Podcast January 2010

Additional information associated with the January edition of the Fresh Expressions podcast.

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Podcast extra

The Wesley Playhouse project

With just eleven members and the prospect of amalgamating with another congregation, Howden Clough Methodist Church had just one last chance to stave off closure in 2007.

It was church steward Caroline Holt who came up with the solution - a playhouse for children and families. 3,000 square feet of themed soft play, a venue for parties, and a cafe for adults and children to enjoy healthy, fairtrade food and drinks.

The Wesley Playhouse Project is the first Christian "Wacky Warehouse" type playhouse and cafe in the country. It is also a new way of being church, registered as part of the Fresh Expressions movement.

For more information, please read the story of Wesley's Playhouse or visit the Wesley's Playhouse website.

ThE DEN

When Chris and Tina Adams received a word of prophecy about their garden shed, thE DEN was born and the Holy Spirit has continued to be at work ever since.

After singing in worship one young person was in tears as she understood for the first time all that Jesus had done for her on the cross. She wrote in thE DEN journal: "Dear God and Jesus, I never really thought about your death in this much detail and now that I have... I am eternally grateful for what you have done and sacrificed for us!!...Thank you for bringing kindness and happiness to me. Thank you for truly bringing the Holy Spirit, you and Jesus to me!!" Another was healed of a persistent eye infection after prayer.

A group of sixth formers now come and join us to worship and support the younger ones. Many have difficulties at home and most have very little or no experience of church. They have begun to grow as a group and are becoming good friends. Their new faith has resulted in a noticeable change in behaviour both at home and school.

What's On

mission shaped ministry is to be offered in eight more locations from January 2010. The new centres starting in January are Inverness and Corfe Mullen (from 16th Jan); Leeds, Bradford, Skipton, Shrewsbury, and Colchester (from 23rd Jan); Glasgow and Walthamstow (from 30th Jan). To find out more please visit the mission shaped ministry pages.

I thoroughly recommend the mission shaped ministry course. We are at a crossroads in the life of the Church in our land. The challenge is to engage with a culture that has walked away from church, but is deeply interested in spiritual things. This course is intended to equip individuals and faith communities not only to think missionally, but to imagine new ways of being church. It brings the recent experience of fresh expressions of church which are springing up throughout the land, alongside some serious theological reflection which will enable participants to learn from the past, and the recent past, and prepare for the future. I know of no other course which will more effectively equip people at many levels, to "do" church in a way that reaches our culture.

Andy Scarcliffe, Mission Adviser, Baptist Union Scotland

Podcast extra

Church leaders share their hopes and prayers for 2010 beginning with Lucy Moore of the Messy Church network and ending with Cris Acher – a Fresh Expressions associate missioner based in north Wales.