While traveling in the greater London area, I had the privilege of meeting (and dining with) Paul and Fran Hendrick in Gilford, England.  They have planted a church in their home right around the dinner table.  They have opened their lives and their home to students attending the university in the area.  They have a large home with many rooms which they open to students.  Currently they have five people living in their home with them (4 of which are students).  Their church gathers in a very relational way around the dinner table for a Sunday lunch, a Monday night Bible study, and Saturday night worship.  For birthdays in the group, they have prayer at the local Starbucks.  Fran is a marvelous cook (I and my stomach can attest to that), and it is no wonder how this very caring and hospitable couple attract peopl into their home and their lives.  They have been doing this for a little over a year, and in the past year they have a core group of about twenty people - consisting of five different nationalities.  They have had a total of eighty-two people attend their gatherings, and have had thirty people in total staying in their home in the past year.

Paul and Fran have been in ministry together for twenty-eight years.  What they love about what they are doing now is that they are simply ministering out of "who they are" and truly sharing their lives with people.  To board in their home, it is not required that you attend their church gatherings.  However, they find that all who stay become curious and tie in relationally with the others around the dinner table.  You also do not have to have any religous background or be a professed Christian to be a part of their fellowship.  In fact, many who attend aren't, but they are drawn to the authentic relationship that they find with the others present.  In this very relational and hospitable environment, they are drawing people into relationship with eachother and with Christ.

Here is a photo from when I was there.  Unfortunately, we had already finished the wonderful dinner!

Here's a picture of some of the youth (and leadership) and Pastor Kenn Baird (to the right) of the New Life Church in Hastings, England.  I snapped off this photo quickly on my phone after a sunday service with them when I realized that I had forgot to bring my camera to the service.  

I had a delightful time visiting with Kenn Baird (National Leader for Foursquare Great Britain) and his family in Hastings.  The main purpose for the visit was to collaborate in planning our regional youth camp for this summer.  It was also a wonderful opportunnity to see and hear about the Foursquare Churches in Great Britain.  The New Life church in Hastings recently acquired a new meeting location right in the heart of downtown Hastings.  In a time when we have seen countless church growth strategies rise and fall along with the tension of defining what "success" and "growth" are in the context of the church, I have found it very interesting how the Hastings church has been formed.  Kenn tells me that they have exactly fifty-one chairs in their sanctuary.  "Fifty for the congregation," he says, "and one for me."  When their congregation reaches fifty people, they see that as the time to send out "missionaries" to plant a new church.  They are already in the process of preparing a young couple to do just that.  The size of their building accomodates exactly that size of a congregation beautifully.

Kenn is very much a missionary pastor, and his church is quite missional: toward each other (caring for needs), in their community (serving), and outwardly (to other lands).  He would be the first to say that their way is not the only way, but just the way that has worked for them in their response to the call of God.

That Sunday, Kenn shared a message about "sewing seeds."  One point that really stuck with me was that Jesus tells and models to us that we are to give out of our need rather than only our surpluss.  This caused me to ask myself the question, "Am I waiting for a surpluss so that I can give, or do I give at my very point of need?"  This response is modeled in the way that New Life Hastings Church lives within their community, and I am thankful for my new friends there.