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Perhaps you help lead a church-run group. Members are drawn largely from the fringe of church. They attend Sunday worship rarely, maybe never. But you think there is a possibility that some would journey into the Christian faith if church was established within the group.

In a luncheon club, the journey might begin by lighting some candles after lunch, playing some Christian music, reading an accessible passage from Scripture, having a short time of meditation and concluding with a few spoken prayers.

In a 'movement and create' group among 8- to 14-year-olds, maybe there is demand for a second meeting each week. You wonder if it might include some prayers and a short Christian talk in the middle. 'Whatever,' the youngsters might shrug. At least they'd get their meeting.  

A follow-up Alpha group meets regularly. Members love the group but are reluctant to 'go to church'. You're asking yourself, 'Why doesn't the group become cell church?'

In each case, the aim would be to create a Jesus-centred community that would draw people into the heart of God's love. How might you go about creating such a community?

First you would get together with someone else in the group, preferably another Christian, and test your ideas.

This might seem obvious. But one person, enthused by the possibility of turning her mums-and-tots group into church, blew the group apart when she introduced an Alpha course without talking to others first. There is no substitute for careful preparation.

'Getting together' may involve clarifying exactly what you want to explore. For example, is the aim to introduce a spiritual element into the group in the hope that more people will attend Sunday church? Or are you seeking to encourage a new congregation, in effect, to form from within the group?

It may help to use some of the material in the first section of the Guide, such as:

• What is a fresh expression of church?
• What Christian principles lie behind fresh expressions?
• How do fresh expressions develop?

Understanding each other is an important part of 'getting together'. Discussing what you mean by fresh expressions and what you think about them could help with this. You would discover whether the two or three of you really do have a fresh expression of church in mind.

Eventually, after prayer and discussion, what you are called to explore should become clear. 'We feel that God is calling us to explore whether a fresh expression might be possible within this group. And we understand a fresh expression to involve...'

Getting together → a shared call

This is discussed further in Getting together.

Next you might explore the possibilities. Obviously, you will chat with members of the group. You might see if other churches have done something similar - you can learn a lot from the wider church. You'll try out your ideas on your church leadership and perhaps on others in the congregation, who can support you in prayer. You'll spend time in prayer and Bible study.

You will engage in '360 degrees listening':

• to the people you feel called to serve. What do they want? What's likely to work for them? What language would they find helpful? (For example, might you talk about 'exploring spirituality together'?)

• to the wider church. Might you visit a group doing something rather similar to spark your imagination?

• to people in your own church, whose views you respect.

• to God directly in prayer and Bible study.

360 degrees listening

As you explore the possibilities, maybe one or two others in the Alpha group, the luncheon club or whatever become enthusiastic about your ideas. Might you increasingly involve them in your discussions? You may want to read  How can we work with non-churchgoers to create church?

Sharing the leadership at an early stage, even with non-churchgoers, will help to avoid the group becoming spiritually dependent on you and can be the first step towards passing on the leadership in future. Jesus entrusted his disciples with the church even though some doubted him (Matthew 28.16-20).

Gradually, a vision will hopefully emerge: 'We're going to start with some candles, Christian music, a few prayers and so on at the end of lunch.'

'Exploring the possibilities' can be done very simply and need not take a huge amount of time. But it is important to do it thoroughly to avoid starting off on the wrong foot. Maybe the process will confirm your original idea, but not necessarily. '360 degrees listening' could take you in a different direction. God is full of surprises.

Exploring the possibilities → a shared vision

This is discussed further in Exploring the possibilities.

A vital task is to think ahead.  Doing so will enable you to check that the emerging vision really is from God and to lay in some firm foundations. Central to 'Thinking ahead' is to imagine how your ideas might evolve into an expression of church.

You might look at How do fresh expressions develop? and then perhaps draw the fresh expressions journey:

The fresh expressions journey

This diagram is described more fully in The fresh expressions journey - a fuller version.

Using the fresh expressions journey, you might discuss questions like:

• Which of the three 'evangelistic pathways' to discipleship (discussed in How do fresh expressions develop?) are you aiming for:
  1. Build in explicit spirituality from an early stage?

  2. Include an explicitly Christian element from the start?

  3. Hope to form a separate Christian explorers group later on?

• Should you combine more than one 'evangelistic pathway'?
• As individuals begin to open their hearts to God, how would you support them in the next steps of their journey? How would you help them become disciples of Jesus?

• What might 'church' eventually look like in the context of your women's meeting or luncheon club, for example? Would it be a form of cell church? What would it do and when might it meet?

• How would this fresh expression of church relate to other members of the group?

• How would it relate to the 'main' church? How would communion be celebrated? Where would baptisms be held? How would members feel part of the whole church, while remaining a distinct 'congregation' or cell?

The aim is to imagine how your group could become church. You don't need complete answers to all these questions. But discussing them might help you to picture how the group you lead could evolve into church.

If you can't see this evolution happening - for example, you can't imagine moving from your first steps into discipleship, let alone 'church' - it might be wise to pause and take stock. Is there anyone you can turn to for advice?

Or do you want to think again? Might you conclude, 'We're aiming not for a fresh expression of church, but a fresh expression of mission. We don't envisage church springing up within the group. Rather, we're planning a few stepping stones that will encourage people to come to church on Sunday'?

Not every form of mission has to become a church in its own right.

Some of the questions might prompt a discussion with the church leadership. The leaders might agree that the issues are important, but that it would be best to return to them when the emerging nature of the fresh expression is clearer.

'Thinking ahead' is unlikely to produce a rigid plan. Fresh expressions tend not to follow a plan. They often emerge in surprising ways.

The discussions could result in a set of values, however. These will be values that help to create the potential for the group to become an expression of church. If 'vision' is about what you are going to do, 'values' describe how you intend to do it. They create the ethos of the venture. What ethos will open your group to God's love?

It may be worth remembering that your group will already have values, reflecting the values ('What do we value?') of the people who play a leading role. These values will probably be implicit - no one thinks about them. Here is a chance to encourage a few values more deliberately.

A key part of 'Thinking ahead' is identifying values that could lead members of the group towards the kingdom of God and help church to emerge among them.

You might ask: 'What do we prayerfully hope will have happened in one year, three years and in perhaps five years' time? What values do we need to embrace to help our vision evolve in the way we hope?'

Perhaps you agree to encourage the following values (as examples only):

• 'We'll respect the right to disagree. No one will be pressured to start a spiritual journey, and the group will contain no "second class" members - people who decide not to explore the Christian faith.'

• 'We'll let the Holy Spirit determine the pace. Patience will be a high priority. No one will be encouraged to move faster along the journey than they can manage. We won't force the pace.'

• 'We'll pass on the leadership as quickly as possible. In doing this, we shall follow the examples of Jesus and St Paul.' (See God grows church through reproduction.) Giving emerging disciples responsibility will encourage them to grow in the faith.

  'We shall invite them to decide what form the cell or "congregation" should take, as they are led by the Spirit and guided by Scripture.'

  'We shall continue to have a coaching or mentoring role, or ask others in the church to perform that task.'

• 'We'll value strong links with the wider church. We'll do this because all believers are baptised into the one body of Christ, but also because being connected to the wider church is important for discipleship.' (See God values unity across diversity.)

  Taking emerging Christians to Greenbelt, the Walsingham Pilgrimage, Keswick or Soul Survivor could be worth weeks of discipleship in a small group.

  Connecting with the main church - perhaps at major festivals or for social events - will help new believers to feel part of the bigger whole.

How values are put into practice could change in the light of experience, and in time the values themselves may need to be revised. (The same applies to the vision.) But come what may, your agreed values will be a central part of encouraging church to emerge from within your group.

Thinking ahead → shared values

This is discussed further in Thinking ahead.

Organising support for the venture will be an obvious task. This might include:

• Prayer partners. Who from outside the group will support you in prayer? This is vital and easily forgotten. How will you keep in touch with them so that they know what is going on?
• Permission givers. Have you got the backing of your church leadership? Have you discussed with them what it would mean for your group to become church in its own right, and how you would encourage links with the rest of the church?
  Being accountable is part of Christian maturity - even Jesus made himself accountable

  You will want to think especially about accountability. Being accountable is part of Christian maturity. Even Jesus made himself accountable - to his Father.

  How will the emerging fresh expression be held to account? How will the church leadership also be held to account for delivering what it's promised? What would make these arrangements effective and easy to put into practice?

• People in the group. As you continue to test out your ideas, are members of the group giving you a warm response? Can you envisage volunteers for the key tasks – from bringing the candles perhaps, to leading the prayers, to doing a short talk?

Organising support → a shared venture

This is discussed further in Organising support.

The final task will be nurturing the team, which will include the two or three people you have discussed your ideas with, plus anyone else from the group who has become involved. You might ask questions like:

• Who's going to be involved in leading the spiritual life of the group? Do they need to be recognised by the church? How will their own spiritual life be sustained? Do they need a spiritual director or mentor, for example?

• What 'training' do they need? For example:
  1. If this is to become a fresh expression of church, should one or two of them attend the Fresh Expressions short course (mission shaped intro) or the part-time one year course (mission shaped ministry)?
  2. Would the team benefit from some training in personal evangelism?
  3. In time, would it help for one or two of the team to attend a course that would give them greater Christian knowledge. Might a local evening course be available?
• What additional outside support will the team require? For example:
  1. Should the team (or the group's leader) have a mentor or wise friend to provide regular input?
  2. Will someone in the team join a learning network and bring lessons back to the team?
  3. Will someone else keep in touch with practical advice from the Guide?

Nurturing the team → shared leadership

This is discussed further in Nurturing the team.

In summary:

• Getting together → a shared call
• Exploring the possibilities → a shared vision
• Thinking ahead → shared values
• Organising support → a shared venture
• Nurturing the team → shared leadership

Sometimes these stages will flow logically from one to the next. More often, perhaps, they will overlap or be taken out of sequence. GETON is not a rigid, step-by-step framework. It is more of a checklist to avoid forgetting things and to spark ideas.

New Creations illustrates rather well some of the elements of GETON.

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