If our minds are on the missional focus of the church, we will make room for innovative approaches. Linda Maslen explains how an activity sparked a new congregation reaching people who wouldn’t attend a traditional church.
Fountains Church Bradford was established in 2019 as a new church plant in Bradford city centre. A submission was made to the Church of England which was accepted and a building purchased to accommodate the new church. The building was made up of 33,000 sq ft of derelict nightclubs. It required significant renovation on the inside which has now reached completion.
Alongside the development of the building, we believed new congregations needed to emerge. Fountains’ first congregation was centred around its 4.30pm service. During the early building work and Covid season this congregation led a nomadic existence meeting f irst in a cafe, then within another church’s premises and finally in a pub function room. The new congregation moved online during lockdowns. As restrictions gradually decreased, we met outside before f inally moving into the first phase of our new building.
Our second congregation, or worshipping community, was Saturday Gathering. This gathering supported those who live in and around the city centre, who may be homeless, or in low quality accommodation, suffering from addictions, mental health issues or general isolation. This community longs to be part of a family, and we’ve seen them find Jesus in the midst of their challenges.
