Incarnate true to its ethos has decided to pursue a more grassroots approach focussing particularly on working with Associations, local churches and pioneers. My name is Barney Barron and as the Inacarnate Network Development Worker, personally I have recognised that I have focussed a lot on the national and have neglected more regional networking and development on my doorstep.

 

I have recently got more involved in my Association (S.C.B.A.) particularly around the Futures Discussion and involvement with the new Resource Programme (formerly church consultancy).
 
I have also done some consultancy with local churches and pioneers. It is good to see some well established churches looking to plant as well as new teams and individual pioneers exploring what a new church might look like among under-churched communites.  I have been working with pioneers in a small coastal town, rural areas and U.P.A.'s The common thread is how do we engage and incarnate among the unchurched in our community.
 
It has also been encouraging to spend time with a seemingly increasing number of student ministers who sense a calling to pioneer ministry.

 

 

I have also been involved in a church replant. I have become a trustee along with Jackey Storey (RM) and Kathryn Labedz (student at Spurgeons) of a church that has stopped meeting. We have inherited a modest building and a modest sum of money in the account. The church is in an underchurched semi-rural town. There is only the parish church left where there used to be the Baptist Church and Salvation Army as well. The building has recently been thoroughly refurbished so is low maintenance and well used by the wider community. The community is quite diverse and has a lot of new housing being built. The remaining membership have been very supportive of the new trustees. In order to give us the freedom to explore they have all resigned to offer us a clean slate.

 

In making good use of this building we are hosting an event in partnership with the Incarnate Network with Lloyd Pieterson author of Reading the Bible Post Christendom.  

 

On the back of this more local working I am hoping Incarnate might partner more with Associations to deliver more effectively at a grassroots level.
 
On the broader national scene we have had a request from the Baptist Times who want to feature more pioneer stories and have a monthly blog from a pioneer. If you are interested in having your story featured let me know. I am following this idea up with the editor who has told me the BT’s most popular story has been Joseph Hawards pioneer church plant in Newton Abbot.