Re:source Bristol
"Partnerships are key to mission in our city"
What's happening?
Re:source Bristol is a Home Mission funded project which aims to bring together some of Bristol’s suburban churches with those in deprived urban areas who are struggling.
Many of you will have seen the GO! Video which tells the story of how this happened at Lawrence Weston Baptist Church, where a Re:source volunteer and many others were called by God to breathe new life into a tiny congregation in a community full of opportunities.
Watch the video: GO! and work together
Previously, Re:source focussed on a one year programme designed with gap year students in mind.
Now, it functions as a banner to mobilize all kinds of people for mission in Bristol, working strategically with urban churches. The aim is to be flexible, and let the work grow by being attentive to the circumstances in each place.
Re:source is now co-ordinated by Revd Mike Pears. Until summer 2009 Mike was the minister of Cairns Road Baptist Church in North Bristol. At the same time as taking up this new post he and his wife moved into a house on the Knowle West Estate in South Bristol, where they have become part of an ‘Intentional Network of Households’ – presently 16 people who are working together to develop a missional presence on the estate. The group meets in parallel with Knowle West Baptist Church and two local Anglican churches, who now share services together. The Network organised a Christmas Day meal for 25 local people who would have been alone this year, and they have set up a Charitable Trust which will allow them to initiate Kingdom projects in the community.
Knowle West is one focus for Re:source Bristol at present; another is St George Baptist Church, where Re:source is working with Urban Expression and Bristol Baptist College to explore ways of developing a missional church in this area.
“There are a lot of opportunities to get involved”, says Mike. He has become convinced that “good partnerships are key to mission in our city of Bristol” – could you or your church be one of the partners needed?
On Saturday 24th May twelve cyclists explored these themes by cycling around Bristol, exploring its spiritual landscape and praying with seven churches.
Find out more about that event here.
If you have questions about getting involved with Re:source, you can contact Mike Pears by email here.
We are currently working on updates to the Re:source website. These will go live later this year.