New resource for spare-time church leaders

Church Army has published a new booklet shedding light on the experiences of churches led by part-time leaders.

"A Spare Part" is a response to the growing number of fresh expressions of churches that do not have a dedicated full-time paid leader.

Such fresh expressions rely largely on volunteers who also have to hold down a full-time job.

The booklet looks at the emerging forms of church that are being led by volunteers in their spare time.

Author Claire Dalpra, assistant researcher at Church Army, says that 'spare time leaders' need greater recognition for the work they are doing within limited time constraints.

She writes: “There is an inherent problem in calling someone a spare-time leader of a church. When people hear spare time they think of leisure time … like a hobby.”

Dalpra argues that there are few resources in the mainline denominations that address the twin challenges of spare-time led fresh expressions and longer-term sustainability.

The booklet hears the stories of two spare-time churches that have been going for longer than 15 years.

It looks at how the churches have managed to keep going, what advice they have for other spare-time leaders, the implications of spare-time leadership for the fresh expressions movement and the wider church.

Encounters on the Edge 54, A Spare Part: Sustainability and spare-time led fresh expressions of church, is now available, priced £4.00. To order, contact The Sheffield Centre on 0114 272 7451, email ask@sheffieldcentre.org.uk, or go to www.encountersontheedge.org.uk