Here's what our church vision looks like.
In summary - growing healthy faith communities, but that can sound super intro-spective and all about grabbing numbers.
Our understanding of a healthy faith community is one that is outward focused.
Our diverse communities of faith will be people who are rested, in micro-communities that are safe to be part of, with sound teaching and a focus on serving human need, promoting equality and freedom, and justice.
Our communities will be well trained, with the tools to live faith-filled lives, released into whatever God calls them into, representing the diversity God has created around us, and connected in to each other and the worlds in which we live.
We explore and deepen our faith together through the Bible, through praying, through time together, through active service to the world around us, and we do it all in ways that embrace the best of our traditions and explore new, fresh ways to do and be church.
We come to know creator God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and we embrace God's Spirit living within our souls and bodies to guide, empower, resource and enable us.
And all of this is done without a sense of heirarchy, as people who are all on a journey together, disciples who disciple each other and welcome in all who want to share this adventure of faith.
Here's how we do faith together
SOUL Keeills.
Anyone who wants to be part of the Pioneer extended community is free to come and go through any of the ways we meet up. You can come as a visitor, to get the low down, come to try us out, come occasionally, or come to everything all the time. They're designed, however, so that you might find one or two ways that you feel really grow your faith, and you end up settling there.
The word Keeill is an ancient Manx word, meaning place of worship, or sacred place.
Our firm belief is that anyone who opens themselves up to God becomes a mobile place of worship, and that in coming together, we somehow intensify that reality. Here are the SOUL Keeills currently meeting, and more expressions are on their way. They're designed to last as long as there is a need for them.
Saturday SOUL Keeill
Saturday Nights child-free!
Saturday evenings, with tea and toast, gathered around a table. We natter about life, involve music, look at the Bible, laugh and pray with each other.
Because music connects.
A Facebook group open to anyone. Here as a community (mainly online) we post songs, hymns, spiritual songs that draw us closer to God, and we talk about music that might be happening around us too. Christian ethos essential. Sometimes we will also meet up in venues and make music together. Find the Music Room group here.
Breathe
Space to create, breathe, and be.
A community of creatives who gather together whenever. Music, art, reflection space, and delicious food make this a special, slow place to breathe again.
Adventure Keeill
A building-free zone!
Ask most people where they meet God easily, and they say in the wild. Adventure Keeill explores Christian spirituality the way the ancients did - out, all weathers, up hills, in rivers, building walls, planting trees and more.
Generations
Inter-generational Sunday afternoons.
Everyone bundles in - all ages are welcome and needed. Fun, laughter, indoors and out, thinking about the Bible with active learning for everyone, all ending with a delicious meal together and time to pray. From the youngest to the oldest, everyone takes part.
Youth
Building into awesome young people.
Our young people team up with SUMT and the Methodist Church, and attend an inter-church group called "3Gen".
This links them into the excellent schools work and residential work of SUMT, and also links them to a large youth conference.
Short Courses
Limited time courses to explore, deepen or grow faith.
Life is hectic, and our needs are all so different. So Pioneer run short courses as and when we need them. Some (like Alpha) are opportunities to explore faith. Others are ways to engage with the Bible. Others, practical courses about experiencing faith together. Sign up as and when.
More to come
The only limit is our creativity.
There are no limits on the amount of creativity we can pour in to how we grow as modern disciples together. We're currently exploring a walking group, a traditional and contemplative group, and more. Watch this space, or send us ideas!
Short Courses
Our next short course will be a 6 week course in January 2024 called "5 Perspectives on Jesus". It looks at how 5 figures who wrote the Bible viewed Jesus, and finishes with a session together where we put it all together.
Open to anyone exploring faith, or wanting to deepen their understanding of this world-changing figure. The course is free. Here's the link.
Want to get involved?
We're really low-pressure, but deeply committed.
If you're interested in either exploring faith with us for the first time, or reconnecting through one of our communities, the first step is to meet one of us (probably Rev Alex, but not necessarily) for a coffee, a snack and a natter. Please do get in touch, even if its just another excuse for Alex to eat something!
Never done this before.
Feel like you're searching, but have no church experience.
You're far from alone, in fact if you're under 35, you're probably in the majority on the Isle of Man right now. Use the contact form at the bottom of this page, and meet Rev Alex for a coffee somewhere. We'll be able to talk together about your search, your questions, what you feel God may be doing in you, and what we (or someone else) could do that might help you grow towards God. It'll all be at your own pace, and in ways you can easily access.
Have done this before.
Feeling drawn back to church after a gap.
For a few people, the safe space of our small communities has been exactly what they needed to feel their way back to faith after a sad experience, or a bad experience. Sometimes church has been the problem, but not always. Let us be a healing space for you to come back in at your own pace, and then either stay with us, or move to a more traditional form of church that will suit you better.
Wanting inspiration.
Part of a church, but wanting inspiration.
We would want you to stay in the church you're currently part of, but you're welcome to watch what we do, even come and visit, as long as the goal is to get fired up, inspired, and to take that back to your home church community. We would love it if what we did brought extra life and energy. We have been tasked to be a church that truly builds in to others, no questions asked, no hidden agenda. We are all God's church - one church, one body, one Spirit. We want to live that way.
Commissioning Event
After four years of experimenting, praying, and gently growing, Pioneer have been officially commissioned by Bishop Peter. Here are some of the photos from our event (20 Feb 2022).
Pioneer Giving Details
If you'd like to give to Pioneer Church, here are the giving details.
Please make sure you get the reference correct, so that your donation goes to the right part of that account.
Anything you can give, from one-off donations to regular amounts are welcome, just make sure you can afford what you give. :)
