CRT Newsletter 005
We are delighted to share with you our 2021 church plants (all 21 of them!) and the amazing ways in which our Network of churches continue to serve their communities, revitalise neighbourhoods, and be the hands and feet of Jesus all across the UK.
We believe that as the nation slowly emerges from the pandemic, the Church is needed now more than ever, and we are so grateful for your faithful support in prayer, encouragement, and donations as we partner together to see the evangelisation of the nation, the revitalisation of the Church and the transformation of society.
We are thrilled to share this newsletter with you – a snapshot of all the amazing work our Network have been a part of this term, and all that has been made possible through your generous support.
With very best wishes,
Rev’d Sarah Jackson
CEO of the Church Revitalisation Trust
2021 Church Plants
We are thrilled that Church growth and planting has accelerated enormously this year, with the HTB Network churches sending out 21 new plants across the UK in 2021! Despite restrictions and uncertainty, the number of church plants has more than doubled in comparison to 2020, and we are so excited about all that God has made possible. So far, 11 of these plants have launched, 11 leaders have been licensed, and many other exciting steps are being taken for the rest of our plants.
We are delighted to include the below video of our 2021 Church Plants. Please join us in celebrating the progress so far this year, and all that has been made possible through your support and prayer!
“God is multiplying his church across the nation!"
Focus 2021
This year we were delighted to launch Focus At Home! Each of our Network churches joined together with their congregations for a weekend of worship, Love Your Neighbour projects, seminars, kids and youth programmes, time to hang out, food, music and much more.
The HTB Network also enjoyed gathering together at various points throughout the weekend, via Livestream, to hear centrally from Nicky and Pippa Gumbel and Archie and Sam Coates on the vision for the HTB Network going forward.
Whether online or in-person, the Network thoroughly enjoyed being together again for a time of refuelling, refreshing and connecting!
Highlights
- HTB hosted a baptism service and baptised 11 people
- St Peter’s West Molesey turned their Vicarage garden into a campsite, allowing their congregation to camp at the church for Focus
- St Matthias Plymouth and St Mary’s Southampton both hosted beach baptism services
- Olympics ceremonies were held across the Network, including at HTB Kids, St Peter’s West Molesey, St John’s Hampton Wick and St John’s Crawley
- Christ Church Feltham use the pond land opposite their church as a base for their Focus Festival
- Gas Street and Harbour Church arranged retreats for their respective congregations
- Various churches in the Network arranged BBQs, ice cream trucks, backyard cinemas, afternoon teas, picnics, beach trips, barista courses and so much more
Peter stream Ordinations
In 2018, the Peter Stream was launched for those who sense a call to ordained church leadership but have felt themselves, for whatever reason, excluded from the process of discernment, selection or training. Designed with the aim to “love through the process” those from a wide range of social, ethnic and educational backgrounds, the Peter Stream started with a cohort of 4 candidates in 2018 and has now scaled to a cohort of 19 in 2020, and over 30 due to start in 2021.
In July of this year, we were thrilled that our first cohort of Peters were ordained in St Paul’s Cathedral by Bishop Sarah Mullally. This represents a historic moment in the Church of England, and we are delighted that 100% of our 2018 cohort have now been ordained and commissioned into their curacy stage of training. We look forward to seeing many more of those who would have previously felt themselves excluded from Church leadership, ordained and practicing in the Church of England.
Network News
We are so excited to share with you all the incredible news from our Network churches over the past few months! We are seeing remarkable progress across our upcoming and existing plants, below are a few highlights of all that has been made possible through your support.
Nelson Street Church in Rochdale, has been dedicated as a place of worship and Janie licenced as Vicar.
Bay Church in Torbay, received funding to the amount of £1.5 million.
Jason Gardner has been licenced as Vicar of St Luke’s Blackburn
SAINT Church has undergone a refurbishment and the Church has officially reopened as a place of worship.
Friends of CRT
None of this would be possible without your continued support, prayers and donations. Thank you so much for your faithful and generous support of CRT.