About Us

We are a group of friends living in Nottingham who come from different Christian traditions.

Over time we have each felt more challenged around the outworking of our faith in relation to these values.

No. Our focus is to explore whether there is an appetite for a network who want to gather and explore these four discernments. This may involve encouraging and supporting people in existing churches or those who have struggled to find a church where they can belong. We would certainly hope to be a blessing and encouragement to existing churches.

We would be especially glad if an existing Nottingham church chose to fully embrace these four values and we would be pleased to support any church that does so. However, if that doesn’t happen, and if enough people show up, we may explore starting something new.

At present we are focussed on seeking God, listening to people and on starting a journey together.

We have all found inspiration in the work of the Oasis Trust and Steve Chalke, its founder. Currently the Oasis church in Waterloo, London seems to offer the closest thing to a church built on these type of values and from what we know so far, seems to live out these commitments, providing an example over several decades of the kind of community we might aspire to - for example they have been well known for their work in schools and young offender institutions across the country. More recently they have adopted churches in other parts of the country or even supported the formation of new churches. We invited a couple of people from Oasis churches to tell their story at our first gathering in October 2025.

We want to be transparent about where we draw inspiration, even as we discern our own path.

For us, success is ultimately that anyone can find support and to know they are deeply loved by their Creator – this could be a church, it could be a community group or other informal gathering; it could be seeing existing churches in Nottingham move closer to these four values.

We’ll look for signs of life: people wanting to gather in groups, energy around conversations, a sense of belonging. Numbers matter less than seeing people feel equipped, supported, and excited about making church inclusive, just and open in Nottingham.

So firstly, every voice matters in shaping what emerges. If we can use this to connect people to ideas and resources, that’s great.

At future gatherings we will be looking for people to contribute to the conversations, share your story, invite others, or simply explore what these values mean for you.

We’re just starting on this journey, but if we keep growing, at some point we would need to establish the structures that healthy organisations need. In due course that would be likely to include some form of charity or legal entity, with collaborative leadership and good governance – and that in turn might involve child protection, youth support, vulnerable adult protection and safeguarding, as well as financial accountability. But again, that’s not our current focus.

Right now, curiosity, openness, conversation and guidance. We’d love people to sign up for our gatherings to share ideas, and to test together whether there’s energy and calling to form a more established community or network.

This is not a theological debating chamber, and it’s not a political forum to dissect the rights of minority groups. But if you’re starting your faith journey or if you are wondering how to reconcile the values above to the Bible, you are personally very welcome; we just ask that you can commit to respect and include others; that you can consider how a view that you saw as self-evident or non-negotiable might harm someone else; and that you are willing to learn together and to be open to change.

We want to start gathering people together, probably monthly — listening, sharing, and seeing what emerges. If momentum grows, we’ll keep discerning together what long-term shape this group should take.

While we don’t anticipate excessive costs, hosting a series of meetings will cost a certain amount, and we would also like to be generous in supporting people in need. As people become more involved, there could be a chance to contribute time and/or money, but we don’t want to allow anyone’s financial means or time restrictions to limit their participation.

Because they touch the heart of what we and many people are longing for in church today: building communities that are just, inclusive, thoughtful, and accessible. These four values or discernments help give us a practical framework for conversation and action. More detail on each as follows:

Part of this is about having the conversations and working it out together – that we are keen to hear voices and for people to help shape what we do. Oasis Waterloo are known for the schools they run, and they take a radical approach to youth justice. You can read more about them here https://www.oasiswaterloo.org/

For us it could look like partnering with local charities or other churches, supporting those struggling with poverty, advocating for fairness in our city, or simply building communities where everyone can flourish. We believe that God’s justice is both systemic and relational — and we want to be part of that movement in Nottingham.

It means there are no exceptions or hidden clauses.  We see in the New Testament that God’s love and grace is available to everyone — people of different backgrounds and abilities, LGBTQ+ people, neurodiverse people — you are not just welcome, included, affirmed, and appreciated but encouraged to fully belong, contribute and lead.

Of course, we may need to establish some guidance or ground-rules to ensure that welcoming one person doesn’t harm someone else. But we also believe that having a diverse group of people at its heart is paramount to success and we want you to help shape this.

We see theology as an ongoing conversation rather than a rigid rulebook. We want to engage with the Bible thoughtfully and in community. We will take prayer and scripture seriously but are unlikely to be hitting people with verses taken out of their context.

We’re open to learning from a range of different traditions and voices, and from Creation itself, and we trust that the Creator continues to speak in ways that include, transform and renew.

If you want to dig further, we are happy to signpost you to some resources recommended by Oasis Waterloo – you can find the links to some books and key influences here https://www.oasiswaterloo.org/theology/

Whatever it is, it should be easy to step into - a relaxed atmosphere, clear explanations, no pressure to dress a certain way or to know the ‘right words’ - we know different people engage in different ways. We value worshipping together but that might look like coffee around tables, music, good conversation or acts of service, as much as a traditional worship event.