Plant Update: 4 Launch imminent   19th December 2011

I realise that it has been a long time since a plant update. A lot has happened in the last six months.

In God's sovereign plan the initial idea of a "two-stage" church plant like we have done before did not materialise. At the APCM in April we discovered that the final location of a church plant was a significant factor in people considering signing up to a daughter church. Since we were asking people to leave St Leonard's and commit to the new congregation, the Children and Youth Work provision was also a major factor. On reflection, the initial plan was not what God wanted for us and was not right for us as a church at the present time

After Easter we considered another option. Again, in God's good sovereign purposes this did not materialise. Over the summer it looked like things were going quiet on the plant front. At our first meeting of the "Greenhouse Group" in the new academic year a new idea was put on the table. This was put to the PCC who enthusiastically supported it and asked us to return with a concrete proposal. We presented the proposal to the PCC on Monday 12th December who accepted it. So, we are proceeding apace with a mid-week evening non-church venue congregation. We will be launching it with full details on:  Sunday 15th January. Decision day will be Sunday 5th February, and we will start the new venture on Tuesday 21st February.

Please pray as we put together the final information, the presentation and launch. And please pray that all the practical details will fall into place. And please pray for people with a heart for Jesus and for the lost to commit to this new evangelistic congregation.

Nick Gowers, 19th December 2011