New Places for New People (NPNP) are focused on forming new Christian communities for those not yet part of an existing church. The planting and growing of NPNPs is one aspect of the Methodist Church’s Evangelism and Growth Strategy, “God for All“. NPNPs are an extremely effective means of connecting new people, new people groups, and new residents to Christian exploration and community.
In the Yorkshire West District we are committed to planting and growing NPNPs as part of our District Strategy, which commits us to:
- Participating in the Connexional funding programme for New Places for New People and Church at the Margins, and
- Encouraging Pioneering mission, which includes evangelism in different ways, primarily but not exclusively through the Methodist Pioneer Pathway,
as we seek, with God’s help, to be a growing, evangelistic, justice seeking, inclusive and safe, church, living out its discipleship and mission.
NPNPs have begun with each District of the Methodist Church beginning a pilot or two. In our District these are in Keighley and Pontefract. In Keighley the pilot has focussed around a shop for Pre-loved children’s clothes and toys, and is now expanding into gatherings in a new building called The New Place. In Pontefract the pioneer is still listening the town and discovering where God is calling us to grow a NPNP.
NPNPs all look very different and one of the best ways to discover more about them is read some of stories of NPNPs that have emerged across the Methodist Church in the last few years including our own pilot projects in Keighley and Pontefract. You can find the stories here, and more about Pre-loved in Keighley here.
Across the country there is a wonderful community of pioneers growing who are developing NPNPs, finding the joy as new people discover God’s love and seeing NPNPs flourish. This community and movement is well supported by the Connexional Team and you can find lots of resources here, including the Circuit Guide for planting and growing an NPNP which is here.
Now our District pilots are running we are receiving additional funding for more NPNPs across the District. This money is allocated through what is ‘excitedly’ called our NPNP Round 2 Process! You can find out more about this here but it might be more helpful and interesting to arrange to meet with Revd. David Goodall, our District Mission Enabler, who is our NPNP Lead. You can contact David by email (mission@ywmethodist.org.uk) or phone (07854 308513).
You can read stories of New Places for New People in our District here.
If you feel called to plant and grow an NPNP and to engage with the process you will need these two forms: