West Bromwich Network Church facts for kids
West Bromwich Network Church is a special kind of Christian church. It started in January 2007. Reverend Evan Cockshaw helped create it. This church was set up by the Church of England's Lichfield Diocese. They worked with the West Bromwich & District YMCA and the Walter Stanley Trust.
The main goal of West Bromwich Network Church (WBNC) is to create new ways for people aged 20-30 to experience church. They want to reach young adults who might not feel connected to traditional Christian faith.
What is a Fresh Expression?
Fresh Expressions is a project by the Church of England and the Methodist Church. Their goal is to create new types of church for today's world. These new churches are mainly for people who don't already go to church.
West Bromwich Network Church is a great example of this project. The Lichfield Diocese looked for a special leader for this church. They also promised to fund the church for seven years. This helped the church try new things.
WBNC is one of four special leader roles created by the Lichfield Diocese since 2004. These leaders explore new ways for churches to connect with people. They want to build strong faith communities. Other churches can then learn from their experiences.
Pioneer Leaders
The special leaders are called "Pioneer Leaders for new missional communities." Besides West Bromwich, other pioneer leaders are:
- Reverend Gordon Crowther in Stoke.
- Mark Berry in Telford.
- Reverend Richard Moy in Wolverhampton.
The BBC even made a show about Mark Berry's work called "The Most Godless Town in Britain."
How the Church Works
West Bromwich Network Church uses a special way of organizing itself, called a cell church model. This means it has many small groups. These groups meet in different places like homes, workplaces, or social spots. In these small groups, people share their faith and lives together.
The church also gets ideas from several books and other churches. One important book is The Purpose Driven Church by Rick Warren. They also use ideas from the "Seeker Friendly" approach. This idea comes from Bill Hybels and Willow Creek Community Church. Another influence is Rob Bell and Mars Hill Bible Church. These ideas help the church welcome new people.
