New Faith Communities
Co-creating new places for new people to gather into communion with Jesus Christ.
How Do We Co-Create New Places for New People?
Classic Missionary Plant
- A Classic Missionary Plant is a new faith community which has the goal of becoming a chartered local congregation of The United Methodist Church
- Secondary goal: to become an Anchor church in the future.
- When is this most successful?
- Church planters with local connections to a community
- Strong existing community of people
- Strong community or church partners
Multi Site / Cooperative Parish
- A Multi-Sites is a new faith community that is an extension of an existing local congregation in a new location with new people.
- A Cooperative Parish is when local churches, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may enhance their witness to one another and to the world by showing forth the love of Jesus Christ through forms of mutual cooperation.
- When is this most successful?
- Strong Anchor Church partners
- Strong existing relationships
Mission Congregation
A mission congregation may be designated when any of the following conditions exist:
- Membership opportunities and resources are limited and not likely to result in a chartered congregation for an extended period of time.
- A strategic demographic, cultural, or language opportunity for serving a limited population is present.
- It is expected that long-term sustaining funding from sources outside the congregation will be necessary to enable the congregation to exist, and the assumption of full connectional support items by the congregation is unlikely.
- It is probable that the annual conference will need to provide long-term administrative guidance, including attention to the distinctive property needs of the congregation.
- When is this most successful?
- Strong partners
- Plans/strategy for administrative guidance/support
- Plans/strategy for long-term sustainability
M3 / Fresh Expression
- An M3 (Methodist Missional Movement) is a new ministry of a local congregation which exists to gather new people into communion with Jesus Christ.
- A Fresh Expression is a form of church for our changing culture, established primarily for the benefit of those who are not yet part of any church.
- What characterizes a M3/Fresh Expression
- Highly Experimental
- Connected to or sponsored by an existing church/institution
- Designed to create new spaces for those who are not yet part of any church
Latest Updates
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NFC July 2024 Newsletter
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New Faith Communities Orientation and Covenant Renewal Day
On August 1 New Faith Communities church planters gathered for a Common Learning Day at the Conference Office to learn from specialists that serve on our conference staff. Bishop Connie […] Continue Reading→
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Partnership with New Faith Communities and the Ormond Center
The Office of New Faith Communities partnered with the Ormond Center at Duke Divinity School to share in a Common Learning Day hosted at Village Church Rolesville. The day and […] Continue Reading→
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Partnership with New Faith Communities and Center for Leadership Excellence
The Office of New Faith Communities partnered with Center for Leadership Excellence for a Common Learning Day with Rev. Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean presenting at Hayes Barton UMC. The day […] Continue Reading→
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New Faith Communities Common Learning Day
On Tuesday, October 24th and Wednesday, October 25th, 2023, members of the New Room Society gathered for a New Faith Communities’ Common Learning Days Event. Church planters, innovators, pastors, laity, district […] Continue Reading→