This month Jennie caught up with Josh Cutting from The Way, Sheffield, a new missional expression of church in Sheffield
Many people in Kx will know you and your wife Beth from Form, Rebuild and NCS. It’s great to see you involved in something new, but how did it start?
The way is part of a dream we’ve had for a long time. As a younger Christian I was often dissatisfied with the way church was. I was sure that there was more that God had to give us, but I didn’t know how to access it. I was blessed to have people in my life who were active in discipling me and helping me to grow in my relationship with Jesus.
Before we did anything else, we prayed. A few friends joined us to pray who are now part of our core team. We wanted to honour the investment other leaders have had in our lives so before we started to gather any people, we met with other Church leaders in Sheffield and shared what we were doing. We didn’t want to move Christians around the city from church to church but to focus on people who don’t yet know Jesus.
What does it look like to be part of The Way?
I think most people would look at us and think that doesn’t really look like a church. The Way is just us living our lives in the way we have always done. Our focus is on the depth of relationship with Jesus, being obedient disciples, growing in joyful generosity and raising and releasing discipling leaders. That’s what we do as a family and that what we do in The Way.
It can be frustrating in the waiting, what’s been difficult on the journey?
We started from nothing, we just had the rhythms of sabbath, worship and prayer as a family. God gave us clear instructions: don’t call or invite anyone to join in. So, we waited and prayed for a year with our core team.
Initially it was fine, but as people who are wired for mission there was definitely some frustration. It’s taken time for us to find the balance, we’ve had to keep trusting God, growing in patience, praising and worshiping through the frustration.
We’ve been holding tightly to Lamentations 3: 25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him to the person who seeks him.
What has God been doing at The Way?
After a year of waiting, a few weeks ago on a Monday as we were praying together, we believed God was telling us it was time to open the doors.
The following day we were meeting on our living room, worshipping together and there was a knock at the window. When I opened the door, she asked “Are you a church, can I come in?” She came in and we just continued worshipping together. After, we were able to chat with her and found out that she used to walk with Jesus, hadn’t for a number of years. She had been at our door earlier, knocked, and no one had answered. She had tried to walk away but couldn’t so came back and knocked om the window.
On Wednesday out of the blue I received a message from a guy who had been through an Alpha course with us 3 or 4 years ago but hadn’t made a decision to follow Jesus. We met up for a walk and I told him what we were doing, he asked” Can me and my mum come?’
In the following week we received messages from 15 people, some Christians and some exploring faith who wanted to join. Once a month we meet on a Sunday in the woods with bacon butties, woodland crafts for forest church. We always do food, include the kids and use a bible passage to discuss the gospel and how it impacts our lives.
What’s advice would you give to someone wanting to do something similar?
Keeping the rhythm of prayer is vital. We prayed for a year before anything happened and without prayer nothing happens. The other thing would be having some accountable relationships with people who can support you in this. We connected with a couple who were doing something similar who’ve been able to guide us, encourage and challenge us along the journey.
As part of the wider Kx family how can we support you?
- Pray that we would be a blessing the city and the other churches in Sheffield
- We are not taking an income and we want to use the income we have to bless those around us. Please pray for our business and that we would be wise with the decisions we make.
If you’d like support Josh and Beth in their business, follow them on Instagram @perringoosepress