NPNP - New Places, New People | Southampton District Methodist Church

New Places for New People

The District is tasked by the Conference to promote and develop New Places for New People, with priority being given to Church at the Margins. Wherever NPNP arise within the life of the District, from the outset they will be expected to be grounded in these essential principles and practices. Getting this pioneering mindset embedded within an expectant and hopeful culture of prayer and reflection is a crucial determinant of what will eventually unfold under the Spirit’s prompting.

If you are thinking about an NPNP please become familiar with the excellent NPNP resources provided by the Evangelism and Growth Team which are available at the following link:
Methodist New Places for New People Resources

Please see below for comprehensive information, guidance and all necessary forms.

(Photo credit: Sandro Gonzalez on Unsplash)

Meet the District NPNP Team

Meet the District Team:

Contact us via the District Chair’s P.A chairspa@sdmc.org.uk

District NPNP Team:
Revd Dr Mark Cheetham

Rev Rachel Bending

Rev Rachel Borgars

James Devenish

Rev Gina Hoff

Christine Holland

Michael King

The District NPNP Team are accountable to the District Policy Committee and the Representative Synod, and work under the direction of the Deputy Chair of District. The key tasks of the team are to:

Be enthusiastic advocates for NPNP and including Church at the Margins
Build relationships with the Circuits, encouraging them to explore the possibilities for NPNP’s in their contexts, with the aim that 60% of these will be Church at the Margins initiatives. An Initial Ideas form exists for this purpose and will be the basis for such consultations.
Work with and encourage development of Circuit NPNP teams and especially those people who are emerging as leaders of NPNP’s.
Support the development of local NPNP budgets and the process of accessing NPNP funding grants from both the District and Connexion.
Discern how the most effective oversight and support for any proposed NPNP might be offered. This will be achieved through use of the agreed Circuit Oversight Process, using the Connexionally agreed NPNP fruitfulness markers and District Policy Core Values.
Work with the Connexionally funded dedicated half-time FRCO district lead (upon appointment), who will support to embed Faith-Rooted Community Organising practices aiming to develop teams and effective leaders of change in those congregations and communities, as part of their discipleship and core mission to be justice-seeking.
Work with the Connexionally funded NPNP district lead (upon appointment), recognising the need that to develop new communities requires focused attention and dedicated and sustained local support, the District NPNP lead will accompany the development of vision, and provide the vital support needed in the early stages of a new community forming.

For Circuits

Circuits that wish to launch an NPNP are encouraged to:

Form a circuit NPNP team of people with the vision and enthusiasm to plant a new Christian community and support its development. Circuit NPNP Teams will initiate the circuit-led projects by discerning a context, vision and focus for the project; playing a role in submission for funding; and leading on any necessary recruitment. The Circuit NPNP Team could be any group of people committed to pioneering an NPNP. It may involve paid and unpaid role holders, who might be lay or ordained. Though it may not always include the Superintendent, the group should have the support of the Superintendent for their project.
Consider how Church at the Margins might best be developed in their context.
Consider how the proposed project reflects the NPNP Core Values.
Identify circuit or church match funding for the connexional NPNP funding allocated to the project (with the District also providing some match funding from the District Advance Fund) Circuits should match fund grants given for NPNP from their own Circuit and Church funds and resources, or external grants, or give sound reasons for the level of support that can be offered if matching is not possible.
Work alongside the District NPNP team to develop the vision for the NPNP, prepare a budget and apply for funding for the project.
Engage with the Regional Officer for Safeguarding to complete a risk assessment for the Safeguarding aspects of the proposed project.
Encourage the Circuit based NPNP projects to themselves become enthusiastic advocates for NPNP projects through sharing in workshops and storytelling at District Synods and more locally focused opportunities where practical.

Grants and Funding

Grants and funding

The District was allocated £305,854 in the God For All 1 tranche. Of which £150,000 is committed to the Compass project in Portsmouth. £155,854 remains for Circuit focussed NPNP projects and must be committed or lost by August 2026.

The District has been allocated £244,180 in the God For All 2 tranche for Circuit focussed projects to be committed/spent by August 2032. All sums are available on a match funding basis. It is expected that Circuit focussed NPNP projects and God For All 2 tranche projects will be match funded from the District Advance Fund, time spent by District and Circuit employees on the delivery of projects and from Circuit/local church funds.

As the intermediate group in the connexional funding process, the District NPNP Team has delegated authority to approve all applications for grants from these District funds. In so doing they will be mindful of the total resources available to the District, the purposes for which connexional funding God For All tranche 1 and 2 funding has been allocated and will accordingly apportion such funds with due care and diligence.