The first Incarnate Network residential house party for church planting, ran at the end of last year.

Juliet Kilpin organised the event. Here she records what happened and just what came out of the first physical gathering of almost 50 people as the network started to form.

Incarnate - a gathering for Baptist church planters and friends, took place in September 2006 Almost 50 people gathered in Derbyshire for this house-party style conference.  It was relaxed and informal, but we still managed to pack a lot in. Stuart Murray-Williams, Simon Hall and others helped us explore the following themes during the 48 hours:

• Where are we at with church planting?
• What is distinctive about Baptist planting?
• Interpreting the Jesus story for today
• What could a Baptist strategy look like?
• Raising leaders in a church plant

We also heard 3 real and very honest stories from church planters; had time connecting with Christ; peer-group coaching sessions, plus free time, full sized snooker table and great food!

“I have found the past few days excellent - humbly facing and grappling with real issues.”
This was not the first time that Baptists have met together to discuss church planting, but it was only the third time in 14 years!  Back in 1992 Baptist leaders also met in Derbyshire and produced a document called the Derbyshire Declaration.  In clause 4 it states that:

So here we were again in Derbyshire talking about incarnating the Jesus story in relevant ways.  Those who attended were keen that this time the result wouldn’t just be more talk, but would result in some action that would not only put creating new churches on the agenda, but also facilitate and encourage it.

So what has come out of it?

1. A network of church planters

Baptist Union of Great Britain is one of a few denominations which, until now, has not had a network of church planters.  Those involved in starting new expressions of church have not always felt connected with others or been able to learn from others.  They have often felt on the edge of our denominational family and misunderstood.  At Incarnate we were pleased to witness the birth of a network, and hope that this will become a supportive and inspiring association of people offering tangible support for those on the ground who feel isolated and weird, but are often the ones thinking through the future of our church in contemporary culture.

“It was just great to be amongst fellow church planters and to realise that I'm not so crazy after all and that there are other ordinary people out there doing extraordinary things for God.”

2. Strategy

We also recognised at Incarnate that there is a need for us as a denomination to think through our church planting strategy.

‘There has been a climate conducive to church planting, even a policy of church planting,’ said Stuart Murray-Williams at Incarnate,

‘but there has been no church planting strategy.  Individuals, congregations, colleges and some Associations have taken initiatives. The Union has provided some financial support for church planters. And churches have been planted. But there has been no network of church planters, no strategic planning at a national level, no agreed criteria for recognising church planters, no mechanism for learning from best practice.”

It is hoped that a variety of strategies for church planting will develop from this grass roots network in partnership with our associations across Britain.  Pragmatic thinking can develop at ground level so it is not imposed but natural, developing through relationship and conversation.