B1: How to get started

Biblical Introduction

Pray continually, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIVUK

He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field…‘When you enter a house, first say, “Peace to this house.” If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. ‘When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. Heal those there who are ill and tell them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” Luke 10:2, 5-9 NIVUK

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect 1 Peter 3:15 NIVUK

At a glance

Pray
Meet with local churches
Connect with council, developers and stakeholders
Create a welcome pack
Make friends
Listen to the community
Let go of control
Be authentic and vulnerable
Engage with the seasons and festivals
Be faithful and patient
Be flexible!

Key Points

Pray! And listen to God. Ultimately, we are joining in with God’s work on these new estates not strategizing from a purely human perspective. The places that are sharing stories of community transformation and the birthing of new disciples have a strong sense of discerning God’s calling. Pray for the area, prayer walk, and listen to God. John and Mandy named this as their starting point. And start early; Ali, along with family and friends, began prayer walking the fields where the houses were going to be built 14 months before she moved in to occupy the first completed house.

Meet with other local churches, leaders, and ecumenical groups and if you have a vision for a large area, your denomination or network body. Pray and discern whether this is an ecumenical project or if there will be a lead denomination [see How to work together]. Explore whether you might call a pioneer [see How to employ somebody to serve the estate]. Sue was employed 6 months before any houses were occupied and this was really helpful.

Establish a relationship with council, developers and stakeholders. Again, start this as early as possible [see How to work with Councils, Developers and other Stakeholders.]

Move in! [See also How to engage if you don’t live on the estate] Being present on the estate is transformative. It enables relationships to form naturally with neighbours and stakeholders tend to engage with residents more readily. Theologically this also models something of the Incarnational nature of God’s mission: God who becomes flesh and comes to where we are. Councils, developers and housing associations have all noted the significance of people living on the estate. One Council Leader stated, ‘You need activists who live in community – those people are really important’.

You might want to consider creating a welcome basket/bag/pack and give a gift [see How to create a welcome pack], and visit people as they move in. A personal visit is much more welcoming and powerful than a card or leaflet posted through the door. David noted that cards and leaflets didn’t work without relationship. A visit and a welcome gift is an embodiment of God’s unconditional blessing and is also a lovely way to get to know people, as well as giving practical information to support everyone moving into a new area. Ali found that lots of people got in touch after having a welcome visit to ask about practical things like connecting to the community TV satellite.

Make friends. Don’t build a client base or a list of ‘contacts’, make friends, and love the neighbourhood [See How to make friends].

Listen! Listening to the community is a crucial part of starting to serve this new neighbourhood. Fiona stated, ‘You have to first go there and listen, join in with what they’re doing rather than coming and saying we’ve got all the answers.’ David didn’t start anything for the first six months. He simply prayed, listened, and made friends. Ali and her team listened to the people in the area and only did things in partnership with local people in response to their suggestions. This is how Ali and the team sensed – and still sense – what God is up to [see How to join in with what God is doing].

Let go of control. The importance of laying down our own agenda emerged in so many of the stories. Ali sees this ‘laying down’ as part of the posture of discipleship; Sue spoke of ‘playing with an open hand rather than a clenched fist’; John and Mandy advocate having ‘no remit’, Chris named the importance of being open-minded and Helen and Steve talked of not having a ‘prescribed plan’. This posture enables us to work ‘with’ a community not ‘do’ to a community, and it gives space to see where God is at work through his Spirit and join in rather than imposing our human will. Lythan embodied this by being open and ready to talk.

Be authentic and vulnerable. Chris introduced himself by saying that he was new and training to be a member of the clergy. This enabled him to be in a position to work alongside his neighbours and help each other. Authenticity, rather than perfectionism, is also a key value for Ali and The Stowe church which has emerged. Living into our values is also key. Living side by side with our neighbours means that we need to live authentic lives, living into our named values. Chris stated that living out his value of a ‘culture of honour’ was paramount for him.

Give and receive hospitality. For Fiona it all began with the ‘hospitality side of things’. This embodiment of God’s love and the Gospel preceded any explicit Christian activities.

Engage with the seasons and festivals. When people did begin to introduce what Fiona calls ‘low-key Christian things’, it was usually in response to a season or festival – often Christmas but also Easter. Carol singing and Easter egg hunts are very acceptable culturally amongst those of all faiths and none. In Ali’s case, these Christian activities were at the invitation of the community.

Be faithful and patient. Penny encourages us to be faithful, have a long-term vision, be patient, notice and celebrate the small encouragements. Look for ‘God opportunities’, in terms of people, connecting places or opportunities, such as being a ‘healthy new town’.

Be prepared to use what you’ve got rather than focus on what you don’t have. Penny did outdoor events for 3 years before the community centre was built. Be Flexible! Sue says, ‘You’ve got to adjust all the time’, ‘Don’t think permanent’. This resonated with all the stories.

Learning Points

Get started and do something! It does not have to be perfect. Lots of people express a desire to love their new estate but are held back by the fear of doing it wrong. Step out and start. Pray and take a risk! Authentically loving imperfectly is better than simply not loving at all.

Be patient, things take time. Be faithful.