RURAL FX: PLANTING A FOUNTAIN OF LIFE - ASHILL

For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
Psalm 36:9

A NETWORK-FOCUSSED WELL: FOUNTAIN OF LIFE, ASHILL

When I asked those-in-the-know in UK FX circles for recommendations of the most effective Network-focussed churches, I was urged to go see the Fountain of Life church at the Well (their new building). By that time all our Sunday slots while we were in the Norfolk area were booked. So unfortunately we did not have the privilege of attending the Well or see the Rev’d Stephen Mawditt in action. But he did graciously grant us an interview and a tour of their facilities..

Ashill is a rural community about 45 minutes west of Norwich. This church is a new thing the Lord has been in the process of creating since 1996. at that time a difference in vision in two local parish churches led some from each to seek new wineskins. Though there was considerable pain at the time, even Wikipedia notes:

There is also a charismatic congregation [Fountain of Life], which split from the parish church [St Nicholas] in the 1990s. The Fountain of Life church is unusually still on good terms with the local parish church and is still a member of the Church of England. During the divide the church received a great deal of publicity on a national scale due to the rarity of a charismatic revival in a rural Anglican congregation. It was a mechanics garage before it became the home of Fountain of Life [see picture below]. from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashill,_Norfolk#cite_note-7

Utmost in their minds was a quest for two things from the Lord:

1) To encounter God more immediately and deeply in worship in the New Wine tradition (see the UK website); that is, charismatic, with prophetic ministry, the healing of soul and body, intercessory prayer, confrontational spiritual warfare and more. They do this through

Personal Renewal

Congregational Renewal and

Structural Renewal which leads to and includes the mission of the church.

2) To engage in the mission of God through whatever network of relationships God leads them into; that is, to influence people with whom they regularly have contact.

They also longed from the start to remain part of the Anglican communion and so became a mission of the diocese. They are now in the process of applying for approval under the Bishop’s Mission Orders for external plants.

By sacrificial giving and miracles of God’s provision, the Fountain of Life finally moved into their own worship facility (the Well) in 2004. Church membership swelled from 90 in 2001, to 130 in 2005, to 220 in 2008. The list or programmes on offer matches those of the Rez in Toronto.

NETWORK-FOCUSSED: MISSION UNBOUNDED

In an article to be published elsewhere later this year, their rector since 2005, The Rev’d Stephen Mawditt, describes how their network has advanced their outreach. Two separate monthly Kidz Klubs (see web site) one held at least seven miles from the church now reach a total of 150 children who once were non-churched. Fountain of Life has a particular passion for reaching those with lower incomes who live in council estates (think Regent Park or Flemingdon Park). Yet they are by no means limited by that – in fact as Stephen said to us and wrote in his article, new efforts are popping up all over.

Stephen’s article (I’ll let you know when it is available) describes many invitations begin given by many people in the church in many contexts to those with little or no faith connections to Christ or His church. As in Southrepps, “network” means mission unbounded by parish geography. Just as Mission Shaped Church argued that parish boundaries ought to be seen as permeable, so your “network” does not at all make you inward-thinking – rather it takes you out into the world in mission.

LIFEBOAT STATION & LIFE BOATS (CELLS)

Imagine it this way. The Church building sitting nearly on its own in the golden fields of Ashill is the hub, the Life-boat station. To that hub, the people come to worship weekly.

Then the people leave going out to their lifeboat cell groups. Up to 78% of the congregation regularly go to one of Fountain of Life’s 17 cell groups. (For comparison, in Canada, though there are some notable exception such as the Meeting House, most parish churches never get anymore than about 33% to belong to a small group.)

To understand the reason for the effectiveness of their outreach you simply must understand that it is not driven by the leaders at the hub (the church centre). Rather, The Cells and each individual within them take it upon themselves to launch projects and engage in one-to-one evangelism. As Rev’d Mawditt put it, they all are leading as followers. Everyone in the church is in a sense a leader in one or other context (family, church, work, leading a friend to faith, etc.). Each person must reflect on the calling and character of a Christian leader and also how each is leading themselves. Mission thus engages the whole church and every member in it and nothing less.

LAKE AND RIVER

Another image mentioned by Stephen was also cited later when I met with by Canon Phil Potter, Director of Pioneer Ministry in Liverpool diocese (and others); This is a dynamic vision of the church seen under the dual image of both Lake and River. A Lake is a body of water which settles in one spot. It becomes a stable source of life and refreshment. A River in contrast is flowing and on the move from one point to another. A lake is fed by river water coming in from one side but it must also send river water out or it becomes stagnant. It is an apt analogy of the living waters of the church. People come to the hub (the lake) to be recharged bringing their gifts and needs with them. They leave as if with the river to continue their mission. Both aspects are fully the church.

UNIQUE?

In Norfolk region and Norwich diocese this commendable work is wholly unique. Yet as I ponder the pleasant yet industrial design of the Well, and consider its mission and ministry, I wonder how different it really is from a host of independent church plant start-ups in North America.

On our side of the pond we do this sort of thing all the time – sometimes even Canadian Anglicans: having a modern centre to worship in would be not that huge a paradigm shift.

If we could just get Fountain of Life’s sense of lay empowerment and ownership of mission for the gospel of God – now that would be truly remarkable!