BigLife
Jack’s Story
In September 2017 I (Jack), went to Nepal to visit a family that had gone out from the Tab as missionaries. It was wonderful to visit them in their context. On the way back to the UK, I went to Kolkata to see some of the work of BigLife in West Bengal. BigLife are a disciple-making movement, based around empowering and equipping every follower of Jesus to take an active role in others coming to follow Jesus, within their everyday relationships. This simple model of multiplication had seen many thousands become followers of Jesus, and it was incredible to see the joy, excitement and expectation in the church.
Two years later, following my ordination, the Tab was expressing a desire to be equipped in sharing faith in their everyday relationships. My mind was drawn back to India, and I wondered if those exotic stories could be translated to our UK context. However, it was then that Covid forced the whole country into lockdown. Over lockdown a group of ten people in the Tab took to exploring BigLife and the principles of disciple making movements, seeing how they might look in our context. We had no idea how long lockdown would last, or how much it would change the shape of church-life that we knew. As the country emerged throughout 2021, it became clear that there were profound and lasting effects on society. This was also felt in churches across the country, with people dealing with trauma and increased conflict. Many did not return to churches or developed new habits and ways of living. Many activities that churches had grown used to doing were now not needed, wanted, or possible. This was also true in the Tab, and whilst some left the church, we also saw new and different people joining, and our congregation becoming much more diverse.
In this context the focus of disciple-making movements has been enlivening. Those engaging with BigLife discovered simple practices; that develop close relational groups; that support and encourage deep engagement with scripture that is put into practice; that raise a greater awareness and expectation of God to work in their lives and relationships; and that present opportunities to share faith and seek to make disciples of Jesus.
The Tab is seeking to engage more with disciple-making movements, but we also have a wider role in enabling others. In the aftermath of lockdown, disciple-making movements have been recognised by churches and denominations across the UK as something to explore and learn from. Last week I sat in a room with a group of believers on a remote island in Scotland. The group was made up of a Baptist minister, a disillusioned older couple who had stopped going to church, a young man who had just come to faith, and a couple of women from a local church. Over the day we chatted over our calling as followers of Jesus. I discovered that our initial forays with BigLife provide stories that feed imagination and hope. God is faithful, is working, and is leading his Church in difficult days.
