ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Twenty years ago, Jo Saxton surveyed the city of Sheffield, England, and realized she faced a formidable task.
The college pastor of St. Thomas’ Church, an Anglican congregation, Saxton was ministering in a city studded with large churches and cathedrals but in which only 2 percent of the population attended religious services. Years of economic depression had left their mark on the once thriving community.
“There had been incredible things happening in Sheffield, incredible movements of God, but the city on seven hills had become a valley of dry bones,” Saxton told participants March 17 at the inaugural gathering of Fresh Expressions, a movement to help churches engage their postmodern culture with new communities of faith.
"If you're looking for a silver bullet, this isn't it," said Jo Saxton (left) at the inaugural gathering of Fresh Expressions. At right is Laura McDaniel, exective director of Woman's Missionary Union of Virginia.
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Sheffield, with roots in the Anglo-Saxon era, exploded with steel mill-driven growth during the Industrial Revolution and by 1900 was one of England’s largest cities. But the next century was hard on the Yorkshire town.
“Lots of things happened,” said Saxton, who now lives in Southern California as director of 3DM, a Christian discipling and missional organization.
Hundreds of Sheffield’s young men were slaughtered on French battlefields during World War I. During the Second World War it was devastated by relentless bombings targeting its militarily-strategic mills. After the war many of the mills closed, and by the 1980s Sheffield was stagnant.
“Across the city, churches were praying,” said Saxton. “How do we reach out in the midst of all this?”
Anticipating by several years some of the core characteristics of Fresh Expressions, Saxton and St. Thomas’ began experimenting with small groups of 20 to 50 people outside of the church building.
“We found there was something [energizing] about groups that were small enough to know each other but big enough to dare, to take risks,” she said. “That ignited something.”
As more people were attracted to the groups, Saxton and other leaders realized the next step was discipleship.
“When Jesus did discipleship, it resulted in mission,” she said. “It was incarnational, not a program.”
The result after years of persistence was more than 200 missional communities throughout Sheffield and more than 700 professions of faith in Christ last year.
Saxton said she’s drawn at least four conclusions from the experience:
- “If you’re looking for a silver bullet, this isn’t it. It took Sheffield 17 years. We aren’t looking for a revolution but a slow process that will revolutionize our lives.”
- “Choose to be defined by mission, not by memory or maintenance.”
- “Consider whether you have a plan for discipleship and whether it works.”
- “Check your metrics for success.” Sometimes the conventional measurements won’t work, she pointed out.
Robert Dilday (rdilday@religiousherald.org) is managing editor of the Religious Herald.