Greenhouses Your guide to - NewCongregations - Diocese of Oxford
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NewCongregations Your guide to… Greenhouses
What are Greenhouses?
In a garden, a greenhouse focus – for example, intercultural
incubates seedlings and fragile mission and ministry, Messy Church,
new shoots. It provides light and youth work – and these will be
warmth, and a place for nurturing, diocesan-wide.
watering, protective support until
the seedlings are strong enough The Greenhouse provides a place
to go out into the garden. New where teams come together to
Congregations Greenhouses act learn, share knowledge and receive
in the same way. They are support training and coaching as they grow
communities for small teams of their initiative into an intentional
people from different parishes who worshipping community. They are
want to see people from outside led by a facilitation team within
the church community come to the deanery, with input from the
know Jesus. These small teams join national Greenhouse team. The
a Greenhouse because they have Greenhouse idea is part of a
an existing mission initiative, or an nationwide Church of England and
aspiration for mission, and would ecumenical initiative to help grow
like to see these initiatives nurtured new worshipping communities of
into new worshipping communities. all shapes and sizes. It makes
Usually Greenhouses will be available to us 25 years of
deanery-wide, but there may be experience of Fresh Expressions
Greenhouses with a particular and new forms of church.
Who are Greenhouses for?
They are for anyone and clubs, Forest Church, café church,
everyone who hopes to see a new craft groups, keep fit groups,
worshipping community emerge in online church… anything that seeks
their parish, either out of existing to reach people outside Sunday
initiatives or in a new form. church and intentionally bring them
to know Jesus.
There are usually between eight and
ten small teams in a Greenhouse. Our experience in the Diocese
Each team typically contains two of Oxford is that churches of all
or more people, and these people traditions are joining in, from
will generally – but not always – be both ‘high’ and ‘low’ church – it’s
lay people from the congregation. something that every parish can be
Their initiatives could include lunch part of.
Why are Greenhouses helpful in growing
new worshipping communities?
Greenhouses provide a • Through listening, they
shared focus prayerfully discover a simple way
Greenhouses provide resources to love people around them.
through Godsend, a step-by-
step framework for teams to work • They build community in the
through, with the support of others. process.
Godsend takes teams through the
Loving First Cycle. It also gives a • As trust deepens, they find
shared focus for missional energy, natural opportunities to share
particularly when people get stuck Jesus, as part of a fuller life.
and don’t know how to move to the
next stage on the Loving First Cycle. • A new Christian community
connected to the wider church
The Loving First Cycle takes shape among those
coming to faith, where they are,
and connects to the wider body.
LISTEN
Typically, the community is part
of the parish church, and will
REPEAT LOVE
frequently be regarded as a new
congregation.
CHURCH COMMUNITY
SHARE
• New believers repeat the journey
JESUS in their own way.
Greenhouses offer just-in-
Underpinned by prayer and time learning
connection to the wider church, By using the Godsend resource,
teams leading new worshipping teams will prayerfully discover what
communities travel through this they need to know when they need
cycle via a great variety of routes, it, to move to the next stage of the
with these features in common: cycle.
• Team members listen prayerfully Godsend provides a range of tools
to God, to the people they serve, that help leaders progress through
to the experience of the wider the cycle. The variety of tools, which
church and to one another. are designed to spark imagination,Photo courtesy of Katherine Crowsley
means that there is something that • What will we do next? Teams
can work across church traditions. prepare a simple plan describing
Leadership teams will also be using what next step they will take, and
the tools and training to help form who will do what by when.
new Christians into mature disciples,
confident in their everyday faith. They support a shared
presence on social media
Greenhouses encourage Between gatherings teams support
regular gatherings each other by exchanging news and
Teams will come together twice prayer requests, sharing ideas and
a year for planning, team and materials that work and asking each
personal formation, and mutual other for advice.
support. During the gathering, each
team will share with the other teams: They facilitate coaching/
mentoring
• Where are we at? This includes The Greenhouse convening team
what we have been learning. will help teams when they get
stuck. The coaching will normally
• What could we do next? Teams be available online (e.g. Skype or
brainstorm possible next steps. Zoom).What does a Greenhouse look like in
practice?
This is one example, the Witney Deanery Greenhouse:
Identifying missional energy Greenhouse, and whether it was
and interest across the something they would like to join.
deanery Between 11 and 14 teams attended,
and at least 8 teams signalled they
The facilitation team, led by the
would like to go ahead and join.
Revd Simon Kirby at St Mary’s,
Cogges, arranged meetings with
clergy in the deanery to explain Launch event
the Greenhouse and gauge their This includes introductory training,
interest. taking teams through Godsend.
(Other Greenhouses will choose
Invitation event to do the Godsend training as four
shorter evening sessions after the
The incumbents and their potential
launch.)
teams were invited to an online
event to find out more about the
Photo courtesy of Martin FowmesGatherings What next?
Although teams will keep in This rhythm of team learning from
touch via social media between Godsend, gatherings, exchanges
gatherings, formal gatherings to on social media, team leaders’
track progress and plan next steps meetings and coaching as needed
will be held three times a year. continues for an initial two years.
(Many Greenhouses will choose to After this, teams may recommit
gather twice a year.) to their Greenhouse and, as new
communities reproduce, their
‘offspring’ will be invited to join too.
Do I have to join a Greenhouse?
Absolutely not! This is a support mission. While we think that it
network that is there for you if you will help you focus your missional
consider it appropriate for your energy and give you a wealth of
situation and context, and if you support and resources, there will be
would like the New Congregations some for whom it isn’t the right time
team to help lift the burden of or approach.
Does it work for rural parishes?
Yes – rural ministry and mission is seek new ways to reach people
vitally important in the Diocese of outside church. Greenhouses are
Oxford and a Greenhouse will serve appropriate for urban, suburban,
parishes in all contexts. In fact, it is new town and new housing
often rural mission that is the most contexts too. Their effectiveness
innovative and ground-breaking, lies in their ability to be contextually
as rural churches face a particularly appropriate for every type of social
challenging context and need to setting.What if your deanery doesn’t have a
Greenhouse?
Greenhouses are emerging across emerging, they may help you to
the diocese, and some are further join a neighbouring Greenhouse
ahead than others. Here are some until one launches in your
things you can do if there isn’t yet a deanery.
Greenhouse in your deanery:
• Find a team and start a
• Speak to your Area Dean to find Greenhouse yourself – you
out if there are plans underway can read more about being a
to establish a Greenhouse. Greenhouse convener and it may
be that you can offer this to your
• Contact the New Congregations deanery.
team – if a Greenhouse isn’t
I have more questions – who should I ask?
Speak to our New Congregations Enabler, the Revd Sarah Flashman, for
more information. You can also visit our website, where you will find a
number of helpful resources.
Cover photo courtesy of Shutterstock.NewCongregations oxford.anglican.org/growing-new-congregations
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