1 Corinthians 1:10-13

By an Alliance we must proclaim to keep Jesus the focus of our worship rather than any “religion”. We do not have to necessarily abandon “denominational principles” or to put it differently, the way we do church, rather we can embrace our differences and prescribe only to Jesus, the Bible.

Other benefits of a Christian church being co (non)-denominational could include the ability to more strictly follow what we see as being a sound biblical viewpoint, without having to align with a larger organisation. But in general, becoming an Allied co (non)-denominational Church might only tend to define a fundamental Christian Doctrine (Core Christian Beliefs) and help us to become tolerant and accepting of differing opinions and other non-essential Christian beliefs.

In a co (non)-denominational church setting we would like to think that we could cater for the Fishergate Congerations being comfortable sitting beside the PV attendees in a service geared not to make either feel uncomfortable, threatened or rejected.

This opens the church door (The Door of Hope) a little wider and we believe will allow “membership” to grow faster than if we maintained an introverted approach to our church life.

Shared Responsibility, Shared Leadership

“A problem shared is a problem halved” - Traditional

A potential pitfall of a co (non)-denominational church in general could be that there is a possibility of the "check and balance" of being accountable to their respective denominational bodies. We believe as stated above that neither PV nor Fishergate Baptist would be surrendering their identities and connections and as such they would still be able to call upon their denominational associates to assist in steering away from potential doctrinal pitfalls, counseling, pastoral care and mentoring.

However we are realistic in accepting that no organisation of any size is capable of being perfect, and that our larger church bodies are as likely to keep a doctrinal flaw as to steer a smaller church away from one. By remaining independent, each church can rapidly adjust to perceived flaws.

Indeed it could be argued that there is really no such thing as a truly "non-denominational church," as all churches adhere to a core set of Christian beliefs even if those beliefs are not as formalised as a named denomination.

Again, hence the phrase “Church is Church”. One could argue that those Core Beliefs form a denomination, even if the denomination's adherents consist of only a single church. In the instance of the Alliance between the Fishergate Churches which fundamentally share an ethos of outreach and evangelism our label is indeed generically "Christian," with the connotation that neither party has any business disagreeing with the others teachings given our Core Beliefs.

Our vision is to see the Fishergate building as home to vibrant congregations of churches and secular users which will not only share building space, but also a growing list of programmatic initiatives, including:

Church services (conventional, contemporary, alternative),

Such an Alliance would benefit from a shared budget, shared stewardship work, and shared local mission projects.

The shape of an Alliance between Fishergate Baptist and Preston Vineyard is still emerging. We see it like the body to be organic and continually growing and developing. We also see it as a journey. To this end three Key Core Values have surfaced.

The Inner Journey – Connection with Jesus

A commitment to develop spiritual formation of our members. Through culturally relevant and creative forms of prayer, reflection, engaging with Scripture, learning and worship. We commit to seek to create an environment where people grow in their own relationship with God.

A commitment to encourage and resource our congregations on a journey of service, justice and mission to others. We commit to seek to both provide opportunities for corporate mission and to support and resource any individuals in their own daily mission. We seek to keep in balance our call to be counter cultural and strive to be Incarnation and Relational in our outward journey.

This would be our commitment to travel the inward and outward journeys together into the community. The Fishergate Vineyard Alliance would seek to develop inclusive community through, hospitality, inspiration from Scripture, shared life disciplines and intentional involvement in one an others lives and those of the peoples of Preston.

There are many ways in which we as separate churches could form an alliance within one building. Sharing Agreements enable a church to use another church's building as if it were its own - i.e. its own worship styles and practice are fully allowable. To a certain extent this is what happens at the moment in the relationship Fishergate Baptist has with Preston Vineyard. Although in reality PV are tenants of the basement.

If we were to look at a Sharing Agreement it is paramount that each church community develop committee to comprise an equal number of representatives from each

partner church. The committees task is to decide matters relating to the management and care of the building and the raising of capital money to be spent on major works or extensions.

It is usual that an existing building already owned by one of the partner churches (Fishergate Baptist in this case) will remain vested in that church, but this is open to investigation.

A Sharing Agreement would build a church within Fishergate where congregations of both denominations would enjoy the cost savings of shared building space.

Capital money from both Fishergate and PV would maintain the building and it’s uses would be covered by a Sharing Agreement. The arrangements for financing of day to day upkeep should reflect the amount of use being made of the building and may also take into account the size or ability to pay of the respective congregations. These matters need to be handled sensitively and realistically.

A Sharing Agreement would certainly alter the viewpoint of both congregations in that Fishergate could accept the Vineyard as committed to their building and permit the Vineyard a sense of feeling that Fishergate is their true spiritual home.

Our prayer is that something such as a Sharing Agreement would lead to the

development of closer working between Fishergate and PV which may in time come to

be expressed in a covenanted partnership or a single congregation partnership.

On the other hand a Sharing Agreements could have written into it a way in which the relationship could be terminated if necessary.

The Bigger Picture

We wish however, to create a cooperative effort to be home to our various congregations, but not only as said to share the building and budgets but also to add support to their various outreach programmes.

We want to develop a “permission-giving spirit” a tolerance indeed an embracing of differing styles rather than a ‘we’ve always done it that way mentality.

All congregations as stated may maintain a strong commitment to their respective denominations and their personal identity but the hope is that a fundamental characteristic will develop as the relationship grows and the differences will become less apparent and eventually disappear.

One of the important things we must learn is to be considerate and compassionate to the needs of the all parties both in our worship / services styles and in making decisions about the building.

We have previously stated that we believe that we need to strip away any increased focus on denominational identities and concentrate on a user friendly and market-driven church development. However we appreciate that this must be with our hearts and minds fully open to faithful, effective and creative ecumenical possibilities and service.

Perhaps this might lead us into an understanding of where God is pointing us in the quest for Christian unity. (See Section – “What We Need” below)

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Mission Vision

Main Junction

Coffee Shop

Coffee House

Police Project

Acoustic Sessions

Prayer Prescription

To make the relationship and sharing of a building work we must embrace and observe three important principles to ensure the greatest success:

§ A clear, prior understanding

§ An on-going communication, and

§ A cooperative ministry.

At the end of the day, who and what is the New Allied Church for?

The Archbishop of York said “The trouble with virtually all forms of revolution and modernising strategies is that they change everything – except the human heart”.

He put out a challenge of what he called “Corporate Discipleship”, for the Church as a whole to quit searching for life enhancing evangelism and switch to life changing events. Jesus message if delivered and understood should be life changing. It is the ultimate realisation and hopefully the most important life change a person will ever make.

“the call to corporate discipleship is a call to God’s promised glory. For Christ did for us that which we couldn’t do for ourselves”.

We are commissioned today not just to seek out the lost outside the Church but to offer a redemption to the Church. Undoubtedly it is our Christian understanding that those who do not know Jesus are in need of salvation, but we must as churches also realise that the culture and institutions of non believers create are also in need of redemption, not simply of modernising. - John Sentamu

We have a duty of care to save our churches. Save them for the lost and the found.

If we do not put our shop in order we will have nothing to sell.

There was time, and it’s within our living memory that the Church was at the hub of society, when the police, doctors and ministers were people who held our respect within communities. Well that time has passed and perhaps it’s not such a bad thing as that respect became “a given”, rather than it was earned. Perhaps society just got complacent or worse still conceited.

However, instead of harking back to the good old days and pining for times past we really do need to put the corporate Church shop in order. The old saying is that respect is earned and it is true. The Church in England has lost the respect of its peoples. Perhaps as has been suggested it is because we have “lost touch”, that we are no longer relevant socially or culturally. On the whole the country and its peoples are richer as a nation but less happy.

“The Church in England must rediscover her self-confidence and self-esteem that united and energised the English people those many centuries ago when the disparate fighting groups embraced the Gospel..

As an Alliance, we believe that the churches of Fisheragate can assist in this rebuilding and re marketing of our church as a hub of society again. A place where people will want to come to for company, for relaxation, for entertainment, for edification, for love and acceptance and God willing, to meet with Him. By simply opening our doors in a socially and culturally relevant way we will have begun a process of serving and loving people,

We believe that we can as an Alliance reach out to and serve the people of Preston. All of the people of Preston. Regardless of their race, creed, colour, morals, sexuality, political persuasion, their wealth or lack of it. We believe that we can become a friend to all. The Up and Outs as well as the Downs.

We believe we have to change. We believe that the time is right to offer a hand of friendship to all, To Go, go and find friends amongst Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, agnostics, atheists and Christians, “not for the purpose of converting them to our beliefs, but for friendship, understanding, listening, hearing” - John Sentamu.

The beauty is that it works both ways, if we learn to change, to be sincerely tolerant, to be sincerely accepting of our differences, then people will offer us the same.

We understand that we need to make the Church’s presence known in our community. To that end we need to start making connections with the “geographic community” of the city centre

We believe that our Church Alliances should also provide space for “Common Purpose” be it education e.g. teaching English as a second language or computing (internet café), drug rehabilitation programmes e.g. Mission Vision, Police programmes (see below), support groups for single parents, a Youth Centre, arts and crafts workshops or even the beginning of Fisherate Cubs,Guides and Scout troops.

The number and types of projects and services are obviously innumerable. What is important however is that any programme the church provides has to focus on strengthening and improving the quality of the lives of our city community, the shop workers, the shoppers, bankers, families, the homeless, recovering addicts, the lonely. The vital thing is that the church building becomes a usable space and refuge to all and that providing such a space is an essential part of Fishergates ministry.

Currently in Fishergate Baptist Church there are many projects already running, or in the beginning stages. Main Junction already uses the building twice a week as a drop in for 16-25 year olds. Mission Vision, a Christian Rehabilitation Centre has been involved in services as well as helping out in building maintenance.

A coffee ‘morning’ is run bi-weekly as a joint project between Fishergate Baptist and Preston Vineyard, for shoppers, passersby and homeless people. Level Ground is a soup kitchen-esque project and is run by Fishergate Baptist in the front lounge area.

Preston Vineyard’s band plays an acoustic gig monthly in a local pub, a gig which could be later moved into Fishergate Baptist Church if the setting was made appropriate.

Preston Vineyard has also started to build relationships with the City Police by agreeing to volunteer to conduct a town centre audit of security systems. Our intention is to not only bless the police with our time but also make ourselves known in the community that surrounds Fishergate Baptist Church.

All of our ongoing projects are interlinked and the above relationships should hopefully be further encouraged with the opening of our currently proposed Coffee Shop and Coffee House projects, by offering a place where the police and shop owners will feel welcome to drop in for a brew and mix with the café patrons. (See Appendix 4)

It’s obvious that if we are going to be part of this city community we have to be open to it, be culturally aware of its peoples. We have to be part of it even if we don’t agree with everything. We must appreciate that we cannot operate a “Common Purpose” meeting or project and start proselytizing at the first given opportunity or blatantly start evangelising, but the fact that we say that you are welcome here is a significant step to the community seeing the Church as a friend . We see evangelism as a process. It’s important to go to people and say, ‘No strings attached—we are not expecting you to join the church. We just want to help.

We hope to become a much used urban centre that will meet the needs of the people who pass through our doors. Doing good works to help and benefit people (because we can) while at the same time demonstrating the Love of Jesus by example. “Loving them until they ask ‘why’.”

Diversity is to be encouraged-it would be wonderful to think that by Christmas a special service of lessons and carols read and sung in the languages of a multi ethnic congregation.

How do we meet those needs?

One of the complications of uniting a traditionally conventional group of Christians with a group that is traditionally un-conventional is the practical difference in approach. While one congregation may find comfort in the familiarity of its setting, the other may feel threatened by what it represents.

Any development must be in continuation with the hearts and vision of both congregations that we walk forward in decision making.

It is in line with this that Preston Vineyard proposes some changes to the church building including the removal of the pews from the sanctuary of Fishergate Baptist. It would allow the sanctuary to be more far more spacious, culturally relevant and useable to all the users of Fishergate Baptist Church and perhaps be the beginning of providing a rentable space (possibly free to deserving causes) for income generation. It would also free up some of the pews to be used in the Coffee House/Coffee Shop, and/or to be sold and replaced with far more comfortable (inviting) and flexible options.

This concept and it’s reasoning can be expanded thus:

Breaking Boundaries, Changing Patterns

The majority of churches today still maintain the traditional basic pattern for the primary weekly assembly that was shaped in the early centuries of the church.

Due to circumstances and timetabling with the Fishergate services, Preston Vineyard elected to hold our main weekly service meet on Saturday evenings. This was and is still met with varying emotions from surprise, dislike and excitement. It has been quoted as a reason why one family left our church and also a reason why others have joined. It has been interesting to observe how quickly though it became the norm. We feel confident that all Fishergate congregations should be able to accept change even if the transition period is sometimes uneasy.

Because we believe that the Spirit has spoken and continues to speak to us as a church we feel that anytime we meet as a congregation we need to be able to serve Him and do His will. We feel that whenever we assemble our worship spaces are planned and created to express an accessibility and inclusiveness within the local culture and community.

We most certainly do not wish to hide the fact we are Christians or that we are a church, but simply to breakdown a few stereotypes of how people perceive a church to be. It is important that everyone, Christians and non, recognise the shared environment as a place of Worship and Prayer but equally important that all realise that that fact does not exclude it from other uses.

Planning for the development of our new worship space should be intentional, prayerful and deliberate. A prayerful approach to any design is inclusive of all of our church congregations and will instill a community of faith for our Alliance. Our congregations will benefit from periods of reflection and prayer in what could otherwise be seen as an administrative enterprise by the leadership.

Planning should include ample time for education, reflection, experimentation, and research and a willingness to recognise if something is not working and then having the courage to change it.

Embracing the Arts

Embracing artistic and architectural styles from a variety of cultures enriches worship and encourages a broader experience of the church. The inclusion of all art forms should be integral in our planning processes.

The Worship of the Church (peoples), rather than architectural or artistic expression, creates the sacred space.

Architecture, furnishings, works of art, “liturgical” vessels or icons, and other elements of Church “rites” reach their intended aim when they facilitate the celebration of the people gathered for worship. We believe that Fishergate has the potential to truly meet the union of the old and the new, where the beautiful architecture of the building could merge with contemporary design and decoration. The function of the building could be shared between a place of Worship and multifunctional community space in one very small step.

The “holy” touches people even if they don’t have any particular religious leaning. People tend to treat churches and cathedrals with an inbred reverence. This is very good and respectful in one sense but can lead to the space being too exclusive for other uses.

Art works combined with the effective use of natural light, flowing water, plants, and other natural materials contributes to our experience of the sacred but also lends itself to a common sanctuary an “auberge” or place of protection, refuge or for relaxation. A place where it is equally ok to pray or read the paper.

A spiritual space may serve a congregation and the larger community as a place of safety and refreshment, accessible for prayer and meditation, at times other than when the whole assembly gathers (see below “Prayer on the Menu”). Alternatively it could just be a venue for a fun night out.

The arts serve the worshiping Church and also the public

Art and architecture proclaim the gospel, enrich the church’s participation in the service and help reinforce the general “spiritual” atmosphere. Spiritual (not religious) art animates the life and faith of the community. We are fortunate at Fishergate to have some wonderful pieces of traditional and contemporary stained glass and furniture that illustrate this point eloquently and could be incorporated into a really interesting and stimulating environment.

Sensitive and appropriate use of ethnic or cultural artistic forms that are not indigenous to the setting in which they are employed can open avenues of communion and ministry. Preston is a multi cultural city. We feel this could be celebrated through art.

Music, the visual arts, drama, poetry and the environment of our worship spaces embody the act of evangelism.

Visual arts in the spaces for worship assist the congregation to participate in worship, to focus on the essentials, and to embody the Gospel. There is a potential trade off here between serving local artists in allowing them to exhibit their works and at the same time our congregations enjoying the benefits of a stimulus to aid our worship times.

Through rhythm, sound, smell, form, texture, colour, and light, art and in particular spiritual art is a powerful language that speaks to all the human senses. We would seek to capture the balance between ever changing styles and enduring core church values in a creative, spiritual environment. Harnessing and expressing the timeless beauty of a classical church in a timely contemporary fashion.

We will encourage local artists, amateur and professional, disabled and able bodied, to collaborate with our worship leaders and the Church Alliance so that they may produce work that is focused on the celebration not only of our church but also of our communities.

Decisions relating to architecture, design, construction materials, and ongoing maintenance can be made with a sensitivity and compassion to the Fishergate Baptist congregation and should be a foundation of good stewardship in merging the churches.

The way our building relates to the City environment or to Fishergate High Street hopefully will be a sign of a community’s attitude. Many church buildings can be welcoming or foreboding, inviting or imposing. A worship / multifunction community space that welcomes and accommodates other activities such as concerts, lectures, and dramas reveals a responsible dedication of resources and commitment to the greater community. .

An inclusive worship space that reflects an intentional consideration of the diversity of culture and ethnic background within the congregation and the surrounding City community is one way of our expressing a commitment to social justice.

The Coffee Shop and Coffee House. (The Link).

The Coffee Shop and Coffee House should be a gathering place (in old Catholic lore this was known as the “Commons or the Nathex”). It indeed needs to be a common area. The gathering place is a significant transitional space between church and world. The gathering space builds a sense of community, facilitates hospitality.

The entries and exits, as well as areas set apart for seating and conversation, must welcome newcomers and provide a hospitable path for all. First impressions count.

The generous and functional vestibule at the front of Fishergate is obviously our ideal gathering place. Its layout provides opportunity both to strengthen the congregation’s own sense of community and to invite visitors into the church as a whole, for worship or otherwise. The area is very well suited as the two doorways (one on either side) mark the transition from gathering space to worship or communal space and accommodate various activities at once between the two areas, in that, those not comfortable in attending a church service in the main church space can still be included in the sanctuary of the Coffee Shop.

The purpose of the gathering area is enhanced by the small kitchen facilities (which we would like to expand upon) and the toilets. It is envisaged that other spaces could be developed too, for example, a nursery or crèche.

The Coffee Shop being generous in scale and well-appointed, will serve as an effective area for hospitality and community-building well beyond its uses before and after Church Worship.

Prayer On The Menu

The open plan and accessibility of the Coffee Shop will hopefully point a way into our proposed prayer ministry. We have discovered that most people are open to prayer regardless or not of a professing faith. We want prayer to be natural to all. We want people to feel comfortable that prayer goes on around them. We want people to feel relaxed enough to literally ask for prayer. We want prayer to be on the menu. It could literally read something like this:

“You may have noticed that this is a church! As Christians we still believe in the power of prayer and have Faith that God has the Power to answer prayer (not always in the way we might expect). The important thing is that we believe. If you are not a person of faith then you don’t have to be to receive prayer.

If you’d like someone to pray with you about anything, be it relationships, finances, work or even if you are just having a really bad day, just ask – we’d love to pray for and with you”.

Just ask. We will pray, women with women, men with men, with the strictest of privacy, confidentiality and consideration.

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Short term – Removal of pews. Install fixed PA. Develop the Coffee Shop and House. Explore parking facilities at rear of church. Develop relationship with Shaftesbury further re seeking sponsorship and funding. Create relationships with local artists and musicians.

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Mid Term – Disabled Access – loop system – include disabled people in all church and community activities. Expand the Kitchen Area. Develop a marketing strategy for renting communal space.

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Long Term- feasibility study - commission architects to redesign the all spaces up and downstairs and create new level

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." NKJV

And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." NKJV

2. To practice our brotherly love by "loving the stranger" in our land, inside and outside the faith:

Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. NKJV

The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. NKJV

For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. NKJV

Sharing expenses is good financial stewardship. Recognising that the Church property belongs to the Lord, not to us:

The earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. NKJV

as His stewards we should expand its use to include congregations who “speak other languages” metaphorically and literally.

4. To grow ourselves. We hope to benefit from the strengths of other congregations (and share our strengths with them, too). As we work with people from other backgrounds, we develop patience:

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. NKJV

In addition, learning about other cultures better equips us for the missionary task.

5. To reflect now the future unity which will be realised when "a great multitude from every nation, from all tribes and peoples" shall stand before the God's throne:

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" NKJV

And they sang a new song, saying:

"You are worthy to take the scroll,

And to open its seals;

For You were slain,

And have redeemed us to God by Your blood

Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, NKJV

“The call is to live and be good news to everyone. It would be fantastic if people not only said of Jesus Christ, “What sort of man is this?” but said of us, his followers, “What sort of people are they? Their gracious actions, and the language on their lips is of God’s goodness and love. Let us get to know them. There is something extraordinarily normal and wonderful about them.” ”

We believe that God is all powerful, all knowing and all seeing.

We believe that He is as interested in His children today as ever He was.

We believe that he knows our hearts and he knows our weaknesses and our limitations.

We believe that an Alliance of the Fishergate Churches through corporate discipleship has the power to change lives and change them for the better, for the good of all the peoples of Preston.

We believe that the power of the Gospel works without manipulative or coercive words, without arm twisting, without agendas.

We believe this because we recognise Jesus just as Thomas did (eventually) as our Lord and our God.

Because we believe these things we are united as vital parts of Christ’s Body. When the body is healthy it works in a cooperative and coordinated fashion. This will affect our worship, our evangelism and our response to social, political and economic realities. This will change lives.

Jesus called us once. We believe He’s calling us again. The Archishop of York whom we have plagiarised so much in this paper concluded his 1^st sermon in York Minster with the following. It seems fitting to steal from him one last time.

“Hear, O England, the Lord our God is the only Lord,

Love the Lord your God with all your heart,

With all your soul, with all your mind

And with all your strength

Love your neighbour as yourself”.

And the only fitting response for me is this:

Lord take my heart from me,

For I cannot give it to thee

For I cannot keep it for thee

And save me in spite of myself.

Friends, let us do it and let us do it now! God help and bless us all.