Anglican Church Planting Initiatives, led by Bob & Mary Hopkins http://www.acpi.org.uk/Joomla Thu, 17 May 2012 22:19:14 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.acpi.org.uk/Joomla/images/M_images/joomla_rss.png http://www.acpi.org.uk/Joomla Anglican Church Planting Initiatives, led by Bob & Mary Hopkins http://www.acpi.org.uk/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=202&Itemid=65 Over the years, one of the most complex and controversial issues in the field of Christian mission has been the Homogenous Unit Principle (or so called HUP). Partly this is because of its roots in the US ‘church growth’ language, but it is also because of some deeper theological reasons. In this article we want to unpack and explore some of these key issues. Expressed at its simplest, the question runs, ‘Is it or is it not acceptable (or desirable) to have Christian communities made up of only one homogenous culture or social group?’ The most learned church leaders, theologians and missiologists around the world strenuously disagree with one another on this question, so it can’t be easy to resolve. That being said, we do believe there is a resolution - one which holds that homogenous groups are right and not right ... but not at the same time or in the same community structure. Articles - Articles Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:18:03 +0100 http://www.acpi.org.uk/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=200&Itemid=65 To speak or not to speak of Attractional Church, that is the question Contexts are different around the world and even within one country ... and furthermore they are changing rapidly. Not only that but how we understand language is different from place to place, even within a single language group like English ... and now even in one place the meaning that we put on particular words is changing. Faced with this problem, Mike Breen blogs about why he will no longer use the term Attractional Church... and Bob Hopkins, a close colleague but working on the other side of the Pond , responds with an explanation of why and how it will continue in his vocabulary! Articles - Articles Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:57:39 +0100 http://www.acpi.org.uk/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=186&Itemid=65 By +Graham Cray In Church After Christendom Stuart Murray-Williams has written that “The brightest hope for church after Christendom is a symbiotic relationship between inherited and emerging churches. We need each other.” We usually refer to that symbiotic relationship as the mixed economy: a complementary partnership between fresh expressions of church and inherited models of church. But it can be understood in other ways as well. At a recent conference in Germany, Bishop Steven Croft spoke of “connecting the centre to the edge” as one of the keys to the rapid growth of fresh expressions in the UK. Articles - Articles Fri, 03 Jun 2011 11:03:56 +0100 http://www.acpi.org.uk/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=184&Itemid=65 Stepping Stones- Strategic approaches to evangelism Our concern over 25 years of exploring church planting is how do you have a strategic understanding, that brings together all the principles into one integrated framework. We have developed this in our “Octagon” teaching which we have written up in our book “Evangelism strategies” (available from our website shop). This framework includes our development of Laurence Singlehurst’s principles of “Sowing, Reaping and Keeping”. This envisages supporting folk on their faith journey by lovingly providing “stepping stones” or “pools from them to move through at their particular pace. Tony Hardy, Missioner in the Manchester Diocese who planted the fresh expressions C4 in Stockport, has a very similar application of “Stepping Stones”, which has the same underlying understanding of everyone on a faith journey and evangelism is anything that helps them take steps towards and into following Jesus. We give here his paper on this version of lovingly supporting folk on their exploration of faith. Download the .pdf here Articles - Articles Fri, 13 May 2011 10:21:57 +0100 http://www.acpi.org.uk/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=175 The Share Community is an online gathering place where people who are pioneering (or just interested in) new forms of church can rub shoulders with and support each other. David Muir has started an interesting group called Rural Fresh Expressions looking at How to start and maintain new and missional groupings of people centred on Christian faith, which will draw into them the increasing variety of people who inhabit our countryside . The group can be found here (you will need to register). Do have a look at the rest of the website as there are some interesting and useful discussions and resources. News - News Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:10:36 +0100 http://www.acpi.org.uk/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=171&Itemid=65 The Mission Shaped Church Report was published in 2004 and approved by General Synod in that year. It made strong recommendations for the recognition of pioneers and their identification, training and support in both ordained and lay ministry. Implementation of these recommendations has been swift and very positive and we give further details here. Articles - Articles Mon, 10 May 2010 17:00:51 +0100 http://www.acpi.org.uk/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=163&Itemid=56 This workbook seeks to unpack one of the most crucial questions faced by pioneers and church planters today - what is church? Where are the dividing lines between mission initiatives and fully functional church, and what is it that we are called to pioneer? These questions are tackled by looking at some of the key biblical and historical sources to examine the foundational principles that Jesus and the early church set in place, as well as unpacking some of the main ecclesiological discussions that have emerged over the years. Put together these set compelling challenges for all pioneers to reflect on their own vision and strategy as we seek to extend the bounds of the Kingdom and the church. £4.95 Online Store - Workbooks Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:04:10 +0100 http://www.acpi.org.uk/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=162&Itemid=68 Form is a year of training and transformation. It is about being disciples making disciples. It has its home at Network Church Sheffield, a large multi-site Anglican/ Baptist/ Free Church in Sheffield across the three bases of St Thomas’ Church Philadelphia, The King’s Centre and City:Base. The year is about being ‘formed’ – that means you’re shaped, fashioned moulded into someone who more fully represents Christ to the world. The year is about God setting the foundation in your life you need so that you can continue to grow as a disciple become everything it is that God made you to be. Jesus didn’t take his disciples into a classroom to teach them how to best follow him. He invited them into his story as they experienced life in his context of mission to the world, they became more like him. We believe we should do the same. Form is rooted worked out through communities committed to mission – God’s activity of extending His kingdom of good in the world. If you do Form you’ll become part of the NCS community for the year. You’ll have an apprenticeship within an area of ministry or mission in the church and learn as you become part of a passionate team. You will also receive and be able to work through quality teaching and training from the St Tom’s staff and other leaders. Form runs from September to June each year. Visit the website: www.form-uk.org or e-mail: form@stthomaschurch.org.uk for more information. Job advertisements - Job Opportunities Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:27:07 +0100 http://www.acpi.org.uk/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=161&Itemid=56 This workbook explores the strategies that Jesus used in his own ministry and which were the basis of his commissioning of his followers to reach out to others with the good news of God. Bob and Mary Hopkins build these insights into a simple framework and then look at how we can implement these strategies in the church now so that we might reach our communiities more effectively and without fear. They do this by unpacking eight practical principles of evangelism and exploring the key roles of the evangelist. These insights have proved a revelation to so many, making sense of their exerience and releasing them to discover what may be appropriate and effective for their situation among a whole range of approaches and methods. £7.99 Online Store - Workbooks Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:17:20 +0100 http://www.acpi.org.uk/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=129&Itemid=54 STOCK CLEARANCE Stock is limited, when it's gone, it's gone! The future of the Parish System Moving on in mission-shaped church Planting new churches (Pack of 5) £10.39 £12.99 SAVE 20% £4.00 £5.00 SAVE 20% £2.00 £5.99 SAVE 66% Body and cell Changing church for a changing world Recovering the ground £4.69 £5.59 £6.99 SAVE 20% £3.32 £3.96 £4.95 SAVE 33% £3.35 £4.00 £5.00 SAVE 33% Setting the Church of England free The Healthy Churches Handbook Radical Church Planting £7.50 £14.99 SAVE 50% £7.34 £10.95 SAVE 33% £4.00 £7.99 SAVE 50% Online Store - Admin Mon, 22 Feb 2010 01:00:00 +0100