The vast majority of people in the UK do not have any meaningful contact with a local church. In previous generations there would have been many points of contact, but now there is a widening gap between traditional churches and society. 

The Church of England has recognised this growing gap through the endorsement of the 2004 ‘Mission- Shaped Church’ report and the establishment by the Archbishops of the ‘Fresh Expressions’ initiative. Its aim is: “to resource and enable the development of vibrant and sustainable fresh expressions of church in every place alongside traditional churches in parishes, circuits and deaneries by 2009”. 

Crosslinks is in contact with Steven Croft of Fresh Expressions who comments ‘Crosslinks is performing a valuable role as a responsible mediator between church plants . . . and dioceses’.

What is Crosslinks doing? 

We have had a number of requests to support church-planting initiatives in the UK, particularly when it appears that dioceses are unable to act. 

As Steven Croft indicates ‘it is clearly better that these church plants remain loosely connected to the Church of England through the informal Crosslinks network in the hope that there will be movement in time towards regularisation’. On that basis Crosslinks has put the leaders of the plants through the full selection process and endorsement by the General Council. We take a number of different factors into account, but we seek to follow the Fresh Expressions guidelines in order that these initiatives might be ‘primarily for the benefit of people who are not yet members of any church’.

A radical departure? 

Is this a radical departure from all that Crosslinks stands for, and a distraction from work overseas?

Actually from as early as the Spring of 1924 it has been recognised that we might have a role at ‘home’ as well as further afield with training for ordination in the Church of England as well as for overseas. BCMS also had an active role to play in the 1928 Prayer Book debate and continues to seek to help churches reach those of other faiths in our midst. So in a broad sense we have always defined mission in terms of the interface with the non-Christian world rather than on geographical criteria: mission is mission wherever it takes place. In that sense this is no distraction but a recognition that mission is vitally urgent here too. Let us not forget the eternal destiny of our compatriots but do everything necessary to bring them to faith in Jesus Christ.  

  Crosslinks magazine January 2007 index