Starting A Missional Community

Abstract

An unexpected and unplanned sequence of events led a small group of adults and young people to stop and ask God what he wanted for the young people of a town in the UK called Bicester.  The group started to meet to pray and research what the needs of teenagers in Bicester were.  The repeated phrase that came out of this process was ‘a safe, warm, dry place to go’.  Six months later Crowded Costa was launched in the local coffee shop on the high street.

The core group have continued to meet and commit to exploring the expression of church in a coffee shop environment.  This group has been passionate about the mission to bring God to the teenagers in Bicester and have structured the community around the teen culture.  There was a distinct day when the group realised that although the expression was very different it was ‘church’.

The aim has been to use the family model as a guide to relate healthy community to having a balance of six different rhythms, (eat, play, listen, story-formed, bless and celebrate).  In the same way that a healthy Christian family has a balance of components that make up the whole these rhythms are all important; to be seen and experienced by anyone who engages with the community.  The rhythms also act as a barometer to evaluate and optimise the equilibrium between them.

Totally unchurched teenagers are attending the coffee shop nights regularly.  They are thriving on the opportunity to have a space that is theirs, where they can talk on their terms, where they are heard and where there is an amazing thirst and openness for spiritual conversations.

The journey has been stretching, challenging and hugely inspiring and encouraging.  God has been so faithful and for this season of ministry is taking the offering of the missional community and touching teenagers that have no spiritual foundation to their lives.

Introduction

Twelve months ago a small group of adults and young people were meeting on a weekly basis to seek God for overall direction, learning and support.  This group was committed to one another, after stepping out of a local church, and were not attending any other church or fellowship at the time.  There was a collective value articulated in ‘pausing’ to listen and wait on God before joining another church.  It was important that the group was not simply reacting without true discernment and direction.  A book that became pivotal was ‘The Shaping of Things To Come: Innovation and mission for the 21^st century church, Frost & Hirsch 2003.  In addition Jeff, from the Soma missional network in the US, was sharing his passion and experiences of being part of a missional community and the consequential outcome of church planting.  Out of the box thinking about church and what church could look like was stimulating and exciting.  Prior to this season of learning and reflecting the term ‘missional community’ held little meaning and was not even a reference point for many.  Missional community or church has been described as ‘one that aligns itself with God’s missionary purposes in the world.  The missional church is a sent church with one of its defining values being the development of a church life and practice that is contextualized to that culture to which it believes it is sent’. (Frost & Hirsch, 2003, p229).

There were significant values that resonated with the group and that were putting words to a way of thinking that sat comfortably.  Namely, mission being incarnational, in context and speaking the language of the group to be reached.  In contrast to a previous attractional model where the Christian mission is sending people out from the church to establish a relationship and then invite the seeker to step into the church culture and learn the language.

Method

The core group of adults and young people that were meeting divided up to administer interviews with key people and agencies in the local town of Bicester.  These included the youth officer on the town council, chief of police, deputy head of the secondary school and groups of teenagers hanging out in the town.  Structured questionnaires were written and used during the interview process.  The interviews were all led by one of the young people and supported by an adult.  It was felt important that the young people felt ownership of the group and were ‘seen’ by the community as asking the questions.  In addition a large survey had been completed by the local police on teenagers attending both of the secondary schools in town.   They were pleased to provide access to the data, which was highly relevant, asking similar questions about opinions regarding what the town has to offer, what they see the future needs are and so on.

Results

The group met to disseminate and interpret the results of the interviews to draw out common themes.  Gathered around a large piece of paper the group wrote down the themes and were given clear instructions to share the ‘seemingly impossible’ and dream about what God’s heart might be for the young people in Bicester.  This combination of listening to the local community and listening to God led to a statement of need; that they needed a safe, warm dry place to meet in.  The values of that place were also detailed and ideas for what that place might look like focused on a youth coffee shop idea.

A UK coffee shop chain called Costa became a possible venue suggestion.  The group researched Costa to get information about community projects they have supported.  Costa have been involved in providing a space for some to have a coffee shop style church.  A trainee based with Reign for a gap year arranged for a meeting with the manager of the Costa on Bicester High Street, with support from our team.  Discussions started and to the amazement of the group the manager was not only interested but was happy to staff an evening and only asked that a small amount was made each week in drinks sales.  Proposals were drawn up and further meetings held to establish Crowded Costa, Bicester.  The doors opened on Tuesday evenings in September 2008 and have been open on a weekly basis ever since this time!  God clearly orchestrated this contact and for the manager see something that he was willing to invest into.

Discussion

A period of rest and reflection led a small group of adults and young people to exploring ‘doing church’ in a context that has meaning and relevance to the teenagers in Bicester.  There was a strong feeling that the group did not want to make assumptions about what the needs of the teenagers were.

The group wanted to live out faith, being shaped by the gospel to meet that need.  The teenagers would then be exposed to what it looks like to follow Christ in a way that is not threatening and not asking them to step out of their world, being part of a community.  The community needed to be based on biblical truth and although the mission was organic and may change the foundations needed to be solid and sound.  Work focused on looking at what the vision and values were for the community group.  As the group gathered, either during the Costa evenings, or in other scheduled meeting times a balance was required to encourage health of the group and individuals that are part of it.  With support from the Soma community the components that created that desired equilibrium were referred to as ‘rhythms’.  There are six rhythms, the aim is that these will run through all that is done as a community like the words in a stick of rock.  They are: story-formed, listen, bless, eat, play and celebrate.

Conclusion

Crowded Costa celebrated its first birthday in September 2009.  A consistent group of teenagers with complex and varied needs from a cross section of socio-economic backgrounds are regularly attending Tuesday nights.  Triplets are regularly happening during the Costa evening with spiritual conversations, reading the bible and praying.  14 young people are committed to triplets and most of them are not yet believers.

In addition to the times during Costa the community group meet in homes on a weekly basis to pray, learn and to train to be equipped for the mission, and to be encouraged in their walk with God.

On a personal note, to reflect on the combination of going along to Crowded Costa, leading a triplet, planning and helping lead the additional meeting times God has been so close.  His leading has been felt amongst the fog of walking untrodden paths.  The process has somehow stripped away some of the structure and routine of church that can obscure Jesus, there has been no place to hide.  We have had to depend on God on a new level and ask for direction and help.  God has provided resources, advice and people in amazing ways to encourage and offer council. God has been so faithful and the teenagers keep coming and are showing real hunger for God.  I have learnt so much and my experience has been far from a watered down experience of church and God has stretched me in ways to build my faith muscles.  The journey is exciting and the team and community we are now part of is such a blessing.

References

Frost, Michael & Hirsch, Alan, 2003.  The shaping of things to come: Innovation and mission for the 21^st-century church.  Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.

Soma Missional Communities: www.somacommunities.org

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