Church Planting in
Rural Areas
Church Planting in
Rural Areas
A Mission Strategy
Historical Perspective
In the past, churches have been
planted in rural Britain
The early churches
British Parish System developed
16th – 18th Century Dissent
19th Century Evangelism
20th Century Revivals
Defining Church Planting
• A brand new pioneered church
• A local daughter church
• A second congregation in the same
building
• A new church in redundant church
premises
• A radically different church growing
out of a previously declining church
Triggers
• Expansion of congregation
• Spontaneous and independent
• Extension – a response to an
opportunity
• Ex-Tension – relieving stress
• Mission Strategy
• Adoption request
• Plant-back
One Person in Six
lives in the rural areas
In scattered housing
and rural
communities up to
5,000
Some who lives in rural Britain?
• Indigenous villagers
• Professional people
• Historic land owners • Movers and shakers
• New land owners
• Farmers etc
• Retired people
• “The Good Life”
people
• Suburban
commuters
Second
Home
owners
…and second
home
owners
Some rural characteristics
Sociologists note that quite commonly
people in smaller rural communities can
be characterised by
• Conservatism
• Resistance to change
• Insularity
• Caution
• Suspicious of anyone/anything from
“outside”
So rural communities are
unique combinations of
various complex factors
Size
Proximity
to town or
city
Socioeconomic
history
Shape
The
People
mix
General
location
Current
economic
life
Why plant churches?
• Fulfilling the Great Commission
• A consequence of evangelism
• A means of fast-track evangelism
• A means of fast-track discipleship
• Increased gospel penetration
• Cultural adaptability
What churches are present in
rural England?
• 63% Church of England
• 26% Methodist
• 5% Baptist
• 3% URC and Continuing Congregational
• 3% Others
Current Opportunities
Population movement
People-group movement
Culture change
Past church closure
Existing church failure
Rural Opportunities
• Population growth
• Government development schemes
• Population culture change
• Closure of thousands of churches
• Ineffective churches
The Rural Constraints
Small population : Church attendance
(A highly effective rural church contains
3% of the population)
Resistance from existing churches
Requires high stickability
Lack of sensible strategic vision
The Rural Constraints
Premises
Finance
Rural social traits
Culturally sensitive evangelism
The right plant for the soil
The importance of the local church
being truly local
Church Planting in Rural Areas
Lessons learned
Become an active part of the wider
village community
(avoid looking like a sect)
Engage in local ecumenical activity
Develop the gifts and ministries of
others
Church Planting in Rural Areas
Lessons learned
Have a clear vision
A sense of God’s will is essential
A common purpose
An agreement on style
Employ an appropriate ministry style
Urban concepts hinder
Go gently
Go slowly
Church Planting in Rural Areas
Lessons learned
Teach faithfulness from the start
Have a “senior friend”
Use home-groups
Rural Church Planting
The seven most common problems
1. Difficulty in motivating others to
share responsibility/ leadership/
ministry
a) Pioneer personality
b) Conflict with secular role
c) Target the teachable rather than the
talented
Rural Church Planting
The seven most common problems
2. Ill-will from existing churches
a)
b)
c)
d)
Practise integrity
Show concern for other churches
Opposition subsides
Other churches grow too
3. Conflict over vision/style
Hidden agendas coming to light!
Rural Church Planting
The seven most common problems
4. Using public premises
a) Availability
b) Suitability
c) image of a “proper church”
5. Lack of consistent commitment
No role models
Rural Church Planting
The seven most common problems
6.
Poor foundations
Malcontents!
7. Remote leadership
Need to belong to the village
community
Current Examples
Of Fresh Expressions
Mostly as part of an existing local church
Mostly Messy Church
and Café Church
Current Examples
Outreach House, Cumbria
Current Examples
Outreach House, Cumbria
Commenced circa 2004
Small “community” church
Outward Looking
Shop Project
Congo Project
Witherslack Wellie
Event
Current Examples
Light and Life Church, Cornwall
Characteristics:
Outward looking
Obedient Faith
Current Examples
Light and Life Church, Cornwall
Free Methodist
Began in 1984 (5 members in 1985)
1994 John Townley (45/50 members)
1997 98 members
2001/2002 Penzance
2006 Truro
2009 By now 400 converts,
700 members
Current Examples
Threshold, Lincolnshire
Commenced 1995
Vision for planting churches in rural
Lincolnshire
Churches in Nettleham, Welton/Dunholme,
and Lincoln
Church Plants develop independent style and
all meet together bi-monthly
Healthy ecumenism
Outward looking
The Birth of Pulse Cafe
• Next Village had no church
• local Christians had been praying
• Roots in the ‘Lighthouse’ concept, we
began imagining something regular and
child friendly on neutral ground
• Informal Conversations with nearest clergy
• Practical support from a number of local
Christians from different churches
• The church buying into the vision
PULSE
Café
Kids
Aim:
holiday
Generous
Style club - Hospitality
All action
Not a
service!!
SAFE!!
3rd Sunday
service
Lay led,
café style
service at
Little
Kingshill
Café - generous hospitality
YOUNG PEOPLE
have been vital
45
Sep-09
Aug-09
Jul-09
32
Jun-09
May-09
49
Apr-09
48
Mar-09
Feb-09
44
Jan-09
Dec-08
54
Nov-08
57
Oct-08
60
Sep-08
40
Aug-08
47
Jul-08
51
Jun-08
53
May-08
49 49
Apr-08
39
Mar-08
38
Feb-08
46
Jan-08
43
Dec-07
40
Nov-07
Oct-07
Sep-07
Aug-07
Jul-07
44
Jun-07
May-07
Apr-07
Mar-07
40
Feb-07
Jan-07
Dec-06
Nov-06
50
Oct-06
Numbers of Children
Pulse Monthly Attendance
56
52
54
50
47
45
42
40
36
38
33 33
30
23
21
20
10
0
Where children come from?
Great Kingshill
Little Kingshill
Prestwood
High Wycombe
Hazlemere
Great Missenden
Hughenden Valley
Holmer Green
Widmer End
Elsewhere
Cryers Hill
Grand Total
58
22
21
11
11
9
9
5
3
3
2
154
Which Schools children attend?
Great Kingshill Combined
Little Kingshill Combined
Prestwood Infant
Prestwood Junior
Gateway
Elsewhere
Great Missenden C of E
Holmer Green Infants
Chesham Prep
Elmtree Chesham
Godstowe
Heatherton House
Holmer Green Junior
Little Missenden Infants
Speen Infant
Woodlands Pre School
Grand Total
75
38
9
8
7
4
3
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
154
Numbers Attending church that we know of
No church we are aware of
Little Kingshill
Little Kingshill (New)
Kings, Amersham
Hazlemere
Holmer Green Baptist
St. P&P
Hughenden
Prestwood Kings
St. Andrews, Hatters Lane
Prestwood, HT
Grand Total
81
32
23
3
3
3
3
2
2
1
1
154
N.B. Little Kingshill (New) are those who have started coming to Little Kingshill since attending Pulse.
This includes those who have transferred from elsewhere.
POSITIVES?
Stepping stones for some
Building friendships
Relationships with schools
Local Christians engaged in
regular mission
Christian presence in village
Young people
Not so positives?
VERY Demanding
Upsets Continuity
Leadership
stretched
Hard to keep the
motivation
we are now
into our 4th
year,
and one of
the secrets
and joys has
been ‘local’
Christians
working
together