Everyone has a part to play in the Mixed Ecology of Church

Everyone has a role to play in New Worshipping Communities and pioneering mission in Cumbria. Whether you’re directly involved in leading something, or praying for your community, we hope the Northern Mission Centre can support you wherever you are on your journey.  In this section you will find out what pioneering and New Worshipping Communities are, as well as what networks and support are available to help the mixed ecology flourish and help individuals find their place within it. In Cumbria we often use the analogy of a garden as a way to talk about the mixed ecology of church. Building on this idea one of the ways to try and encompass all that is happening across Cumbria is through what we call the Garden Trellis.

The trellis demonstrates that everyone has a part to play in the mixed ecology and everyone’s contribution is valid. We are here to support you wherever you are on the trellis whether serving in a Time Honoured setting, bridging out into your community, planting a new church or pioneering something different.

What is a New Worshipping Community?

New – The aim of the New Worshipping Community is to reach people who are currently not attending church and to make new Christian disciples.

Worshipping – The purpose of the community is the worship of Jesus Christ and to help people grow in the maturity of their faith.  This can be seen through its practices which will have multiple of the hallmarks of worship from: prayer, scripture, praise, sacrament, and acts of service.

Community – Meets together in person or online regularly (i.e. at least once a month), and is connected with the wider Church through the parish church, deanery or diocese.

What is happening in Cumbria?

Cumbria has become known for its creative approach to mission across the whole church. Until recently we have focussed on developing Fresh Expressions (FX) of church. FXs often start by listening to the local community and growing new forms of church from there. Following the successful Diocesan Investment Programme Application in March 2025, we are broadening out our work to include more Church Planting. The New Worshipping Communities (NWC) definition, from the national Church of England, encompasses both Planting and Fresh Expressions of church, as well as having scope to include NWCs emerging in Time Honoured spaces e.g. through toddler groups.

To Find out more about New Worshipping Communities and what’s been happening in Cumbria in our Creative Mission in and Around Cumbria Booklet.

Networks and Support

The missional ecosystem is a mix of training and people and this means we can offer a range of support and resources. Creative Mission can be a lonely business and one of our favourite things to hear is “I’ve found my tribe”. Over the years we have developed a range of networks:

• Cmpfire – for those exploring New Worshipping Communities
• Network Youth Church
• Children’s and Families Network
• Pioneering Parishes – for those supporting creative mission in local churches
• IME2 Pioneers – for curates who are involved in creative mission as a key part of their work

As we move into the next season we will be reviewing the above networks and identifying any new ones needed. If you want to join these or find out more, please get in touch with Lori Passmore.

The training and resources we offer include:

• Growbag
• Seedbed Grants
• Garden Planner sessions
• the Trellis
• Speed Incubator – idea generator
• Dedicated workshops

We have a number of Pioneer Enablers mentioned below and a range of pioneers many of whom have expertise in a particular area and are willing to share their experience. Some of these people are voluntary, lay, ordained or missional entrepreneurs. This means we probably know someone who you can chat to about your situation and missional idea.

Who’s Who

Beth Honey
Director of Missional Revitalisation
Beth.honey@carlislediocese.org.uk

Lori Passmore
Missional Revitalisation Support Officer
Lori.passmore@carlislediocese.org.uk

Dan Pattimore
Pioneer Enabler Team Leader
dan.pattimore@carlislediocese.org.uk

Markus Geibel (Opa)
Pioneer Enabler, Barrow (Young Adults and Families)
Opa.Geibel@carlislediocese.org.uk

Captain Jeff Hill – based on the West Coast
Pioneer Enabler
Jeffery.Hill@carlislediocese.org.uk