Urban Expression: Glasgow
Vision
Urban Expression Glasgow is a church-planting initiative in Scotland's largest city, with a vision to explore new patterns of church life that can be owned by the people of Glasgow's most deprived communities. It is a mission agency devoted to stimulating and nurturing new churches in these areas. Urban Expression Glasgow is committed to working in partnership with others and is keen to listen and learn from others. Urban Expression takes great care not to drain other local churches of their limited resources, but rather our aim is to encourage and support whenever possible.
Steering Group
A Steering Group maintains the values and vision of UE Glasgow. The group currently consists of leaders who also have connections with the Church of Scotland, the International Christian College and the Baptist Union of Scotland (for details of the steering group you can click on the "Who are we?" link below). The Steering Group is actively seeking to build relationships with Christian groups and churches interested in partnering with UE in urban mission. It is also dedicated to recruiting team leaders and team members, and to deploy these strategically in under-churched locations in the most deprived areas of Glasgow.
Urban Expression is a values-based agency with an evangelical-charismatic centre of gravity.
Support - Partner Churches
We are building a network of partner churches in the city. These churches form links with our church planting teams, offer prayer support, learn about urban mission and are communities from which future team members or team leaders might come. The connections are very relational - its about a sense of shared journey and mutual support.
Bridgeton Community Church
Partner Organisations
Scripture Union Scotland - Urban areas
Recruitment and Teams
We are currently looking for team leaders and team members to form our second and third teams across the city
Downloads
"A New Glasgow" - a poem which captures something of the essence of the vision for a renewed city Strategy Document - outlining how UE Glasgow intends to operate, including best practice statement.
To see a version of the powerpoint presentation we use to promote the work of UE Glasgow, click here
Deployment Research
Results of research undertaken by UE in January 2007 into churches and communities in North and East Glasgow. Fairly comprehensive, though doubtless there are loads of smaller "under-the-radar" churches happening across the area.
- Maryhill, Kelvin and Canal
- Springburn and North East
- Inner-circle
Get Involved
Here's the info you'll need to get involved with UE Glasgow...
If you are interested in being involved, the first step would be to contact us by email and we'll organise a time to meet up and get to know one another. Later on, once we have had a chance to get know you, we'll organise an interview. Meantime, check out the introductory pak you can see below.
Please only download the application form once we've had a chance to meet with you, and encouraged you to get involved. We don't take applications "cold" over the web.
Glasgow Links
ACORN - Geodemographic Analysis Tool
Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics
Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation
Scottish Census Results On-Line
Public Health Information for Scotland
Appendices to the Community Planning Agreement 2006-2008
Faith Communities and Local Government in Glasgow
Host Communities
We hope in the next few months to put up information here about different communities in Glasgow which are deprived and under-churched and which might be chosen as locations for deploying teams.
Recommended Reading
A few books and essays on Urban Mission and Church Planting from a Scottish perspective:
See also the recommended reading page elsewhere on the site.
McWilliam, Alan - “LET GLASGOW FLOURISH”: CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING A CONTEXTUALLY APPROPRIATE CHURCH PLANTING STRATEGY FOR GLASGOW - 2005 - downloadable
Harvey, John Bridging the Gap: Has the Church Failed the Poor? Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press, 1987
- An account of John's work with the Gorbals Group Ministry in the 60's and 70's in Glasgow. The Gorbals group were inspired by the work of the East Harlem Protestant Parish and moved into the slums of the Gorbals to build a new expression of church amongst the poor.
Neilson, Peter Church on the Move : New church, New generation, New Scotland : an emerging profile Glasgow: Covenanters Press, 2005
- An account of the Emerging Church in Scotland over the last 5-6 years. Peter is on the Steering Group of Urban Expression Glasgow
Gornik, Mark To Live in Peace: Biblical Faith and the Changing Inner City Grand Rapids (Mich): Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2002
- written out of Mark's experience in the USA, this book charts the inspiring story of the work of New Song Community Church in establishing a congregation and doing community development work in Sandtown, a deprived community in Baltimore. Excellent theological basis for urban church planting and communtiy development.
Wilson, Matt Eden: Called to the Streets, USA 2005
- the story of Eden projects in Manchester - very interesting reading from the point of view of member care, daily life in urban ministry, and inspiration for what God can do through radical incarnational ministry
Bishop, Gary Darkest England: And the Way Back In, Matador 2007
- the story of Gary's time as leader in Eden Openshaw, a partnership with the Salvation Army
Training for Urban Expression Glasgow
There are several options for training currently available.
Invest is a leadership training and mentoring programme for those who sense that God might be leading them into creating new expressions of Church. Whiteinch Church of Scotland is called and committed to the Church of Scotland but we recognise that God is raising up many people from throughout the whole Church with a passion for creating new expressions of Church. Therefore Invest is open to those from any Christian tradition. Invest aims to be a pathway towards participation in Church Planting leadership. What these churches will be we do not know – they may be independent fellowships or associated congregations of Whiteinch Church of Scotland or something completely different.
Check out the Invest website here
One of the groups currently involved in the Steering Group of Urban Expression is the International Christian College (www.icc.ac.uk), who offer a number of courses in cross-cultural and urban ministry, as well as a broad range of theoretical and pastoral subjects.
Crucible Course
Pls. relevant section of this website
Urban Church Planting Video - Stuart Murray Williams
Stuart Murray Williams, founder member and chair of the Anabaptist Network and director of Urban Expression, dreams of new urban churches with Anabaptist values and explores models of creative church planting and evangelism. These ideas have begun to be worked out through the ministry of Urban Expression. [url=http://www.anabaptistnetwork.com/node/369]Urban Church Planting Video[/url]Who are We?
Contact Us
Do you have a passion for church planting and urban ministry in Scotland’s largest city? Would your church be interested in working in partnership with UE to develop new churches in the poorest areas of Glasgow?
Please contact Becky and Daniel Frank on 07745 732 627
Please also download the document below entitled BU Mission Resource Team which details the Scottish Baptist Unions commitment to work in partnership with Urban Expression.