Venture FX Pioneers

On Wednesday I travelled down to London, staying at the Methodist International Hotel overnight, and as often seems to happen when you go away, the first person I met in the restaurant was from Newcastle!

Venture FX Pioneer Ministries New ways-New places-Holy Risk
It was an absolute privilege to join with our Venture FX Pioneers for their monthly meeting of learning and support with Rev Ian Bell and to listen to the stories of what God is doing amongst them.

The Methodist Church has always taken seriously the need to make the good news of Jesus Christ known to all people and especially those who don’t easily connect with the church. The Pioneering Ministries Scheme is a bold and exciting initiative to reach young adults with no Christian heritage. Over the next five years it is planned to identify 20 people with the gifts to pioneer new Christian communities among people of this age group, and 20 locations where this can happen.

The scheme is named Venture FX to reflect its objective, which is to establish fresh expressions of church in new places and in new ways within a culture of holy risk-taking. The scheme is intended to complement the grass roots development of fresh expressions throughout the church and will add a strategic dimension to what is already happening, by focusing on this age-group and by releasing those who are identified as having pioneering gifts to devote their energy and vision to this task.

I am very proud that we as a church are investing in these Projects with our time, money and energy. Many of us are deeply aware that for some people to engage with the story of God in our communities, church needs to be done very differently. It is a simple fact not everyone can relate to the traditional ways of being church that we have established.

I hope you will join me in praying for our Pioneers and those who support them, particularly Rev Ian Bell and the Chairs of District where the Projects are located.

Creator God, thank you for the gift of our Pioneers.
Risk-taking God, thank you for their willingness to serve you.
Give us the wisdom and courage as a church to listen
and respond to the challenges they offer to us.
Life giving God, breathe your Spirit into their lives and ministries that they will be channels of your love in new ways, in new places, taking holy risks for your sake.
Amen