'We’re asking people to engage with Jesus'
People are being invited to get on board an exciting Baptist-led missional community in the South West – as this new video explains
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Breathe Communities is a missional community led by Murray and Karen Golder
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A bus enables the team to create outreach events in places like skateparks
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'We’re asking people to engage with Jesus rather than go into a church building, and that’s really important.'
Breathe Communities, Cornwall from South West Baptist Association on Vimeo.
Breathe Communities is led by Baptist pastor Murray Golder and wife Karen, who is training for ministry. Previously based in Derby, God has led them to Cornwall to start a missional community.
‘There was a revival years ago so there are a lot of churches but there are many people who will not set over the door of those buildings,’ explains Karen. ‘For them being church means a cold, boring, draughty place to be – not a group of people worshipping Jesus vibrantly and wanting to follow him for their lifestyle.
‘So He’s asked to come here and be part of something new.’
Murray and Karen have hired a bus decked out with catering and gaming facilities, which means they're able to ‘take Christian community and fellowship wherever we want to go’. It launched its first event in April – a free skate competiton at the Wherry Town Skate Park in Penzance. Last month they took the bus to car parks, skate parks, schools – ‘wherever the kids hang out,’ says Murray.
‘The kids will play Play-stations, board games we’ll give them snacks,’ he continued, ‘and we’ll create conversation and get to know them and speak to them about what really matters about life.’
But it’s not all about the bus – Murray and Karen are simply focused on asking people to engage with Jesus. ‘Jesus told each one of us to go – and that’s what we’re doing,’ Karen explains. ‘It might be on the bus, in a café, on the beach. We’re asking people to engage with Jesus rather than go into a church building, and that’s really important.'
The team is small but growing – and in the video Karen appeals for more helpers, as well as prayer for God to move in people in the area.
‘Cornwall and Penzance and the area is actually an area of huge deprivation that you don’t see when you come on holiday – lives are affected by poverty, by alcoholism – please pray that we see Jesus transforming lives in the area.’
Baptist Times, 18/07/2016