Plant UK: Rethinking the re-evangelism of the UK
In order to effectively plant churches up and down the UK that are built on a Gospel foundation we need to think freshly about our approach.
From the very beginning, these church plants need to be intentionally missional in nature; evangelistic at their very core. They need to emphasise and focus on winning people to Christ and making disciples of them, seeking to add these people to what will then become a church.
“For Relational Mission to see 100 multiplying church families established in the next 20 years, we need to consider other approaches to planting churches.”
The transplanting approach
Sometimes churches are planted by relocating a congregation of people and having a church from day one, then seeking to add to it. This relies heavily on having a particular kind of leader: the 0.1% who can gather and relocate a group, and envision and lead a church straight away. This approach has resulted in very successful churches, but a huge drawback of this strategy is that most people simply aren't gifted in the particular way required. For Relational Mission to see 100 multiplying church families established in the next 20 years, we need to consider other ways.
Sending the multitudes
There may be a rare few who fit the 0.1% church planting role, but there are literally thousands in our family of churches who are able to lead godly lives, shine the light of Christ and reach out with the Gospel; who are able to lead people to Christ, make disciples of them and build from there.
“There are literal thousands in our family of churches who are able to lead people to Christ, make disciples of them and build from there.”
When these faithful brothers and sisters relocate to new villages, towns and cities across the UK, we create the opportunity for locally-led churches as God raises leaders up from among their converts.
It's a longer-term approach, but the end result will be multitudes of locally-led churches throughout the breadth and length of the UK!
Enter: the chosen ‘many’
To follow through with this approach, we need multitudes of people from our ranks mobilised: faith-filled men and women who are happy and willing to move to the top and bottom, North, South, East and West, of the United Kingdom.
These forerunners will be well supported by ‘supply lines’ from Ephesians 4 ministries who can equip, encourage and pray for them as they set up outposts - evangelistic, missional communities - that will become churches.
We aim to endorse this approach as much as we do the conventional way. We don’t plan to stop planting the traditional way, but we are convinced that we will never see the re-evangelisation of the nation with that single approach - it's simply not prolific enough. We need to be re-inspired to see multitudes reached, to see the gospel go out in power and to see many, many turn and believe.
Stef Liston
In 2006, Stef, together with his wife Davina, and Daisy, Levi and Melo, moved from Peckham to Camden in London to plant Revelation Church (Rev). He likes watching Bible reviews on YouTube (and his kids enjoy laughing at him because of this). While Stef likes traveling, Davina likes baking in her kitchen so he enjoys coming home!
He loves supporting pioneers and teaching the Bible, and is responsible for overseeing RM training in the UK. Stef is dearly loved by Jesus and is learning how to love Jesus and love like Jesus.