For the past four years, Jenni Entrican has been leading an alternative style of church called Jacob's Well. It started as an idea from Chipping Sodbury Baptist Church who felt that it was important to try and reach people who wouldn't usually go to a traditional church but were seeking spiritually.
Jacob's Well began with a core group of people who attempted to discover what was needed in the present culture and how to build a group of ‘apprentices for Jesus Christ' who are relevant in the 21st century. At the planning stage, the core group knew that the church wasn't going to be a ‘place' - they wouldn't have a building, but would be more of a network. However, initially they were trying to be a place where people would encounter God, learning now to become people who encounter God.
It has not been an easy road for Jacob's Well, or the parent church, as they tried to explain why they do not meet on Sundays. But it has been an encouraging journey as people have grown spiritually. People now talk about their faith naturally in their work situations or when they meet up with other people. They will now go confidently into a Mind, Body, Spirit Fair to engage in conversation with people who are searching spiritually.
They have been encouraged and supported by Chipping Sodbury Baptist Church which still supports them financially and prayerfully and West of England Baptist Association and Home Mission which gives a grant towards what they are doing.
Jacob's Well is trying to become a missional, incarnational church of people who are going out and making contact with others - joining them in their activities rather than inviting them in to church activities. This requires a change of mindset and an intentionality about it. They have learned that the Christian life is about what we are doing every day, not just on Sundays. Jacob's Well is beginning to understand that there is no sacred secular divide, and believes that this is an important message for the church in the 21st century.
What's next?1. Introduction |
