Here’s an update by Ed Green from HBC Chester on their new Missional Community.
“Last year in April 2015 my wife and I moved into a house next door to our friends because we wanted to do Missional Community/family on mission together. We had already experimented with an MC called Blacon Central (we live in Blacon and the houses back onto an old train line) and wanted to really go for it. At the same time our Church, HBC Chester, was launching MC’s. In September 2015 we really went for it by starting a new church rhythm of 2 in 2 out. So for 2 Sundays a month we met as Blacon Central. Over this last year our MC has grown from 3 core families who lead it and a few on the edge to a group of about 7/8 families regularly engaged and belonging to our community with more on the edge. We have baptised 3 people in the back garden and grown too big for our houses so we have just started meeting in a building with a hall. A number of our MC have started coming to church on Sundays and we are loving it!
In amongst all of the good there have been moments where we have got it wrong and tried to do too much and not taken on the ‘light weight’ aspect which at times has caused stress (surprise surprise). We have also, and this is more my fault, not always been as planned and organised as we could be. This year has helped us a s core team to really be a family and not a team. We haven’t spent enough time on us as a core (3 couples) but we are correcting that.
What we did do well was go slow and try to keep it secret! This goes against my nature! As a church we have tried to go slowly and as such in our MC we did the same. We didn’t advertise or invite many people for ages! We just invested in a few people/families. Now we feel that we can grow it and invite a few more and what’s great is that the people we have invested in and discipled are doing the same with people close to them, their own people of peace. We are looking forward to the year ahead.
Also it’s worth noting that some of the people in our MC, we have known and been building relationships for a number of years, so this isn’t just an overnight thing. What’s great is that we now have space, time and a vehicle in which to disciple them. However, others we haven’t known for long but they were definite people of peace so they came and loved it!”