The Ecclesia Network

a missional church network

Church Updates

by

New Elder Commissioning at Renew

On Sunday, October 23, The Renew Community (Lansdale, PA) officially added and commissioned two elders to their elder team. While elders have been commissioned at the church before, this was the first time Renew added women elders to the team. Renew has believed in the authority of women in leadership from its inception, it was now that the church sensed it had identified qualified leaders who were both willing and able to lead who were female.
Cindy Culp and Claudia Brice, two gifted women who have been in various leadership roles within Renew for years, were commissioned, prayed over and affirmed in their new role. The church was invited to come forward, lay hands on them and pray blessing on them. After the conclusion of the time of prayer and commissioning, the entire church surrounded both the new and current elders and prayed blessing on all of them. It was a very moving and significant moment in the life of the church as Renew moves into a new chapter of leadership.
As a network, we rejoice when leaders – male and female – are recognized, equipped, affirmed and commissioned to follow Jesus based on the gifts the Spirit has entrusted to them. Thanks be to God!

by

From the Field: An update From Albuquerque- Jesse & Joanna Harden

 

This time last year my wife and I were attending Ecclesia’s Genesis Church Planters Training in Chicago, Illinois, attempting to soak up every ounce of information presented to us. We were discerning a growing sense of call to plant a church in a community full of people and experiences very different from our own.

Today, one year later, marks our third month on the ground in Albuquerque’s International District, a beautifully diverse, tragically marginalized and wonderfully resilient area of our city. We desire to see a missional community of faith spring up, which we are calling New Creation Albuquerque. We hope to be a people seeking the peace and flourishing of our neighborhood. 25% of our neighbors were born outside of the U.S. and nearly 50% live below the poverty line. It is where people begin when they have nothing or end up when they’ve lost everything.

As we begin our church planting journey, we are sometimes bold, often uncertain and growing ever more dependent on the Holy Spirit for moment by moment discernment. God is on the move and is affirming His call on our lives! He is building the beginnings of beautiful relationships between our families and our neighbors, men, women and children born in America, Vietnam, Laos, Cuba, Africa and Mexico. We have attended a Buddhist festival at the invitation of a monk I met while prayer walking. We have prayed for broken marriages, empty bank accounts and hurting legs and backs. We are seeing God move. And, others are joining us! Three families have moved into the neighborhood to be an intentional presence with us. We have had over 35 adults attend the first 3 of a series of 10 weekly interest meetings. These represent a diverse and gifted group of Jesus’ followers discerning God’s call to join us on mission to the International District. God is moving. We are encouraged and are expectant for what the Holy Spirit is bringing about as we strive to bear faithful witness to Jesus’ Kingdom in this place.

by

Welcome New Ecclesia Member Church The Commons

The Ecclesia board is excited to announce the addition of a new church in San Diego California to our family.  The Commons Church was planted by Jon and Sarah Nichols 4 years ago to be an incarnational presence in San Diego.  The goal of The Commons is be a community conspiring to proclaim the cross, working to cultivate disciples, embracing the oppressed, and inviting others to join the movement.  To get an introduction to The Commons from Jon, check out this video here – http://www.thecommonsforall.com/#videos

 

 

Jon describes The Commons this way, “We are a young non-denominational church with a deep and rooted love for God and our neighborhood. We consider ourselves a family. What holds us together is not ethnicity, education, income, or politics. We are a family because of Jesus and owe Jesus a common allegiance. Christ, his broken body and shed blood, are at the center of all we do together. We each come, bringing our unique stories, to journey life together as a community. It is not about uniformity, but unity, so that together we may live for something bigger than ourselves.”

On joining Ecclesia Jon had this to say, “It was important to me that our church be connected to something greater than ourselves. This desire is rooted in both the longing to be in community with others and our desire to be in submission to others. Therefore, when I found Ecclesia and I began reading and talking to the people from Ecclesia it felt like we were home. Theologically and missiologically, Ecclesia has been what we were looking for. This conviction has been proved over and over again through the last two years by the encouragement and support we have received from Ecclesia.”

 

 

 

 

Here is a message from Jon to our Ecclesia community

 

You can find out more about The Commons at http://www.thecommonsforall.com.

We are excited to have Jon, Sarah, Micah, and Jude part of the Ecclesia family!

 

by

Ecclesia Welcomes Mid-West & New England Churches into the Network!

University Christian Church (universitychristianchurch.net) in Cincinnati, OH and Church at the Well in Burlington, VT (wellchurchvt.com) were both officially accepted into our growing network at our recent board meeting.  For many within Ecclesia, the leadership of UCC will be a familiar face to you.  In 2014 we were blessed to have Lead Pastor, Mandy Smith, serve as one of our special guests at the National Gathering.  In addition to Mandy, Nathan Smith and Anthony round out a strong pastoral team that is leading a thriving and growing church in the middle of the downtown life of Cincinatti, OH.  Mandy Smith shared this with us about their recent decision to join Ecclesia. “Joining with Ecclesia Network is important for UCC on several levels. As an independent congregation, we don’t have the support of a denominational network. And since our ministry is a little a-typical (urban/campus/neighborhood setting, coffee shop ministry, female lead pastor) we can easily feel alone or be lone rangers. It wasn’t until our staff began developing relationships with EN folks and churches that we discovered there are others out there doing similar things, longing for similar things. And our hearts have been healed to find thoughtful practitioners and missional academics among our EN friends. We’re also excited about any way that we can contribute something to the EN conversation or be an encouragement or resource to others in their work.”

Next time you’re in Cincinatti, drop them a line.  Or, if you haven’t already, pick up a copy of Mandy’s latest book at IV Press, “The Vulnerable Pastor”.

Also joining the Ecclesia family is Church at the Well (wellchurchVT.com) in Burlington, VT pastored by Adam Avery, Kevin Fitton, and Ian Bailey.  This is a young church with an incredible story of perseverance and collaboration in the midst of one of the most difficult contexts for church planting in the country.  Originally, Adam and Kevin had planted separate congregations, but as they became friends they recognized their shared heart for ministry and their shared vision for Burlington.  After a lengthy process, the two congregations merged, Church at the Well was formed, and they have been growing more fruitful and faithful ever since.

Here are Adam and Kevin in their own words …
“We are incredibly excited about being formally invited into the Ecclesia network, though the words “formally invited” aren’t quite right. Because what we’re most excited about is the fact that we feel as if we belong to this community. We are a five hours’ drive from the closest Ecclesia church, and yet when we are together with the network at regional and national gatherings, it feels like we are with our people.” – Adam Avery, Lead Pastor

“This is a great time in the life of our church. We have hit many milestones in this whole church planting process, and while this one might not be the one you first think of as a ‘we made it’ moment, it is huge that our church is at a point where we have established enough of an identity to connect with something larger and know that it is truly the right place for us. We are excited to know that our future is tied in with Ecclesia, with this great organization and incredible group of churches.” – Kevin Fitton, Associate Pastor

Let’s support our friends in New England and be praying that a new church will join them that’s just a little bit closer!

by

Ecclesia Welcomes Mid-West & New England Churches into the Network!

University Christian Church (universitychristianchurch.net) in Cincinnati, OH and Church at the Well in Burlington, VT (wellchurchvt.com) were both officially accepted into our growing network at our recent board meeting.  For many within Ecclesia, the leadership of UCC will be a familiar face to you.  In 2014 we were blessed to have Lead Pastor, Mandy Smith, serve as one of our special guests at the National Gathering.  In addition to Mandy, Nathan Smith and Anthony round out a strong pastoral team that is leading a thriving and growing church in the middle of the downtown life of Cincinatti, OH.  Mandy Smith shared this with us about their recent decision to join Ecclesia. “Joining with Ecclesia Network is important for UCC on several levels. As an independent congregation, we don’t have the support of a denominational network. And since our ministry is a little a-typical (urban/campus/neighborhood setting, coffee shop ministry, female lead pastor) we can easily feel alone or be lone rangers. It wasn’t until our staff began developing relationships with EN folks and churches that we discovered there are others out there doing similar things, longing for similar things. And our hearts have been healed to find thoughtful practitioners and missional academics among our EN friends. We’re also excited about any way that we can contribute something to the EN conversation or be an encouragement or resource to others in their work.”

Next time you’re in Cincinatti, drop them a line.  Or, if you haven’t already, pick up a copy of Mandy’s latest book at IV Press, “The Vulnerable Pastor”.

Also joining the Ecclesia family is Church at the Well (wellchurchVT.com) in Burlington, VT pastored by Adam Avery, Kevin Fitton, and Ian Bailey.  This is a young church with an incredible story of perseverance and collaboration in the midst of one of the most difficult contexts for church planting in the country.  Originally, Adam and Kevin had planted separate congregations, but as they became friends they recognized their shared heart for ministry and their shared vision for Burlington.  After a lengthy process, the two congregations merged, Church at the Well was formed, and they have been growing more fruitful and faithful ever since.

Here are Adam and Kevin in their own words …
“We are incredibly excited about being formally invited into the Ecclesia network, though the words “formally invited” aren’t quite right. Because what we’re most excited about is the fact that we feel as if we belong to this community. We are a five hours’ drive from the closest Ecclesia church, and yet when we are together with the network at regional and national gatherings, it feels like we are with our people.” – Adam Avery, Lead Pastor

“This is a great time in the life of our church. We have hit many milestones in this whole church planting process, and while this one might not be the one you first think of as a ‘we made it’ moment, it is huge that our church is at a point where we have established enough of an identity to connect with something larger and know that it is truly the right place for us. We are excited to know that our future is tied in with Ecclesia, with this great organization and incredible group of churches.” – Kevin Fitton, Associate Pastor

Let’s support our friends in New England and be praying that a new church will join them that’s just a little bit closer!

by

Rhythm Church in Miami Celebrates 5 Years! 

“On our five year anniversary we pause to give God thanks for all that he has done in us and through us. We’ve seen God work powerfully in our midst, and we believe that he will continue “to do more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). Listen in as we reflect on the past half-decade, tell stories of how we’ve experienced God’s grace and mercy, and eagerly anticipate what God has in store for us for the next five years and beyond.” Hear more