WHAT?
We are hoping soon, (some time later this year), to start "Haven" in the Mernda area. Haven is to be a faith community which can be a genuinely safe space in which to explore faith with others and participate in the way of Jesus.
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Take note, everyone -- Haven is NOT yet active, we are still doing the groundwork! We will let everyone know when we are ready to start!
There are so many people who used to do church or who have deep questions about the Christian faith as they have seen it. There are also so many people with a deep spiritual hunger as they grapple with questions of identity and meaning
We want this to be a community that forms over conversation and food rather than just starting with a ’traditional’ morning service with songs and a sermon (tho’ there’s nothing wrong with that)!
To that end, the idea will be to start by hold our regular meetings either in a home (or in a cosy hall), probably early Sunday evenings over shared meals. In time, that could well evolve into other times, styles and activities.
There will be three ingredients in the mix:
WAYS: Taste-testing the ancient ways and wisdom of Jesus together.
WORKS: Seeking to act as instruments of peace in our local community and beyond.
WORDS: Engaging in life-giving conversation around faith, meaning & identity.
We want this to be a community that forms over conversation and food rather than just starting with a ’traditional’ morning service with songs and a sermon (tho’ there’s nothing wrong with that)!
To that end, the idea will be to start by hold our regular meetings either in a home (or in a cosy hall), probably early Sunday evenings over shared meals. In time, that could well evolve into other times, styles and activities.
There will be three ingredients in the mix:
WAYS: Taste-testing the ancient ways and wisdom of Jesus together.
WORKS: Seeking to act as instruments of peace in our local community and beyond.
WORDS: Engaging in life-giving conversation around faith, meaning & identity.
As you will be aware, the area all the way from Donnybrook in the west through to Yan Yean in the east, and up north towards Beveridge and Eden Park — and down to Woollert through to Doreen are a massive growth area! Many houses are going up, and thousands more people will be moving in over the next 10-20 years.
Already there is an awesome Baptist placemaking programme and new church starting further west in the Donnybrook area, and there are other church groups doing good work too. We’re looking more towards the East, broadly in the Woollert - South Morang - Mernda - Woodstock area.
We want to birth a missional community that could in time partner with the established congregations (further south) to bless the many emerging neighbourhoods. initially it would be through the friendships that arise in connecting with other local people through work, sport, school and other such activities. In time it could mean initiating some sort of social enterprise or meeting space that meets the needs of the community.
HOW?
We’ve spent the last many weeks writing up how haven could work; doing some research, lots of prayer and having great conversations with insightful people to test the idea and tweak the planning!
In term two, it will be time to invite some key people to meet up and to run the idea past them more formally. That will most likely be April/May.
After that we want to ask these to prayerfully consider becoming the core group and to then we plan to meet for 10 or so weeks for orientation, some training, prayer and to ‘road test’ the idea.
Some time after that we would agree on a timeline and date to invite others to come and join in.
Please pray with us so that we find local, passionate, people of faith to join us for this stage of the journey. If any names come to mind - send me a message with their details!
Please be praying for the people, homes and neighbourhoods around the Mernda, Doreen, Woollert, Woodstock and South Morang areas!
Pray too for the other church plants getting established through these northern suburbs!
As Paul puts it: "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” (1Corinthians 3: 6-7).