One word summarises Southampton Day for me: ‘foretaste’.
Since April 06 a group has been gathering ready to plant a new church in central Southampton. Watching God move people into place has been astounding, and many have had their own plans “divinely interrupted” as we’ve been directed towards one of the south’s most important cities. On 25 November 06 a group of around 70 gathered in Southampton to explore the opportunity of planting a church into the heart of the city.
It would be true to say that very few of us had any idea exactly what to expect from a Newfrontiers Church Planting Day – even those organising it! Nevertheless expectations were high as the day drew near; we were excited to be among each other, to hear what God might have to say to us and to get a flavour of the new church.
The event was hosted in Southampton Solent University’s Conference Centre which is situated on the main shopping street in the city (the same venue the new church will use when it begins public meetings in April). Watching people arrive at such a central venue gave me a foretaste of the potential impact of a city-centre church: a thrilling prospect!
Thrilling too to watch one family from Winchester Family Church arrive at the venue on foot, having moved house into central Southampton literally the night before! A foretaste of what for many of us in just a few months will be a reality.
What better way to kick off than by worshipping God together? That’s how we started, and appropriately, how we ended. Church planting, we are told, is spiritual warfare in action. And certainly as the Heavenly Father drew close in these times there was a tangible sense of Him among us, speaking to individuals. I felt a foretaste of the real power and potential of church planting as our method of evangelisation and our tool of spiritual warfare. The possibility which presents itself when friends gather together for the gospel was apparent.
A highlight was seeing friends from the wider Newfrontiers Wessex Region and beyond gather together to ‘test the water’. Some were already clear from the outset that they were coming; some were not. But it was a joy to watch a number of folk “go green” during the day, feeling confirmation to commit to the plant. Many who had been in contact via email for a number of months finally had the chance to meet.
Friends from Salisbury and Portsmouth, two of the most recent plants in the Wessex region, made the journey to offer testimonies and encouragements. We relished the chance to hear their perspectives as they told us their stories. We also heard from a number already committed to the new Southampton church – testimonies of how God has clearly guided and moved individuals to be a part of the adventure.
Chris Kilby is currently an Elder at Winchester Family Church and will be moving with his family to Southampton in January to lead the church plant. We took some time to hear from Chris as he presented to us again the values we hold dear as a family of churches. Reminders of our commitment to Word and Spirit and the importance of being rooted in grace in particular came with a freshness as we began to picture what that may look like in Southampton.
In the final session the message was clear: the interim goals we’re working towards are challenging and exciting, but we must remember that this adventure is to be enjoyed. Having lots of fun together will be important to us and this was reflected in the atmosphere of the day. We enjoyed one another’s company over lunch and during the breaks and I was left looking forward so much to this new adventure which God is calling many within our family of churches to embark upon.
Life Church Southampton is a new church meeting in the city centre from April 2007. This page draws together the posts in which I have written about, or referred to Life Church Southampton.
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