We really believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the most amazing, loving, powerful, compelling person who has ever lived. Understandably, though, many in the West have not been able to get past his followers. Our goal in life is to know that man, follow him, re-present him in a credible way, and gather others who want to do the same.

What does this look like? It means four main things:

  1. Hang out with the people Jesus hung out with. He spent time with all kinds of people in all kinds of situations. He didn’t avoid certain groups because they’re “dirty” or “what would people think?” He wasn’t afraid of dark stuff – of mess and sin and addiction – because he knew who he was. He knew that soap isn’t afraid of dirt. In fact, the only people he didn’t spend a lot of time with were uptight religious types.
  2. Throw a good party. Jesus was at parties a lot in the course of his life and work. In fact, his description of heaven – of the culmination of his kingdom – was a huge blow-out wedding feast where everyone was invited. His first miracle was at a party (and it didn’t involve grape juice…). He spent enough time at such gatherings and with such people that he got a reputation as a “glutton and drunkard.” Even aside from all that, parties gather people and help to address our deep needs for community.
  3. Invite Jesus into every situation we’re in. Jesus said that he lived his life by only saying what he heard his Father saying and only doing what he saw his Father doing. In this way we want to invite the supernatural reality of a real, loving God into every conversation and interaction. If our friends are sick we pray for them. We look for the gold in our friends and tell them what we see. We expect God to do something amazing all the time and unlock the secrets of men’s (and women’s) hearts in ways that arguments never could.
  4. Expect prayer and generosity to change things. Like Abraham of old we believe everything God has given us is for the purpose of blessing others. We expect that when we pray for real problems in our city they will really shift over time. It’s part of our duty and privilege as children of God to use our heavenly resources to make life better in tangible ways – even for those who don’t believe like we do. People who hung out with Jesus saw food multiplied, storms calmed, and diseases healed not because of their own faith but their proximity to him. We want our lives to offer the same.

We envision three overlapping groups of people coming together:

  1. A missional community of people who are trying to follow Jesus and bring change to Newcastle. We meet on Thursday nights at our house to sing, pray, and study the Bible. You might call this a church or a “fresh expression” of church.
  2. A relational community of people from all walks of life and faith (or lack thereof) who are sharing life together. The goal is to serve others and welcome them into a family.
  3. A praying community of people from different churches and backgrounds, in the spirit of 24-7 prayer, IHOP-KC, and the early celtic monastic communities. This is not a centrally led endeavor but a relational network of people called to wait on and listen to God, paving the way for everything else.

We want to foster a culture that:

  • Loves people well
    • honour – treats everyone as valuable and powerful, whether they believe like we do or not
    • commitment – stick with each other through failure and conflict
    • health – relationships are safe and not controlling
  • Is not religious
    • Unpretentious – not putting up a front
    • Not judgmental
    • Speaks the language of normal people and behaves as normally as possible without being hypocritical
  • Is radical and hungry for more of God
    • Trying things other people haven’t done
    • Jesus said “you will do greater things than I have done” – there’s always more impact to step into
    • Not content with a lack of spiritual reality (i.e. God moving)
  • Is dependent on God
    • Led and supported by prayer (listening more than dictating)
    • Always stepping into something that is too big for us (leaving room for God to act)
    • Generous and hospitable with our resources (money and people)
  • Where every person is pursuing:
    • A deeper knowledge/experience of God – not content with spoon-fed easy answers
    • A supernatural lifestyle – to hear His voice and obey everywhere we go, taking risks
    • Missional relationships – crossing the natural boundaries to build real friendships, loving others well (wherever they’re at spiritually) and letting them experience community, the love of God, and our own life with Jesus without manipulation, praying for them

Beyond that, we hope to see many similar communities grow all over Ireland and Europe. We hope to train and send humble, powerful leaders all over Europe and the rest of the world. We believe that in the same way the early celtic monks spread out and brought light to the continent in the dark ages, the Irish are uniquely positioned for this – even destined for it. We just want to be part of it.