What is the name of the church going to be? Where is the church going to meet? What is the church launch going to look like? How will you build relationships in the community? What will missional living look like? How will you fund the church plant? What will the statement of faith be? Who […]
These are two separate issues. A start-up team, also known as a launch team (avoid the term core group), is composed of those persons who initially partner with the planter to start a new church. This team will do the hard work, including community research, completing surveys, preparing materials, speaking with unbelievers, building relationships, initiating discussions, […]
Church planters and/or those involved in revitalisation must know who it is they are trying to reach with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to consider our target community before we can proceed to establish/revitalise a church at any level. Here are some questions we ask our church planters to research in the initial […]
In order to secure the long-term viability of ministry on a scheme, we have to raise financial support. It is very rare for this to happen overnight, and so requires both faith and patience. Therefore, we need to be on the lookout for funding avenues at all times. This can come in the shape of […]
This was an exciting weekend at Niddrie Community Church as we inducted Andrew Mathieson into the ministry and sent him as a church planter to Lochee, Dundee in partnership with Central Baptist Church. We are excited about what the Lord is going to do in the years ahead as we begin the long process of […]
Do You Have 100 Prayer Partners? This is one of the targets we set for anybody wanting to plant or revitalise a church. A church planter needs lots of prayer support. When we enter the schemes, we are entering satanic territory. He has been quite happy for people to have been in spiritual bondage, without […]
September is an exciting month for 20schemes. We will have a church-planting project happening in Lochee, Dundee (more on this in later blogs) and we will begin the process of church planting in a neighbouring scheme to us in Niddrie called Gracemount. We will be filling you in on more of the details as things […]
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15:1) At Niddrie, we are having our annual ‘prune’ as we review our ministry across […]
Several month ago Ryan Townsend, Executive Director of 9Marks, spent some time visiting some of Scotland's schemes. Here are some of his final thoughts on his visit.
I got this book from a pal who handed it to me saying: “Not quite sure what this was all about. Have a look and let me know.” Let’s just say that it wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement! What I discovered was a book about leadership, influencing and“creating in a cultural storm” that opens with […]