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Stepping Stones

Tough estates

Elsewhere in the Encounters on the Edge series, we have used the analogy of arches and bridges to highlight a common misconception that many people make in mission today. Arches are often confused with bridges. People assume that what was really designed as only one arch of a bridge (e.g. an evangelism course or visitors service) can do the work of the entire bridge (e.g. planting a healthy church amongst the non-churched) in bringing people to faith. What they don't realise is that each arch doesn't go far back and far on enough. There are other arches that need to come before and after. 

Stepping Stones
Another analogy is that of stepping stones across a river. This is probably the better analogy of the two as its image involves negotiating the water, stones of different shapes and sizes and unevenness as to where the next stone is, all illustrative of the risk and uncertainty that growing fresh expressions of church among post-Christian people involves. 

This Encounters issue tells the story of a church plant called Stepping Stones in the village of Anston, ten miles east of Sheffield. The new church was established for the council housing in the north section of the village, from which nobody came to the parish church. George describes its complicated beginning and underlines the need to understand differing denominational backgrounds that can lead to disheartening tension in a planting team. Having negotiated their difficult start, their subsequent story has been lived out one stone at a time, as though the stepping stones have kept appearing out of the mist. The call has always been clearer than the destination. Order this issue to read the type of planting story that we suspect is becoming more typical in mission to the non-churched.