WHAT IS HOMEBASE ALL ABOUT?
Obviously we are nothing to do with a national chain of DIY stores. Not quite so obviously, we are a network of small groups which each aim to be growing Christian communities and which meet together in church, and regularly in people's homes.

The people who are the churches of the Thame Valley Team Ministry are learning to adopt the 1st century church practice of meeting in both the large (congregation) and the small (cell or small group).

We have found that just putting on services on a Sunday doesn't provide what many people are looking for: somewhere to be able to explore spiritual issues in a supportive environment where people are valued for who they are.

In HomeBase, we don't claim to have all the answers, but we are on a spiritual journey, exploring God and discovering what it means to be a 21st century follower of Jesus Christ in the Thame Valley and beyond.

We've adopted the five key purposes of church*:

o Worship
o Fellowship
o Service
o Discipleship
o Outreach

* see "The Purpose-Driven Church" by Rick Warren (Zondervan)

HOW ARE MEETINGS STRUCTURED?
Linked to the five Purposes of Church are five activities ("the five M's") which provide a flexible pattern for a HomeBase meeting which ensures that all the bases are covered.

Materials are produced by a creative team (either in full or in outline form) which guide the meeting leader (not always the HomeBase Pastor) through activities which correspond to the five Purposes:

o Membership
o Magnify
o Maturity
o Ministry
o Mission

These are important, and all need to be covered over time, but sometimes the Holy Spirit will have other ideas, and a group may be called-upon to support one of its members in a particular situation: People matter more than the Programme!

THE FIVE M'S
These lay out a pattern of changing focus for the meeting:

• Membership: The focus is on welcome, and a non-threatening 'ice-breaker' question allows everyone to contribute.
• Magnify: As people relax, the focus shifts onto God, and a creative time of worship provides the context for getting together.
• Maturity: Rather than a conventional teaching session (like a typical house group), this is a time for working out how to apply a piece of teaching (the Word) - usually given the Sunday before. The small group setting also provides a supportive environment that includes loving accountability (eg: How did you get on last week with this?).
• Ministry: We all struggle with elements of our journey, and God will often speak to us through one another as we share joys, problems and suffering. As each prays for and supports one another, the whole group grows in its faith, love and community.
• Mission: The last focus is outward. This is intended to be the climax of the meeting, the bit where the rubber hits the road! It's where the group owns the Evangelism & Multiplication value, and keeps each other honest in their efforts to work out their faith in the real world.

WHERE & WHEN DO WE MEET?
At present there are twelve HomeBases, most of which meet on a midweek evening (Mon-Thurs) in the Thame area, ranging from Chinnor to Wheatley, and Tetsworth to Towersey.