An article written for the FIEC website.
50 people from over 25 churches and Christian organisations gathered in Glasgow at the end of February to hear Andy Paterson (our Mission Director) and Mez McConnell (Pastor of Niddrie Community Church) outline a vision for a new generation of church planting and revitalisations. The lunchtime event organised by FIEC brought together church leaders and Christian workers from across the West of Scotland.
Mez highlighted the desperate need in many of Scotland’s most deprived areas for gospel churches to be planted or revitalised, and spoke of the vision of 20schemes to see this happen. Council housing estates in Scotland are known as ‘Schemes’ – the hope is to see at least 20 healthy gospel churches established or re-established in such areas throughout Scotland over the next ten years.
Niddrie Community Church is leading the way in this, having built a growing church that is making a huge impact a community with high social needs. Currently a training programme, run by the church, is preparing local people and others to be Church Planters and Revitalisers in similar communities elsewhere. Mez’s call was for those in the West of Scotland to get behind this vision - especially as is it the area of Scotland with the highest number of schemes lacking any meaningful gospel witness in them.
Andy Paterson outlined the national picture and vision of FIEC in seeing new churches planted in unreached parts of the country. He shared something of the work being progressed by FIEC in seeking to identify areas of the UK where there is an urgent need for gospel witness. The challenge was for existing churches to come together in order to see healthy and growing churches (re)established in such places.
This lunchtime gathering was a great opportunity for a whole range of church leaders and others to meet up, to chat, pray and be encouraged by each other. It was also a chance to note the wider vision of FIEC to bring churches together – the value and potential of which the lunch itself was a great illustration of.
The feedback from those attending was very positive, and everyone will hopefully have left better informed and challenged about the need for strategic church planting and revitalisation, but also encouraged that there is already a vision for this, and there is help and experience available for those wishing to be partners in this work.
Please pray that this gathering will result in continued and deepening relationships between churches, and will lead in time to the planting and revitalising of much needed gospel churches in Scotland and beyond.
Andy Hunter - FIEC Scotland Director
Before joining FIEC in November 2013, Andy worked for Greenview Church in Glasgow for nine years, prior to which he trained at Oak Hill College in London. He is married to Jessica and they have three children.
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