Notes on talk - Church Planting for 20 and 30 year olds

Notes from a talk at New wine 2013 LSE. Seminar on Planting a church for 20 and 30 year olds. Based on experience of a very new church KXC http://kxc.org.uk/ by the leader of the plant Pete Hughs.

(One observation I made during the talk was that this was a very well resourced group! The reflection on the planting process was very good indeed though and would apply well to other less resourced groups! --Kev-The-Hasty (talk) 13:18, 15 August 2013 (CEST))

Planting Church for 20's and 30's

 * 25 years decline of 62% in 20's group.
 * Smallest proportion of people in the church
 * What is the problem? Causing the bleed? How can we remedy the bled? Focus of this talk us that question
 * Outreach the gospel afresh to every generation
 * KXC church story
 * Disclaimers: cp not only or main remedy. Neither KXC.

1. Church Planting begins with God's calling

 * cp begins with god's calling. perseverance needed-highs and lows
 * philippi church start - with 3 miracles
 * Church start with households if lydia, jailer and slave girl.
 * God initiates.
 * Started KXC on february 2010. Started with 50 (!) people. One employment plus 3 days evangelist and admin support! need fundraising. Got anonymous donor giving 50,000 !
 * Met in URC building in Kings Cross
 * Grew over the year. Got good office space. Unbelievable provision.
 * Howard Therman - "your greatest joy meeting the worlds greatest needs" calling easy to discern in retrospect.
 * More stories of provision.

2. Play to strengths
Where are you strong? Use strengths. Which comes first? Hard to say although many theories point to one our other as definitive points of starting. Belong, believe and behave.etc.
 * Worship
 * Community
 * Mission

3. Build an incredible team.
Build an incredible team. Then go where the vision grows and leads. Vision birthed among all of team in prep time. Be very intentional for the team. Ask god for the best! In for the long haul. Knowing each other well. Think about the gaps and the areas that you need support in.

4. Be very clear about your vision and stick to it
Be very clear about your vision and stick to it.

People come to church for some reasons
 * Follow friends
 * Follow leaders
 * Drawn to vision - talk it over and over till it is accepted

5. Be clear about the culture you want to create.
Be clear about the culture you want to create. Talk about who you want to become.

3 Core Values for KXC
 * 1) Be shaped by the past - shaped by the biblical narrative. Most 20's 30's don't know this. Creation to de-creation to re-creation
 * 2) Live in the moment - authenticity and adventure safe enough to heal, dangerous enough to grow. Church place for people to process pain and embrace healing. No other place in society fire this exception in escape.
 * Richard Raw(?) "Pain. Two responses. Bring it to God and transform it or we internalise it and spread it"
 * A cause to bring meaning and propose to life. Took teams out prophesying on the streets.
 * Going out to pray for people on the streets. Asking what one thing people want prayer for
 * Needs to be dangerous to be exciting and bring our faith alive.
 * 1) Build toward the future.
 * Serve what if already going on in community working with foodbank. Starting to make social enterprise. Using people coming out of trafficking. Rubies in the Rubble Chutney example.

6. Factor Faith into Church Planting
Factor faith into church planting. Make it so big it is doomed to failure unless God shows up.

Questions
Leaders connect with people 10 years either side of their age. Need 20,30 carrying significant leadership in the church

Sunday gathering, tuesday hubs for small group.