The Edge Network is a small church planting network in Sheffield, UK. Our congregations are all household churches. We are part of The Crowded House, a group of church planting networks which started in Sheffield in 2000. We’re called the Edge Network because we’re based in Nether Edge, Sharrow, Heeley and the London Road areas of Sheffield. It also expresses our desire to welcome people on the ‘edge’ of society.
We emphasise sharing our lives together rather than programmes and structures. ‘Ordinary life with gospel intentionality’ is one of our catchphrases. The Crowded House is often described by other people as part of the emerging church movement. It is true that we have a different approach to church to that of most traditional churches. But we are also different from many in the emerging church movement. We are Reformed and evangelical. Like conservatives we emphasis the centrality and sufficiency of the gospel word. Like emerging church we emphasis the importance of the gospel community.
The Edge Network has four missional teams working to reach:
- marginalised people
- Kurds
- British Asians
- urban Brits
We meet together in two household congregations.
The leaders of the Edge Network are:
Tim Chester
Tim overseas the work of the Edge Network as well as leading one of our congregations. Tim is the author of a number of books including Good News to the Poor (IVP), The Message of Prayer (IVP), From Creation to New Creation (Authentic), Delighting in the Trinity (Monarch), The Busy Christians Guide to Busyness (IVP) and Hope for a Change (IVP). With Steve Timmis, he has written a book called Total Church (IVP) which explains the thinking behind the Crowded House. Tim is a co-director of The Porterbrook Network, which aims to contribute to a wider church planting movement by equipping individuals and churches to rediscover mission as their DNA through training, resourcing and consultancy. Tim has particular responsibility for the Northern Training Institute. He is married with two children.
Andy Stovell
Andy is an evangelist. He works across the network with a particular focus on British Asians and refugees. He also works part-time as a Dad’s Worker with SureStart. Andy is married with four children.
Phil Harper
Phil is starting his own engineering business. He leads one of the congregations with the network. Phil is married with one child.
Samuel McWhirter
Samuel is a new qualified teacher. He leads our work with Kurds. Samuel is married.
