gems to be found.

Window in your sermon world

2007-07-11T11:07:00.000+01:00

If you have some time can I recommend some some audio for you:

http://theresurgence.com/files/audio/tim_keller_2007-05-23_audio_gospel_centered_ministry.mp3

http://theresurgence.com/files/audio/dgnc_2006-09-30_audio_driscoll_the_supremacy_of_christ_and_scripture_in_a_pomo_world.mp3

http://theresurgence.com/files/audio/dgnc_2006-09-30_audio_keller-supremacy_of_christ_and_the_gospel_in_a_pomo_world.mp3

http://www.providencecommunity.com/audio/061007.mp3

I am so sad, I like to listen to stuff like this whilst running.

I know, I am looking for a life...

Success

2007-07-06T10:27:00.000+01:00

What do we gauge success in church by? Most often in is terms of simple numbers and the size of a building. I must admit this has often been my own secret metric for assessing a church and more importantly where we should be going. Recently, this has been exposed and now I wrestle with what sort of metrics and performance indicators we should have for a church. What should a missional church look like in 5 years time? Or to answer a question where is the Spirit led Church going?

I wonder what a balanced scorecard for church should look like? For those who don’t know a Balance scorecard is a strategic planning tool that helps turn a company vision into strategy and helps monitor the achievements of that strategy.

Would we have a size metric, as many UK churches seem obsessed with the 1000 figure? For me, I had an idea of the church as a big tree in a field providing shade on the ground and in the branches. But if you want to shade or cover the entire field, the big tree won’t do it. In fact you would be better off with lots of little trees seeded from the big tree – then lots of small young trees could fulfil the vision much quicker than growing a big tree.

Does that make sense?

From Jesus to Church

2007-07-04T12:57:00.000+01:00

Alan Hirsch spoke some insightful words in the Forgotten Ways (p140):

Our Christology
determines
our Missiology
determines
our Ecclesiology

So what we think about Jesus, immediately shapes what we should be doing in the world, so therefore we should build a church to allow us to do just that.

Emerging genius

2007-07-03T12:47:00.000+01:00

Is it just me do you have to have a PHD (or researching for one) to be part of the emerging church movement?

Total Church

2007-07-03T12:38:00.000+01:00

I am just reading Total Church by Steve Timmis and Tim Chester. Having just finished Exiles (Michael Frost) and Forgotten Ways (Alan Hirsch), it is bay far the best book on missional church I have read so far. Here's some quotes that I enjoyed:

P88 The question is not a choice between planting churches and social involvement. The question is what sort of churches are planted.

p93 Good church planting forces us to re-ask questions about the gospel and church; to reinvent churches that are both gospel centred without religious tradition and relevant without worldly conformity.

P99 It is a constant continuum because mission is, what we might call, the steady state of God's people.

The chapters on evangelism and leadership where those I most warmed to, but there is little that I disagree with.