Share

Winston Churchill is one of my heroes. Despite his 'black dog' days of depression, he never gave up and continued to pursue what he believed was right and what was needed. I'm sure like many of us, Churchill learnt from his mistakes more than he did from his successes. Leading a fresh expression of church is nothing like leading a nation into battle but sometimes it can feel like it. There are days when you see growth, numerically and in the depth of relationships, discipleship and then there are days when you ask yourself, 'What am I doing?'

The aim of Twilight, which meets from 7pm, is to try and be a church community outside of the traditional thoughts of church, ie, day, time and building. Over the year we have attracted people from various churches, de-churched people and people who just wander in because they fancy a coffee at Costa. Interestingly, many people with little or no inherited church connection return regularly. That is where the 'problem' is now beginning for us.

Everyone must face failure because the reality is everyone fails. Although it can be embarrassing, debilitating and lead to misunderstanding, it can also hasten maturity and bring breakthrough. It all depends on the way you look at it and respond to it. Thomas Edison famously once said: 'I have not failed, I have just found 10,000 ways that will not work.' It is not that he avoided failure, rather he never let it stop him.

Sheffield, poor housing estate, social action, Methodist, transforming society

Youth, skateboarding, Essex, Church of England, immersion in human culture

Church of England, Merseyside, community project, breakfast club, experimentation

Network church, café church, Bristol, Church of England

Incarnational mission