As a grassroots organisation Incarnate are passionate to see the expansion of our regional groups.  We are therefore seeking volunteers to organise and facilitate groups in their area. Existing group locations are here

We recognise those who are church planting or in pioneering roles often feel quite isolated.  The regional groups offer an opportunity for those of us who are passionate about mission and church planting to meet, support and energise one another.  They are a place of mutual reflection and learning through the sharing of our stories and experience.

We want to leave it open for each group to develop according to the needs of its members.  If you’d prefer feel free just to get on and set up a group in the Incarnate name.  We would just ask that you let us know you are doing it or have done it, so that we can make people aware of your existence on the website and via e-mail.  The following is offered as a framework that gives some ideas to get you started, but the format and development of each group remains flexible.

The setting up of a group is perhaps the biggest challenge, particularly in identifying those who might be interested in joining the group.  The Incarnate website has a map indicating where our members are located.  We would ask that contact is made with the regional minister for the Baptist Association in your area.  Given our partnership with the Baptist Union many want to support an Incarnate group in their region.  We would also encourage you to contact leaders of other denominations and networks in your area as they are often aware of people who would value being part of an Incarnate group.  In can also be fruitful to do a search on the internet for those involved in mission and church planting in your area.  You are not alone we will support you, particularly at this stage. Although a little time consuming this process put me in contact with pioneers in my area who I didn’t know were there and some good supportive friendships have been formed.

Once you are up and running the group should take minimum effort to organise and have big benefits for everyone involved.  The current groups meet around four times a year, so that it is not too onerous but frequent enough to build meaningful relationships.  Meeting over a meal at lunchtime, has proved to work well.  One group meets in a local Wetherspoons pub as they tend to offer good value meals and are happy for the furniture to be rearranged to get everyone together.  Another group meet regularly in a home and bring food to share.

We have found it is helpful, particularly as the group is starting, to have planned a topic of conversation but to be open to issues that people might want to raise on the day.  Toward the end of each meeting the group can decide the topic for the next meeting and a volunteer who may feel they have something to offer the particular topic can be tasked with writing a couple of paragraphs and some questions to stimulate conversation at the next meeting.  Some topics that have been covered by other groups are;

• From core values to core practices
• The meaning of success
• What does ‘belonging’ look like in an emerging church?
• Growing Indigenous leaders
• Developing a team/building a community
• Explaining to funding and accrediting groups
• The place of liturgy and sacraments
• Evangelism and discipleship
• Worship in a missional context

If you would like to explore setting up a regional group in your area please contact Barney 0203 355 8732   e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.