Quench is a fresh expression of church started in 2005. Adam Eakins, leader of Quench, explains how they seek to connect with particular people groups rather than concentrating on a geographic location. The church plant is a new congregation meeting away from the existing Baptist church site and people.

A church for people who want to ask questions, express doubts and explore spirituality. A place where people of faith, some faith and no faith can gather to journey in life together.

Have you ever eaten chicken on a stick with a barbeque dip for breakfast, at a church? I guess not, but that is one of the food items that was served up at our fresh expression of church called Quench last Sunday. Let me explain a little more.

About two years ago, a small team came together with a desire to plant a new congregation out of Broadmead Baptist Church. However, this was much less about a geographical church plant and more about a cultural church plant. What could church look like if it sought to be missional into a culture? If it tried to remove some of the barriers that stop those who might be spiritually seeking but don’t think the church is a spiritual place?

After much prayer, discussion, laughter and frustration we began meeting. Firstly we took out our friends who were not yet Christians for a meal (paid for by the church) to talk with them about our ideas but more importantly to hear what they thought we should do to engage people like themselves. As the evening went on we asked if they would come along when we start to help critique what we were doing. They created the core of the church from the beginning and still do today.

We began meeting monthly to begin with and now we meet twice a month. We meet in a social centre with them providing a brunch which normally includes more than just chicken on a stick and we have the venue which is set out café style. We use a mixture of discussion, music, poetry, prayer, film, story telling, art and much more we aim to explore spiritual issues that will engage those who are seeking to know more of Jesus. Last autumn we run a mid-week discipleship course using the Journeys material. This worked really well and seemed to be pitched just right as far as content went as it didn’t want to try and convince you that everything about Christianity makes sense it just introduced you to ordinary people who had meet with Jesus and what was happening in their lives in interesting circumstances.

Just recently we have finished a series on the Ten Commandments which again has connected with people really well. It was amazing using this ancient writings and realising that in all these thousands of years since, not much has been written that improves on them. It has been great to see people who have been journeying with us come from no relationship with God to acknowledging him as Lord.

Three people have come to faith during this series, so we are very excited. We continue to now meet fortnightly on a Sunday and now weekly mid-week in two groups which is aimed at discipling those who are seeking to grow more in understanding what following God is all about, which I guess is all of us.

Have we been successful? Well we are into our third year now; however, we still have more questions than answers. We still feel like we are feeling our way into this.

Here are some comments from those who are part of Quench.

Quench has been challenging, provoking and it has been good to experience God in a personal way.
It is good to question life, its impact and to hear other people’s perspectives.
It is good to be able to talk to people and the warmth of the community spirit has been great
It is often the highlight of my week. I don’t think I would be where I am regarding my faith without Quench. I realise that I have a long way to go yet and many questions unanswered and anxieties but I feel I’m going in the right direction.

Two years into this it has raised some questions for us as a team.

• How does our relationship work out with the main church (known as the mothership!!)? Do we exist to draw people to the main church which is what some believe?
• How to you grow healthy community that draw people closer together while still being open to people joining? We have found being quite small this has been a problem.
• After two years people are wanting the subjects we cover to move on but how do your do this while still it remaining accessible to people coming for the first time?
• Is this value for money? It cost us £140 a month to run – Is that good value for a few new people joining the church? Who should be paying for that, the Mothership or Quench itself?
• Would those who have joined us come to standard church or have we created something that is cultural relevant and making Jesus accessible to people? Maybe we are kidding ourselves?