New Wineskin
For many years, the shape of City Life has been Cells and Celebrations: small inclusive, outward-looking groups meeting in homes, and larger corporate gatherings on Sunday mornings. Both of these are important expressions of church life: small groups focusing on growing as disciples, giving our gifts and resources to serve others, and going out to serve those outside the church; celebrations, a place of corporate envisioning, worship, prayer and teaching and mutual encouragement through shared testimony and gifts of the Spirit.
Godfrey Birtill's song (below) encourages us to find a flexible shape, a new wineskin with room for plenty of growth. Jesus said, 'No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.' Luke 5:36-39. God is asking us to prepare ourselves and our structures for all he intends to do in revealing his glory through us in order to bring many into the Kingdom.
This sense of what God is saying, along with prophetic input from Carl Wills and Mark Stibbe at the end of last year, has led us to:
- Intentionally form medium-sized, missional communities (MCs), in partnership with others in the city, especially the New Community Network (of which we are a part), around those people groups God has particularly called us to, and where we have been seeing God’s hand at work. These MCs will be faith communities of around 30-50 people who gather to build church among specific people groups, or in specific neighbourhoods, or around particular needs. They provide opportunity for greater ownership and contribution of all, and the release and development of people's gifts in worship, teaching, the prophetic and the pastoral as they reach out to others with the love of God. Leadership teams will emerge as the communities grow and develop.
- MCs will not conflict with Sunday Celebrations (and testimonies will feed into them) but it is expected they will develop their own identity within the whole, and over time, people may see these as their main gatherings for the majority of Sundays. There will still be regular times of being ‘all together’ and times of corporate envisioning and development.
- MCs will not conflict with existing small groups who are working into their own spheres of influence and relationships. However, some that have no particular missional focus or clear purpose may wish to be part of an MSC. Small groups will still feature alongside MSCs and will form out of them.
Initially, we plan to launch three MCs, centred around:
1. The Streets: drawing together people from the Community Cafe, YMCA, Bridging the Gap, the Gate, and the Women’s and Men’s Groups that meet at Central Hall.
2. Internationals: drawing together people who have come to Southampton from other nations as students, migrants or refugees.
3. Oasis Academies: building on connections with staff, students and the local communities. This group will also link with other Oasis churches through the Oasis Church Network.
As stated, small groups and Sunday celebrations will remain, although there may be people repositioning themselves as God leads! However, due to greater numbers on Sunday mornings, we may need to find a bigger hall and we are currently praying into this. As we pilot these three new communities we are sure that other MCs will begin to emerge among us as we flex and enlarge!
We are initially looking for the MCs to meet in three separate rooms in Central Hall on Sunday evenings (6pm) having first shared coffee together in the coffee shop! This should begin to form over the next few months as we share the vision morde widely across the New Community Network. Please pray in this time of transition and do speak to the Leadership Team if you have any questions or concerns. We would love to hear from you. A recommended book on MSCs is Breakout by Mark Stibbe.
Lyrics from ‘Time to Leave the Old Man Behind’
Time to leave the wine skin behind
When it's gone hard and dry
It's going to take a flexible shape
Stretch out your curtains wide
Spirit man, it is high time...
Now I will arise says the Lord
I will set you in the safety for which you yearn
Godfrey Birtill Thankyou Music
Some answers to questions we have had:
What are Missional Communities (MCs) and how are they different ?
MCs are less than 50 people where everyone is on a level footing, rowing the boat and owning the vision. Church has been about pastors and teachers, perpetuating the ‘come to us, provider/client’ model (but not everyone can be counselled and fed adequately with this model) MCs restore the ‘apes (apostles, prophets and evangelists) which is appropriate for this harvest season and pastors of MCs become apostolic leaders; prophets get raised up and reproduce in others what God has given them. The apostolic, sending ethos of the church is appropriate to the season change and we need to awake from our long winter sleep, go out and see the life.
What will happen at them?
People will be meeting together to agree how to reach their communities. A strategy will be formed by those gathering regularly.
How does this affect the children and teenagers?
On a Sunday morning it doesn’t, it does give opportunity if they want to join in with mission, eg café in afternoon.
What about if I want to start a new one?
What’s your passion, who else shares it? Who you reaching and how? Where are you meeting and when?
Who will lead them?
A leadership team emerges but members of our leadership team are involved in the MC’s because they have been working on the ground of these mission areas.
What will happen to small groups?
Small groups will continue, however some of them may be connected to MC’s . If small groups are struggling with their missional focus they can join in with MC’s or they could continue reaching out to their particular mission fields. Or if groups have a separate passion they could see who else shares vision and consider developing an MC of their own in the future. | 
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