By Dr. Steven Phillips, PhD

God takes us all the way to LLangollen, Wales to see a living example of a "New Church" format. It's a "community" of believers who practice "church" by "being the church" in everyday life rather than just "going to church" one day a week.  Enjoy the story below.

In the Old Testament, God gave Joseph a dream that He had an important plan for his life.  However, almost immediately after he had the dream, Joseph's life seemed to fall apart. Every event that took place seemed to be taking him in the opposite direction of what he thought the dream had suggested. If Joseph had focused only on the problems, he would never have been able to see how everything happening in his life actually was a part of the fulfillment of God's plans.  Nevertheless, one day, after years of difficult and seemingly unrelated catastrophes, Joseph found himself in a place where the dream came to fulfillment.  It was like he stepped out of the fog and suddenly realized that he hadn't actually been aimlessly wandering about all of those years.  Each event had, in fact, been carefully orchestrated by God to bring Joseph to the exact spot where the dream was meant to come to pass.  But I'd be willing to wager that there were many days when the dream seemed so far away that it never occurred to Joseph that what he was doing at the time was a part of the fulfillment process. It can be like that in life. 

You think you have a vision for your life but then everything goes haywire.  Nothing seems to be working how you thought it should.  Sometimes this season can last for years and we almost always see this time as a total waste.  But then you find yourself walking down a street or talking with a friend and all of a sudden you blink in astonishment and you have a revelation - “This is what God showed me so long ago!”  God hadn't forgotten the promise but you had!  He remained faithful to what He had shown you.  It is at times like these that you begin to see that so many of the events between the time of the promise and the fulfillment were actually related and vital pieces of God's master plan for your life.  That is how the “New Tent” vision has proven to be for me.

It has been more than a dozen years since God gave me the “New Tent” dream.  I knew it was an important dream but I could never have anticipated just how significant the images and message would prove to be in the shaping of my my life and ministry.  There is an old saying that sometimes we can be “too close to the forest to see the trees”.  The meaning is pretty clear – “Life” is all about your focus.  Sometimes we live so close to the problems and pressures of our daily lives that we miss the “big picture” of what is actually happening to us – especially when it comes to the fulfillment of God's promises.  It is important to take a step back from time to time to reassess what God might be doing with us. Habakkuk 2:3 talks about how it usually takes some time before we see God's promises come to pass, “For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.” That is how it has proven to be for me with the “New Tent” vision.  It changed my life – even when I was unaware of the effect it was having upon me.

Shortly after I had the dream in 1996, I went through the toughest period of my life.  Everything that I valued in life was taken away.  A good deal of this came about as a result of my own poor judgment and mistakes.  But the really difficult thing for me to accept was that God was at work even in the midst of the destruction of my life!  In the course of a few weeks I lost the relationships of most of my friends, ministry associations and even many family members.  I was virtually left alone without a ministry or means of making a living.  At such times, the last thing on your mind is what role such events will have in the fulfillment of a dream God had given you. We tend to think that God will fulfill His plans by bringing us to a place of importance and sufficiency where we have all of the resources around us to do what He called us to do.  That is not usually the case.  God brings us to a place where we have nothing but Him.  When we have no hope unless God comes through for us that is when we are really most likely to see Him work because we are then finally focused upon His sufficiency instead of our abilities.  That was the place I found myself. 

“Oh God!  What do you want me to do with my life, now?” I asked Him one day in the middle of a self pity party I was having.  “My ministry seems over!  Where do I go from here?”  I asked this question over and over.  But I was so desperate for things to change that I failed to listen for the answer.  When I finally stopped crying about my fate, God said the simplest thing, “Steven, now you have time to follow up on all of those emails you got about the “New Tent” vision that you never had time to reply to when you were so busy in ministry.”  That was it – just a few words.  My life was falling down around me, I had virtually no friends, no purpose in life, no income. But to Him it seemed like it was nothing to worry about.  It wasn't!  God was still my Friend, my Purpose, my Provider.  I had forgotten those vital points.

I set about looking back in emails and letters to find those that were related to the “New Tent” and to my surprise there were quite a number of them.  Some told me about how they had been struggling for years to convert their ministries into more relational structures where everyone could be involved in ministry instead of just a few people with titles.  They spoke of how strongly the “New Tent” vision had impacted them that God was about to “change church” in our day and time.  Most of them spoke of their failures to come to a place of real change but how they were picking up the pieces and trying again although they had no idea what to try next.  How had I missed these calls for help?  I had been so busy “doing ministry” in crowds of people that I had forgotten to “minister” to individuals. 

I set about writing everyone that I could still find addresses.  “I've been going through a very difficult time in my ministry...” I began, “Please forgive the fact that I didn't get back to you sooner. I'm not sure that I understand any more about the vision now than I did when God first gave it to me but I would love to visit with you about what I think He might have been saying and I'd love to listen your ideas as well.”  Not much of a letter, eh?  At the time, it was all I could muster enough faith to say.  I sent them out to be obedient to what I thought God was telling me to do but I have to confess that I did so with very little anticipation that these letters would in any way change my circumstances.  I also worried that most of them would be upset that I had taken so long to get back to them.  I was wrong again.

A number of people responded.  Most were very cordial and very few expressed any irritation about my delayed response.  Some shared how they saw the vision as the “New Wineskin” - a fundamental change in how we would be “doing church” in the coming years.  A few told of how they had altered their ministry work in some way to follow what they thought God had shown them through the vision.  Some told of how they had shared the vision with their church leadership and had been rebuked in the process.  Nevertheless, most expressed how they felt the vision was a word for them from God and something in which they were called to invest their lives. 

Then came the odd response. It began, “We read your vision a couple of years ago. It totally changed our lives and ministry.  We have been working for years to build a ministry in a remote area with little success.  When we got your vision, we understood that God wanted us to head in an entirely new direction.  So we threw away our old methods and began building our work solely on relationships. It has changed our lives and the lives of the people God sent us to serve.” 

This email gripped my attention.  I wrote them back as quickly as I could.  “Please tell me more about what God has done.”  They replied that they had been missionaries working in a Gospel hardened area for years with little results.  They had been trying to work within the conventional church structure centered around a Sunday morning service format.  When they had gotten a copy of my vision, they said they decided to throw away their conventional approach and began building “church” around relationships instead of meetings!  Then they said they would love if I could ever come to their little village to visit.  They wrote, “I'm certain you have never heard of our town... but it is a little village in northern Wales named, Llangollen.”

I blurted out, “Llangollen!  Did I read that correctly?  That's impossible!”  I quickly wrote them back.  “You are not going to believe this...” I said, “But I have been to Llangollen eight times!”  I told them how on one of my many visits to the British Isles I went for a drive one day for a bit of a break and crossed over into Wales. I soon came to the most wonderful little village with a river running through the center of town and a name I couldn't pronounce – Llangollen.  I then went on to explain how I had found a boarded up chapel there with a date over the door that I thought said something like, “Established 1904”.  Standing there, I said to myself, “So it came this far north, did it?”  I felt certain that I was looking at one of the original works that was established around Britain as a direct result of the Great Welsh Revival.  I was strangely drawn to that town ever since and had returned another seven times not knowing why. I even took groups of people with me to pray for their community to be touched by God again.  Of all places in the world!  These people were doing a ministry work in Llangollen!  They replied back with as much astonishment as I had expressed in my letter.  “Now you have to come visit!” They said.

And so, with almost no money to our name, my wife and I set about believing God to supply the means for us to return to Britain – which, of course, He did.  In a relatively short time we found ourselves driving through Llangollen in a little Mini car some friends had loaned us and Rachel navigating me with the directions that David and Annie Davis had supplied  via email.

Their directions read something like, “As you come through the town on the A5 to our only traffic light, continue on through and out of town until you come to a large bend in the road.  There will be a road to the right but don't take that one.  Look for a gate on the left to a small road that heads up the hill.  Take that until you come around the bend overlooking the Manner House and continue on to the hamlet of houses near the top of the hill.  Ours is the first  'waddle and daub' house on the side of the hill on the right as you enter to hamlet.”  It sounded easy enough on paper but it was much more of an adventure in real life.  The gated road to the left turned out to be a path headed up a hill at about a 14% grade with a vertical rise of several hundred feet – all that our little Mini could muster at a crawl.  Several pheasants and even a deer crossed the road ahead of us as we wound up past a spectacular view of a sprawling old Manor House below.  Accost a sweeping valley vista, sheep appeared as tiny dots on the distant hillsides around us.  Eventually we came to a quaint hamlet comprised of about four or five centuries old buildings which were clinging to the hillside.  (I have often joked that if someone would trip coming out of Dave and Annie's doorstep they would roll all the way to the stream two miles below – Ha!)  The picturesque home was even more wondrous inside with original exposed beams and a fire place so large that we had a picture taken of us standing upright in the center of it with room to spare on each side.  We enjoying a delicious lunch of home made bread and a traditional soup.  It was cooked on the coal fired stove that stays continually hot as it takes three days to heat up to temperature.  We then retired to the lounge (living room) for coffee and I finally expressed that I was dying for them to tell us about their ministry.  This is where the real adventure started to unfold.

“We came here years ago sent out by a missionary group that had specific rules about how to build churches.  None of their models worked for us in this culture.”  They explained to us that unfortunately years ago after England had annexed Wales, some of the churches allowed themselves to be used by the officials to control the indigenous people.  Many abuses happened for which no repentance had been offered. It created an environment of understandable suspicion and resentment.  Working in such an environment, they came to understand that they needed to become a real part of the culture and community in order to express God's love authentically.  They had found that once you are considered a friend, you're then a friend for life.  “That is what we longed to be more than anything else – true friends.   The model we were using could not express that desire.  When your vision arrived, we knew it was from God!  We threw away our 'old church meetings' methods and replaced them with real relationships instead. and the work finally began to prosper.”

“How do you have church without meetings?” I asked.  Dave and Annie laughed.  “Well,” Annie answered, “I have a teary eyed 'Chick Flick' night!”  She then explained that she hosts an evening at the house where she and a number of women get together to watch some romance movie that, “no guys would ever watch” and then set around drinking coffee afterwards.  “You would be surprised how often God brings the conversation around to something that is really affecting someone's life in the group.” she said.  “We just let God open the doors for us to share His love and pray for each other when the opportunity arises.”  Dave, who was setting there with an amused grin on his face at my quizzical expression,  then broke in, “I had a 'Fix A Neighbor's Roof Meeting' last week.”  He told about getting a group of guys together to fix someone's roof.  They worked together and talked about what was going on in each other's lives.  “It was authentic community based upon helping and serving each other's needs.  It was 'church' - we just never realized it as such before.”  They told of the community garden they planted together where they shared the crops among the villagers.  They talked about the all day fellowship gatherings they enjoyed from time to time that included a shared meal, music, fellowship, and fun – and, yes, usually someone shared about God's love for people, but they explained that it was not a sermon like most “churches” have today but just sharing God on a personal level among friends.  They told us over and over again that they were after something more like the first century “church” that met wherever and where ever was convenient instead of in designated buildings at designated times.

Then they shook my world up even more, “Steven, there are now quite a number of similar ministries throughout Northern Wales that have joined us using this model.  Some are existing churches that are converting to this type of format and some are new one's springing up.  But this relational model really works here because it is a part of the natural culture.  Every once and a while some of these groups hold a joint 'Take a Hill' event and gather around the base of one of the hills in the area to hike up it and meet the other groups at the top!  It really binds us together by relationship and it's changing the whole area's perception of what 'church' really about. Your vision helped to set this in motion.”  I was humbled and a little embarrassed.  Here I had been certain my ministry had fallen apart and now thousands of miles from my home God was still bringing my vision to pass.

We slept that night under a mountain of covers to ward off the chill after the fire had died down and enjoyed an incredibly peaceful rest.  The next day we headed back down to the village using a “back route” that Dave and Annie had mentioned.  As we came around a large bend in the road we slid to an abrupt stop.  Before us was an enormous tent in the valley below!  A tent that could seat thousands of people! (See picture on the article, “The Vision Of The New Tent”)  We were speechless!  Llangollen had a huge tent!  We drove down into the town as quickly as we could and learned that the tent is used for the “Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod” – a world-renowned festival of music, song and dance.  That night we could not wait to meet with David and Annie, “Did you know there is a BIG TENT in Llangollen?” I asked.  The Davis' just stared back at us.  “Of course we know about the music festival – it is an annual event,” they said.  “Yes,” I replied, “But don't you find it interesting that one of the biggest tents in all of Europe is in your town and this is where you decided to start a ministry model based upon a dream about a BIG TENT?”  They looked at me like a light had just come on in their heads.  It had just never connected with them before,  It was a sign1 All of this was being directed by an Unseen Hand. God had given me a vision of a Big Tent that was now coming to pass in a place known for its huge tent!

When Rachel and I returned home, we were filled with a sense of mission.  I wish I could say that we stared a similar work and it blossomed into a ministry that penetrated American culture with a new form of “church” expression.  We did try to follow after the vision and made several attempts to start similar works.  We even went so far as to take a full year to travel around America to put together a book about alternative churches. We found a church that meets on horse back in Oklahoma and a church that meets on roller blades on a trail that runs through Washington, D.C.  We sought out a coffeehouse church in Virginia, a church that meets in a casino on a boat, and a youth church that meet in an old theater building designed like a cave on the inside where street kids gather for 'mosh worship' dance to radical worship music. While each of these had varying degrees of some success, they lacked the true “community” aspects that we experienced in Wales.  Our own attempts to build such a church were similarly lacking in some way what we felt God wanted us to do.  Part of what was missing centered around my problem of trying to simply repackage traditional 'church' in a new wrapper.  God wanted me to see me to see something that went deeper than just the skin that surrounds the church. He wanted me to grasp a whole new understanding about what the core of church is really about. 

One night in prayer, I felt the Lord said to me, “Steven, you have been spending too much time talking about the 'New Wineskin' – You need to understand that vineyards are never primarily focused on the container – it's all about the wine! It is what is on the inside that is important – not the wrapper!  Churches need to take their focus off of what contains the church and focus instead upon the core reason they exist.  'Church' is when I live in community with people!”

Immediately one of my favorite verses of scripture came to mind.  I like how the Message version says it best, “I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: "Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women! They're his people, he's their God.”  God doesn't want to just meet with people for a few hours each week – He wants to live with us!  He wants to be a part of everything we do and Everything we do together with Him is “Church”!

Wine is made when the sweetness of the grape combines with the yeast that is outside of the grape.  A transformation takes place that produces a whole new substance.  This substance can quench your thirst, heal your body, take away your stress, help you to relax, put a smile on your face, and make a party out of a simple gathering.  This transformation is similar to what happens when God and people come together.  Those who are on the outside are no longer held away from the sweetness of God's love.  A “Oneness” takes place and life becomes a whole new substance.  I understood in, that moment, that this was what was happening in Llagollen.  “Church” had become more about living together with God in community.  It was no longer about a special time set aside out of each week.  It was not about a mere religious observance.  It was no longer a place.  It was everything that is shared between people and God!  In the same moment, I understood I had a good deal of change that God was going to bring about in my life – especially in my perspectives about church.


But God was was more than ready to start these changes in motion.  He was about to radically change our circumstances again. 

(End of Part 1)